What kinds of writing do we typically assign in upper division courses?
The essay exam appears to be alive and well at U.C. Berkeley. “Short-answer or essay exam” was the most frequent response to the question, “What kinds of writing do you typically assign in your upper division classes?” This was true for respondents who define their courses as having a “significant writing component” (over 25% of the course grade is based on writing assignments) as well as for those respondents whose courses do not have a significant writing component (25% or less of the course grade is based on writing assignments). But then things gets more complicated and interesting. After “short-answer or essay exam,” the research paper (65.2%), analytical paper or essay (56.7%), and oral presentation/speech (43.3%) are most frequently assigned in courses that have a significant writing component. In courses without a significant writing component, the emphasis is on the project report (32.8%), oral presentation/speech (29.5%), and lab report (24.6%). These findings confirm common
