Assignment Generation: Alex, Sohomjit, Michael

Class,

In keeping with the in-class assignment handed out today (10/22), here is the assignment Alex, Sohomjit and I devised, with a separate section describing the theory behind our practices.

The assignment is a five week process to generate a research paper. The general topic:

UNIVERSITY LIFE

The particulars of the paper are:
- 6 to 7 page limit
- 3 outside sources minimum must be cited
- MLA style

The students will submit a topic for the research paper that has to deal in some way with university life. They may employ any research method they choose. There will be four checkpoints to guide the student on this project, with each checkpoint being conducted weekly:

Checkpoint 1: in the beginning of the first week, the student will submit a proposal for the paper, which will be discussed later that week in a one-on-one meeting with the professor. This proposal will define the student’s argument.

Checkpoint 2: in the second week, the student will submit a journal entry, defining their processes and what they are doing to work towards their project. This entry will be more informal and does not have to be submitted in MLA format.

Checkpoint 3: in the third week, the student will submit a second journal entry, continuing the progress from the first journal, as well as shaping the thoughts of the student as they progress in their work.

Checkpoint 4: in the beginning of the fourth week, the student will submit a rough draft of the paper, which will be discussed later in the week in a one-on-one meeting with the professor.

Checkpoint 5: at the end of the final week, the final papers will be turned in.


PEDAGOGY:
The theory behind this exercise is to avoid the trap of over-specifying the requirements of the paper to the students. By giving the students plenty of room for initial thought and topic selection, we hope to have them take ownership of the project. The checkpoints will guide them and require them to think about the process from a structured position, forcing them to avoid the last-minute frenzy of writing a paper. By keeping in communication with the students, we will be able to work with them in discovering the revision process.