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SafeAssign: The Value of a “Closed System”

 

For many students, the most difficult assignments to manage effectively are those with a large scope and little scaffolding provided by the instructor. As instructors, one way we can help them negotiate this challenge is by using “closed systems” in our assignments.

 

The closed system assignment is one that places certain limits and constraints on what the student is asked to do and what materials he or she should use to complete the task. In a closed assignment, the instructor develops a clear agenda and rationale for the writing and supplies the source material that the student must use. To illustrate, consider an upper level art history paper intended to introduce students to the types of scholarship that define the field. In explaining the rationale in the assignment description, the instructor writes:

This assignment will introduce you to two types of art history scholarship that employ different research methodologies. By reading the articles provided, analyzing their approaches, and writing an essay that compares the two, you will gain a better understanding of scholarship and research in the art history field.

The instructor then provides students with the two research articles. This is a good example of a closed system assignment because both the writing and thinking tasks are clearly defined and the source material is provided for the students. The possibilities for plagiarism are reduced if not completely eradicated by this approach. Because the instructor is already familiar with the sources and because there is very little chance of a student finding a paper or parts of a paper that satisfy the criteria for the assignment, the instructor is more assured that the work she receives from students will be original.

 

In another example of a closed system, a biology instructor provides his students with a series of research questions and a select bibliography of sources students must use for each one. In his rationale for the assignment, the instructor notes that, among other things, it will allow students “to gain a deeper understanding of how the scientific process really works.” He also explains what he wants his students to do, noting that their main objective “will be to critically evaluate contrasting arguments and evidence about an ecological phenomenon…. You may choose to write about one of several different specified topics. For each topic, I provide key references from which you should build your argument” (Waldo 179). An excerpt of one choice is detailed below:

 

Biology 314        Ecology & Population Biology     Fall 1998

Please choose one of these topics for your essay. The key references listed for each are available on reserve at the library.

1. What determines the northern range limits of wintering birds in North America?
   
   If you are interested in animal physiological ecology or in studies on large-scale problems using correlation methods, this would be a good topic to select.
   • Root, T. 1988. Energy constraints on avian distributions and abundances. Ecology 69:330-339.
   • Repasky, R.R. 1991. Temperature and the northern distributions of wintering birds. Ecology. 75:2274-2285.
   • Root, T.L. and S.H. Schneider. 1993. Can large-scale climactic models be linked with multi-scale ecological studies? Conservation Biology 7:256-270.
     (Waldo 182)

When to Use a Closed System

Because it orients the student and provides materials that significantly reduce the opportunities for plagiarism, the “closed system” assignment has a number of clear advantages for both the instructor and the student. However, it is important to recognize that the closed system assignment front-loads the planning and preparation work for the instructor and limits the range and flexibility available to the student. Thus, when deciding whether to use a closed or open assignment, the instructor should consider the overall learning goals of the assignment and course. If, for example, one of the learning goals is to develop a viable topic and research question and the process for doing so is explicitly addressed as part of course work, it would not make much sense to hand the student an already-defined topic and question. If, on the other hand, the learning goals had little to do with topic formation and more to do with the ability to consider alternative perspectives, weigh opposing viewpoints, and draw conclusions based on these things, a closed system assignment might be the best choice.

 

In designing a closed assignment, instructors are able to direct students’ energies more accurately, too. For example, rather than having students spend valuable thinking and writing time making sense of online databases and trying to find sources that appropriately fit the assignment, providing students with a bibliography of sources to use (and perhaps even the texts themselves) allows them to focus their energies on the thinking tasks that matter most.

 

While there is no way to prevent academic dishonesty from those students determined to cheat, we can improve the general quality of the learning experience and the resulting work by creating specific, relevant, and engaging assignments that build students’ confidence and give them every opportunity to meet their responsibilities ethically.

 

References:

 

Waldo, Mark L. Demythologizing Language Difference in the Academy: Establishing Discipline-Based Writing Programs. Mahweh, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2004.

 

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Also in this section:

• Characteristics of Effective Assignments
• Designing Effective Assignments
  • Expose the Writing and Thinking Challenges
  • The Value of a "Closed System"