Incorporating Richard L. Larson's list in Writing in the Academic and Professional Disciplines: A Manual for Faculty. Herbert H. Lehman College (CUNY), 1983.

1. How does the assignment relate to the discipline?
   
2. How typical is this assignment of work in this discipline?
   
3. How does this assignment contribute to learning in the field?
   
4. How will the individual assignment build into the overall plan for the semester?
   
5. What course content or goal does this assignment support?

 

You might want to begin with assignments that demand fundamental intellectual activities: describing, explaining, etc., and move onto those which demand more complex intellectual activities: analyzing, critiquing, comparing, etc.

1. Why is the student being asked to write the paper?
   
2. What judgment is required?
   
3. What cognitive / conceptual activities are necessary?
   
4. Will it interest the student?
   
5. Will it interest you?
   
6. Will the student acquire new knowledge?
   
7. Is the task clearly defined?
   
8. Does the teacher know the parameters of desirable responses?
   
9. Do students know? (How much should they know and when?)
   
10. Is the basis for evaluation clear to the students?
    
11. How broad do you want the scope of the topic to be?
    
12. What do you want the assignment to yield?
    
13. Do you want the students to

	re-state information?
	describe a concept?
	explain an idea?
	analyze an argument?
	evaluate an argument?
	critique a viewpoint?
	compare various theories?
	argue one side or another?

What words would best convey what you want the students to do? 

Verbs are crucial:  

describe summarize argue compare analyze explain evaluate critique, etc.

Other words are important too: 

theory argument concept opinion view

 

How explicit do you want to be about where you want them to get the information to respond:

1. Should they base their responses on the lectures, the textbook, library research?
   
2. Does the student have access to the resources necessary for success on this assignment?
   
3. If a research-based paper, do you have a particular documentation style in mind?  If so, is it clear to the students?
   
4. What would be the best form for the students to respond to the assignment:

	short answer in an exam?
	long essay in an exam?
	short (how short?)
	paper? long (how long?)
	paper? short in-class writing?
	journal entry?

If this is a collaborative assignment, does it involve work that cannot be done as easily by just one person?