Adapting the "Unessay" for Use in Computer Science

The "unessay" is an extremely open-ended form of assignment that has primarily seen use in the humanities. This paper is an experience report discussing how a traditional computer science programming assignment was replaced with a suitably-adapted unessay assignment. We present the assignment specification, assessment criteria, as well as three sample submissions. Importantly, the experience is captured from multiple perspectives: the instructor's, as well as firsthand reflections from the students who created the three submissions.