Why essay assignments suck
and what to do about it
The essay is due Sunday at midnight, and it’s hard to know who dreads the deadline most, professor or student.
The standard five-paragraph essay has been seen for many years as the best way for students to demonstrate knowledge, especially in the humanities and social sciences. For students, this may mean writing requirements so harrowing they don’t know where to turn: topic selection, thesis development, citation rules — not to mention knowing how to write at the college level in the first place. The temptation to cheat by buying an essay is strong.
It’s no easier for professors. What used to be the pile of blue books on the kitchen table is now the number “38” next to the “To Grade” symbol online. At least the handwriting in the blue books provided variety; now it’s an endless flow of identical typing. Then there’s the grading itself: reading bad writing, evaluating everything from topicality to word choice, trying to phrase criticism so it’s constructive. How to make it better?
Possible solutions
Some say, get rid of the essay all together! It’s no longer a legitimate format for expressing knowledge and understanding. Let them perform skits, create comic strips, collaborate. Unfortunately, the professorial attention required to maintain rigor with such projects is quite…
