Choosing a Writing Assignment

The specific learning objectives you have in mind for your students should dictate the type of assignments you ask them to complete, but all assignments have potential strengths and challenges (for students and for instructors). As a result, it is important to be aware of these when choosing the most effective type of writing assignment for your class.

You may ask students to complete one of four main types of writing assignment: long, short, non-specialist audience, or short-answer in response to individual questions. Examples of these appear below, along with the likely strengths and challenges.