I don't have the bandwidth to grade that many hand written assignments 

That's why I call the writing requirement bureaucratic nonsense. The size of the class is not structured in a way conducive to writing assignments

SimpleStacker

can't you assign in-class, timed writing responses instead or in addition to this?

should give you some sense of who has the brains to compose an orignal thought

Stacker Saloon

saloon

can't you assign in-class, timed writing responses instead or in addition to this?
should give you some sense of who has the brains to compose an orignal thought