Planning a Research Assignment: Checklist

The Communication of the Assignment to Students

_____Have you developed a student-friendly, explicit assignment sheet?

            _____Does it provide a context (explanation/background/rationale) for the activity?

            _____Does it give details about final form expectations (external features, requirements)?

            _____Does it list habits of mind (see DOL 5) necessary for success?

            _____Does it include reminders?

            _____Does it describe the task explicitly? (Note: One tool is the GRASP model.)

            _____Are the discipline's relevant content standards included?

            _____Are the Language Arts Standards included?

            _____Is/Are the Essential Question(s) of the course/unit included?

            _____Must students submit (CHECK THOSE THAT APPLY):

                        _____notes

                        _____print-outs

                        _____tentative thesis or hypothesis question

                        _____outline/organizer

                        _____multiple drafts

                        _____Works Cited/Works Consulted

                        _____Annotations

                        _____Draft of Works Consulted/Works Cited

            _____Do you give students a checkpoint calendar?

                        _____Have you built in opportunities for conferencing?

Higher Order Thinking Prompted by the Assignment

_____Does the activity ask students to use higher order thinking skills? CHECK THOSE THAT APPLY:

                        _____Analyze

                        _____Synthesize

                        _____Compare and contrast

                        _____Evaluate/Assess/Judge/Critique/Appraise

                        _____Make connections

                        _____Predict

                        _____Justify

                        _____Conclude

                        _____Infer

                        _____Deduce/Induce

                        _____Design/Compose

                        _____Construct/Plan/Invent

Research Skills Required by the Assignment

_____Does the activity require a research process?  (See Research CheckBric)

            _____planning

            _____gathering

                        _____Does the activity require multiple sources?

                        _____Does it specify a required number of online and library sources?

                        _____Does it specify a required percentage of online and library sources including both print and  materials from subscription

                                    databases?

                        _____Does the activity require students to weigh/manipulate more than one persepective?

            _____organizing

            _____documenting

            _____reflecting

                        _____Does the activity include a reflective component (e.g., Acknowledgements, Preface, Introduction, Commentary, journal,

                                    etc.)?

The Assessment--The Rubric

_____Have you provided an explicit rubric at the start of the activity so that students know how their work will be assessed?

            _____Is the rubric assignment-specific (as opposed to a generic rubric)?

            _____Is the rubric specific in its criteria?

            _____Are all required aspects of the assignment assessed?

            _____Does the rubric describe performance levels?

            _____Does the rubric value and assess process (See Research CheckBric)

                        _____Does the rubric value high quality (Scholarly) sources? (See CARRDSS)

                        _____Does the rubric value accurate in-text/in-project documentation?

            _____Does the rubric assess a reflective component?

            _____Have you avoided assumptions and anticipated misunderstandings

            _____Have you asked a colleague to role play a student's perspective on the clarity of the assignment and rubric?

Developed by Carol H. Rohrback, with revision input from Joyce Kasman Valenza, School District of Springfield Twp. (2002)

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