15 College Course Basics
Understanding Assignments
Before you begin working on an essay, don’t forget to spend some time reading and analyzing the assignment sheet, making note of key words, and asking clarifying questions.
If you can break down the assignment sheet, put the task ahead of you in your own words, and specifically recognize what is being asked of you, you are setting yourself up for a smoother journey to avoid issues down the road. Often, students will skim an assignment sheet/prompt or only listen to their instructors’ overview, and, then, when it comes time to begin choosing a topic, researching, and writing they feel lost or confused because they did not follow or fully understand the instructions correctly. This confusion can lead to falling behind in an assignment, feelings of stress, and writer’s block. Another common issue is that students will misinterpret what is being asked of them because of a lack of understanding of the key words and action verbs utilized. For example, when a student will only summarize when the assignment asked them to analyze. These verbs also help you determine what the instructor wants you to learn and demonstrate through this assignment.
When looking at an assignment sheet it might feel daunting and a lot to take in, but if you can deconstruct and understand those overarching components, that can help you not feel too overwhelmed as the weeks go on. Having confidence in knowing and understanding the assignment, will also help you to avoid second-guessing yourself and going back and forth with your ideas.
Here are some steps and questions to consider when you take in your assignment sheet/prompt:
- Determine the purpose and genre of the assignment.
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- What are you being asked to do?
- What are the identifying features and conventions of the genre you are engaging with?
- What end goal are you working towards?
- Identify any assignment questions being asked of you.
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- Are there specific questions that your instructor wants you to answer in your essay? What are they?
- Are there implied questions that your instructor wants you to think about? What are they?
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- Make note of what type of research you will engage in and who your audience will be.
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- How many sources do you need to incorporate?
- Do they need to be primary or secondary sources? Scholarly or popular?
- Where does your instructor want you to find your sources?
- Who are you writing to and for?
- What are the audience’s expectations?
- What style of writing does your audience expect or need?
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- Locate the evaluation and grading criteria;
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- What is the required page length?
- When is it due?
- Are you required to submit a draft before the final copy?
- Will there be a peer review?
- Is there a rubric? If so, go over the rubric requirements.
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- Finally, identify the disciplinary conventions with which you are expected to write.
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- Does the essay need to be in MLA, APA, CMS, or another style?
- Does the instructor require any specific submission elements or formats?
You can also start with some more reflective questions:
- What do you think the instructor expects you to take away from this assignment?
- Why has your instructor given this assignment?
- How does it relate to what you are studying in class?
- What skills do you think you will be tapping into?
What are the Key Words to Pay Attention To?
It is essential to focus on the key words of the subject matter being discussed. With that in mind here are some common action verbs used in assignment instructions:
Summarize: When you summarize, you present the main idea or the most important points from a subject or source or text or story. You leave out minor, extraneous details/examples. You write summaries efficiently, effectively, and ethically. With that last point, you must ensure you retain the accurate meaning of the subject/source/text and do not distort the author’s perspective. Summaries will define key terms as needed. To write an accurate summary, ask questions such as: Which of the ideas in the reading or source are most significant? Why? How do these ideas fit together? What do the key passages in the reading mean and why? And how can I communicate that information in an accurate way?
Report/Inform: Reports provide information and explanations to their audience. The goal of a report is to fill in the relevant and necessary gaps on a subject. Reporting involves making informative claims about why readers need to know this information and why it matters. Reports “can provide new information on a known subject, provide historical or other relevant context, clear up misconceptions, propose a plan, introduce the audience to something unknown, or develop a profile of a person, place, or object” (Hoermann-Elliott and Quesenbury). When reporting information to readers you need to ask questions such as: What would a person need to know to understand my topic or point? What definitions or key words and terms need to be defined? Do I need to explain the history of my chosen topic to give readers context? What about the present reality of my topic do I need to explain to readers? Do I need to help my readers visualize what I am discussing? What facts, figures, and statistics do I need to provide to readers?
Argue: In composition, “having a clear stance on an issue, detailing specific evidence that supports that stance, establishing common ground with others who have opposing views on that issue, and defending/explaining the advantages of that stance over the oppositions’ arguments” (Hoermann-Elliott and Quesenbury). It is not ignoring all other points of view, but instead considers and/or addresses other points of view It is not just your opinion, it is a position based on evidence. With that last point, remember we all start with an opinion and thoughts and perhaps even precursory experience and knowledge about the things we want to and will write about. But, when you begin researching and engaging with your opinion and thoughts and topics on a deeper, more analytical level, when you look to experts to provide you with evidence and information surrounding your topic, when you enter the conversation, that is when you move from opinion to informed perspective/position. The way you will usually state your position is in your thesis statement. And the way you prove your thesis statement is with evidence.
Analyze: To analyze something is to ask what that something means. It is to ask how something does what it does and why it is what it is. The basic process of analysis: 1) Divide the subject into its defining parts, its main elements or ingredients, 2) Consider how these parts are related, both to each other and to the subject as a whole. Analytical writing is more concerned with arriving at an understanding of a subject than it is with either debate-style writing or changing readers’ views. In analysis and argument you respond to the questions: 1) ‘What have you got to go on?’ (evidence) 2) ‘How did you get there?’ (the principles and reasons that caused you to conclude what you did about the evidence), and 3) Why does it matter? An analysis is interested in how humans make meaning; it values sharing with readers the thought process that led to those conclusions. Rather than telling other people how and what to think, analytical writers encourage readers to think collaboratively with them.
Reflect: When you reflect, you look back on and consider a past experience or assignment and think critically about that journey and the work and contributions you did, and your feelings about the whole thing. Often times you will be asked questions such as: What was your process like? How did you approach your writing for this project or what stages of drafting did you move through and why? What decisions in your piece are you most proud of? What decisions challenged you and why? “Written reflections, therefore, present an opportunity for writing about writing” (Hoermann-Elliott and Quesenbury).
Discuss: When you are told to discuss, this means your instructor wants to see you think critically about the topic and to provide your own observations and inquiries. Discussing means saying what you think, not what you think you’re supposed to say.
Compare/contrast: explain the similarities and differences between two or more ideas, objects, and phenomena, and discuss the significance of these relationships.
This list does not cover all terms you may come across in an assignment prompt. When you come across additional action verbs, make sure you look up their definition (tip: You can search Google for define: and then the word you need to be defined). You may even start a “cheat sheet” of these verbs and definitions written in your own words.
Here are some more basic pieces of advice one can use to approach these assignments constructively.
- Get answers to your questions. After thoroughly reading the assignment sheet, you might not have questions right away. That’s okay! But maybe when you go to sit back down and begin the early stages of your process you might have something come up that you don’t quite get or something you need clarification on or something that you need to feel reassured about. When that happens don’t be afraid to ask your instructor questions. It’s what they are there for! Instructors tend to enjoy and benefit from student inquiry, as questions help them rethink their assignments and improve the clarity of their expectations. You likely are not the only student with a question, so be the one who is assertive and responsible enough to get answers. With that, they might even address your question to the rest of the class. You don’t want to play a guessing game when it comes to tackling assignment criteria, so try to discuss any and all questions with the person who assigned the work, either in person or via email. You can visit your instructor during office hours or stay after class. Try not to wait until the last minute. In the worst case scenario, when you have done all of these things and a professor still fails to provide you with the clarity you are looking for, discuss your questions with fellow classmates or go to your writing center.
- Writing Centers. Many colleges and universities have a writing center. Tutors are helpful consultants for reviewing writing assignments both before and after you begin. Most students think they have to have something written to go to their Writing Center, but that is not the case! Tutors can help you at any stage of the writing process, including all pre-writing and brainstorming stages. If you need some extra support in understanding your assignment, you can just take your assignment sheet to a tutor and have them go through it with you. They can help you gain an understanding of what you need to do for that particular assignment, help you draft an outline, help you draft a timeline, help you come up with topics to discuss, on and on. Tutors can also review your final draft before its submission to your professor as well. Many writing centers allow you to make appointments online for convenience and may also have “walk-in” availability. It is a good idea to check out the available options a week or so in advance of when you will actually need the appointment, or even longer if it will be during mid-term or finals week.
- Create a timeline. You probably will have set due dates not just to turn in your final submission but also to turn in parts of your draft. It is always helpful to write those key due dates down, but it can also be a good thing to set up personal goals for yourself. Even if you are not the type of person who enjoys or benefits from outlining, try to create an idea of what you want to do with your essay and when you want to do it. Set due dates for yourself, whether they be to have a topic picked, your outline crafted, or a whole rough draft completed. Again you can work with your instructor or a Writing Center tutor to help you in crafting an effective assignment timeline for you. This is a helpful option for new, inexperienced writers who have not yet learned the art of analyzing assignments, and who are not familiar with the amount of time that is required for the college writing process. As always be kind to yourself. If you miss a personal deadline, don’t beat yourself up about it, and try to catch up when you can.
Taking Notes
Taking notes is a great way to be able to easily access course content that you’ve learned, further enrich your understanding of that content, and help you better remember the content that you’ve read. But how should you take notes?
There is no single way to take notes. However, you can find the best way for you to take notes! You can figure this out by exploring the myriad of ways of taking notes. Let’s explore them together!
Annotating
First we have annotation; this involves writing on the text that we are reading, whether that’s a narrative, a PowerPoint, an article, or an image. This can take a number of forms.
With modern technology like digital tablets, you can use a variety of software to make annotations on your course content. Usually, this involves having a pdf version of your text, where you can highlight, underline, or write in the margins of your text. You can create a color code for yourself with the highlight colors as well. Perhaps important people are highlighted in pink, while definitions of important concepts are highlighted in blue. Just make sure to pick a light color so that the text you’re highlighting is still readable. Underlining can be another way to emphasize important parts of the text that you’re annotating.
And if you’re someone who doesn’t like to have too much on top of the text, you can always make notes in the margins of your text to point out important information and your own thoughts and understanding of what you’re reading.
If pdfs and finding software to annotate doesn’t work for you (or if you don’t have a digital tablet), Microsoft Word and Google Docs also provide annotation software or you can make notes by creating comments throughout the document. Other accessible note-taking software includes Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, and Pages for Apple Products.
Also, if reading and annotating digitally isn’t your thing (especially if your course content is a physical book), you can always print out your texts to annotate. You’ll need a bit more materials such as different colored highlighters for highlighting, but this can be more hands-on with benefits that come from that. Jennifer Schweighofer, author at Universal Publishing, states that “the combination of kinesthetic and visual stimulation that occurs when students write by hand, helps [you] to better remember and understand the material” (Flavin). You can also use a regular pen for underlining and writing in the margins. Consider using a pencil as well, in case you want to make changes to your annotations as you go!
Some people place sticky notes within pages of their textbooks with small notes written on them as they read (though the book would get really bulky over time). Some even use small, colored sticky notes as a way of highlighting concepts with annotations in mind!
Here are some annotating tips from the Excelsior Online Reading Lab:
- Creating an Annotation System: Annotating while you read is the most fundamental technique of active reading. Learn how to annotate a text by watching this video.
- Annotating an Essay or Book: Learn what to look for when annotating an essay or book.
- Annotating a Textbook: Learn how to identify and annotate the key parts of a textbook.
- Annotating a Journal Article: Learn about the different types of academic journal articles and how to annotate them.
- Annotating a Work of Fiction: Learn about how to read and annotate a work of fiction, such as a short story or novel.
- How to Read Visual Aids: Learn how to read visual aids.
Mind Mapping/Concept Maps/Flow Notes
Next, we have mind maps and flow notes; this works to organize your thoughts graphically when taking notes.
Mind Mapping
This kind of note-taking can be done digitally and in print, just like annotation. You can write in a notebook (preferably without lines) or in note-creation software on tablets. This can also be done on a computer, though it may take a bit longer due to the lack of finesse of a mouse and keyboard.
Mind mapping works great to make connections and subpoints for key concepts. Especially if you’re more of a visual learner, this can help to draw literal connections between ideas and understand how the content you’re learning branches out into smaller ideas. These kinds of notes typically use a template similar to the picture below.
Fig. 1. Template of Mind Mapping from Excelsior Online Writing Lab
Here are some free web tools for mapping and diagramming:
Concept Maps
Concept maps are also visual representations of information but they can take on different forms depending on what you want you need. They can take the form of charts, graphic organizers, tables, flowcharts, Venn Diagrams, timelines, or T-charts. Concept maps are especially useful for students who learn better visually, although they can benefit any type of learner. They are a powerful study strategy because they help you see the big picture: by starting with higher-level concepts, concept maps help you chunk information based on meaningful connections. In other words, knowing the big picture makes details more significant and easier to remember.
Here are some examples from the UNC Learning Center
Example 1: This example illustrates the similarities and differences between two ideas, such as Series and Parallel Circuits. The similarities are represented by the middle circle:
Example 2: This example illustrates the relationship between ideas that are part of a process, such as a Food Chain.
Example 3: This example illustrates the relationship between a main idea, such as climate change, and supporting details.
Flow Notes
Next, we have flow notes this works to follow your train of thought as you process the concepts and content that you’re learning and reviewing.
This way of note-taking is pretty flexible since it can be done on a digital tablet, computer, or physical notebook. If you don’t work well under a rigid structure, this way of note-taking may work better for you.
This kind of note-taking lets you engage in your learning, actively jotting down ideas, drawing arrows, diagrams, or visuals, and connecting them across the page however you feel most comfortable. While this can make it harder to review later, it lets you practice following your own thought process while actively listening and engaging with the content you’re reading and learning.
It may take a bit to get used to following your lines of thought in review, but it’s good practice to think about the ways you think when it comes to learning and understanding. This note-taking method can really be personalized to you in this way, while also helping you make inter-related connections between concepts and ideas.
Charting
Now charts are more particularly suited for organizing concepts that have similar elements to them like genres. This kind of note-taking can be done digitally and in print, just like mind maps.
Charting relies on columns (and sometimes rows) to group notes by topic. Charting or mapping may be preferable to an outline if a lecture or text tends to skip around between topics.
You can write in any kind of notebook or in note-creation software on tablets. This can also be done on a computer and may be easier if you have a hard time drawing straight lines. Many Word document software allows you to create tables to help with making charts like the example below
This kind of note-taking works well for comparing items and summarizing items together in an organized way. When given a number of items under a larger concept, such as different methods, theories, or tools, this kind of note-taking can be helpful in grouping them together to better understand their similarities and differences.
Bullet Journaling
Furthermore, we have the bullet journaling method in note-taking; this is similar to the flow notes but with a bit more structure and focus on visual appeal.
This kind of note-taking works especially well physically in a blank notebook but can also work in note-taking software with a digital tablet. This works well for visual learners who like to organize their thoughts beautifully. Rather than require, it gives you agency for you to choose a range of tools and visuals to craft your notes from fancy or colored gel pens to colored pencils to sticky notes.
The structure you use in this method is completely up to you as long as each part is distinct and colorful to make reviewing your notes pleasing and easy. An example of these kinds of notes is shown in the picture below.
This kind of note-taking focuses more on planning and organizing those plans and notes. While the visuals are no doubt appealing, it can take time for all the visual detailing. But with practice with the kinds of visuals and ways of organizing you like to use, it should get easier and faster. And with this kind of note-taking, you can be proud to share your notes with others due to their aesthetic appeal and clear organization.
Outline Method
Also, we have the outline method in note-taking; this works to easily organize the content that you’re reading and learning.
This kind of note-taking works well physically in a notebook or in a Word document like Google Docs and Microsoft Word. If you’re comfortable formatting with bullet points, outlining within a Word document can be an easy and familiar time. And if you write in an organized manner, writing this out physically can work well for you.
You can use a Roman numeral or bulleted list format to write out these notes. These kinds of notes usually use a template similar to the image below.
Title
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This method of note-taking works well when you have certain key points or main topics that the text focuses on. From there you can use this way of organizing to indent to add on smaller elements and sub-topics of these key points or main topics.
Keep in mind that this way of note-taking can make reviewing your notes a bit overwhelming with a large amount of text. So consider writing down the most relevant parts of each concept so that reviewing isn’t as intimidating. Taking notes this way digitally can help by more easily deleting less important parts as you go.
Here are some outlining tips from the Excelsior Online Reading Lab:
Cornell Method
Lastly, you have the Cornell method, a much more traditional but popular way of taking notes. The Cornell method creates another kind of organization to support the understanding of concepts and to help you review your notes later.
This is typically and probably the most practically done in a physical notebook. It can probably be replicated in certain note-taking software on digital tablets though.
This method organizes a section for writing down your main notes and key thoughts as you go, along with a smaller section noting which parts of your main notes describe what key concepts and what questions they help to answer. Then there is a small section at the bottom of each page for you to condense and summarize what each page discusses. These kinds of notes use a template similar to the below image:
Main Topic:
Cue Column:Questions Based On Note Taking Column |
Note-Taking Column:Key Words Repeated/Stressed Info Specific Details Lecture Notes ideas/brainstorms projected on screen or written on the board Important People/Places/Dates
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SummaryAfter class, use this space at the bottom of each page to summarize the notes on that page.
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While this kind of note-taking does take some setup for each page and more effort to cover different aspects of the note-taking process, it can be helpful to review ideas and ensure understanding as you go and when you need to review your notes later.
Check out the links below for more information about this system.
- Cornell University explanation of the Cornell Notes system
- YouTube video on the Cornell Notes system
- Cornell University handout on the Cornell Notes system
- The Learning Toolbox explanation of the Cornell Notes system
Additional Tips:
- You can always mix these different ways of note-taking. Try doing a number of them together or taking the parts that work for you to make your own method!
- Write in your voice, not your instructor’s or the textbooks. The point of these notes is that they are easy for you to read and understand.
- Get up and move once in a while! This will help you better process the information you’re learning and the break will be good for your brain. The Learning Center at the University of North Carolina on Chapel Hill states that “Research shows that standing and moving around while you are studying and taking movement breaks in between study sessions has numerous benefits to our bodies, brains, memories, and academic performance.”
- Make sure to review your notes within 24 hours of writing them and then once a week. This can ensure that what you’re writing and learning stays in your brain, which is helpful when you have to recall it for an exam or essay!
- If you’re taking notes in a Word document, consider bolding or italicizing to emphasize certain keywords. Something you can do whether you’re taking notes physically or digitally is to make these key words larger in text size too!
- Keep it short and use abbreviations! Why write a really long word like experience when you can shorten it to ‘EXP’ or ‘XP’? Make sure that you’ll recognize these abbreviations and their meanings though! It takes a bit of repetition and practice, but this works well for words that come up often in your course.
- Time stamp your notes! This can help you keep track of content, especially when your professor asks you to look at specific weeks for a particular assignment or rest. You’ll thank your past self later so that you can clearly know which notes are from those weeks.
- Ask yourself: What’s the best strategy for you: handwritten, digital, or both?
| Handwritten | Digital |
| Easier to create diagrams and illustrations | Faster; easier to take a higher volume of notes |
| Sometimes better for visual learners | Easier to edit and reorganize for later studying |
| Provides more focus for students prone to digital distraction | Can be backed up, shared, searched, etc. |
| Can be better for comprehension and retention of conceptual information | Can be better for comprehension and retention of factual information |
Additional Notetaking Examples and Resources
- Effective Note-Taking in Class
- Taking Notes in Class Video
- Label Your Notes: Summary, Paraphrase, or Quotation
- Documenting Notes
Writing longer essays
Did you write a five-paragraph essay in high school—an essay with a clear thesis statement in the introduction that previewed exactly what you’d argue in paragraph 1, paragraph 2, and paragraph 3 before re-summarizing your argument in your fifth and final conclusion paragraph? If so, have you ever noticed a five-paragraph in a publication that regularly produces such rigidly structured essays for reader consumption? Do you ever see five-paragraph essays arguing via three-pronged thesis statements in newspapers, magazines, or posters?
You probably answered no, and we hope you are realizing that—out in the wilds of real-world writing contexts—five-paragraph essays aren’t the go-to standard. In fact, a five-paragraph essay published as an opinion-editorial in a local newspaper might seem odd or less than engaging to readers. Likewise, college writing instructors who come across the artificial structure of five-paragraph essays often sigh and realize that their students have some “unlearning” to do in order to be successful in college courses that require a great deal of writing. We’ll touch on this topic more in the organization chapter. For now, consider yourself freed from the strictures of the five-paragraph essay.
Discussion: What college Instructors tend to look for in writing
Clarity: Is it understandable?
Many of the editorial comments and corrections (e.g., those from peers, mentors, tutors, and professors) shared with students regarding their written work is related to clarity. When an essay is clear, it’s understandable and communicates information to readers with ease. None of the statements are confusing or ambiguous. There aren’t areas within the essay where the meaning is lost due to exaggerated narrative or forced and unnatural word choice. When an essay is clear, readers can follow the path that the writer is communicating. They can read smoothly without stopping to ponder what a word or even an entire sentence means.
Precision: Is it careful and specific?
Precision with language is critical for true understanding. For written work to be precise, it must be sufficiently detailed and what some today call “en pointe”—a term that is drawn from the realm of ballet and is French for dancing precisely on one’s toes. Precision in the English language can be tricky, as English is a polyglot language (made up of multiple languages) which is fluid and constantly evolving and, like a fluid, changes shape depending on the container or context. For example, etymologists (who study words and their origins) track the term “on point”—which has become common on social media and the English vernacular—to the French “en pointe.” Today, the phrase “on point” is commonly used, with few people aware of its more precise spelling and use in ballet. Precision within writing demands that words are not only spelled correctly but that their meanings are also clear and that the words are not overused.
Accuracy: Is it true?
Accuracy is the difference between “en pointe” and “on point,” between “resume” and “résumé,” and between “aina” and “‘āina.” It’s the subtleties that make all the difference. For example, English language speakers can resume (or pick up) where they left off. In French, the word “résumé” is a short, employment-related document detailing one’s education, work history, and job and people skills.
But today, the French meaning has become part of the English vernacular, and the accent marks are often omitted while the word retains its dual meaning. Using older technology, writers sometimes were unable to include the French accent marks. Today, software often automatically will add them for precise, accurate spelling.
In Hawai‘i, the popular expression “mālama āina” encourages people to take care of the earth. Because the Hawaiian alphabet includes the glottal stop (or ‘okina [‘], a consonant) and long vowels indicated by the macron (or kahakō, the line above long vowels), omitting or changing the letters of the alphabet changes the meanings of words just as they do in English (e.g., “red,” “read,” and “bed” have different meanings based on letters used or omitted).
Accuracy in spelling in any language is essential. For example, in Hawaiian, the word “‘āina” (with the ‘okina and kahakō for the long ā) means “land,” but “‘aina” (with just the initial ‘okina) means “meal” (among other things), and “aina” (without either of the marks necessary to accurately form two of the Hawaiian alphabets) means “sexual intercourse.” The glottal stop and the macron are important marks forming complete letters within the Hawaiian alphabet, just as any English word relies on every necessary marking (as in the line that forms a “t” and, if omitted is an “l” or the number “one”). Clearly, accuracy is important across the world’s languages.
As scholars and writers across the world become more globally aware, they grow more accurate in the use of others’ languages. Students who are developing their expertise and college success skills also grow more aware of the importance of accuracy, not only when it comes to spelling, punctuation, and word usage, but also grammar, syntax, and conducting research within and outside of their respective disciplines.
Depth: Is it complex?
When writing or speech is deep, it covers the complexity of a topic. It doesn’t skim the surface. It dives deeply into the profound knowledge and substantial understanding of a topic. For example, a list explaining rhetoric as made up of three concepts (logos, ethos, and pathos) is not as deep and complex as a list showing six concepts (the three plus bathos, telos, and kairos) or even longer lists with deeper descriptions and definitions. In another example, students progress from one-page book reports in elementary school to deeper, comparative, and analytical essays in college.
When analyzing the depth of any essay, including their own essays and those of their peers, students can ask these types of questions:
- How deeply does this essay go into its topic?
- Is it detailed enough?
- Did it go far enough into the research and reviews of other texts to demonstrate a deep knowledge about the subject?
- How thoroughly have specific subtopics within a major been researched?
Breadth & Nuance: Are all views considered?
Breadth is how broad or wide a topic has been discussed in writing or in speech. For example, to attain breadth in a persuasive essay, a writer must consider not only one point of view, but all the multiple major perspectives about an issue. Breadth also entails considering multiple contexts of an issue and multiple analytical approaches to solving a problem.
Breadth means reading more than a handful of articles supporting one side of an issue; it means reading more articles supporting various perspectives so the writer can truly understand all viewpoints about the issue and can discuss the issue with breadth that builds a deeper understanding and fairness. When analyzing the breadth of any essay, students and instructors ask questions such as the following:
- Is the content of an essay sufficiently comprehensive enough to cover a wide range of perspectives and angles on a given topic?
- Is anything missing that should be included in the scope of the topic and which would help the essay achieve enough breadth?
- Has the opposing view (i.e., the “naysayer’s” perspective) been explored so as to strengthen the writer’s own argument? (This consideration is particularly key in the development of a fully supported and wisely composed persuasive or argumentative essay.)
- What has not yet been considered to make this idea or essay complete?
Logic: Does it make sense?
For students to create valid arguments through essays or other written works that are meant to be persuasive, they must use accurate reasoning and avoid logical fallacies. Fallacies are arguments that use faulty reasoning, thus making them illogical. If text makes a reader stop and think, “Wait. What?” it may mean the writer needs to work on logic.
Logic exists as the essence of philosophy, mathematics, computer programming, computer science, and most other science and technology disciplines. It requires step-by-step thinking and progression in order to design a machine that works or to research and write a report worthy of submission for potential publication.
When analyzing the logic of any text, students and instructors ask questions such as the following:
- Does a sentence, paragraph, or argument make sense?
- Does one point follow another point with reason and connected ideas and transitions, rather than jumping from point A to point Z without sufficient explanation of how they are related?
- Are all assertions fortified by sufficient evidence?
- Does all data collected, whether determined as relevant or not, follow a logical approach?
Significance: Does it matter?
The intellectual standard of significance indicates the importance and weight of a topic or point and is connected to logic and depth. For example, the deeper, broader definition of “rhetoric” from the Aristotelian perspective is more significant than the everyday, newspaper use of the word.
Significance is related to the level of importance of one thing in relation to the grander scheme of things and to the additional standards of priority and value. For example, students might write about an 18-year-old person’s right to drink alcohol, but that essay would be less significant than essays about increased drunk-driving-related fatalities in the community. Some 18 year olds might argue that, if they can be drafted into the military and be required to go to war, they should have the right to drink. However, the other side of the argument asserts the right of people of all ages to travel safely on the roads, and holding back on allowing hundreds more individuals from potentially driving drunk has more weight.
When analyzing the significance of any document, students and instructors ask questions such as the following:
- Is the information important enough to include?
- Does the information answer the question asked in an assignment?
- What key points are most important for writers to include and for readers to consider?
- Is this topic important in relation to other topics in the same subject area?
- What’s the most important thing to focus on?
- Is this topic worth the writer’s time researching and the reader’s time reading?
- Would there be enough readers interested in this topic?
- So what? Why is a topic or point more important than another topic or point?
Relevance: Are pieces connected and cohesive?
If paragraphs in an essay are relevant, they are related to the main topic and help support the main idea with additional, related, relevant details and evidence. If paragraphs are irrelevant, a reader might think, “Wait. What? How is this on topic?”
If, for example, an essay begins by stating that government officials should take five major actions to solve the issue of homelessness in Hawai‘i, but then the majority of the body paragraphs wander into opinions focused on the history of governmental decision-making in the islands for decades, a reader might feel lost and wonder how much of the content of the essay is related to solving homelessness in Hawai‘i.
When analyzing the relevance of any essay, students and instructors ask questions such as the following:
- Does this point help readers understand the main issue?
- Does this essay focus on the assignment question or prompt?
- Does it answer the main question?
- If this paragraph is slightly off-topic, what can be done to refocus it so that it does its job in supporting the main idea in the thesis statement?
- If a point is confusing readers who don’t understand how it’s related to the main idea, does it belong in this essa
Fairness: Is it respectful?
The word “fair” is often used synonymously with “just” or “judicious” and is related to “justice.” Especially in essays that are meant to persuade through logical argumentation, topics and points of view (POVs or “perspectives”) need to be treated fairly and diplomatically. A fair, even-handed treatment doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing to opposing (or “naysayer’s”) POVs, but strong, college-level writing must acknowledge the opposing POVs, then must either accommodate or refute them. For example, an essay may state, “The opponents have valid points regarding X and Y. They are right about this and that. However, they are innaccurate about this specific point about X, and their argument doesn’t negate A and B, which remains the most accurate ideas and still strongly support this argument.”
When analyzing the fairness of any essay, students and instructors ask questions such as the following:
- Does the writer of this essay exhibit the ability to fairly assess the viewpoints of others, even opposing viewpoints?
- Are there any fallacies, such as ad hominems that unfairly label opponents rather than speak directly and precisely about the opposing argument or POV itself? (Note: The term “ad hominem” is short for “argumentum ad hominem” and is a fallacious argumentative strategy whereby genuine discussion of the topic at hand is avoided by instead attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, or persons associated with the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.)
- Does the writer or speaker have a conflict of interest? Does that conflict of interest appear as bias in the text? Given today’s political scene and questionable statements by government officials, this question may bear more significance.
Exercise: Learning Journey Journal
The time it takes to learn a concept and/or skill is up to you, the people around you, your access to materials/technology, and your learning environments (Brandt). All the people, spaces, and forms of access matter because all learners have different backgrounds, needs, and forms of support in their lives that impact learning. A class, which is meant to support you in learning new ideas and skills, can get you started, but the learning journey does not end with the semester, year, or even after graduation. We are always continuing to learn. Thinking of yourself as a lifelong learner can also alleviate some stress and help you in your learning journey as it takes time to develop new skills and learn (Bazerman et al.).
As an example, think about learning a new language. You can take a semester or even two years for some college degrees learning a language with the help of your professor and community of classmates, but once you end your language courses, you have to continue practicing and using the language in order to continue developing. If you stop, you may forget what you learned because you are not practicing. So there may be a moment of recap where you realize “I need to practice more; it has been a while.” The same can be said for writing and really a variety of skills in the arts and sciences: learning to write, learning to cook, learning to dance, learning to code, learning to draw. It is not that all is forgotten, but that you may need to freshen up on your practice.
While many articles or books like Gladwell’s Outliers give frameworks regarding time to build mastery, there is not a perfect timeline that is applicable to all people (Erikson & Hawell). Everyone has different learning journeys and needs that make up the best practices for them, but ultimately learning requires time, practice, and is a lifelong process because you will always have experiences in your life where you learn new skills and concepts or even learn something new about a topic you are familiar with and/or passionate about.
Additionally, it is important to remember that all learners have lives outside of the classroom, outside of learning a new skill. And while you can implement what you learn in a variety of spaces, this doesn’t mean you need to be so strict with yourself and your learning that you remove the joy, the failures, and the moments of rest required. When we do that, we tend to dislike learning or maybe forget about the flexibility and time that comes with learning.
Therefore, creating a learning journey journal can assist in your development by allowing you to live, feel joy, and practice the skills you want to improve on–and also see the growth that matters to you. At the end of the day, the growth you see in yourself and the goals you want to achieve in learning are just as important as the outcomes of the class.
In order to capture your learning journey, there are many approaches. What is important though is to record your journey in ways that feel good and important to you. Documenting your learning journey should come from you and be created in ways that hold meaning to you–especially since you will continue to learn outside of the classroom and outside of this specific course.
To start this learning journey journal, it is important to know about SMART goals because sometimes we get so ambitious that we may set goals that cannot be achieved in the time frame we have, and that might make you feel sad or guilty about your learning. Below is a chart that breaks down the acronym of SMART with definitions and examples. The SMART goals below align with the learning journal journey but apply to other aspects of goal setting in your life as well. Look back to this chart when checking if your goal is SMART.
“S” stands for Specific.To make sure your goal is specific, you will need to write what your goal is and why it is important. Addressing the “what” and “why” will help you understand the goal more fully. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making a goal specific is to just write the what and why without worrying too much about vagueness. While you do want to be specific and clear, you will have time to recalibrate your goals, as most people do, so just write the what and why as it comes to you. As you move through the other acronyms, your goals will naturally become even more specific! |
“M” stands for Measurable.To make sure your goal is measurable, you will want to think about how you can track your progress and when the goal has been accomplished. Question to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal measurable is that if you feel stuck, you might need to rethink what the goal is. Or you can move to the next section. SMART goals are not linear because when you plan a goal, you may not know how to measure it until you think about your goals in other ways using the acronym. |
“A” stands for Attainable.To make sure your goal is attainable, you will need to plan actionable steps that help you achieve the goals. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal attainable is thinking about the responsibilities you have in this class and others. Again, it’s okay to move around and even change the goal as you move through SMART. |
“R” stands for Relevant.To make sure your goal is relevant, you will need to ask how this learning goal applies to the class you’re in, your career, and your life in general. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal relevant are to think about the following: your progress in this class, your career, and life outside of the classroom. You can also look at the learning outcomes of the course, a particular writing assignment, and even a job description for a future career you want to help you think about why this learning experience is relevant. Considering the relevance also helps you understand your goal better and make it more specific. |
“T” stands for Time-bound.To make your goal time-bound, you will need to consider all the steps above and ask yourself what time frame is best for you to complete the goals in mind. Question to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making a goal time-bound is that not all goals can be completed in a certain time frame. You may find that you need more time. Also, you may find that the goal is a continuous practice that does not necessarily have an end point. If that is the case, break the goal down more so there are time frames aligned with the goal you have in mind. |
The SMART goals are here to support your learning but by no means here to put your learning in a box and make you feel overwhelmed. You will have sections in the journal that ask you to make your goals SMART. Making SMART goals is one part of your learning journey; you don’t need to make goals perfect because goals are ever-changing and some people need to constantly recalibrate their goals. If you start to feel frustrated, just write what you think you can do and move on. Creating a SMART goal is also a skill that with time will become easier. Just knowing about this framework and trying to make your goals SMART will help you.
So if you make a goal, and it’s not working out, which may make you feel sad, you can then think maybe I didn’t make this goal SMART for me? It’s really important to celebrate the goals you can accomplish and move the other goals to a category of “at a later time, I will eventually be able to X.” Because you will eventually accomplish the goals that may seem too big right now. Another important consideration is that the goals you make and how you define them as SMART should consider your needs and your timeline as SMART goals will be addressed by everyone differently.
So, take your time and enjoy learning and developing in ways that hold meaning to you, and remember this is for you! This is your reflective learning space.
Learning Journey Journal Guide
You can use the template for the Learning Journey Journal via Google Slides and personalize it according to your style, or you can use the other options below. The goal, ultimately, is to set your own learning goals in this course and keep track of your progress in ways that are meaningful to you!
Learning Journey Journal Guide (Google Slides)
Learning Journey Journal Template (Google Slides)
Other Journal Options:
If choosing another journal option, refer to the Learning Journey Guide so that you can respond to the prompts. Remember, design is fun especially when expressing yourself, but try not to get too caught up in a design that you get overwhelmed and/or end up not reflecting on your learning.
Digital:
- Jamboard (PC/App)
- Padlet (PC/App)
- Canva (PC/App)
- WordPress (PC/App)
- Genially (PC)
- Paper by WeTransfer (Apple app free)
- Word (provided by TWU)
- Penly (android app free)
- Kilonotes (android app free)
- TikTok (private to you)
- YouTube (private to you)
- Any other option that allows you to journal your learning journey in ways that are meaningful to you
Pros to digital journaling: you have an infinite amount of pages, free, and can use images, gifs, videos, colors, etc.
Cons to digital journaling: may not be the way you like to express yourself; some apps are not free; some apps/programs have design/space limitations; you might spend too much time on design.
Paper:
- Any kind of journal/notebook you own or want to buy
- Any other option that allows you to journal your learning journey in ways that are meaningful to you
Pros to paper journaling: You can express yourself using all kinds of materials available to you and move freely on the page as you would like. Don’t have to worry about free images, stickers, etc, or be limited by free templates.
Cons to paper journaling: you may have to buy supplies; you may run out of paper; you may be limited by the design and space of the journal/notebook. You may mess up the page and have trouble erasing/starting over.
There are many pros and cons to both digital and paper/physical journaling. Choose an option and/or program notebook style, etc. that works for you!