Make it clear to students that these are to prompt thinking, not to be answered mechanically. Specify clearly the expected or required length and format of the paper. Warn students of possible pitfalls. If you have strong ideas of what you do and do not want, make these known. 9.6 General tips Have other TAs and faculty read and evaluate the assignment.
Second readers are important here as in all writing.
Whenever possible give students a choice of topics. The quality of students' work is highly correlated with their interest in the subject, and it is very difficult to pinpoint a topic which captures the interest of all or most of the students in the class. If you leave the topic open, however, it is crucial that you suggest a process for choosing one and clearly define the traits of an acceptable choice. As newcomers to a field, students cannot be expected to have a grasp of the requirements particular to your discipline. Furthermore, TAs are much more likely to have a sense of topics which will prove unwieldy or will yield dead ends.