How to Understand & Plan Assignments
This Resource Page will help you:
- Understand the purpose of assignments at 91 and how assignments support your learning
- Navigate the process of understanding assignment instructions
- Learn strategies for making plans for your assignments
Purposes of Assignments
You may ask: “Why are assignments so common at 91 instead of exams? Why do most 91 instructors use assignments to grade students?”
Assignments reflect the advanced nature of graduate studies, as shown in the three boxes below.
Active and Deep Learning
Assignments call for a higher level of thinking and deeper understanding of a topic. Assignments require and enable you to
- think deeply and critically about the material
- question and apply complex concepts, rather than just absorbing information
- use what you learn in creative and original ways
- find information and sources that support your ideas
Independent Learning
Assignments are projects that you initiate. Since it’s your project, you can (and should!) see assignments as opportunities to
- explore topics and issues that are interesting and relevant to you (e.g., for professional, academic, or personal purposes)
- manage your own time and balance your studies and life.
Develop Academic Skills
Assignments are not just assessment tools or products. Each assignment is a process. As you go through the assignment preparation phases, you practice and improve your academic skills, such as:
- Research skills
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Skills
- Academic communication skills (e.g., writing and presenting orally)
Understand Assignment Instructions
Read the assignment instructions thoroughly as soon as you receive them. Take notes of important information and possible questions.
Type
- Do you need to produce an annotated bibliography, a reflection, a literature review, a presentation, etc.?
- Do you know the structure of that specific assignment type?
- If you are unclear (e.g., you don’t know what sections a literature review should include), start by familiarizing yourself with the features of the assignment type in question.
Purpose
What do you need to do in the task?
- Are you being asked to compare? to analyze? to reflect? to review the literature?
- Familiarize yourself with the grading rubric (if available). Grading rubrics give clues that help you identify ways of structuring your text or determine the content you need to include. If a grading rubric is not available, ask your instructor to clarify their expectations and criteria.
The following requirements are usually specified in the assignment instructions. If you cannot find the information, you should ask your instructor for guidance.
Page length and word count: this detail helps you determine the depth you need to go into. For example
- Do you need to limit your assignment to 2 pages? You might want to focus on one key point and support it with clear evidence.
- Is it a 10+ page paper? Include more sources, develop a more complex argument or provide more perspectives.
- Due date: this element is important to manage your time strategically and see how your assignment preparation plan fits with your other courses and deadlines.
- Required sources
- Is there a minimum number of references you need to include?
- What type of sources should you consult?
Many assignments require you to find scholarly/peer-reviewed articles Depending on the topic and purpose, you might also need to check primary sources, curriculum or policy documents, practitioner-oriented sources. There may also be restrictions or limitations on non-academic sources (e.g., general websites or information sources).
The example below shows how a student followed Steps 1 to 3 by writing notes about their assignment instructions:
This is a set of instructions for a final paper with notes written by an 91 student. The notes show you the process of understanding and planning the assignment on the student’s part.
Make a Plan
- Once you know the assignment deadline, plan your schedule by starting from the final deadline and working backwards.
- Break the assignment down into steps & sub steps: researching, pre-writing, drafting, getting feedback, editing / re-writing, proofreading. Note: these steps are often iterative, and you might need to go back and forth between them.
- Assign internal deadlines: how long will it take you to complete each sub-step?
Useful Tools for Planning:
to help you make a day-by-day plan.
Download this template and use it when planning your work for an assignment.
Our Tips
1. Ask yourself questions as you approach each step of your assignment:
- What do I need to do for a particular task (e.g. outlining the structure, researching, drafting, etc.)?
- Do I know how do it?
- If yes: what are the steps specific to this task?
- If no: how can I find out? -- do some research and ask for help.
- Can I break it down into smaller steps?
- How long will each step take me?
- What should my internal deadline be for this step?
2. Manage your time wisely.
3. When making your plan, consider your other responsibilities and how much time you will actually have to dedicate to this assignment. (Sometimes we need to multitask)
4. Don't leave the assignment preparation to the last minute!
5. Get support from your instructor and/or OSSC advisors if you need. Bring questions related to the assignment proposed as well as to your ideas on how to do the assignment. When you define a topic, ask about the appropriateness and feasibility of said topic.