Strategies on how to design effective writing assignments:

• Assign several shorter papers to make up or build up to a larger writing assignment
• Solicit critiques of your draft copy for an assignment (from peers, assistants or students) to see if instructions and outcomes are clear. Then make sure the instructions are available to students on an online platform or where they would have continuous access to it
• Share copies of good papers with students
• Keep notes on the success and pitfalls of each assignment to share and discuss with students

Source: Tools for Teaching, Davis, BG, 2009