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Resources for Teachers: Creating Writing Assignments

This page contains four specific areas:

Creating Effective Assignments

Checking the assignment, sequencing writing assignments, selecting an effective writing assignment format.

Research has shown that the more detailed a writing assignment is, the better the student papers are in response to that assignment. Instructors can often help students write more effective papers by giving students written instructions about that assignment. Explicit descriptions of assignments on the syllabus or on an “assignment sheet” tend to produce the best results. These instructions might make explicit the process or steps necessary to complete the assignment. Assignment sheets should detail:

• the kind of writing expected
• the scope of acceptable subject matter
• the length requirements
• formatting requirements
• documentation format
• the amount and type of research expected (if any)
• the writer’s role
• deadlines for the first draft and its revision

Providing questions or needed data in the assignment helps students get started. For instance, some questions can suggest a mode of organization to the students. Other questions might suggest a procedure to follow. The questions posed should require that students assert a thesis.

The following areas should help you create effective writing assignments.

Examining your goals for the assignment

• How exactly does this assignment fit with the objectives of your course?
• Should this assignment relate only to the class and the texts for the class, or should it also relate to the world beyond the classroom?
• What do you want the students to learn or experience from this writing assignment?
• Should this assignment be an individual or a collaborative effort?
• What do you want students to show you in this assignment? To demonstrate mastery of concepts or texts? To demonstrate logical and critical thinking? To develop an original idea? To learn and demonstrate the procedures, practices, and tools of your field of study?

Defining the writing task

• Is the assignment sequenced so that students: (1) write a draft, (2) receive feedback (from you, fellow students, or staff members at the Writing and Communication Center), and (3) then revise it? Such a procedure has been proven to accomplish at least two goals: it improves the student’s writing and it discourages plagiarism.
• Does the assignment include so many sub-questions that students will be confused about the major issue they should examine? Can you give more guidance about what the paper’s main focus should be? Can you reduce the number of sub-questions?
• What is the purpose of the assignment (e.g., review knowledge already learned, find additional information, synthesize research, examine a new hypothesis)? Making the purpose(s) of the assignment explicit helps students write the kind of paper you want.
• What is the required form (e.g., expository essay, lab report, memo, business report)?
• What mode is required for the assignment (e.g., description, narration, analysis, persuasion, a combination of two or more of these)?

Defining the audience for the paper

• Can you define a hypothetical audience to help students determine which concepts to define and explain? When students write only to the instructor, they may assume that little, if anything, requires explanation. Defining the whole class as the intended audience will clarify this issue for students.
• What is the probable attitude of the intended readers toward the topic itself? Toward the student writer’s thesis? Toward the student writer?
• What is the probable educational and economic background of the intended readers?

Defining the writer’s role

• Can you make explicit what persona you wish the students to assume? For example, a very effective role for student writers is that of a “professional in training” who uses the assumptions, the perspective, and the conceptual tools of the discipline.

Defining your evaluative criteria

1. If possible, explain the relative weight in grading assigned to the quality of writing and the assignment’s content:

• depth of coverage
• organization
• critical thinking
• original thinking
• use of research
• logical demonstration
• appropriate mode of structure and analysis (e.g., comparison, argument)
• correct use of sources
• grammar and mechanics
• professional tone
• correct use of course-specific concepts and terms.

Here’s a checklist for writing assignments:

• Have you used explicit command words in your instructions (e.g., “compare and contrast” and “explain” are more explicit than “explore” or “consider”)? The more explicit the command words, the better chance the students will write the type of paper you wish.
• Does the assignment suggest a topic, thesis, and format? Should it?
• Have you told students the kind of audience they are addressing — the level of knowledge they can assume the readers have and your particular preferences (e.g., “avoid slang, use the first-person sparingly”)?
• If the assignment has several stages of completion, have you made the various deadlines clear? Is your policy on due dates clear?
• Have you presented the assignment in a manageable form? For instance, a 5-page assignment sheet for a 1-page paper may overwhelm students. Similarly, a 1-sentence assignment for a 25-page paper may offer insufficient guidance.

There are several benefits of sequencing writing assignments:

• Sequencing provides a sense of coherence for the course.
• This approach helps students see progress and purpose in their work rather than seeing the writing assignments as separate exercises.
• It encourages complexity through sustained attention, revision, and consideration of multiple perspectives.
• If you have only one large paper due near the end of the course, you might create a sequence of smaller assignments leading up to and providing a foundation for that larger paper (e.g., proposal of the topic, an annotated bibliography, a progress report, a summary of the paper’s key argument, a first draft of the paper itself). This approach allows you to give students guidance and also discourages plagiarism.
• It mirrors the approach to written work in many professions.

The concept of sequencing writing assignments also allows for a wide range of options in creating the assignment. It is often beneficial to have students submit the components suggested below to your course’s STELLAR web site.

Use the writing process itself. In its simplest form, “sequencing an assignment” can mean establishing some sort of “official” check of the prewriting and drafting steps in the writing process. This step guarantees that students will not write the whole paper in one sitting and also gives students more time to let their ideas develop. This check might be something as informal as having students work on their prewriting or draft for a few minutes at the end of class. Or it might be something more formal such as collecting the prewriting and giving a few suggestions and comments.

Have students submit drafts. You might ask students to submit a first draft in order to receive your quick responses to its content, or have them submit written questions about the content and scope of their projects after they have completed their first draft.

Establish small groups. Set up small writing groups of three-five students from the class. Allow them to meet for a few minutes in class or have them arrange a meeting outside of class to comment constructively on each other’s drafts. The students do not need to be writing on the same topic.

Require consultations. Have students consult with someone in the Writing and Communication Center about their prewriting and/or drafts. The Center has yellow forms that we can give to students to inform you that such a visit was made.

Explore a subject in increasingly complex ways. A series of reading and writing assignments may be linked by the same subject matter or topic. Students encounter new perspectives and competing ideas with each new reading, and thus must evaluate and balance various views and adopt a position that considers the various points of view.

Change modes of discourse. In this approach, students’ assignments move from less complex to more complex modes of discourse (e.g., from expressive to analytic to argumentative; or from lab report to position paper to research article).

Change audiences. In this approach, students create drafts for different audiences, moving from personal to public (e.g., from self-reflection to an audience of peers to an audience of specialists). Each change would require different tasks and more extensive knowledge.

Change perspective through time. In this approach, students might write a statement of their understanding of a subject or issue at the beginning of a course and then return at the end of the semester to write an analysis of that original stance in the light of the experiences and knowledge gained in the course.

Use a natural sequence. A different approach to sequencing is to create a series of assignments culminating in a final writing project. In scientific and technical writing, for example, students could write a proposal requesting approval of a particular topic. The next assignment might be a progress report (or a series of progress reports), and the final assignment could be the report or document itself. For humanities and social science courses, students might write a proposal requesting approval of a particular topic, then hand in an annotated bibliography, and then a draft, and then the final version of the paper.

Have students submit sections. A variation of the previous approach is to have students submit various sections of their final document throughout the semester (e.g., their bibliography, review of the literature, methods section).

In addition to the standard essay and report formats, several other formats exist that might give students a different slant on the course material or allow them to use slightly different writing skills. Here are some suggestions:

Journals. Journals have become a popular format in recent years for courses that require some writing. In-class journal entries can spark discussions and reveal gaps in students’ understanding of the material. Having students write an in-class entry summarizing the material covered that day can aid the learning process and also reveal concepts that require more elaboration. Out-of-class entries involve short summaries or analyses of texts, or are a testing ground for ideas for student papers and reports. Although journals may seem to add a huge burden for instructors to correct, in fact many instructors either spot-check journals (looking at a few particular key entries) or grade them based on the number of entries completed. Journals are usually not graded for their prose style. STELLAR forums work well for out-of-class entries.

Letters. Students can define and defend a position on an issue in a letter written to someone in authority. They can also explain a concept or a process to someone in need of that particular information. They can write a letter to a friend explaining their concerns about an upcoming paper assignment or explaining their ideas for an upcoming paper assignment. If you wish to add a creative element to the writing assignment, you might have students adopt the persona of an important person discussed in your course (e.g., an historical figure) and write a letter explaining his/her actions, process, or theory to an interested person (e.g., “pretend that you are John Wilkes Booth and write a letter to the Congress justifying your assassination of Abraham Lincoln,” or “pretend you are Henry VIII writing to Thomas More explaining your break from the Catholic Church”).

Editorials . Students can define and defend a position on a controversial issue in the format of an editorial for the campus or local newspaper or for a national journal.

Cases . Students might create a case study particular to the course’s subject matter.

Position Papers . Students can define and defend a position, perhaps as a preliminary step in the creation of a formal research paper or essay.

Imitation of a Text . Students can create a new document “in the style of” a particular writer (e.g., “Create a government document the way Woody Allen might write it” or “Write your own ‘Modest Proposal’ about a modern issue”).

Instruction Manuals . Students write a step-by-step explanation of a process.

Dialogues . Students create a dialogue between two major figures studied in which they not only reveal those people’s theories or thoughts but also explore areas of possible disagreement (e.g., “Write a dialogue between Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock about the nature and uses of art”).

Collaborative projects . Students work together to create such works as reports, questions, and critiques.

Allison Taylor-Adams Teaching Portfolio

Sample assignment descriptions.

As part of a term-long unit on the theme of “Exploration” in a Discussion Skills course for new international students (American English Institute – Winter 2018), I developed a place-based mini-unit that invited students to explore their environment at the University of Oregon. During this unit, students fulfilled two of the formative assessment criteria set forth in the course design (one individual monologue assignment, one group discussion assignment), while also building skills in collaboration, group presentations, and sharing expertise with others. This unit and the materials developed for it are examples of how I have used my teaching time to welcome students into new communities and increase their engagement with and comfort with their own learning processes.

An overview of the unit is described here:

Discussion 4 – Place-based unit description

A fuller breakdown of the timeline and sequence for the unit is given here:

Discussion 4 – Place-based unit plan

I would also like to share examples of student-facing materials I developed for the unit, including a one-page handout describing the project and two handouts dealing with particular assignments within the unit:

D4 Place-based unit – overview for students

D4 campus unit warm-up and brainstorming

D4A Tour script assignment

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Using the Transparent Assignment Template

Developed by Mary-Ann Winkelmes, Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) is a straightforward framework for assignment design that supports student success by making the goals, process, and expectations for their learning clear. Using TILT  has been shown to improve learners' academic confidence and success, metacognitive awareness, and sense of belonging in class (Winkelmes et al., 2016). The TILT process centers around defining (and then communicating to students) three key components of your assignment: purpose , tasks , and criteria for success .

First, think about what you want students to gain from the assignment. What should they understand about course concepts? What knowledge and skills will they gain by undertaking the assignment? How does the assignment connect to students’ lives or the world beyond the classroom? 

Next, list the steps students should take when completing the assignment. In what order should they do specific tasks, what do they need to be aware of to perform each task well, and what mistakes should they avoid?

Lastly, clarify the criteria for success on the assignment. What are the characteristics of a successful submission? How does excellent work differ from adequate work? Be prepared to provide a scoring rubric and examples of sample submissions to support students in understanding the criteria.

Alongside the TILT framework, Winkelmes and colleagues developed a template to support instructors in planning out the purpose, tasks, and criteria for an assignment. Evidence gathered from use of this Transparent Assignment Template demonstrated its ability to promote academic success and reduce achievement gaps for underrepresented and nontraditional students (Winkelmes et al., 2016).

Here we present a modified version of the Transparent Assignment Template, with additional rows to plan expected learning outcomes (ELOs) and examples to share with students. The completed model below shows preliminary plans for an education course assignment that asks students to generate a lesson plan using artificial intelligence (AI), and then evaluate and revise that lesson plan. Keep in mind that these are just planning notes ( you can view the final assignment here ).

Download our adapted Transparent Assignment Template to help with planning your next assignment.  

Transparent Assignment Template 

Assignment Name: AI-Generated Lesson Plan

Due Date: March 7, 2024

The original Transparent Assignment Template created by Mary-Ann Winkelmes (2013) and the remixed version presented above are licensed under a   Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .  

Winkelmes, M. (2013). Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Data and Improve Students’ Learning. Liberal Education 99 (2).

Wilkelmes, M. (2013). Transparent Assignment Design Template for Teachers. TiLT Higher Ed: Transparency in Learning and Teaching. https://tilthighered.com/assets/pdffiles/Transparent%20Assignment%20Templates.p

Winkelmes, M., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., Weavil, K. (2016). A Teaching Intervention that Increases Underserved College Students’ Success. Peer Review.

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Assignment Design: Checklist

Careful planning and implementation of assignments will help your students produce what you expected. Consider using this checklist as a tool to trouble-shoot your assignment design and identify possible areas to refine. Other considerations may be required for your specific assignment, but this will give you a great start, no matter what type of assignment you plan to give.

Stage one: Planning

When planning the assignment, decide how it can.

• Fit with main learning objectives for the course, term, and program
• Relate to previous work done in this course and past courses
• Be new and different from the type of assignments given in this course and other courses(e.g., seek alternatives to the proverbial term-paper or problem set)
• Benefit from an audience other than yourself (e.g., peers, community professionals, liaison librarian, politicians)
• Use current topics and current resources
• Be broken into a series of smaller assignments to avoid overwhelming students
• Be completed – in groups, pairs, or individually
• Be completed – in the online environment
• Build on students’ previous experience and current skill set
• Develop important skills for students, both for your course work and beyond (e.g., skills for the workplace, skills for life)
• Require a reasonable amount of work and be successfully completed in the allotted time, given other courses and demands outside of school
• Have value to you (e.g., will be interesting to grade, lead to a research project)
• Require a level of commitment you can meet (e.g., student support, grading)

Also, prepare by considering the support demands students may have

• Identify types of assistance students will require to complete the assignment
• Contact liaison librarian, community professionals, or other people who can assist you and your students in completing the assignment
• Arrange guest lectures relevant to assignment process (e.g., liaison librarian, community professional, colleagues)
• When possible, use class time for activities to help students complete the assignment (e.g., discuss how to write an annotated bibliography, run lab activities to demonstrate a requisite skill, discuss material related to assignment topic)
• Decide if students are required to meet with you or your teaching assistants (TAs) as they complete the assignment and set times and policies for availability to help students avoid procrastinating

Then, make evaluation decisions by choosing the

• Assignment length limitations and due dates
• Type of feedback to give – written, oral, anonymous
• Evaluators – you, peers, community professional, liaison librarian
• Type of grade required (e.g., check mark, pass/fail, numeric grade)
• Parts to evaluate – effort, research process, thinking process, progress, sequence of assignments, drafts, final products
• Weighting of components – how much is each part worth
• Turnaround times for marking to make the assignment meaningful for students
• Policies for possible problems – late or incomplete assignments, missed meetings, poor group work practices, plagiarism

Stage two: Implementing

Prepare an assignment description or handout that.

• Comprises the key parts  –  situation  (background information, audience, relevance),  task  (what to do),  stages  (a timeline for completing key stages of the assignment), and  evaluation criteria  (specific grading scheme, special policies)
• Uses plain language – avoids jargon
• Provides advice from past experiences with the assignment
• Explains proper referencing and acceptable sources for information – be specific and expect to be taken literally

Have a colleague (preferably someone not familiar with your course) read the handout and identify any unclear instructions and jargon, then revise accordingly. As well, do your assignment before giving it to students whenever possible, so you can identify problems before they do. And when you distribute the handout in class, take time to discuss it and allow for questions and clarifications about the task.

Consider giving ongoing support

• Share useful student feedback with the class and TAs
• Keep in touch with support people (i.e., liaison librarian)
• Ask for mid-assignment feedback since no news is not necessarily good news
• Have a backup plan for areas identified as difficult to complete (i.e., if a document is hard to get, have a copy available for reserve) – but take care not to modify the assignment too much from the handout because this confuses students

And when the assignments are all submitted and returned

• List 5 strengths and 5 weaknesses of the assignment and suggest changes for next time
• Ask for evaluative feedback from students and support contacts – find out what worked well, what could be improved, where students had the most difficulty, and how you can better facilitate the process next time
• Use feedback and experiences to modify assignment plan for the next time

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact. 

This Creative Commons license  lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format:  Assignment Design: checklist. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo

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UMGC Effective Writing Center Assignment Analysis & Sentence Outline

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In the Effective Writing Center, we sometimes have to tell students, "Your paper is well written and interesting, but it doesn't fulfill the assignment. You've done good work, but it's not what your professor is looking for. Let's analyze this assignment closely . . . ."

Now, whose fault is this? Nobody's. Learning how to analyze academic assignments is a skill that requires practice and experience. They call it "education" for a reason--students come to college to learn things. One of the things you learn is how to use the thought patterns of academic disciplines you study before earning that coveted degree.

So in the EWC we recommend that whenever you receive a writing assignment from a professor your first step should be to analyze it--preferably with input from us at the  Effective Writing Center . In other words, let us help you break down the assignment and determine what the professor really wants so that you can be successful in the experience. In some situations like timed essay exams, you must perform this step quickly. But with formal writing assignments like this one, you have the opportunity to:

• break down the assignment into its required parts
• check your understanding of the assignment with your professor
• create an assignment map or outline before you start writing

This practice of planning out a task before starting it--and receiving feedback on that plan--is common practice in the professional workplace. Whether you share the plan with coworkers or a supervisor, your professor or an  EWC advisor , the purpose is the same: For everyone to be "on the same page."

The Basic Question 

Here is the basic question that you are trying to answer in this thread or whenever you analyze a writing assignment:

What must my paper contain in order to meet all of my professor's expectations?

Let's say that in another course you received this assignment:

Topic: "The Influence of Television Violence on Children."

What do you think is the overall effect of televised violence on children? Research this question to determine the amount of violence that the average child watches on American television, the concerns of parents and parent groups, what experts in psychology and medicine say about the effects, and what changes, if any, need to be made to safeguard our children.

You might want to limit your definition of a child to a certain age group. At the end of your paper, be sure to give your position on this issue and what actions you would take as a parent.

If you study it closely, you will see that the assignment above provides a clear indication of what your outline  must  contain:

• Title: Effects of Televised Violence on Children
• Introduction: Statistics on televised violence and age group for this paper
• Body section: Concerns of parents/parent groups
• Body section: Studies by experts
• Body section: Recommended changes
• Conclusion: My views as a parent
• Works Cited

See how a preliminary outline can ensure that you understand all assignment requirements before writing? For us at the EWC, it does not matter if your outline is formal or informal. All that matters is that you pre-plan what your paper should contain so that you provide everything the professor is expecting.

Your Assignment:

After reading your teacher's directions closely, write a starter outline and get feedback on it. When writing this outline, focus on the categories of information required in the paper and the examples provided.

The purpose of this outline is to demonstrate that you have an organized way to answer the assignment description with relevant, persuasive points. 

Assignment Analysis

When a teacher writes an assignment, the teacher has in mind a correct way for students to respond. View the Effective Writing Center's Video on Assignment Analysis.

Sentence Outline

Click through to view the Effective Writing Center's video on sentence outlines and how to use them.

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Rubric Best Practices, Examples, and Templates

A rubric is a scoring tool that identifies the different criteria relevant to an assignment, assessment, or learning outcome and states the possible levels of achievement in a specific, clear, and objective way. Use rubrics to assess project-based student work including essays, group projects, creative endeavors, and oral presentations.

Rubrics can help instructors communicate expectations to students and assess student work fairly, consistently and efficiently. Rubrics can provide students with informative feedback on their strengths and weaknesses so that they can reflect on their performance and work on areas that need improvement.

How to Get Started

Best practices, moodle how-to guides.

• Workshop Recording (Spring 2024)
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Step 1: Analyze the assignment

The first step in the rubric creation process is to analyze the assignment or assessment for which you are creating a rubric. To do this, consider the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the assignment and your feedback? What do you want students to demonstrate through the completion of this assignment (i.e. what are the learning objectives measured by it)? Is it a summative assessment, or will students use the feedback to create an improved product?
• Does the assignment break down into different or smaller tasks? Are these tasks equally important as the main assignment?
• What would an “excellent” assignment look like? An “acceptable” assignment? One that still needs major work?
• How detailed do you want the feedback you give students to be? Do you want/need to give them a grade?

Step 2: Decide what kind of rubric you will use

Types of rubrics: holistic, analytic/descriptive, single-point

Holistic Rubric. A holistic rubric includes all the criteria (such as clarity, organization, mechanics, etc.) to be considered together and included in a single evaluation. With a holistic rubric, the rater or grader assigns a single score based on an overall judgment of the student’s work, using descriptions of each performance level to assign the score.

Advantages of holistic rubrics:

• Can p lace an emphasis on what learners can demonstrate rather than what they cannot
• Save grader time by minimizing the number of evaluations to be made for each student
• Can be used consistently across raters, provided they have all been trained

Disadvantages of holistic rubrics:

• Provide less specific feedback than analytic/descriptive rubrics
• Can be difficult to choose a score when a student’s work is at varying levels across the criteria
• Any weighting of c riteria cannot be indicated in the rubric

Analytic/Descriptive Rubric . An analytic or descriptive rubric often takes the form of a table with the criteria listed in the left column and with levels of performance listed across the top row. Each cell contains a description of what the specified criterion looks like at a given level of performance. Each of the criteria is scored individually.

Advantages of analytic rubrics:

• Provide detailed feedback on areas of strength or weakness
• Each criterion can be weighted to reflect its relative importance

Disadvantages of analytic rubrics:

• More time-consuming to create and use than a holistic rubric
• May not be used consistently across raters unless the cells are well defined
• May result in giving less personalized feedback

Single-Point Rubric . A single-point rubric is breaks down the components of an assignment into different criteria, but instead of describing different levels of performance, only the “proficient” level is described. Feedback space is provided for instructors to give individualized comments to help students improve and/or show where they excelled beyond the proficiency descriptors.

Advantages of single-point rubrics:

• Easier to create than an analytic/descriptive rubric
• Perhaps more likely that students will read the descriptors
• Areas of concern and excellence are open-ended
• May removes a focus on the grade/points
• May increase student creativity in project-based assignments

Disadvantage of analytic rubrics: Requires more work for instructors writing feedback

Step 3 (Optional): Look for templates and examples.

You might Google, “Rubric for persuasive essay at the college level” and see if there are any publicly available examples to start from. Ask your colleagues if they have used a rubric for a similar assignment. Some examples are also available at the end of this article. These rubrics can be a great starting point for you, but consider steps 3, 4, and 5 below to ensure that the rubric matches your assignment description, learning objectives and expectations.

Step 4: Define the assignment criteria

Make a list of the knowledge and skills are you measuring with the assignment/assessment Refer to your stated learning objectives, the assignment instructions, past examples of student work, etc. for help.

  Helpful strategies for defining grading criteria:

• Collaborate with co-instructors, teaching assistants, and other colleagues
• Brainstorm and discuss with students
• Can they be observed and measured?
• Are they important and essential?
• Are they distinct from other criteria?
• Are they phrased in precise, unambiguous language?
• Revise the criteria as needed
• Consider whether some are more important than others, and how you will weight them.

Step 5: Design the rating scale

Most ratings scales include between 3 and 5 levels. Consider the following questions when designing your rating scale:

• Given what students are able to demonstrate in this assignment/assessment, what are the possible levels of achievement?
• How many levels would you like to include (more levels means more detailed descriptions)
• Will you use numbers and/or descriptive labels for each level of performance? (for example 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and/or Exceeds expectations, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Beginning, etc.)
• Don’t use too many columns, and recognize that some criteria can have more columns that others . The rubric needs to be comprehensible and organized. Pick the right amount of columns so that the criteria flow logically and naturally across levels.

Step 6: Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale

Artificial Intelligence tools like Chat GPT have proven to be useful tools for creating a rubric. You will want to engineer your prompt that you provide the AI assistant to ensure you get what you want. For example, you might provide the assignment description, the criteria you feel are important, and the number of levels of performance you want in your prompt. Use the results as a starting point, and adjust the descriptions as needed.

Building a rubric from scratch

For a single-point rubric , describe what would be considered “proficient,” i.e. B-level work, and provide that description. You might also include suggestions for students outside of the actual rubric about how they might surpass proficient-level work.

For analytic and holistic rubrics , c reate statements of expected performance at each level of the rubric.

• Consider what descriptor is appropriate for each criteria, e.g., presence vs absence, complete vs incomplete, many vs none, major vs minor, consistent vs inconsistent, always vs never. If you have an indicator described in one level, it will need to be described in each level.
• You might start with the top/exemplary level. What does it look like when a student has achieved excellence for each/every criterion? Then, look at the “bottom” level. What does it look like when a student has not achieved the learning goals in any way? Then, complete the in-between levels.
• For an analytic rubric , do this for each particular criterion of the rubric so that every cell in the table is filled. These descriptions help students understand your expectations and their performance in regard to those expectations.

Well-written descriptions:

• Describe observable and measurable behavior
• Use parallel language across the scale
• Indicate the degree to which the standards are met

Step 7: Create your rubric

Create your rubric in a table or spreadsheet in Word, Google Docs, Sheets, etc., and then transfer it by typing it into Moodle. You can also use online tools to create the rubric, but you will still have to type the criteria, indicators, levels, etc., into Moodle. Rubric creators: Rubistar , iRubric

Step 8: Pilot-test your rubric

Prior to implementing your rubric on a live course, obtain feedback from:

• Teacher assistants

Try out your new rubric on a sample of student work. After you pilot-test your rubric, analyze the results to consider its effectiveness and revise accordingly.

• Limit the rubric to a single page for reading and grading ease
• Use parallel language . Use similar language and syntax/wording from column to column. Make sure that the rubric can be easily read from left to right or vice versa.
• Use student-friendly language . Make sure the language is learning-level appropriate. If you use academic language or concepts, you will need to teach those concepts.
• Share and discuss the rubric with your students . Students should understand that the rubric is there to help them learn, reflect, and self-assess. If students use a rubric, they will understand the expectations and their relevance to learning.
• Consider scalability and reusability of rubrics. Create rubric templates that you can alter as needed for multiple assignments.
• Maximize the descriptiveness of your language. Avoid words like “good” and “excellent.” For example, instead of saying, “uses excellent sources,” you might describe what makes a resource excellent so that students will know. You might also consider reducing the reliance on quantity, such as a number of allowable misspelled words. Focus instead, for example, on how distracting any spelling errors are.

Example of an analytic rubric for a final paper

Example of a holistic rubric for a final paper

Single-Point Rubric

More examples:

• Single Point Rubric Template ( variation )
• Analytic Rubric Template make a copy to edit
• A Rubric for Rubrics
• Bank of Online Discussion Rubrics in different formats
• Mathematical Presentations Descriptive Rubric
• Math Proof Assessment Rubric
• Kansas State Sample Rubrics
• Design Single Point Rubric

Technology Tools: Rubrics in Moodle

• Moodle Docs: Rubrics
• Moodle Docs: Grading Guide (use for single-point rubrics)

Tools with rubrics (other than Moodle)

• Google Assignments
• Turnitin Assignments: Rubric or Grading Form

Other resources

• DePaul University (n.d.). Rubrics .
• Gonzalez, J. (2014). Know your terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics . Cult of Pedagogy.
• Goodrich, H. (1996). Understanding rubrics . Teaching for Authentic Student Performance, 54 (4), 14-17. Retrieved from   
• Miller, A. (2012). Tame the beast: tips for designing and using rubrics.
• Ragupathi, K., Lee, A. (2020). Beyond Fairness and Consistency in Grading: The Role of Rubrics in Higher Education. In: Sanger, C., Gleason, N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

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Writing Across the Curriculum

Sample assignments.

This page provides two downloadable documents: a set of Low Stakes writing assignments, and guidelines for High Stakes writing assignments. The documents are available in .docx copies to allow for revision and customization. You’re welcome to take what you need, please keep the Augsburg logo intact (other downloadable logos are available here ).

Click HERE to download a full set of sample Low Stakes assignment prompts.

Click HERE to download a set of sample High Stakes assignment guidelines.

You can learn more about the benefits of differentiating between low and high stakes assignments in Peter Elbow’s (1997) essay, “High stakes and low stakes in assigning and responding to writing” from Writing to Learn: Strategies for Assigning and Responding to Writing across the Discipline: New Directions for Teaching and Learning.

LOW STAKES WRITING

 low stakes writing is:.

• Free writing in response to a simple prompt
• A simple, informal way to integrate writing in the classroom
• “Low effort, high impact”
• Easy to incorporate at the beginning or end of class
• Low-stress, and typically involves little to no grading

Low stakes writing helps:

• Describe, apply, and retain information
• Explore and personalize ideas
• Focus thoughts and questions
• Demonstrate the value of writing as a part of the learning process
• Informally engage each student in the classroom
• Improve high-stakes writing
• Efficiently assess student learning

A brief sample of low stakes prompts:

• What do you already know about this topic that can guide your learning?
• What have you learned from similar assignments that can help you succeed on this one?
• Summarize today’s lecture in one sentence.
• What do you feel like you learned today, and what lingering question do you have?
• Write an email to a friend who has been absent for a week and explain what they’ve missed. Aim to be comprehensive rather than writing a list.

HIGH STAKES WRITING

High stakes writing assignments:.

• Correspond to writing conventions in the discipline/genre
• Are typically formal and academic in style
• Develop over time through drafting and sequencing/scaffolding
• Require conducting effective research
• Depend on effective, close reading
• Synthesize complex information
• Are more sophisticated in thought and prose

Basic Guidelines

• Regard writing as a process rather than a product
• Clearly connect the assignment to course learning objectives
• Provide students with a clear assignment prompt detailing expectations
• Provide students with a rationale for those expectations
• Articulate the audience for the writer (Experts? A publication? You?)
• Use assignment sequencing/scaffolding (suggestions below and here )
• Include opportunities for feedback and related revision
• Provide effective feedback on drafts (suggestions here and here )
• Review suggested rubric options here
• Weight the assignment accordingly, usually assigning significant value in the overall course grading system
• Assign value (i.e. a grade or other form of credit) to reading assignments

High stakes writing helps to:

• Familiarize students with disciplinarity and writing in a genre
• Describe, apply, and retain complex disciplinary information
• Develop more advanced writing, thinking, learning, and process skills
• Develop self-assessment and revision skills
• Focus on developing depth rather than breadth
• Improve higher order learning/thinking
• Thoroughly assess student learning and content mastery
• Teach students to handle competing information and develop thesis
• Make use of in-class peer review activities to help crowd-source feedback
• Provide examples of previous work from students (with their permission) along with the original assignment description
• Focus on minimal comments in the margins and identify 1-3 strategies for improvement at the end of a draft
• Identify common strengths/weaknesses of the class and discuss those with the class as a whole
• Identify successful examples of student work in class for discussion
• Cover common mistakes in the original assignment description or when discussing the assignment, use low-stakes writing to reiterate the points
• If you don’t have time to teach a writing topic, such as citation style, link students to effective guides

Key high stakes writing resources:

• These writing guides are written for a student audience, they overview conventions of writing and conducting research in various academic disciplines across both the Sciences and Humanities.
• Search topically through hundreds of undergraduate and graduate courses by discipline or topic and access course syllabi, readings, and assignment documents.
• This webpage provides guides to some of the best online resources for helping instructors incorporate writing curriculum into their classrooms. Links address topics such as developing learning objectives, designing assignments, approaches to assessment, writing instruction handouts, and tutorials on references and citation.

Click HERE to download a more detailed set of sample High Stakes assignment guidelines.

UN Partner Toolkit for hosting UN Volunteers

Photo: Fawad Arshad (left), former national University UN Volunteer, served with UNDP in Pakistan to promote civic and voter education in rural communities to strengthen the engagement of citizens, particularly women and youth, in electoral processes.

© unv, 2020, create a description of assignment (doa), create an interesting and accurate description of assignment (doa) to attract the best candidates.

UN Volunteers are motivated to serve – to help society and drive equality. Many seek a social calling, to work with people, make connections and have new experiences in cultures and places outside of their own.

For others, it is purely instrumently as they look to build skills and understanding in the UN system. Foremost, they all want to engage in challenging and meaningful work activities and know the impact of their efforts.

• A well-written Description of Assignment can:
• Write simply and follow our template

A Well-Written Assignment Description can

Help us shortlist your ideal interview candidates. Describe your ideal volunteer to speed up our search and ensure candidates are relevant to your needs.

Provide you and a potential UN Volunteer with clarity on roles and responsibilities. It forms the basis of a productive working relationship and enhanced performance.

Inspire the strongest and best qualified candidates to apply. Guide their applications and interview prep with clear job criteria. Suggest meaningful work and how your volunteer will change our world.

Compel UNV (fully funding) donors to fund your assignment.

Write Simply and Follow our Template

• Simply create a DOA in Unified Volunteering Platform using our templates online - see on-screen and PDF guides .

• Or, write your own - see our standard DOA in " Templates and Forms " tab in the document library for tips.

• Use formulations in full (no abbreviations or acronyms).

• Avoid using jargon or limiting language .

• Take inspiration from our posted assignments .

• Ask UNV for help identifying relevant examples or explore our database of description of assignment .

• Encourage applications from volunteers who are new to the UN, by asking for fresh perspectives and diverse backgrounds and not insisting on previous experience in your organization or system.

Your assignment title

Clear, simple, unexaggerated – choose an attention-grabbing meaningful title that intrigues potential volunteers to read more.

Your mission and objectives

Volunteers want to make an impact. Describe your cause and how your organization is making an impact in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Your volunteering assignment

What are the main responsibilities? Who will the volunteer report to (your unit, section, stakeholders)? Volunteers want to be instrumental, gain experience and hone professional skills. Describe the meaningful work your volunteer will do, while giving them room to grow .

Necessary skills

List the ‘must have’ and ‘good to have’ languages, skills, key competencies and strengths. Specify technical skills for IT, medical or engineering assignments. Ensure you include computer skills and any necessary functional skills or documentation requirements such as driving licences etc. Do not include fiduciary duties, high levels of accountability, financial responsibilities or delegated financial authority.

Expected start date

Try not to rush your hiring process. Factor in time to find the right volunteer and recognize that a strong candidate will need to make arrangements before starting.

The wider context

Social calling (making connections, new experiences and living abroad) is a great motivator for prospective volunteers. Clearly outline who they will help, and how. What impact might their assignment have and what can they expect? How will the volunteering experience be good for you both?

Minimum qualifications

What minimum education requirements does the position demand? Secondary, undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate education? What subject areas are most relevant to the assignment and conducive to a successful experience? International Relations, Engineering, Development Studies?

Living conditions at your duty station

Start with where you are based. Describe your climate, any necessary vaccinations and visas, before helping volunteers imagine how life will be. Mention living conditions, where they might stay and advise them on local medical and security services.

Check against our (above) criteria and create your own description of assignment in UVP (see on-screen and PDF guides) .

This website benefits from the continuous support of UN Online Volunteers. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP Information Disclosure Policy.

Assignment Samples & Examples

Table of Contents

Assignment samples, assignment instructions & rubrics, useful tools to plan assignments, useful tools to search & organize sources, useful tools to analyze sources & develop your ideas, writing strategies, learning strategies.

Here you can find the complete list of all the student assignment samples as well as practical tools and examples that are hyperlinked as PDF, Word or Excel files across Resource Pages.  

This is a full literature review paper written by an OISE student on the topic of Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) and Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) in Writing Centers (WC). Throughout the paper, you will find several annotations. Yellow annotations refer to the structure of the paper, its content and how ideas are developed. Purple annotations refer to writing elements and language elements (e.g., paragraphs, paraphrases, summaries, quotes, stance and voice, cohesion, etc.).

This is an experiential reflection assignment written by OISE student Hongyu Chen about their observations of a Mandarin language class and language teaching methodologies.  

These are two examples of annotated bibliographies with slightly different structures. These examples are illustrated and hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

This is a rubric for an Annotated Bibliography assignment that shows the professor’s expectations and evaluation criteria. Students can use these evaluation criteria as guidelines when working on the assignment. This rubric is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Download this template and use it when planning your work for an assignment. This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Download this template and use it to brainstorm keywords for core concepts and related terms when searching sources for your assignment This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Download this template and use it to keep track of your library searches when looking for sources for your assignment. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use the template. This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Download this template spreadsheet and use it to record and organize the bibliographic information of the sources you found. It will help you keep track of the sources collected. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use this spreadsheet. This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

Download this template spreadsheet and use it to record and organize the key information of the sources you found + your notes about the relevant points from each source after reading them. It will help you when you analyze your sources and need to develop ideas for your assignment. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use this spreadsheet. This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Download this spreadsheet for an example of how you can summarize findings and record your analysis for each source you’ve read. The research topic in this example is assessment practices of online mathematics and statistics courses at the undergraduate level, with a focus on students’ and instructors’ perspectives. You can first browse the overall information of the example sources and pay attention to the final two columns for findings and critical analysis. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

This is an example of how to use a table to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

This is an example of how to use a concept map to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

This is an example of how to use a literature review matrix to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

This is an example of how to use an outline to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows a well-structured paragraph featuring three main elements: a topic sentence, supporting statements and a conclusion or transition sentence.  For all the other users: you can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page: What are Paragraphs. 

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows the structure of a paragraph using the sandwich strategy.   For all the other users: you can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page: How to Write Paragraphs  

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows how different voices are used within a paragraph. For all the other users: you can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page: What are stance & voice and how to apply them in academic writing 

This example with annotations shows how a student writer takes a stance and shifts between voices in a paragraph about Mathematics programs. This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page: 

Eberly Center

Teaching excellence & educational innovation, creating assignments.

Here are some general suggestions and questions to consider when creating assignments. There are also many other resources in print and on the web that provide examples of interesting, discipline-specific assignment ideas.

Consider your learning objectives.

What do you want students to learn in your course? What could they do that would show you that they have learned it? To determine assignments that truly serve your course objectives, it is useful to write out your objectives in this form: I want my students to be able to ____. Use active, measurable verbs as you complete that sentence (e.g., compare theories, discuss ramifications, recommend strategies), and your learning objectives will point you towards suitable assignments.

Design assignments that are interesting and challenging.

This is the fun side of assignment design. Consider how to focus students’ thinking in ways that are creative, challenging, and motivating. Think beyond the conventional assignment type! For example, one American historian requires students to write diary entries for a hypothetical Nebraska farmwoman in the 1890s. By specifying that students’ diary entries must demonstrate the breadth of their historical knowledge (e.g., gender, economics, technology, diet, family structure), the instructor gets students to exercise their imaginations while also accomplishing the learning objectives of the course (Walvoord & Anderson, 1989, p. 25).

Double-check alignment.

After creating your assignments, go back to your learning objectives and make sure there is still a good match between what you want students to learn and what you are asking them to do. If you find a mismatch, you will need to adjust either the assignments or the learning objectives. For instance, if your goal is for students to be able to analyze and evaluate texts, but your assignments only ask them to summarize texts, you would need to add an analytical and evaluative dimension to some assignments or rethink your learning objectives.

Name assignments accurately.

Students can be misled by assignments that are named inappropriately. For example, if you want students to analyze a product’s strengths and weaknesses but you call the assignment a “product description,” students may focus all their energies on the descriptive, not the critical, elements of the task. Thus, it is important to ensure that the titles of your assignments communicate their intention accurately to students.

Consider sequencing.

Think about how to order your assignments so that they build skills in a logical sequence. Ideally, assignments that require the most synthesis of skills and knowledge should come later in the semester, preceded by smaller assignments that build these skills incrementally. For example, if an instructor’s final assignment is a research project that requires students to evaluate a technological solution to an environmental problem, earlier assignments should reinforce component skills, including the ability to identify and discuss key environmental issues, apply evaluative criteria, and find appropriate research sources.

Think about scheduling.

Consider your intended assignments in relation to the academic calendar and decide how they can be reasonably spaced throughout the semester, taking into account holidays and key campus events. Consider how long it will take students to complete all parts of the assignment (e.g., planning, library research, reading, coordinating groups, writing, integrating the contributions of team members, developing a presentation), and be sure to allow sufficient time between assignments.

Check feasibility.

Is the workload you have in mind reasonable for your students? Is the grading burden manageable for you? Sometimes there are ways to reduce workload (whether for you or for students) without compromising learning objectives. For example, if a primary objective in assigning a project is for students to identify an interesting engineering problem and do some preliminary research on it, it might be reasonable to require students to submit a project proposal and annotated bibliography rather than a fully developed report. If your learning objectives are clear, you will see where corners can be cut without sacrificing educational quality.

Articulate the task description clearly.

If an assignment is vague, students may interpret it any number of ways – and not necessarily how you intended. Thus, it is critical to clearly and unambiguously identify the task students are to do (e.g., design a website to help high school students locate environmental resources, create an annotated bibliography of readings on apartheid). It can be helpful to differentiate the central task (what students are supposed to produce) from other advice and information you provide in your assignment description.

Establish clear performance criteria.

Different instructors apply different criteria when grading student work, so it’s important that you clearly articulate to students what your criteria are. To do so, think about the best student work you have seen on similar tasks and try to identify the specific characteristics that made it excellent, such as clarity of thought, originality, logical organization, or use of a wide range of sources. Then identify the characteristics of the worst student work you have seen, such as shaky evidence, weak organizational structure, or lack of focus. Identifying these characteristics can help you consciously articulate the criteria you already apply. It is important to communicate these criteria to students, whether in your assignment description or as a separate rubric or scoring guide . Clearly articulated performance criteria can prevent unnecessary confusion about your expectations while also setting a high standard for students to meet.

Specify the intended audience.

Students make assumptions about the audience they are addressing in papers and presentations, which influences how they pitch their message. For example, students may assume that, since the instructor is their primary audience, they do not need to define discipline-specific terms or concepts. These assumptions may not match the instructor’s expectations. Thus, it is important on assignments to specify the intended audience http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm (e.g., undergraduates with no biology background, a potential funder who does not know engineering).

Specify the purpose of the assignment.

If students are unclear about the goals or purpose of the assignment, they may make unnecessary mistakes. For example, if students believe an assignment is focused on summarizing research as opposed to evaluating it, they may seriously miscalculate the task and put their energies in the wrong place. The same is true they think the goal of an economics problem set is to find the correct answer, rather than demonstrate a clear chain of economic reasoning. Consequently, it is important to make your objectives for the assignment clear to students.

Specify the parameters.

If you have specific parameters in mind for the assignment (e.g., length, size, formatting, citation conventions) you should be sure to specify them in your assignment description. Otherwise, students may misapply conventions and formats they learned in other courses that are not appropriate for yours.

A Checklist for Designing Assignments

Here is a set of questions you can ask yourself when creating an assignment.

• Provided a written description of the assignment (in the syllabus or in a separate document)?
• Specified the purpose of the assignment?
• Indicated the intended audience?
• Articulated the instructions in precise and unambiguous language?
• Provided information about the appropriate format and presentation (e.g., page length, typed, cover sheet, bibliography)?  
• Indicated special instructions, such as a particular citation style or headings?  
• Specified the due date and the consequences for missing it?
• Articulated performance criteria clearly?
• Indicated the assignment’s point value or percentage of the course grade?
• Provided students (where appropriate) with models or samples?

Adapted from the WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm .

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Home > Resources > Sample assignment descriptions

Sample assignment descriptions

A collection of assignment descriptions from actual USC courses. The assignment descriptions follow best practices in terms of connecting the assignment to the course learning objective(s), providing a narrative overview of the assignment, indicating the steps required to complete the assignment, and referencing how the assignment will be graded.

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Anatomy of an Assignment Sheet

Guides & tips.

In this guide, we invite instructors to think through the different sections of an assignment sheet and perhaps take a fresh look at their own assignment sheets. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find some insights into more effective assignment sheets from Writing Consultants working in the CAS Writing Center .

Key Elements

Things to Consider

• While an assignment does not necessarily have to have a title (this one’s a clunky mouthful), it can help students connect an individual assignment to the bigger context of the class.
• Start by telling students the purpose of the assignment, connecting it to the course goals, especially the ones having to do with writing as opposed to course content. Why are students being asked to do the work assigned? What are they supposed to learn?
• The due dates (or submission guidelines) section is a chance to draw students’ attention to how the assignment will be scaffolded.
• Under assignment (or task ), tell students what they are supposed to do clearly and succinctly. Including a central motivating question can be helpful, though sometimes the assignment will call for students to develop that question themselves.
• In the comments section (or additional information) you can include elaborations, warnings, guiding questions, etc. in a separate section. Here you can be more discursive than in the statement of task, but try not to go on for too long. Going over a page can overwhelm students.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about transparent assignment design  and use a template for transparent assignments ( Winkelmes 2013-2016 ).
• Look at the Writing Program’s templates for major assignments in WR 120 to begin customizing your own assignment sheets.

Tips from Tutors: What Writing Consultants Say About More Effective Assignment Sheets

Keep assignment sheets short (~1 page if possible)..

• Students genuinely want to understand what’s being asked of them, but if there is too much information, they don’t always know how to prioritize what to focus on.
• Focus on specific questions you want students to answer or tasks you want them to complete. Avoid content that isn’t specifically related to the assignment itself.
• It’s generally best not to include all assignments for the semester in a single document. While it can be helpful to have one sheet or section of the syllabus with all assignments listed, it’s best to give each assignment its own document with detailed expectations.
• Students need some guidelines for assignments. Following the WP “anatomy of an assignment” guidelines (above) helps students as they move from one WR course to the next, and it also helps consultants figure out where to find key information more quickly.

Give students some choices, but be (overly) clear about your expectations.

• It’s especially challenging for WR 120 students to come up with their own “research question” and then answer it. If you’re asking them to do that, be very specific about what you want them to do and what parameters they should work within.
• Don’t give students a long list of questions to consider — or, if you do, be incredibly explicit about what questions are intended to generate ideas as opposed to what questions they actually need to answer in their paper.
• The best assignment sheets tend to be those that give students a set number of options and then ask them to pick one to answer.

Give clear (as in legible and also as in straightforward) feedback.

• Provide typed rather than handwritten comments.
• Avoid cryptic feedback like “awkward” or “?” that could be interpreted in different ways.
• If you write comments in shorthand, be sure to provide students with a key.
• Provide feedback as specific questions that students can either address themselves, or discuss with a writing consultant (or you!)

Remember WR courses are introductory courses.

• Choose course readings for written assignments that lend themselves to teaching writing as opposed to seminal texts or your personal favorites.
• Go over all readings that students are expected to write about in class and devote extra time to particularly challenging ones. If you are working on difficult topic and/or dense texts, don’t assume your students can navigate them without explicit scaffolding in class.
• Not all students have been taught how to analyze quotations and use them as evidence to support their argument, so be sure to spend time teaching these skills.
• Don’t take anything for granted. Students are coming from all kinds of educational backgrounds, and our courses meant to reinforce (but sometimes teach for the first time) skills all students will need for future college papers.  You may also want to read about the “hidden curriculum” in writing classes when considering inclusivity and assumptions.

Preparing Your Written Course Descriptions

Main navigation, timeline for course descriptions.

Since publishing a course description involves a process of drafting, consultation with the Associate Director and the PWR1 or PWR 2 Course Coordinator, and then revision, the drafting and submission process begins well before that quarter begins.  In general, the final, revised course descriptions for a quarter will be due by week five of the previous quarter.   So, for instance, the final course descriptions for a Winter Quarter course will be due by  week 5 of Autumn Quarter.  This timeline ensures the courses will be coded and uploaded online by the time registration opens.

Characteristics of an Effective Course Description

An effective section description includes these elements:

• An  engaging title  that captures your readers’ attention and helps them quickly grasp the course theme. The title should make some reference to “rhetoric,” “writing,” “argument,” or similar terminology that will help immediately clarify that the course is a Writing and Rhetoric course, not an introductory seminar or course offered by a department. Students encounter the courses first as a series of titles, so you want a title that will make them click to get more information and read the description.
• Clear, dynamic prose , with no jargon. If you must use specialized terms, be sure to define them in your description.  Students have spoken in our focus groups about the way that technical language and jargon tends to alienate them rather than invite them into the course.
• An  emphasis on students  as actors or agents, not merely as the recipients of knowledge or the objects of pedagogy. Your choice of verbs can have a big impact here: students in PWR  learn ,  explore ,  solve , and  discover  (in addition to the actions traditionally associated with writing courses, e.g.  read ,  write ,  interpret ,  analyze ). Consider using second person to directly address your readers.
• A  focus on student writing . It should be clear from the description that the focus of student learning is writing, speaking, and research (and not the "content" or theme).
• Real world connections and examples.   Help students see how the theme and focus of the course relate to their own lives, experience, and the world they live in. Use concrete examples when possible, rather than abstractions.
• Specific but  limited references to course readings  (if any). Our student focus group members did not find much benefit in lists of readings of authors they had never heard of. Instead, they were much more interested in hearing about the texts and examples they'd engage with in the course that had more relevance in their lives, that resonated with their experience in the world, and that they may have heard of before.  
• A list of sample research topics.   These examples help students imagine the work they might do in the course and also reinforce the fact that PWR is valuable for all majors.  Include this list these on a final line underneath the opening paragraphs of the description (see the template).
• An  outline of the major assignments  (including word counts for PWR 1 and word and minute counts for PWR 2), describing the rationale and goals of each assignment, and providing a sample topic that students might use to fulfill the assignment.  If you are writing a description for PWR 1 or PWR 2, use the PWR 1 and PWR 2 templates for the required assignment titles and lengths for each assignment.  
• Approximately  3500 characters of writing.  The title of the course must be no more than  100 characters (including spaces).  

Course Description Templates for PWR 1 and PWR 2

We use templates for our course descriptions in PWR 1 and PWR 2 to help maintain consistency in assignment titles, design, and lengths as well as work load across sections.  The templates balance pre-established scaffolding (assignment titles and requirements) with opportunities for customization according to the instructor's interests and pedagogical style.  Follow the templates linked here to provide the foundation for your own PWR 1 or PWR 2 course description.  Please note that you  cannot  change assignment lengths or assignment names. 

• PWR 1 course description template  
• PWR 2 course description template  

Examples of Course Descriptions

To see examples of course descriptions, you can view section descriptions and videos for the current PWR 1 and PWR 2 courses through the PWR Courses site.  Descriptions and videos for Advanced PWR courses can be found linked from our  Advanced PWR page .

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply —use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Learning Technologies

Sample assignment description.

Assignment Overview

Using what you have learned from the lesson notes, readings, and videos shared in this module, reflect on what you think the role of the educational assistant would be in the process of assessment and evaluation of student learning in the classroom environment.  Apply your knowledge of the theory and concepts discussed in this module to complete all of the requirements for this assignment.

You will be assessed on your achievement of the following course learning outcomes:

• 1.1 Explain the educational assistant’s role in assessment and evaluation.
• 1.2 Define assessment and evaluation.
• 1.3 Identify the purposes of assessment and evaluation.
• 1.4 Distinguish between formative and summative evaluation.

Estimated completion time : 1 hour

How to Proceed

• Download a copy of the assignment
• Read educational vignette and respond to questions in Part 1.
• Complete all required fields in the table in Part 2.
• Upload assignment to Dropbox folder in LEARN.

Complete assignment in Word or a compatible word processing application. Your answers should be well-structured, written in full sentences, and focused on clarity and understanding. Specific attention should also be paid to grammar and spelling.

Submit your assignment in rich text format (.rtf) to your instructor through the LEARN Dropbox. Include in your file name the course code, assignment name, and your name (e.g. EDUA 1010_Assignment 1_JDoe.rtf).

Your assignment must be completed and submitted to Dropbox before beginning Module 2.

Your instructor will use the attached grading rubric to evaluate your assignment. Review this marking rubric carefully before beginning this assignment.

This assignment is worth 50 marks or 10% of your final grade.

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AVIA 491 Aeronautics Capstone: Advanced Research Concepts

• Course Description

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

The purpose of this course is to document significant evidences that program outcomes have been met and provide student evidence of experiences available to current and prospective employers.

Course Assignment

No details available.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete the Video Discussion: Class Introductions in a visual presentation format. The visual presentation must include recorded presentation and will have a maximum time limit of 5 minutes. The student will be creative with the presentations. The student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

The purpose of the Proposal Paper Assignment is for the student to select an area of focus, service, or argument. The student must choose one option to focus on. Once the student has chosen his/her focus, he/she may select a topic within that focus. The student may not switch focus nor topic after the assigned Module: Week. The student should select the focus and topic he/she is most interested in so that he/she can be fully engaged with the topic. The student will use the template provided to complete the Proposal Assignment. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Once the student has chosen a topic and a focus, he/she will begin researching that topic more thoroughly. All research must be from primary sources that are scholarly and peer-reviewed. The student is to find a minimum of 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly biblical sources (not including the Bible) about the chosen topic. Sources must prompt or align (support) with the student’s opinion as well as oppose the opinion. The sources the student chooses must broaden the depth of knowledge and challenge personal opinion or stance on the need or the argument. The student will use the template provided in Canvas to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

By this point, the student should have completed an in-depth reading of his/her sources and extracted data, quotes, and paraphrases that will be used in the outline. The 3-tier outline provides an organized method for keeping track of the source information that matches the details/notes being collected. The purpose of this 3-tier outline is for the student to plan out the Aviation Capstone Paper, think through the layout, and formulate the thesis statement incorporating a minimum of 2 lenses with two subheadings of support and oppose the need or the issue. Finally, the student will begin to weave a Biblical worldview into the topic of the paper. A 3-tier outline has 3 levels of information. The student must utilize the 3-Tier Outline Template provided in Canvas. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The purpose of the Implementation Site Information Assignment is for the student to identify a final implementation site and to confirm a mentor. Utilizing the Implementation Site Information Template , the student will select an implementation site and mentor. The student must be sure to review the implementation information on the template to ensure he/she can fulfill the required expectations at the implementation site. The questions within the Implementation Site Information Template are designed to help the student think through the implementation in terms of integrating the thesis. The questions are also designed to help the student think through the specific details of the implementation itself. Signatures are acknowledging the validity of the substance of the student’s answers to questions. This means that all persons signing the document need to be able to read the questions and answers before signing. (CLO: G)

The Aviation Capstone Peer Review involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. See Aviation Capstone Paper in Canvas for assignment description. A template is provided called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The purpose of this assignment is for the student to document the 24-hour implementation experience. The student must use the Implementation Site Daily Log Form provided in Canvas. It will be important for the student’s presentation that he/she records these events daily. This way the student will obtain the most accurate record of his/her tasks and reflections. The student may use one log sheet each day while at the implementation site or the student may combine the entire experience into one log. Log sheet(s) must be filled out completely and thoroughly. They must demonstrate thoughtfulness and reflection in content. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The mentor interview is an important component of the student’s implementation. This is an opportunity for the student to talk about his/her thesis topic and conclusions with an expert in the aviation field. The goal of this interview should be for the student to use his/her mentor’s expertise to speak to the conclusions of his/her thesis and to integrate the conclusion with the implementation itself. The student should utilize the Mentor Interview and Reflection Paper Template in Canvas. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Utilizing the peer-review feedback from the Proposal Paper, 3-Tier Outline, Initial Draft of Aviation Capstone Paper, and the many other elements of the Aviation Capstone Project, the student will complete the final draft of the Aviation Capstone Paper. The student must utilize the Aviation Capstone Template in Canvas to ensure proper APA formatting.

The Aviation Capstone involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Once a topic has been established, it will take research to establish the service or position being addressed.

An Aviation Capstone Paper, also known as a thesis paper, starts with a question addressing a topic, gives informative details regarding that topic, integrates a biblical worldview into the topic, weaves an implementation correlating to the thesis, and draws a conclusion summarizing a solution or stance. Throughout the research, the student will clearly identify, understand, evaluate, and construct a conclusion either addressing a need or formulating a stance (argument) on an issue. The student is required to look through a minimum of 2 different lenses that address the topic of study. These lenses can be from an array of viewpoints; moral, ethical, economical, scientific, historical, etc., but the final lens must be from the biblical perspective, integrating biblical worldviews into the capstone. A template is provided in Canvas called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. References quoted in the body of the paper should be listed on a Reference page.

A minimum of 24 in-text citations must be used to support the contents of your paper. Cite works according to the APA format. The student must have at minimum 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly Biblical sources. The student may not include the Bible as part of the 12 minimum sources. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

While at the Implementation Site, the student must have a mentor who is supervising and guiding the experience. To gain insight into how the implementation is progressing, the student must be sure to provide the Mentor Evaluation Form to his/her mentor at the end of the implementation period. The purpose of this form is to provide the student and the professor feedback regarding student performance during the implementation week. Once the form is complete, including signatures, the student must to upload the completed Mentor Evaluation Form to the assignment page. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The student presentation should incorporate all aspects of thinking on the topic chosen: an examination of Scripture, research, discussions, and conclusions based on knowledge, experience, and reflection of efforts. A Biblical worldview should be intrinsically and purposefully woven throughout the entire presentation. The presentation should demonstrate mastery of thesis, content, implementation, and reflection of the Aviation Capstone Project. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

Using the many course outcomes discussed within each Module: Week, as well as the required reading How to Win Friends and Influence People , in 500–750 words (excluding Title and Reference pages), the student will reflect on what he/she has learned in this course and how this course has fostered his/her academic, professional, and personal growth. The Reflective Essay Assignment must include at least 3 citations of the Bible and at least 3 citations of How to Win Friends and Influence People , for a total of at least 6 in-text citations in current APA format. (CLO: C, D, E, G, H)

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