Assignment - An Example

The following is an example of how one instructor has set up an assignment. 

A Writing Assignment - from Sue Frantz

Each week, students answer 8 to 16 essay questions that are based on the reading for that week. Most of the questions are applied questions. For example, after reading the chapter on memory in the General Psychology course, one of the questions is:

It's been a week since you last saw your chemistry textbook. The last place you remember having it was in class the day you learned that got a perfect score on your biology exam. How could you use what is known about context-dependent memory and state-dependent memory to help you find it?

Explaining the Purpose of the Assignment to Students

I want students to understand why this set of assignments is important. In my assignment instructions I write,

I've written the questions in each write-to-learn assignment to help you see how the psychological concepts covered in your textbook apply to real-world events and experiences. Within the first few weeks of the course, you will begin to see psychology all around you.

An Overview of How Students Are to Complete the Assignment

Since this type of assignment is probably new to students, I provide a 30,000-foot overview of how these assignments will work. 

Use the first draft of your write-to-learn assignment to help you figure out what you know and what you don't know. Then use the group discussions and the lecture recordings to help you learn, just as you would if you were studying for an in-class test. Consider visiting the psychology tutor for help, just as you would for an in-class test. Contact me with any questions that you have remaining. Use what you learned during the week to revise your write-to-learn assignment.  

Assignment Pro-Tips, Checklist, and FAQ

I include a set of pro-tips to help students avoid common pitfalls. For example: "Pro-tip #5: Leave plenty of time to answer the questions, and don't try to answer them all in one sitting."

I give students an assignment checklist as an embedded Google Doc for easy download so students can print and use it with each week's assignment. Sample items:

Each question includes my own definitions of the terms

Even if you miss the question, you can usually get you partial credit for your own definitions. Having these definitions in front of you will also help you apply the terms to the question without confusing yourself.

I wrote my answers so that a friend who knows nothing about psychology would understand. 

The write-to-learn assignments are your only opportunity to show what you know about psychology. Don’t assume that your professor will know what you mean. Be as clear and comprehensive as you can be. Think paragraphs, not sentences.

I have an FAQ section that really is a list of frequently asked questions. For example,

How should I format my assignments?

I don't have any special font, font size, or margin requirements. Just set it up in such a way that it's easy to read.

If you're uploading a file instead of using the textbox, please use one of these file types: doc, docx, rtf, or pdf. Canvas' grading software can handle those fine. 

Also, please use paragraphs. If a question has, say, three parts, then write three paragraphs.

What file types do you accept? 

You can upload a doc, docx, rtf, or pdf file. Or you can copy and paste into the text box. Either way, once you submit the file, please check your assignment to make sure that you uploaded the right file or that you got everything into the text box.

Assignment Settings

This assignment is worth 60 points. The rubric used for grading this assignment defines the scoring criteria.

The assignment group is called write-to-learn assignments. By using an assignment group for this set of assignments, I can drop the lowest score and the gradebook will calculate a student's average score for this set of assignments. 

I display grade as points. I enter the grade as points, and points are easy for students to understand. 

For submission type, I allow students to type directly into a text box (may be easier for students who are typing on their phones) or upload a file. I restrict the file type to doc, docx, rtf, and pdf since these are the file types that are easiest for my computer to read. 

This is not a group assignment; students submit their own individual work.

I am not using peer reviews. 

This assignment is assigned to everyone, not individual students, groups, or specific sections of this Canvas course. 

The first draft of this assignment is due on May 6th at 11:59pm. I use a minute before midnight to avoid any confusion as to whether midnight is the end of the day or the beginning of the day. 

I make this assignment available from the very start of the course, so students can plan ahead. It is available until May 13th, a week later. Students can use the week between May 6th and May 13th to submit any revisions they'd like. While Canvas marks any submissions after May 6th as late, I assure students that their assignments are not late. On May 13th at 11:59pm, Canvas will no longer accept submissions for this assignment.