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Gordon Rule


Creating Effective Assignments

  • A detailed a writing assignment will help students write more effective papers.

  • Directions should be explicit for students because they will treat assignments as though they were step-by-step instructions.

  • The following explicit directions should appear on the syllabus or an "assignment sheet":

    • type of writing expected
    • scope of acceptable subject matter
    • length requirements
    • formatting requirements
    • documentation format
    • amount or type of research expected (if any)




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