What makes a good assignment

Planning how you will answer your assignment task or question will help you focus and make writing your assignment easier. You will have a structure to follow, and can make sure you answer the assignment task correctly. Plan your assignment. More on writing skills and academic writing. How to reference. Once you're happy, take a break. Get some distance from your work so you can check your assignment with a fresh eye.

Then edit and proofread. Tip — If possible, ask a friend or family member to proofread your assignment, as it can be difficult to see mistakes in your own work. Submitting your assignment. This Website requires your browser to be JavaScript enabled. Please enable JavaScript and reload this page for a better browsing experience. Accept and close. Step-by-step guide to tackling assignments. Current learners. The steps below will help you plan, research, write and review your assignment.

However, when introducing your assignment to your students, there are several things you will need to clearly outline for them in order to ensure the most successful assignments possible.

Determining your goals for the assignment and its essential logistics is a good start to creating an effective assignment. However, there are a few more simple factors to consider in your final design. First, here are a few things you should do :.

The assignments we give to students don't simply have to be research papers or reports. There are many options for effective yet creative ways to assess your students' learning! Here are just a few:. Ultimately, the success of student responses to an assignment often rests on the instructor's deliberate design of the assignment. By being purposeful and thoughtful from the beginning, you can ensure that your assignments will not only serve as effective assessment methods, but also engage and delight your students.

If you would like further help in constructing or revising an assignment, the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center is glad to offer individual consultations.

In addition, look into some of the resources provided below. Gardner, T. Ten Tips for Designing Writing Assignments. Traci's Lists of Ten. Toni Zimmerman from Colorado State University, offering some helpful ideas for coming up with creative assignments. Additional References Bean, J. Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Your conclusion is your final chance to summarise your argument and leave a lasting impression with your reader. Make sure you recap the key points and arguments you made in your assignment, including supporting evidence if needed. Struggling to write? Luckily, there are lots of thing to try to get you inspired: a change of scenery, putting on some music, writing another section of the essay or just taking a short break.

While each university, school or each college will probably have its own style guide, you should always use a neutral and professional tone when writing an assignment.

This will give you time to step back and read your assignment objectively, making it easier to spot mistakes and issues.

Expert tip: If you find it easier to review on paper, print out your assignment with double-line spacing to accommodate your notes and corrections. Expert tip: Read each paragraph and consider it on its own merit as to whether it answers the question, and also to check that it contributes to your overall argument. Nothing can give a bad impression as quickly as a spelling mistake. Errors are distracting, look unprofessional and in the worst case they can undermine your argument.

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