When assigning writing, we have to plan for success. Most of our frustrations with the writing we receive (though not all!) can be alleviated through better assignment planning. This section, therefore, provides examples and procedures to help us plan for low stakes and high stakes writing assignments.
All assignment planning starts with the purpose, or objective, then works backwards to the expected product, the steps of the process to get to that product, and finally to the preparation we give our students through verbal and written instructions, examples, and practice.
For high stakes assignments, follow the links below to consider the importance of building early drafts and revision into the process, as well as steps to naturally discourage plagiarism.
Discussion and examples of several types of Low Stakes, or informal, writing assignments
Discussion and examples of High Stakes, writing-to-communicate assignments (aka Writing in the Disciplines)
Adding a service learning element to one's course requires thought and consideration. Some helpful resources from the University of Tennessee Knoxville will provide more information on constructing a project with an organization in your community, developing student learning outcomes, and planning your course to accommodate a service learning component in you course. The Service Learning Course Design Guide and the Service Learning Course Workbook work together to provide information on service learning and to help you create your own project. When planning a service learning project, the Ten Principles of Good Practice for Service-Learning Pedagogy will provide context and insight into how service learning will effect a course. The principles offer advice on how to implement service learning into classes, structure projects, prepare the participants of the projects and more.
