Setting Expectations for Technical Writing Assignments (Explanation and Powerpoint)
What this resource is about:
This resource discusses how to set expectations for technical writing and provides PowerPoint slides as an example of a lecture that can be adapted to meet the specific needs of any technical writing assignment.
Why clarify expectations explicitly?
Students have varied experiences in writing from high school and university. While most instructors assume that students have adequate skills in writing, having different assignments, classes, and individual evaluators makes it difficult for students to know what is expected of any one assignment. I have found that students do not really understand what is expected of their writing in my class, and most have little experience in technical writing. Explicitly stating expectations helps the students learn technical writing and doesn’t leave them guessing.
Reflection from Dr. Pew:
There’s no one way to write correctly. Expectations for writing courses will be different depending on the context, discipline, course, and learning outcomes. In my classes, I expect students to write a research paper, which may be the first time they have encountered this specific type of writing at this level. My goal is to be as transparent as possible.
I give this lecture to my mechanical engineering classes (EMEC 405, 465, and 462) and use it as an outline when I introduce the writing assignments in those classes. By setting expectations early, students can understand the required level of detail and get a sense of how they will be assessed.
This lecture is one component of how I deliver assignment expectations. I also give them a problem statement and grading rubric that align with what I’ve outlined here so that students can reference multiple documents that reinforce my expectations. We also do in-class peer review of individual sections of the papers. This requires them to complete sections far in advance of the final due date, forces them to review their work with others, and gives them the opportunity to ask me questions about improvement.
This PowerPoint contains detailed specifications for the type of technical writing needed in my mechanical engineering courses--your context will be different and will likely need a different style. Feel free to adapt this PowerPoint and remove any content that is overly rigid for your intended project and replace it with your own.
Benefits:
Since using this presentation along with a detailed rubric and peer review, I have noted considerable improvements in student writing ability as well as the quality of their project content. In addition, by completing and grading sections throughout the semester, it allows me to distribute the workload of grading final projects and makes final assessment at the end of the semester easier.
Challenges:
I recognize that this lecture is too much information for students to absorb in one class period. The information must be reiterated throughout their writing process. For that reason, we also do writing groups in class. The students complete each section of their papers and bring them for peer review. They also bring their sections to me for individual feedback so I can reiterate these ideas.