Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xiv
Introduction: Designing the User's Journey 1
Epiphanies in the Copy Room 1
The Six Academic Writing Assignments We All Use 3
Assignments as a Window on Our Work 5
Reflect on Your Own Practice 9
1 Writing to Learn: Practicing Some Mental Moves 11
Writing to Learn (WTL): What it is and Why We Assign It 11
What Students Say and How They Struggle with WTL Assignments 17
The Forms and Features of WTL Assignments 18
Classroom Connection: What WTL Looks Like in My Class 33
Obstacles and Opportunities 44
Reflect on Your Own Practice 46
2 The Short Answer: Fostering the Art of Paying Attention and Close Reading 47
The Short-Answer (SA) Assignment: What it is and Why We Assign It 47
What Students Say and How They Struggle with SA Assignments 49
The Forms and Features of SA Assignments 53
Classroom Connection: What SA Assignments Look Like in My Class 59
Obstacles and Opportunities 62
Reflect On Your Own Practice 64
3 Writing on Demand: Finding on Authentic Pathway for Learning 66
Writing on Demand (WOD): What It Is and Why We Assign It 66
What Students Say and How They Struggle with WOD Assignment 67
The Forms and Features of WOD Assignments 68
Classroom Connection: What WOD Looks Like in My Class 73
Obstacles and Opportunities 80
Reflect on Your Own Practice 82
4 The Process Paper: Designing the Stages of Composing 83
The Process Paper: What It Is and Why We Assign It 83
What Students Say and How They Struggle with Process Papers 86
The Forms and Features of Process Paper Assignments 87
Classroom Connection: What Process Paper Assignments Look Like in My Class 95
Obstacles and Opportunities 108
Reflect on Your Own Practice 109
5 The Research Paper: Challenging Complexity 110
The Research Paper: What It Is and Why We Assign It 110
What Students Say and How They Struggle with Research Papers 113
The Forms and Features of Research Paper Assignments 118
Classroom Connection: What Research Paper Assignments Look Like in My Class 120
Obstacles and Opportunities 133
Reflect on Your Own Practice 134
6 Alternative Forms of Academic Writing: Implementing New Forms, Features, and Functions 136
Alternative Assignments: What They Are and Why We Assign Them 136
What Students Say and How They Struggle with Alternative Assignments 139
The Forms and Features of Alternative Assignments 140
Classroom Connection: What Alternative Assignments Look Like in My Class 143
Obstacles and Opportunities 153
Reflect on Your Own Practice 155
Conclusion: Teaching Writing Better by Design 156
Design Teams: Creating a Culture of Collaboration 156
Friction Points: What They Are and Why They Matter 159
The Paper Load: Collecting, Responding to, and Grading the Writing Assignments 161
References 164
Index 169