I know that some of my students like very structured assignments, because then they know exactly what to expect. But as this semester has gone on, and we’ve covered the basic stuff, I’ve been gradually loosening the structure.
At this point in the class I am putting them into groups and having them come up with their own ideas. There is always some trepidation on the part of students when you try something like this.
But after they have the experience of talking ideas over with each other and brainstorming, they get past that and become very excited and enthusiastic, and very very creative.
It’s definitely a case of less is more. Or perhaps more accurately, more is more.