Highlighting and commenting assignment instructions

Synopsis

Students are encouraged to annotate the instructions following the guideline below before starting the assignment. Highlighting and commenting assignment instructions is optional.

When someone else reads students' comments, they should be able to understand the overall purpose of the assignment and the detailed steps involved.

Outline what the assignment entails and what is expected of you.

The comments should be in the form of self-talk and/or to-do list. For example, "I need to go to this website first, and learn such and such" or "This task requires a newspaper article. I may use the one I read this morning."

Based on the assignment, there are two approaches:

1. Beginning to end:

   • Highlight and comment on the entire set of instructions first.

   • Once highlighting and commenting are completed, proceed with the assignment.

2. Step-by-step:

   • Highlight and comment on each specific task as you encounter it.

   • Complete the highlighted and commented task before moving to the next one. Continue this process until all tasks are completed.

All the instructions in an assignment are subject to this procedure.

Do not highlight and comment on your own answers.

Highlighting and commenting should be completed before starting the assignment. Any highlighting and commenting done after completing the sections of the assignment defeats the purpose.

Samples

1. Beginning to end

Sample 1

Sample 2

2. Step-by-step

Sample 3

Sample 4

Instructions

Purpose:

Use highlighting and commenting to actively engage with and understand the assignment instructions. These tools help you focus on the most critical aspects, ensuring a clear grasp of the required tasks.

Guidelines for Highlighting and Commenting

1. Highlight Key Elements: Focus on highlighting the most critical parts of the instructions. This includes main tasks, specific questions, and any particular requirements for the assignment.

2. Complement with Notes: Enhance your highlights with brief comments. These should explain why a section is highlighted or record additional thoughts. It's not necessary to comment on every highlight, but include a few insightful comments. This is a space to engage in self-dialogue, making these truly personal comments.

3. Review and Reflect: After highlighting and commenting, take a moment to review what you have highlighted and commented. This is a good time to ask yourself if the highlighted and commented parts clearly outline what the assignment entails and what is expected of you.

4. Avoid Over-Highlighting whole sections: Do not highlight entire paragraphs or pages. The goal is to pinpoint the most important information, not to colorize large sections of text.

5. Focus on why you are doing this: Highlighting and commenting are not just about marking or commenting text — it's about actively engaging with and understanding your assignment. Use it as a tool to enhance your focus and comprehension.

How to highlight

Highlight the part, click on the marker, and choose a color (from the third row, which are lighter)

How to comment

Upon highlighting the part, a dialogue box will appear. Click on “Add comment” and type your comments.