EFFECTIVELY PLANNING AND EXPLAINING ASSIGNMENTS THAT YIELD SUCCESSFUL WRITING WIP BROWN BAG SERIES #1 SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 PAMELA FLETCHER, FACILITATOR

CHALLENGES OF CREATING ASSIGNMENTS THAT YIELD SUCCESSFUL WRITING 1. What do you grapple with in creating writing assignments? a. Trying to achieve too much? b. Giving too few or too many directions? c. Assignment too broad? 2. Have you ever tried to complete the assignment yourself? Discovered any pitfalls?

Group Exercise: Getting the Best Outcome in a Written Assignment As a group, choose one of the assignments and decide what specific process and procedures the instructor could suggest to help students write a high-quality paper. Consider the following questions to help you think of specific instructions: 1.What competencies, methods, or skills are necessary to achieve successful writing in this course’s discipline? 2.Different assignments call for different competencies, methods, or skills. What learning outcome(s) should students learn and what abilities should they demonstrate in this writing assignment? 3.What universal abilities should students exhibit in any of the assignments?

Discussion What questions, concerns, comments arose in your group discussion? Let’s review the following handouts for students: - Achieving Focus in writing - Prospectus - Audience and Purpose - Thesis Statement Exercise

References Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2010).The Bedford Handbook (8 th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Walvoord, B. E. F. (1982). Helping Students Write Well: A Guide for Teaching in All Disciplines. New York: The Modern Language Association of America.