Short video on how to read and understand your assignments and discussions in D2L at National American University.
(In the video, the Guide referred to as Pre-Writing Skills is now called the "Reading for Writing Skills" Guide.)
Do the Learning Activities from the Learning Plan before starting the Assignment or Discussion.
Find the questions you need to answer or tasks you need to complete. Locate "keywords" in the instructions.
Look for instructions for the final product: number of pages; citations; due date; and format.
If you don't understand how to do the discussion or assignment after completing steps 1-3, contact your instructor.
Your audience is the people who will read and respond to your writing.
For discussion posts, your actual audience is your instructor and your classmates.
For research papers, it often is your instructor or a peer-reviewer in your class. We advise checking your instructions and/or with your instructor who your intended audience is.
For resumes, it will be a potential employer.
For thank you notes, it may be your aunt or grandfather.
Also think of other, hypothetical readers you want to inform, persuade, or entertain!
It is important to identify your audience because:
1. You can determine how much or how little you need to say about the topic.
2. You will know what they expect and want from your writing.
3. You can decide the tone and type of language, or "style," you will use.
When you use this information, your writing will have the greatest effect on your reader.
Reinking, J.A. & von der Osten, R. (2014). Strategies for successful writing: A rhetoric, research guide, reader, and
handbook. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
