Responses are short homework assignments that draw upon a corresponding text, such as a reading, video, or podcast. Responses will be submitted electronically, but also discussed in class, so students should compose their Responses in a separate saved file before submitting them.

Some general tips for effective Responses are:

• Save your Responses in a separate program and then copy and paste them into the submission form. This will give you ready access to your Responses in class and prevent the loss of material if form submission fails.


• Post your Responses by their deadlines.


• Meet the Responses' length requirements. Length requirements are somewhat subjective, but they encourage the kind of sustained engagement necessary for a good Response.


• Make certain to account for the complete prompt. If a prompt asks you to include specific information or talk about a particular point, be sure to do that.


• Demonstrate your engagement with the material by referencing concrete specifics. One reason why we do Responses is to ensure that everyone is keeping up with the material so that the class can move forward productively.


• Use grammar and structure appropriate for a professional context. Sentence-level grammar is important, in part because it gives Responses an appropriate ethos. Also, each Response should be structured into a coherent statement with a beginning, middle, and end. Don't just collect random thoughts into a monolithic block. As writers, we are obliged to make our material appropriately comprehensible.