How To Understandand Assignment

How do I make sure I understand an assignment? Overview While  some  writing  assignments  are  straightforward,  others  may  need  careful  deciphering  to  make  sure  you   are  following  the  guidelines.  Looking  carefully  at  the  instructions  provided  for  any  writing  assignment  to  be   certain  that  you  understand  the  guidelines  not  only  prevents  missteps  but  can  also  help  you  develop  strategies   for  conquering  the  task  ahead.     General Considerations Some  terms  found  in  assignments  relate  to  genres  used  in  different  disciplines.  Close  Reading,  Literature   Review,  Report,  Study,  Memorandum,  and  Proposal  are  some  examples  of  terms  that  relate  to  specific  formats.   There  are  important  distinctions  between  these  genres.  For  example,  a  Close  Reading  of  a  piece  of  literature   requires  more  analysis  than  a  Literature  Review,  which  asks  for  key  points  of  summary  that  relate  to  an   argument.  If  you  are  unfamiliar  with  these  terms  and  they  show  up  in  an  assignment,  be  sure  to  clarify  the   guidelines  with  your  instructor.   In Practice Ask  Questions   One  of  the  most  important  things  to  know  about  understanding  assignments  is  that  if  an  assignment  or  any   part  of  an  assignment  confuses  you,  you  can  always  ask  your  instructor  for  clarification.  Asking  questions  might   help  your  instructor  to  realize  what  other  students  might  be  struggling  with  as  well.  Before  stopping  by  office   hours  or  after  class  with  questions,  you  might  first  consider  the  suggestions  below  so  that  you  can  identify   exactly  what  parts  of  the  assignment  remain  unclear.   Become  Familiar  with  Common  Assignment  Goals   Assignments  will  often  contain  a  variety  of  terms  that  can  help  you  to  identify  the  task  or  tasks  you  need  to   perform.  The  terms  generally  fall  into  one  of  the  following  categories:     • • Summarize  –  A  summary  provides  a  condensed  explanation  of  key  features  from  a  text  or  activity. Many  assignments  might  require  some  summary  even  if  summarizing  isn’t  the  main  goal  of  the assignment.  A  summary  may  be  required  if  the  assignment  includes  words  such  as  describe,  explain, depict,  and  illustrate. Analyze  –  If  an  assignment  asks  you  to  analyze  something,  it  is  asking  for  your  own  logical interpretation  of  the  meaning  behind  the  constituent  parts  of  the  subject.  An  analysis  is  different  than a  summary  as  it  provides  a  new  understanding  about  the  subject  in  question,  not  just  an  overview. Other  words  that  may  be  asking  for  analysis  are  elaborate,  examine,  discuss,  explore,  investigate,  and determine. • Argue  –  If  an  assignment  asks  you  to  make  an  argument,  you  need  to  take  a  stand  on  a  topic  and develop  your  claim  to  show  why  your  position  makes  sense.  There  are  many  terms  related  to argument.  For  example,  evaluate,  critique,  assess,  and  review  may  ask  for  an  argument  about  the worth  of  a  subject.  Propose,  recommend,  and  advise  may  ask  for  a  solution  to  a  problem.  Define  asks for  an  argument  about  what  a  word  or  concept  means.  Compare/contrast,  synthesize,  and  apply  (as  in apply  one  text  to  another)  may  ask  for  an  argument  about  key  points  of  similarity  and  difference  in your  subjects,  and  an  analysis  about  why  those  points  matter. Break  Down  the  Tasks  and  Locate  the  Central  Goal   Just  like  any  other  text,  an  assignment  can  be  broken  down  and  analyzed.  By  keeping  in  mind  that  any  good   essay  will  have  one  main  goal  and  one  central  argument  or  thesis  that  incorporates  the  various  subparts,  you   can  begin  to  determine  what  shape  your  essay  should  take.  (In  some  cases  an  instructor  might  not  expect  an   argument  or  thesis;  however,  this  is  rare.  If  you  suspect  a  thesis  is  not  needed  but  don’t  know  for  sure,  check   with  your  instructor.)   1. What  Should  This  Essay  Really  Contain?  Highlight  each  separate  task  included  in  the  instructions. Consider  the  terms  above  as  you  identify  the  tasks  you  need  to  perform.  If  the  assignment  is  relatively simple,  write  out  the  tasks  that  will  need  to  be  performed.  If  there  are  terms  that  you  aren’t  familiar with,  consider  what  kind  of  task  they  imply. 2. What  Should  the  Thesis/Argument  Be  About?  Once  you  have  identified  the  tasks  and  goals, determine  which  is  the  main  goal.  Every  essay  should  have  a  well-­‐stated,  debatable,  and  complex thesis  statement  that  guides  the  essay,  but  it  might  be  up  to  you  to  figure  out  what  the  focus  of  the argument  should  be.  Think  about  the  most  important  issues  discussed  in  class  as  they  can  be  clues  to what  an  instructor  wants.  What  would  your  instructor  want  you  to  take  a  stand  on? 3. How  Should  This  Essay  Be  Structured?  Once  you  have  determined  the  central  goal,  outline  the  essay according  to  how  you  think  it  should  be  completed,  showing  how  each  sub-­‐goal  will  relate  to  the  main goal  or  goals.  Consider  how  the  other  tasks  or  sub-­‐goals  connect  to  the  main  argument.  If  you  find  you can’t  outline  with  confidence  or  still  aren’t  sure  how  the  assignment  should  be  completed,  make  a note  of  which  elements  remain  unclear  and  plan  to  meet  with  your  instructor. Analyzing  a  Sample  Assignment   Imagine  you  have  been  given  this  essay  prompt:  Compare  Denmark’s  current  environmental  policies  with   those  of  the  past.  What  difficulties  have  the  policies  faced  over  time  and  how  have  they  been  adapted  to   current  environmental  concerns?  Incorporate  the  ideas  presented  in  the  article  by  Smith  and  discuss   whether  or  not  the  new  environmental  standards  helped  or  hurt  the  farmers  in  Denmark  based  on  the   timeline  that  we  discussed  in  class?  What  needs  to  be  changed?   Step  1:  What  Should  This  Essay  Really  Contain?     The  essay  asks  for  several  tasks  of  various  kinds.  1.)  A  comparison  between  past  and  present  environmental   policies  in  Denmark.  2.)  A  description  or  summary  of  the  problems  these  policies  have  faced  and  how  they  have   changed.  3.)  An  analysis  of  what  Smith  says  about  the  success  and  failure  of  the  policies.  4.)  An  evaluation  of   what  the  policies  have  meant  for  farmers.  5.)  A  proposal  for  changes  that  would  need  to  be  made.   Step  Two:  What  Should  The  Thesis/Argument  Be  About?     Though  the  essay  asks  for  a  comparison  first,  that  task  seems  like  more  of  a  summary  than  an  argument.   The  analysis  of  what  Smith  says  also  sounds  like  the  potential  central  focus,  but  the  analysis  seems  to  be   needed  mostly  to  help  strengthen  the  evaluation  to  come.  Since  the  class  is  a  policy  class  that  focuses  on   understanding  why  policies  in  many  governments  succeed  or  fail,  it  is  probably  important  to  evaluate  the   policies.  So  task  4  is  probably  the  central  argument,  combined  with  task  5.   Step  Three:  How  Should  This  Essay  Be  Structured?     With  tasks  4  and  5  as  the  central  focus,  the  introduction  should  include  an  evaluation  in  the  thesis  along   with  a  sense  of  the  proposal.  After  the  thesis,  it  makes  sense  to  first  summarize  the  past  and  present   policies,  which  will  then  lead  to  a  summary  of  what  has  changed.  Smith  could  be  brought  in  during  both   summaries  to  provide  commentary  on  what  has  occurred.  Once  these  elements  have  been  established,   analyzing  the  successes  and  failures  of  the  policies  should  enter.  A  proposal  could  come  last  and  would  be   based  on  avoiding  future  policy  failures.   Exercise Complete  the  tasks  described  above  for  the  following  essay  assignment.  Remember,  there  might  be  more  than   one  right  way  to  complete  the  task.     Sample  Art  History  Assignment:     Focusing  on  Courbet’s  painting,  Woman  with  a  Parrot,  and  Cabanal’s  painting,  Birth  of  Venus,  can  you  describe   the  similarities  and  differences  in  the  way  these  two  artists  have  depicted  the  female  nude?  (Think  about  the   subjects  of  each  of  the  works  when  you  answer  this  question.)  When  it  was  shown  at  the  Salon,  Courbet's   painting  ignited  quite  a  scandal;  Cabanal's,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  favorite  with  the  critics.  Which  painting   had  more  impact  and  why?   1. What  Tasks  Does  This  Essay  Contain? 2. What  Should  The  Thesis/Argument  Be  About? 3. How  Should  This  Essay  Be  Structured? Possible  Solution:  1.  Describe,  Compare/Contrast,  Evaluate  (which  had  more  impact)  and  Argue  why.  2.   I  would  argue  why  the  painting  I  chose  had  a  greater  impact.  3.  I  would  begin  by  describing  the  scandal   in  my  intro,  then  include  a  thesis  of  evaluation,  then  describe  both  paintings  in  depth  (including  details   of  subject  matter),  then  analyze  the  worth  of  each,  then  argue  the  greater  worth  of  one  painting,  then   analyze  why  I  made  that  choice.   Last  updated  August  2013