Workshop for Beginning Legal Writing Teachers - AALS

Designing Assignments and Assessments
By Victoria L. VanZandt
University of Dayton School of Law
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Workshop for Beginning Legal Writing Teachers
Designing legal writing assignments is an important and challenging task. This session
will focus on the hallmarks of an effective assignment, methods for constructing sound
assignments, techniques to design effective assessment tools, and how to avoid common
pitfalls in designing both assignments and assessments.
I.
II.
III.
Interplay between Assessment and Creating Assignments
Basics of Course-Level Assessment Planning
A. Course-Level Assessment is a set of practices by which an educator
identifies desired student learning outcomes and measures her
effectiveness in attaining these outcomes.
Step One: Identify learning outcomes and performance criteria for the
course.
Step Two: Create assessment tools (assignments) to determine whether
the learning outcomes and performance criteria are being met.
Step Three: Review the results from the assessment tool(s).
Step Four: Close the loop” of assessment, by using the results to alter the
course or assignment, if necessary.
B.
“Course Mapping”
• Sequencing of assignments- assignments should build on previous
assignments: reinforcing or practicing past skills and introducing new
skills
• Sequencing of steps within an assignment
Creating Assignments (Assessment Tools)
A. Initial Considerations
1. Identify Your Learning Outcomes for the Assignment
• communication skills: written or oral; predictive or persuasive;
• analytical skills;
• research skills;
• values and/or ethics;
• professionalism.
2. Decide on the Type of Assignment
•
Memo, Trial Brief, Appellate Brief, Letter, Email