Academic Writing - Education & CCSC students: Assignment Question

Approaching a new assignment

Ensure you are up to date with the tutorial material and readings before starting the assignment: many assignments relate to the tutorial material covered in the course up to the time the assignment is due. If you have not covered all the material, you have no way of knowing the concepts, skills and application-to-context you are missing. Many people start by printing out the assignment question and assessment criteria, then make notes. 

1. Read the assignment question carefully a number of times, along with any marking criteria or supplementary information from your lecturer. 
2. Highlight the key points and any words or phrases whose meaning you are unsure of. 
3. Before proceeding, ascertain the definitions and meaning of those words and phrases.
4. Determine the genre of the assignment or the type of response the assignment calls for (See Assignment Genre).
5. Sketch out a rough plan as a mindmap or series of dot points.
6. Gather the resources (sources, references, readings, etc.) that you will rely upon.
7. Compile the reference list (Yes! Do this at the start, not the end).

While working on these 7 steps, ask yourself the following questions

1. What knowledge is the assignment question asking me to demonstrate? This will usually be from the set readings and learning activities in the online tutorials. Check the Learning Outcomes for the unit as these are an important clue to what is to be assessed.
2. What academic skills is the assignment question providing the opportunity for me to demonstrate?: skills such as critical understanding, application of theoretical content to your own context, and so on. The Learning Outcomes for the unit can also provide valuable information.
3. What argument, theme(s), or angle will I adopt in my response to the assignment question?

Now, check your interpretation of the question one more time before you draft a plan and commit yourself to writing the assignment.

The investment of time before beginning to write pays a big dividend in the efficient use of the time taken to write the assignment itself, and in the quality of your output.