A Guide for Designing Effective Writing Assignments

produced by Sue Perdew, Jan Bisset, Mona Griffer, Ann Bush, Walter Broughton, Chaogui Zhang, Karen Arscott, Ann Mekilo, Annette Fisher, Miao Hong, Sr. Gilmary Speirs, Erin Sadlack, Michelle Sitko, Sr. Marie Rose Kelly, Margaret Gannon, Jackie LaPlaca, and Laurie McMillan during a faculty workshop,
Spring 2006, Marywood University

• Be sure you know exactly what the students should be achieving with the assignment
• Make assignments relevant to course goals and to your discipline
• Tailor assignments appropriately to the course level; students at the firstyear and sophomore levels probably need more support and more explicit instructions than students at the junior and senior levels
• Sequence assignments so that students are expected to achieve more later in the semester
• Make various handouts that guide students through the course requirements rather than overwhelming students with everything at once

• A concise explanation of the assignment
• A context and an audience for the writing
• Basic requirements (due date, page expectations, source expectations, and so forth)
• Specific advice regarding any unusual parts of the assignment (such as digital expectations)
• A list of steps students should take as they approach and complete the assignment
• The objectives of the assignment (the objectives should be student-centered and measurable)
• Criteria with which the assignment will be evaluated
• A reminder that academic integrity is expected
• References to sources of help (reference librarians, writing center)

• Make the assignment potentially enjoyable for students
• Make the assignment one that will challenge all levels of students
• Create contexts for writing that allow students to write from the position of expert (such as explaining ideas to confused classmates or trying to convince an undecided audience)
• Be specific and clear for students
• Avoid verbose assignments
• Encourage collaborative work when appropriate
• Encourage the draft process (peer review, draft outline, etc.)
• Allow students to rewrite a paper for a higher grade
• Give students choices when possible (regarding due dates or other details about which you can be flexible)
• If you would like students to use specific sources, check to make sure they’re available at the library
• If you require students to use a specific database, explain to students how to access it
• Limit opportunities for plagiarism when possible by developing unique assignments, requiring a draft process, and showing students how to use others’ ideas appropriately

Return to Laurie McMillan's Resources for Teaching Writing.

Page last updated May 2006.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Laurie at lmcmillan@marywood.edu