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writing assignment strategies

Alternative Writing Assignments: The Integrated Paper

As faculty working with students to explore topics of interests we frequently request that they review the literature to gain an understanding of what is known and unknown about a topic and then present their findings in an integrated manner. While many students are familiar with developing papers termed “literature reviews” or “reviews of the literature,” these types of papers frequently do not afford the students the opportunity to integrate what has been found. Thus faculty have begun to require that students present their findings and thoughts via what is known as an “integrated paper format.”

Genevieve Pinto Zipp June 29, 2011

Time Management Strategies for Student Writers

Is it me or do students often seem surprised by just how long the writing process takes? When I first started teaching, I never thought to address the issue of time management with my students. Over the course of my next several classes, however, I started to notice a pattern in students’ comments, such as: The work in this class is really, really time consuming; I’ve never spent this much time writing before; and I didn’t realize it would take SO much time but I am really happy with the end results.

Lauren Shapiro March 30, 2011

Student Writing: Avoiding the Blank Screen Blues

Staring at a blank screen the night before the research paper was due—this was the dilemma faced by my upper-level science students. The paper, the product of their independent research projects, is an important part of our curriculum and one component of our assessment of their scientific writing skills.

Kari Benson PhD January 11, 2011

Feedback Techniques that Improve Student Writing

Yvonne is frustrated. She wants to do well in her language arts class, but each essay she completes fails to earn her the grade she believes she deserves. Although her teacher thoughtfully writes out corrective comments on her essays, to Yvonne these seem to run together, forming a nonsensical sea of red ink. With each assignment, she feels less capable and grows more resentful of her instructor.

Brian E. Harper, PhD, and William Beasley, EdD November 4, 2010

Encouraging Substantive Discussion of Course Content by Getting Personal

“Why are teachers afraid of sentences that begin with ‘I feel’ or that draw on personal experience?” Margaret Mott asks, repeating a question she read in an essay early in her career.

Maryellen Weimer, PhD August 26, 2010

Wikipedia in the Classroom: Tips for Effective Use

Most academics consider Wikipedia the enemy and so forbid their students from using Wikipedia for research. But here’s a secret that they don’t want you to know—we all use Wikipedia, including those academics.

John Orlando, PhD May 26, 2010

Meta-Collaboration: Writing with Students to Engage Learning

In one of my favorite A Midsummer Night’s Dream passages by William Shakespeare, Theseus comments on the creation of poetry. Informing us that the “poet’s eye” in a “fine frenzy rolling” glances from “heaven to earth, from earth to heaven,” we learn about the process of making sense of the world and composing something about it.

Dan Kulmala, PhD January 25, 2010

Five Questions that Improve Student Writing

Before embarking on a writing assignment, I challenge my students to imagine a skeptical reader who expects them to answer five important questions. Answering these questions demands critical writing and thinking, and helps the students develop thoughtful content, efficient structure, and clear sentences.

Christopher Baker, PhD January 11, 2010

Six Tips for Effective Writing Groups

By offering students a supportive group for writing assignments and research projects, students can form strong learning communities and feel less isolated when they see

Kathryn Linder M.A. December 9, 2009

How to Give Effective Feedback on Student Writing Assignments

How often does this happen to you? You pore over students’ writing assignments, adding what you feel are insightful and encouraging comments throughout each paper. Comments you hope your students will take to heart and use to improve their writing next time around. Then you return the papers and the students quickly look at the grade and stuff the paper into their backpacks … perhaps mumbling something under their breath as they do.

Mary Bart November 2, 2009

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