Effective vs. Ineffective Writing Prompts/Communicating to students

Communicating to students

As an instructor, it is critical that you present the information and outcomes in the simplest way possible. Your students will not only appreciate the simplicity but will also engage in the assignment at a higher level. When presenting the instructions for the project, be sure to avoid lengthy and wordy descriptions.

Although you want to avoid long descriptions that are difficult to read, it is necessary to include relevant details for project completion. It is very effective to include a goal for the project and to make a list of what the assignment is expected to address and include. It is also important to provide task-specific learning goals at each stage of a scaffolded assignment so that students can focus on the skills required as they take each step⁷.

The expectations of the assignment must be clearly communicated for students to monitor their own progress. Often, misleading or confusing instructions can throw students in the wrong direction. If you simply outline what is expected, students have a guideline to follow.

Incorporating grading criteria goes hand in hand with your assignment expectations. This is another way that students can see if their paper is following what the assignment is designed to achieve. Additionally, it allows students to ask questions if they are unsure of the grading process. For more information on creating rubrics and grading criteria, please see our ‘Grading Techniques’ resources.