Writing Intensive Courses: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Format is the length and organization pattern the assignment
should follow. For example, if the assignment is a scientific or lab report,
students should be told what elements to include, the approximate length,
and how headings, if any, should be organized
and presented. If the assignment is a memo or business letter, then the
students need some basic instruction on how the information should be arranged
on the page and what information is needed.
Writing Intensive Courses: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Rubric is an explanation of how the final product will be
graded. It may give specific criteria and points for each section or part of
the assignment, or it may give overall expectations for how the assignment will
be graded (holistically). For example, categories might include content,
organization, format, and mechanics, with a certain number of points (weight)
assigned to each category. A thorough rubric gives specific characteristics
expected for each portion of the assignment.
Writing Intensive Courses: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Mechanics typically includes grammar, punctuation, and
spelling. These areas are typically considered separate from content or format,
but severe problems in any of these areas can detract from the content.
Writing Intensive Courses: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Usage refers to using an incorrect word. Examples include using
<>their when the sentence requires there. More common and problematic examples
are using “assiduous trees” when it should be “deciduous trees.” A common cause
of this problem is misuse of a thesaurus.
Writing Intensive Courses: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Prompt refers to the writing assignment. Usually it is a sheet
of information that includes an explanation of the task, the role and audience,
the format, the process to be followed, and the criteria used for evaluation or
grading (rubric).
