Self-Assessment

Formal Assignment #1
Self-assessment, or self-evaluation, is a reflective process that allows you to look back on your writing
and discern the challenges, difficulties, and successes of your writing process. You read your paper and
ask, Does it work? You should approach self-assessment in the same manner that you approach critical
reading and peer feedback: ask hard questions about the texts you are considering. Self-assessment
usually works best if you allow yourself time to gain some distance from your work and then reflect on
what you have written.
You can think of self-assessment as a way to play a more active role in the evaluation of your workit
gives you the chance to express any specific questions or thoughts that you would like me to consider as I
read and comment. Here are some guidelines for you to consider as you write your self-assessments for
the rough and final drafts of Formal Assignment #1.
Rough Draft:

What was your writing process like for this paper?

Paraphrase the main claim of your argument: What are you trying to enable your audience to see
or understand?
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paper. As you assess your draft, you should think
about the clarity and focus of your questions, your thesis, your supporting evidence, and the
effectiveness of your language and style.
What do you plan to do as you continue writing and revising this essay?
Include at least one question, challenge, or issue that you had while drafting the paper that you
would like your readers (i.e. me and your peers) to provide in our feedback.

Self-Assessment
Formal Assignment #2
Self-assessment, or self-evaluation, is a reflective process that allows you to look back on your writing
and discern the challenges, difficulties, and successes of your writing process. You read your paper and
ask, Does it work? You should approach self-assessment in the same manner that you approach critical
reading and peer feedback: ask hard questions about the text(s) you are considering. Self-assessment
usually works best if you allow yourself time to gain some distance from your work and then reflect on
what you have written.
You can think of self-assessment as a way to play a more active role in the evaluation of your workit
gives you the chance to express any specific questions or thoughts that you would like me to consider as I
read and comment. Here are some guidelines for you to consider as you write your self-assessment for the
rough and final draft of Formal Assignment #2.
Rough Draft:

What was your writing process like for this paper?

Paraphrase your thesis. What are you trying to enable your audience to see or understand?
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paper. As you assess your draft, you should think
about the clarity and focus of your question, your thesis, your supporting evidence, the way
youve incorporated primary/secondary sources, and the effectiveness of your language and style.
What do you plan to do as you continue writing and revising this essay?

Include at least one question, challenge, or issue that you had while drafting the paper that you
would like your readers (i.e. me and your peers) to provide in our feedback.

Self-Assessment
Formal Assignment #3
Rough Draft:

What was your writing process like for the research proposal? Did you encounter any difficulties
in developing your research questions, selecting primary/secondary sources, and/or generating
ideas based on those sources?
Re-state your overarching questions and topic as clearly and concisely as possible.
How might your questions/topic point towards a more specific thesis? If you have already
formulated a thesis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of that thesis?
Include at least one question, challenge, or issue that you had while drafting the proposal that you
would like your audience (i.e. me and your peers) to provide in our feedback.

Self-Assessment
Formal Assignment #4
Rough Draft:

As with the research proposal, please re-state your overarching claim as clearly and concisely as
possible. In other words, what does your paper argue? Is it the same as what you were attempting
to argue?
What do you feel is a specific strength exhibited in your paper? Identify one strength, and be
specific. Why is this a strong element of the paper, and how did you accomplish this?
Identify one weakness you feel is present in your paper. Again, be specific. Is this something you
have struggled with in the past? What strategies will you consider to improve this weakness?
Outline your revision strategy for this paper.