| 1. |
What is the purpose of the
assignment?
|
When the student thinks about and verbalizes the purpose of
the assignment, she may be able to determine how to focus the topic.
|
| 2. |
Who is the intended audience? |
Thinking about a particular
audience may help the student focus the topic.
(The professor may have included an
audience in the assignment.) Ask the student if she can envision a
particular audience for the paper. It may help her to complete these
sentences:
Before
reading this paper, my audience thinks/knows/understands ________________ about the topic.
After
reading this paper, my audience should think/know/understand ______________ about
the topic.
|
| 3. |
Did the professor provide a written
description of the assignment (length, format, research requirements,
etc.)? |
If so, ask to see it; the assignment
description might provide clues to help the student narrow the focus. If
the student has no idea how to respond to the assignment and does not have
a written description of it, you may want to encourage her to speak with
her professor to clarify the assignment before going any further. |
