Characteristics of Writing Intensive Core Courses

Writing Assignments

It’s more effective—both to develop writing abilities and to learn course content—for students to write frequently rather than infrequently, even if doing so means that papers will be shorter.  Generally, then, students should write at least three papers in the course.  The faculty development seminars for the Core writing intensive courses will provide strategies for making effective assignments.

Keep in mind that the pattern of assignments can take many forms.  For example,

• Professor Jefferson assigns ten 2-page papers, one due each week.  She requires students to revise three of these papers.

• Professor King begins the course by having a one-page paper due each class meeting for the first 10 classes.  She then has a five-page paper due in week 7 and a second five-page paper due in week 10.

• Professor Jones assigns three 6-7 page papers, spaced over the course of the semester.

In a few cases, professors may find it vital to have fewer than three papers, perhaps because they find it important to produce a single, larger writing project.  Such projects can—and should—be divided into several smaller projects that culminate in the final whole.  Doing so, and providing feedback to each piece, accomplishes many of the goals of a longer project.

• Professor Klaus wants students to complete a 20-page, researched position paper on a topic central to the course.  In week 2, assigns a one-page proposal.  In week four, he assigns a 2-page paper that summarizes and analyzes two key readings on the topic.  In week five, he assigns an annotated bibliography of all the sources to be used in the paper.  In week seven he assigns a first draft of the entire paper.  In week ten, he assigns the completed final draft.