Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program in Collaboration with the Reading Effectively Across the Disciplines (READ) Program October 22 nd, 2013 1 Designing.
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Slide 1
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program in Collaboration
with the Reading Effectively Across the Disciplines (READ) Program
October 22 nd, 2013 1 Designing Effective Assignments
Slide 2
Reading and Writing to Learn 2 Writing as active reading
Examples: note taking, concept maps, summarizing lectures or course
readings Explain to students the value of writing for organizing
their ideas & better understanding course content Explicitly
state how writing assignments link to later work, exams, etc.
Purposeful writing assignments Connect to course objectives Connect
to personal experiences or prior knowledge (e.g., journal entries
linked to current course topic or theory)
Slide 3
Reading and Writing as Tools to Learning Learners remember what
they write about content material they read. Writing helps enhance
readers metacognitive skills. Writing can be an effective means of
learning in every content area.
Slide 4
Reading and Writing to Learn Reading for learning in content
areas Pre-reading Post-reading Writing for learning in content
areas Strategies vocabulary Reading Guides Annotation Graphic
organizers Concept maps Student- generated questions Connection to
reading During reading Summary Low-stake assignments
Slide 5
Writing-to-learn Strategies Two-column note taking Question
what text means or how the parts of the topic connect Cubing
Prediction Define concepts or ideas about subject matter
Paraphrase, translate, or rephrase the text React or response to
texts Create problems to be solved with subject matter Apply the
subject matter to ones life Summarize concepts and ideas from
text/discussion
Slide 6
Two Column note taking Topics and notes to yourself Lecture
notes Summarizing and Main Ideas
Slide 7
Cubing Strategy Purposes: To develop conceptual understanding
of a topic To develop reading comprehension To develop prewriting
abilities Tasks : Describe the subject Compare the subject with
something else Associate the subject with something else Analyze
the subject Apply Uses of the subject Argue for or against the
subject
Concept Mapping Purpose: To develop an understanding of a body
of knowledge. To explore new information and relationships. To
access prior knowledge. To gather new knowledge and information. To
share knowledge and information generated. To determine
problem-solving options.
Slide 11
Slide 12
Informal vs. Formal Writing Assignments 12 Informal writing:
low-stakes (not graded or minimal points), very limited structure
so as to encourage creativity & critical thinking Purposes
Process (writing to learn) End product (leads to something more
formal) Formal writing: high-stakes (graded) structured, end
product only (not process-related)
Slide 13
13 Homework (low-stakes) In Class (low-stakes) Formal
Assignments (high-stakes) Linking to previous knowledge Retaining
information Understanding key concepts Assessing student
comprehension Linking to previous knowledge Retaining information
Understanding key concepts Assessing student comprehension
Interacting with a text Keeping up with reading Focusing on key
points Learning the discourse Interacting with a text Keeping up
with reading Focusing on key points Learning the discourse
Evaluating and interpreting data & sources Developing and
supporting a thesis Mastering discourse Evaluating and interpreting
data & sources Developing and supporting a thesis Mastering
discourse Writing to Learn
Slide 14
All Assignments Benefit From Clarity 14 Always Provide Students
with a Typed Assignment Handout Helps the students understand what
they need to do Assists tutors in the Learning Center in providing
appropriate assistance to the student Provides reference for
instructors
Slide 15
Assignment Handout Checklist 15 Do students know what they need
to do? Is the task clear? E.g. compare/contrast, summarize, etc. Do
students know what theyre being graded for? Do students know which
essay format they are being asked to compose? Have I expressed who
the intended audience is for this paper? Have I expressed the
acceptable and minimum number of sources (e.g., a minimum of 5
articles from scholarly journals)? Have I listed the assignment
requirements? Length? Deadlines? Reference- style and formatting?
Font, margins, title page, bibliography Have I stressed the
importance of proofreading? (peer evaluation can be helpful) Has
class material prepared students for this assignment?
Slide 16
Benefits of Informal Writing Assignments 16 Requires students
to interact with course content. Helps students make connections
between new concepts and previous knowledge. Encourages
concentration and helps students to understand and retain key
concepts and processes. Gives students an opportunity to grapple
with problems and tasks, to speculate about possible answers or
solutions without risk. Helps instructors to assess student
comprehension and progress. Helps prevent plagiarism in high-stakes
papers.
Slide 17
Informal Writing Assignments: Prompts 17 What did you find most
interesting about this chapter? Relate concept X from todays class
to our previous lecture on Y/your personal experience. What didnt
you understand about the reading? Write 3 questions about the
reading that you would like to be answered. Compose a question
about this weeks reading to be discussed in class.
Slide 18
Informal Writing Assignments: Summaries and Explain to New
Learner 18 Summary Write for about 5 min. summarizing the class
lecture. Make a list of key concepts highlighted in todays lab.
Explain to new learner Restate the main points of todays lecture in
your own words. Explain this weeks reading to your grandma.
Slide 19
Formal Assignments 19 Benefit from scaffolding: Build
on/integrate informal assignments Tend to be high stakes Often ask
students to do the discipline Call for finished prose Can require
multiple drafts
Slide 20
Formal Assignment Formats 20 Write an eight- to ten-page
research paper on ____________. Traditional Shorter assignments
focusing on specific course concepts or skill Defend a Thesis
Microtheme Annotated Bibliography Scaffolding Traditional
Assignments
Slide 21
Traditional Writing Assignment 21 Assignment 2: Take-Home Final
Exam Essay: Turkey and the European Union Discuss the controversy
over Turkey's membership in the European Union. What are the
potential benefits for Turkey? For the European Union? Beyond
Europe? What are the arguments for and against membership? Who's
making these arguments and why? What are the economic implications?
Papers must be typed, double-spaced and stapled. Sources must be
cited, using Chicago style. You must include a list of Works Cited.
This assignment represents the equivalent of a final exam.
Therefore, I expect you to put considerable time and energy into
it. Papers should be focused, make an argument, and draw on course
materials. I want to see evidence of thinking. I will reward
originality. Points will be deducted for grammatical and
syntactical errors. It's a good idea to write more than one draft
of your assignment. If you need extra help, you can get it in the
Writing Center. I recommend this strongly. Plagiarism is prohibited
by Queens College, and any student caught teaching will receive an
F on the assignment, fail the course, and be referred to the Dean
of students. Dont do it! My pet peeves: Confusion between "there"
and "their; Pronoun anteceded disagreement; Incorrect verb tenses;
Confusion between "it's" and "its; Use of the second person (
"you); Unsupported statements of opinion.
Slide 22
Scaffolding Traditional Assignments: Defend an Assigned Thesis
22 This proposed bridge does/does not meet the criteria set forth
by the city in its request for proposal. Engineering: Schizophrenia
is a brain disease/learned behavior. Psychology: Global climate
change is/is not a significant environmental threat at this time.
Environmental Science:
Slide 23
Scaffolding Traditional Assignments: Evidence- based
Microthemes 23 Dear Dr. Catlove, Youve got to help me settle this
argument I am having with my girlfriend. We were watching a
baseball game several weeks ago when this guy hit a high pop-up
straight over the catchers head. When it finally came down, the
catcher caught it standing on home plate. Well, my girlfriend told
me that when the ball stopped in midair just before it started back
down, its velocity was 0, but its acceleration was not 0. I said
she was stupid. Needless to say, that started an argument. Please
help us save our relationship! Sincerely, Baseball Blues Can this
relationship be saved? Speaking as Dr. Catlove, write an answer to
Baseball Blues. Restrict your answer to 250 words or less. Dont
confuse Mr. Blues by using any special physics terms unless you
explain clearly what you mean.
Slide 24
Activity 2: Transform The Assignment 24 Assignment 2: Take-Home
Final Exam Essay: Turkey and the European Union Discuss the
controversy over Turkey's membership in the European Union. What
are the potential benefits for Turkey? For the European Union?
Beyond Europe? What are the arguments for and against membership?
Who's making these arguments and why? What are the economic
implications? Papers must be typed, double-spaced and stapled.
Sources must be cited, using Chicago style. You must include a list
of Works Cited. This assignment represents the equivalent of a
final exam. Therefore, I expect you to put considerable time and
energy into it. Papers should be focused, make an argument, and
draw on course materials. I want to see evidence of thinking. I
will reward originality. Points will be deducted for grammatical
and syntactical errors. It's a good idea to write more than one
draft of your assignment. If you need extra help, you can get it in
the Writing Center. I recommend this strongly. Plagiarism is
prohibited by Queens College, and any student caught teaching will
receive an F on the assignment, fail the course, and be referred to
the Dean of students. Dont do it! My pet peeves: Confusion between
"there" and "their; Pronoun anteceded disagreement; Incorrect verb
tenses; Confusion between "it's" and "its; Use of the second person
( "you); Unsupported statements of opinion.