Some helpful hints
from the workshop on
How to keep
from DROWNING in paper!
Many good ideas emerged
from this Writing Committee-sponsored workshop. Thanks to all who attended
and offered these suggestions:
-
25-word summary: to
ensure students watch a video attentively or complete an assigned reading,
assign a summary which is just 25 words long. Because this is such a brief
assignment, it is neither burdensome for students to write nor for the
instructor to read. An additional plus is that it forces students to write
concisely and think about every word.
-
1-page single-spaced report:
like
the 25-word summary, this is quick for students to write (one page single-spaced
sounds easier than two pages double-spaced) and convenient for the instructor
to correct.
-
If you assign multiple essays,
consider making one a collaborative essay. This will cut down on
your grading load and also give students experience at working together,
an important life and workplace skill.
-
Stagger the due dates for
assignments from different classes so you donít have to grade them
all at once.
-
If possible, use the same
criteria for all essays throughout the semester. This way, you can
establish the criteria at the beginning and continually reinforce them
(like a mantra!).
-
Circle grammatical errors,
but donít correct or identify them; this forces students to figure
out what was wrong and how to correct it. It also reduces your grading
time.
-
Alert students to common
errors at the beginning of the semester. Many find this helpful so
they know what to check in their papers.
-
Instead of writing long comments
which students may not even read, keep comments brief and spend time
on short conferences
with students. They often value and attend to
this face-to-face contact more than written feedback. One to one contact
can often take place during class time while other students are working
in groups.
-
Write extensive comments
on the first paper only;
inform students that you wonít do the same
on subsequent paper(s).
-
For take-home exams, give
students 5 questions ahead of time that cover all of the content they should
know. On the day of the exam, choose just ONE of the questions for students
to write on ó do this by rolling dice.
[summarized
by Beth Kupper-Herr]