Sherri B. Lantinga
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Position Paper (Individual)
After choosing their topic, students individually read a related pair of articles from a
Taking Sides volume, used PsycINFO to locate at least four primary/scholarly references,
and wrote a 5-page position paper in which they offered and defended a thesis statement
on the issue. I encouraged students to consult with others in their group and to share their
references. The grading rubric included seven areas of assessment (thesis, depth of
argument, sources, organization, tone, writing style, and conventions) that I scored on
three-point scales: excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory. I weighted the first three areas
twice as heavily as the other four in determining a final paper grade.
Discussion/Debate (Group)
Shortly after the paper’s submission deadline, each group developed and delivered a
10-minute class presentation on their controversial topic. When more than one group had
chosen a topic, I assigned them opposite positions for the purposes of class discussion;
these groups spent less time on presentation and more time in debate and rebuttal of argu-
ments. After each presentation, the rest of the class asked questions and engaged the pre-
senters in discussion. Each debate/discussion lasted the full class period (50 min) and
earned grades based on content, effectiveness of delivery, and ability to answer questions.
Position Paragraphs (Individual)
Prior to the class period in which students presented each issue, I assigned the original pair
of controversial articles from Taking Sides as reading for the class. Students (all but those who
had chosen the issue for their position papers) read both articles and typed a 1–2-paragraph
statement that reflected their tentative position on the issue. This assignment ensured a more
evenly informed and engaged audience for the presenters. At the end of class debate/discus-
sion for each topic, students individually wrote brief reflections on how the discussion/
debate influenced their initial positions. I graded these position paragraphs based on stu-
dents’ ability to support a position with evidence from the readings or other sources and on
their ability to articulate how the debate/discussion had influenced their thinking.
Project Assessment
Self-Report Survey
The data described here are from 20 students in my second semester of using the project.
A week after the last class presentation, students completed a self-report survey about the
project. Nine items assessed improvement in areas related to the project using 4-point