types of online assignments

• Utility Menu

GA4 Tracking Code

Gen ed writes, writing across the disciplines at harvard college.

• Types of Assignments

Gen Ed courses transcend disciplinary boundaries in a variety of ways, so the types of writing assignments that they include also often venture outside the traditional discipline-specific essays. You may encounter a wide variety of assignment types in Gen Ed, but most can be categorized into four general types: 

• Traditional academic assignments include the short essays or research papers most commonly associated with college-level assignments. Generally speaking, these kinds of assignments are "expository" in nature, i.e., they ask you to engage with ideas through evidence-base argument, written in formal prose. The majority of essays in Expos courses fall into this category of writing assignment types.  
• Less traditional academic assignments include elements of engagement in academia not normally encountered by undergraduates. 
• Traditional non-academic assignments include types of written communication that students are likely to encounter in real world situations. 
• Less traditional non-academic assignments are those that push the boundaries of typical ‘writing’ assignments and are likely to include some kind of creative or artistic component.

Examples and Resources

Traditional academic.

For most of us, these are the most familiar types of college-level writing assignments. While they are perhaps less common in Gen Ed than in departmental courses, there are still numerous examples we could examine.

Two illustrations of common types include: 

Example 1: Short Essay  Professor Michael Sandel asks the students in his Gen Ed course on Tech Ethics to write several short essays over the course of the semester in which they make an argument in response to the course readings. Because many students will never have written a philosophy-style paper, Professor Sandel offers students a number of resources—from a guide on writing in philosophy, to sample graded essays, to a list of logical fallacies—to keep in mind. 

Example 2: Research Paper In Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares?, a Gen Ed course co-taught by multiple global health faculty members, students write a 12–15 page research paper on a biosocial analysis of a global health topic of their choosing for the final assignment. The assignment is broken up into two parts: (1) a proposal with annotated bibliography and (2) the final paper itself. The prompt clearly outlines the key qualities and features of a successful paper, which is especially useful for students who have not yet written a research paper in the sciences. 

Less Traditional Academic

In Gen Ed, sometimes assignments ask students to engage in academic work that, while familiar to faculty, is beyond the scope of the typical undergraduate experience. 

Here are a couple of examples from Gen Ed courses: 

Example 1: Design a conference  For the final project in her Gen Ed course, Global Feminisms, Professor Durba Mitra asks her students to imagine a dream conference  in the style of the feminist conferences they studied in class. Students are asked to imagine conference panels and events, potential speakers or exhibitions, and advertising materials. While conferences are a normal occurrence for graduate students and professors, undergraduates are much less likely to be familiar with this part of academic life, and this kind of assignment might require more specific background and instructions as part of the prompt. 

Example 2: Curate a museum exhibit In his Gen Ed class, Pyramid Schemes, Professor Peter Der Manuelian's final project offers students the option of designing a virtual museum exhibit . While exhibit curation can be a part of the academic life of an anthropologist or archaeologist, it's not often found in introductory undergraduate courses. In addition to selecting objects and creating a virtual exhibit layout, students also wrote an annotated bibliography as well as an exhibit introduction for potential visitors. 

Traditional Non-academic

One of the goals of Gen Ed is to encourage students to engage with the world around them. Sometimes writing assignments in Gen Ed directly mirror types of writing that students are likely to encounter in real-world, non-academic settings after they graduate.

The following are several examples of such assignments: 

Example 1: Policy memo In Power and Identity in the Middle East, Professor Melani Cammett assigns students a group policy memo evaluating "a major initiative aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)." The assignment prompt is actually structured as a memo, providing context for students who likely lack experience with the format. It also outlines the key characteristics of a good memo, and it provides extensive advice on the process—especially important when students are working in groups. 

Example 2: Letter In Loss, Professor Kathleen Coleman asks students to write a letter of condolence . The letter has an unusual audience: a mother elephant who lost her calf. Since students may not have encountered this type of writing before, Professor Coleman also provides students with advice on process, pointing to some course readings that might be a good place to start. She also suggests a list of outside resources to help students get into the mindframe of addressing an elephant. 

Example 3: Podcast  Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in Gen Ed classes, as they are in the real world. Though they're ultimately audio file outputs, they usually require writing and preparing a script ahead of time. For example, in Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding asks students to create a podcast in which they make an argument about a song studied in class. He usefully breaks up the assignments into two parts: (1) researching the song and preparing a script and (2) recording and making sonic choices about the presentation, offering students the opportunity to get feedback on the first part before moving onto the second. 

Less Traditional Non-academic

These are the types of assignments that perhaps are less obviously "writing" assignments. They usually involve an artistic or otherwise creative component, but they also often include some kind of written introduction or artist statement related to the work.

The following are several examples from recently offered Gen Ed courses: 

Example 1: Movie Professor Peter Der Manuelian offers students in his class, Pyramid Schemes, several options for the final project, one of which entails creating a 5–8 minute  iMovie making an argument about one of the themes of the course. Because relatively few students have prior experience making films, the teaching staff provide students with a written guide to making an iMovie as well as ample opportunities for tech support. In addition to preparing a script as part of the production, students also submit both an annotated bibliography and an artist’s statement. 

Example 2: Calligram In his course, Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies, Professor Ali Asani asks students to browse through a provided list of resources about calligrams, which are an important traditional Islamic art form. Then they are required to "choose a concept or symbol associated with God in the Islamic tradition and attempt to represent it through a calligraphic design using the word Allah," in any medium they wish. Students also write a short explanation to accompany the design itself. 

Example 3: Soundscape In Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding has students create a soundscape . The soundscape is an audio file which involves layering sounds from different sources to create a single piece responding to an assigned question (e.g. "What sounds are characteristic of your current geographical region?"). Early on, as part of the development of the soundscape, students submit an artist's statement that explains the plan for the soundscape, the significance of the sounds, and the intention of the work. 

• DIY Guides for Analytical Writing Assignments

• Unpacking the Elements of Writing Prompts
• Receiving Feedback

Assignment Decoder

Integrating Online Assignments into your Course

Many types of assignments can be done online. Some options are outlined below as well as decision-making criteria for using online assignments in a course and course design questions to consider as you start to integrate online assignments into your course. By thinking about the reasons for using them and answering the design questions, you will be able to integrate these engaging tools in a meaningful way with the rest of your course.

What are some possible online assignments?

It is often difficult to imagine what kinds of assignments can be put online if you have never used technology in your teaching. Basically, technology can be used to put almost any assignment online. The key, though, is to have a clear rationale for doing so. Below are some examples of online assignments, but they certainly do not represent all of the possibilities.

• Online discussions
• Case studies
• Online tests/quizzes
• Practice exercises
• Virtual tutorials or labs
• Essays (submit online)
• Online literature searches
• Simulations

Decision-making criteria

Why should we put assignments online? As mentioned above, with the use of any tools or methods in our courses, there should be a clear pedagogical reason for using them. The following are some of the reasons for putting an assignment online.

• Allow for new types of assignments.  Some assignments simply cannot be done on paper. For example, you can have students work with a simulation (in two or three dimensions) to see what happens when they change one element. Or they can see full colour pictures or artwork to analyze or critique. Allow yourself to think beyond the limitations of paper-based assignments to create new ways to enhance your students’ learning.
• Refocus classroom time.  As with traditional assignments, you can have students cover content and do activities outside of class time so you can spend your in-class time in other ways. For example, students can engage in an online discussion and then be able to bring that knowledge to class for a more in-depth discussion. Or a pre-class quiz can highlight problem areas for you to focus on in your lecture. You may also be able to reduce in­class hours if your online activities are well-planned.
• Allow for collaboration.  Research has shown that one way to increase student learning is to promote collaboration where groups of students can interact with each other to solve a problem or discuss an issue together. Assignments which allow for such collaboration are often more effective at positively affecting student learning than individually-done assignments.
• Encourage reluctant participants.  Online assignments, particularly discussions, can allow even the most reluctant participants to join in a discussion. The online (often asynchronous) nature of such assignments gives students an opportunity to reflect and generate a response to a particular question – time not necessarily allowed in a face-to-­face, synchronous discussion.
• Accommodate different learning styles and levels.  Beyond encouraging participation from reluctant students, online assignments can have a multi-modal design (i.e., graphics, text, audio, virtual hands-on activities) and, if designed appropriately, can also help students reach new learning levels or think more deeply or critically about a given concept.
• Give instant feedback to students.  One of the real benefits to students of online assignments is the possibility for instant feedback on their work. Many tools used to create such assignments can be configured to provide such feedback, instead of having students wait for assignments to be graded and returned. This way, they know immediately what concepts they need to work on, and which they already understand. This can also help instructors to identify unclear concepts or students who may need remedial assistance.
• Archive course information.  Online assignments also allow for an archive to be created of relevant course information and discussions. This information can be used by students at a later date while studying for a test/exam, or by the instructor to create a frequently asked questions page or to measure students’ understanding of key concepts.
• Deliver online or distance education courses.  If a course is being offered online or at a distance, then online assignments are a natural extension of this.
• Provide students with transferable skills for other courses and in their careers.  Some instructors are interested in integrating key skills into their courses that students can use in other courses or take out into the “real-world” upon completion of their degrees. If this is a goal for your courses, then providing some familiarity with certain technologies through the use of online assignments may be a good way to introduce students to skills they can use elsewhere.
• Be environmentally friendly.  Paperless assignments are a good way to save environmental resources.

Creating your own online assignment

Now that you have some ideas about possible assignments and have reviewed the decision­making criteria, you should answer the following questions to consider how to integrate your online assignment into your course.

• Briefly describe the assignment. (Write 2-4 sentences)

• Students may need a rationale for having online assignments to help foster their motivation. What will you say to “sell” the assignment to your students? (Write 3-5 sentences)

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. 

• Course design heuristic
• Collaborative online learning
• Learner-centered assessment
• Designing multiple-choice questions
• Types of assignments and tests
• Using writing as a learning tool

For more assistance, please also feel free to contact the Centre for Teaching Excellence office and we will assist you or connect you with other resources.

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:  Integrating Online Assignments Into Your Course. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo .

Additional keywords: Blended Learning

Catalog search

Teaching tip categories.

• Assessment and feedback
• Blended Learning and Educational Technologies
• Career Development
• Course Design
• Course Implementation
• Inclusive Teaching and Learning
• Learning activities
• Support for Student Learning
• Support for TAs
• Assessment and feedback ,

10 Common Assignments in Online MBA Programs

Fast-Paced 100% Online MBA

Want to earn your  Master of Business Administration (MBA)  in about one year, completely online with no GMAT requirement?

Southern New Hampshire University can help you do just that. Apply Today!

If you’ve just enrolled in an Online MBA program, but you haven’t had much experience with the distance learning format, you might be wondering if the assignments are any different from those of the on-campus program. While many assignments for distance learning programs are designed to fit the online format, of course, experts say these assignments can be just as (or even more) rigorous than those that take place on-campus. Students in online programs can expect to complete assignments that require them to respond in-depth to video lectures, participate in discussion boards, and work with groups on a range of business projects.  

In addition to responding to video lectures, discussion boards, and group projects, U.S. News & World Report lists the following types of assignments in online programs:

Case Studies and Real-World Scenarios

Exams and quizzes, formal research papers, virtual presentations and collaborations.

Students can reflect on experiential learning, internships, study abroad, personal experiences, and more. Students often update their blog throughout any given course, and in some cases, peers can respond. This is a great way to build relationships with other students in the program, even if you never meet face-to-face.

Students analyze presented issues and develop solutions. Sample case studies from Organizational Behavior and Economics and Finance courses at St. Bonaventure University Online include The Economic State of Samoa , Liberia’s Challenges to Economic Development , Will Sears Survive? , and A Video Recap of Liberia’s Challenged to Economic Development .

Discussion Boards

Supplement weekly coursework, and are a major part of most online classes. The professor poses a question and students respond to the instructor and each other. Responses must be thought provoking and help to expand the conversation.

Exams and quizzes are just as important in online programs as they are in on-campus programs. The difference is students taking an online exam may be monitored by a proctor via webcam (“companies such as ProctorU make this possible”) or by a computer. According to U.S. News, “automated services including ProctorTrack can keep track of what’s happening on an online student’s screen in case there are behaviors that may indicate cheating.”

The types of research and writing required to complete a formal research paper is important at the graduate level, and especially in MBA programs. While you won’t find many differences between FRPs in online and on-campus courses, online students should ensure that the program offers “remote access” to the “university’s library and its resources, which may include live chats with staff.”

Group Projects

Students around the world can work on projects virtually as a group by utilizing Google Docs, Skype, Zoom for videoconferencing, chat features in the online classroom, and any number of video chat apps. Group projects, which simulate real-life business situations or business plan development, require students to work as a team, with specific roles and responsibilities assigned to each member. Students must contribute equally to the project.

Journal assignments allow Online MBA students to communicate with their professors directly. Though topics are typically assigned, “journals often enable students to express ideas,” opinions, questions, and concerns about course material.

Video Lectures

In a recent U.S. News blog post, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness at SUNY Buffalo State, Bradley Fuster, explained that with video lectures, the professor provides a recorded lecture, article, or book chapter and requires students to answer questions. “Students generally complete the assignment at their own pace,” as long as “they meet the ultimate deadline.”

Students give live or recorded presentations to the professor and cohort. Students can present business plans, solutions to business problems, and interact with one another on projects and assignments. According to U.S. News, experts say, “virtual collaboration is a skill that's critical for conducting business in the 21st century.”

Wiki, a shortened form of the Hawaiian word for “quick,” is a website that can be edited by anyone with a computer, web browser, and an internet connection. Wikis use a quick and easy syntax to allow users to apply formatting to text and create links between pages. In online programs, students use wikis to answer research questions, edit shared documents, write task lists, and launch discussions. Wikis are particularly useful for group projects.

While these are not the only types of assignments students may encounter in an Online MBA program, they are among the most common. For more information about the types of assignments in any given Online MBA program, review the programs overview, curriculum, and catalog.

Considering an Online MBA? Use our interactive map to find information on schools and colleges offering Online MBA programs in your state and across the U.S.

Friedman, Jordan. “10 Types of Assignments in Online Degree Programs . ” U .S. News & World Report Education , U.S. News & World Report L.P., 31 Aug. 2017. Web. 23 Aug. 2018.

Friedman, Jordan. “What to Expect in a Top Online MBA Program . ” U.S. News & World Report Education , U.S. News & World Report L.P., 27 Jun. 2016. Web. 23 Aug. 2018.

Online MBA Assignment Showcase . School of Business - St. Bonaventure University Online. St. Bonaventure University, 2018. Web. 23 Aug. 2018.

What is a Wiki? WikiEducator.org, 2018.

Related Articles

Ohio State nav bar

The Ohio State University

• BuckeyeLink
• Find People
• Search Ohio State

Creating and Adapting Assignments for Online Courses

Online teaching requires a deliberate shift in how we communicate, deliver information, and offer feedback to our students. How do you effectively design and modify your assignments to accommodate this shift? The ways you introduce students to new assignments, keep them on track, identify and remedy confusion, and provide feedback after an assignment is due must be altered to fit the online setting. Intentional planning can help you ensure assignments are optimally designed for an online course and expectations are clearly communicated to students.  

When teaching online, it can be tempting to focus on the differences from in-person instruction in terms of adjustments, or what you need to make up for. However, there are many affordances of online assignments that can deepen learning and student engagement. Students gain new channels of interaction, flexibility in when and where they access assignments, more immediate feedback, and a student-centered experience (Gayten and McEwen, 2007; Ragupathi, 2020; Robles and Braathen, 2002). Meanwhile, ample research has uncovered that online assignments benefit instructors through automatic grading, better measurement of learning, greater student involvement, and the storing and reuse of assignments. 

In Practice

While the purpose and planning of online assignments remain the same as their in-person counterparts, certain adjustments can make them more effective. The strategies outlined below will help you design online assignments that support student success while leveraging the benefits of the online environment. 

Align assignments to learning outcomes. 

All assignments work best when they align with your learning outcomes. Each online assignment should advance students' achievement of one or more of your specific outcomes. You may be familiar with  Bloom's Taxonomy,  a well-known framework that organizes and classifies learning objectives based on the actions students take to demonstrate their learning. Online assignments have the added advantage of flexing students' digital skills, and Bloom's has been revamped for the digital age to incorporate technology-based tasks into its categories. For example, students might search for definitions online as they learn and remember course materials, tweet their understanding of a concept, mind map an analysis, or create a podcast. 

See a  complete description of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy  for further ideas. 

Provide authentic assessments. 

Authentic assessments call for relevant, purposeful actions that mimic the real-life tasks students may encounter in their lives and careers beyond the university. They represent a shift away from infrequent high-stakes assessments that tend to evaluate the acquisition of knowledge over application and understanding. Authentic assessments allow students to see the connection between what they're learning and how that learning is used and contextualized outside the virtual walls of the learning management system, thereby increasing their motivation and engagement. 

There are many ways to incorporate authenticity into an assignment, but three main strategies are to use  authentic audiences, content, and formats . A student might, for example, compose a business plan for an audience of potential investors, create a patient care plan that translates medical jargon into lay language, or propose a safe storage process for a museum collection.  

Authentic assessments in online courses can easily incorporate the internet or digital tools as part of an authentic format. Blogs, podcasts, social media posts, and multimedia artifacts such as infographics and videos represent authentic formats that leverage the online context. 

Learn more about  authentic assessments in Designing Assessments of Student Learning . 

Design for inclusivity and accessibility. 

Adopting universal design principles at the outset of course creation will ensure your material is accessible to all students. As you plan your assignments, it's important to keep in mind barriers to access in terms of tools, technology, and cost. Consider which tools achieve your learning outcomes with the fewest barriers. 

Offering a variety of assignment formats is one way to ensure students can demonstrate learning in a manner that works best for them. You can provide options within an individual assignment, such as allowing students to submit either written text or an audio recording or to choose from several technologies or platforms when completing a project. 

Be mindful of how you frame and describe an assignment to ensure it doesn't disregard populations through exclusionary language or use culturally specific references that some students may not understand. Inclusive language for all genders and racial or ethnic backgrounds can foster a sense of belonging that fully invests students in the learning community.  

Learn more about  Universal Design of Learning  and  Shaping a Positive Learning Environment . 

Design to promote academic integrity online. 

Much like incorporating universal design principles at the outset of course creation, you can take a proactive approach to academic integrity online. Design assignments that limit the possibilities for students to use the work of others or receive prohibited outside assistance.  

Provide   authentic assessments  that are more difficult to plagiarize because they incorporate recent events or unique contexts and formats. 

Scaffold assignments  so that students can work their way up to a final product by submitting smaller portions and receiving feedback along the way. 

Lower the stakes  by providing more frequent formative assessments in place of high-stakes, high-stress assessments. 

In addition to proactively creating assignments that deter cheating, there are several university-supported tools at your disposal to help identify and prevent cheating.  

Learn more about these tools in  Strategies and Tools for Academic Integrity in Online Environments . 

Communicate detailed instructions and clarify expectations. 

When teaching in-person, you likely dedicate class time to introducing and explaining an assignment; students can ask questions or linger after class for further clarification. In an online class, especially in  asynchronous  online classes, you must anticipate where students' questions might arise and account for them in the assignment instructions.  

The  Carmen course template  addresses some of students' common questions when completing an assignment. The template offers places to explain the assignment's purpose, list out steps students should take when completing it, provide helpful resources, and detail academic integrity considerations.  

Providing a rubric will clarify for students how you will evaluate their work, as well as make your grading more efficient. Sharing examples of previous student work (both good and bad) can further help students see how everything should come together in their completed products. 

Technology Tip

Enter all  assignments and due dates  in your Carmen course to increase transparency. When assignments are entered in Carmen, they also populate to Calendar, Syllabus, and Grades areas so students can easily track their upcoming work. Carmen also allows you to  develop rubrics  for every assignment in your course.  

Promote interaction and collaboration. 

Frequent student-student interaction in any course, but particularly in online courses, is integral to developing a healthy learning community that engages students with course material and contributes to academic achievement. Online education has the inherent benefit of offering multiple channels of interaction through which this can be accomplished. 

Carmen  Discussions   are a versatile platform for students to converse about and analyze course materials, connect socially, review each other's work, and communicate asynchronously during group projects. 

Peer review  can be enabled in Carmen  Assignments  and  Discussions .  Rubrics  can be attached to an assignment or a discussion that has peer review enabled, and students can use these rubrics as explicit criteria for their evaluation. Alternatively, peer review can occur within the comments of a discussion board if all students will benefit from seeing each other's responses. 

Group projects  can be carried out asynchronously through Carmen  Discussions  or  Groups , or synchronously through Carmen's  Chat function  or  CarmenZoom . Students (and instructors) may have apprehensions about group projects, but well-designed group work can help students learn from each other and draw on their peers’ strengths. Be explicit about your expectations for student interaction and offer ample support resources to ensure success on group assignments. 

Learn more about  Student Interaction Online .

Choose technology wisely. 

The internet is a vast and wondrous place, full of technology and tools that do amazing things. These tools can give students greater flexibility in approaching an assignment or deepen their learning through interactive elements. That said, it's important to be selective when integrating external tools into your online course.  

Look first to your learning outcomes and, if you are considering an external tool, determine whether the technology will help students achieve these learning outcomes. Unless one of your outcomes is for students to master new technology, the cognitive effort of using an unfamiliar tool may distract from your learning outcomes.  

Carmen should ultimately be the foundation of your course where you centralize all materials and assignments. Thoughtfully selected external tools can be useful in certain circumstances. 

Explore supported tools 

There are many  university-supported tools  and resources already available to Ohio State users. Before looking to external tools, you should explore the available options to see if you can accomplish your instructional goals with supported systems, including the  eLearning toolset , approved  CarmenCanvas integrations , and the  Microsoft365 suite .  

If a tool is not university-supported, keep in mind the security and accessibility implications, the learning curve required to use the tool, and the need for additional support resources. If you choose to use a new tool, provide links to relevant help guides on the assignment page or post a video tutorial. Include explicit instructions on how students can get technical support should they encounter technical difficulties with the tool. 

Adjustments to your assignment design can guide students toward academic success while leveraging the benefits of the online environment.  

Effective assignments in online courses are:  

Aligned to course learning outcomes 

Authentic and reflect real-life tasks 

Accessible and inclusive for all learners 

Designed to encourage academic integrity 

Transparent with clearly communicated expectations 

Designed to promote student interaction and collaboration 

Supported with intentional technology tools 

• Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty (e-book)
• Making Your Course Accessible for All Learners (workshop reccording)
• Writing Multiple Choice Questions that Demand Critical Thinking (article)

Learning Opportunities

Conrad, D., & Openo, J. (2018).  Assessment strategies for online learning: Engagement and authenticity . AU Press. Retrieved from  https://library.ohio-state.edu/record=b8475002~S7 

Gaytan, J., & McEwen, B. C. (2007). Effective online instructional and assessment strategies.  American Journal of Distance Education ,  21 (3), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640701341653   

Mayer, R. E. (2001).  Multimedia learning . New York: Cambridge University Press.  

Ragupathi, K. (2020). Designing Effective Online Assessments Resource Guide . National University of Singapore. Retrieved from  https://www.nus.edu.sg/cdtl/docs/default-source/professional-development-docs/resources/designing-online-assessments.pdf  

Robles, M., & Braathen, S. (2002). Online assessment techniques.  Delta Pi Epsilon Journal ,  44 (1), 39–49.  https://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=507795215&site=eds-live&scope=site  

Swan, K., Shen, J., & Hiltz, S. R. (2006). Assessment and collaboration in online learning.  Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks ,  10 (1), 45.  

TILT Higher Ed. (n.d.).  TILT Examples and Resources . Retrieved from   https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources  

Tallent-Runnels, M. K., Thomas, J. A., Lan, W. Y., Cooper, S., Ahern, T. C., Shaw, S. M., & Liu, X. (2006). Teaching Courses Online: A Review of the Research.  Review of Educational Research ,  76 (1), 93–135.  https://www-jstor-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/stable/3700584  

Walvoord, B. & Anderson, V.J. (2010).  Effective Grading : A Tool for Learning and Assessment in College: Vol. 2nd ed . Jossey-Bass.  https://library.ohio-state.edu/record=b8585181~S7

Related Teaching Topics

Designing assessments of student learning, strategies and tools for academic integrity in online environments, student interaction online, universal design for learning: planning with all students in mind, related toolsets, carmencanvas, search for resources.

• How to create and manage online assignments for learners
• How to plan successful online assignments for learners
• Know your learners and their current needs
• Assess your resources including digital tools
• How to make online assignments for learners
• Provide clear and concise instruction
• Support learners with orientation and an intuitive system
• Promote interaction and collaboration
• Managing online assignments 
• Communicate effectively
• Monitor learner progress
• Provide personalized and differentiated support 
• Assess and give feedback
• Additional resources for online assignment creation
• Use AI to plan and teach 
• Team up on content creation
• Discover why vetting edtech tools for inclusivity matters, learn key questions and criteria, and unlock strategies to leverage edtech for inclusivity.

https://hapara.com/wp-content/uploads/speaker/post-36214.mp3?cb=1713796550.mp3

Developing effective assignments for online learning does not have to be daunting. M aster the art of creating and managing online assignments for learners, whether you are with learners using 1:1 devices in a classroom, teaching hybrid or virtually.

One amazing benefit of today’s K-12 education community is the amount of resources, tips and tools available online from educators just like you. Tapping their experience, we’ll show how to create online assignments using digital tools that offer learners at least as much rigor as the ones you may have taught traditionally. 

As importantly, you will get tips on successfully managing your students during the learning process. Finally, this blog will give you teaching resources, including alternatives to building online lessons from scratch.  

An assignment lacking clear structure and substance can spell disaster. Not only will it be harder to manage, but learners may end up frustrated or fail to really learn the material. If not managed well, technology tools can turn into exciting and distracting shiny objects. 

To avoid the “edutainment” trap, ensure that onscreen activities support defined learning objectives tied to your district’s standards. Beginning with a strategically planned lesson provides the foundation for whatever digital tools you choose to incorporate. 

The first step is to clarify what skills or knowledge your learners need to master before moving to the next level. Next, consider different types of assignments online for students to see how they could facilitate this learning. 

One brilliant advantage of digital delivery is the ability to tailor assignments to specific learner needs and interests. While selecting which kind of assignment to create, consider what might work best for your learners. Consider specific learners who may need accommodations in content or delivery. 

If you don’t already have data to understand the level of knowledge and prior experience learners have in the subject, consider using a Quizlet, survey or other fact-finding tool. Remember the backdrop of what is going on in the students’ surroundings and lives may have a bearing on their learning needs. Consider circumstances that may be affecting learners personally or in their community. 

Tap your personal teaching experience before exploring digital resources. Consider how your own understanding and knowledge of the subject can best shine through digital tools. 

Having strategies in place can help save time and reduce stress during the process of moving your expertise to an online format. Remember, the extra time put into initial start-up pays off in the long run because digital content can be reused over and over. Lessons in a digital format are shareable, adaptable and updateable.

Consider variety and higher-level learning as you build assignments that are both engaging and contribute to long-term student goals. Once your academic aims are clear, look for digital tools designed to adapt to your needs as an educator and enhance what you would do in a non-digital format.

Make sure the assignment includes a logical flow from beginning to end. Organize content with headings and bullet points as well as multimedia that breaks up text. Include measurable objectives so learners can clearly understand expectations for the assignment. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide easy-to-understand instruction for each task learners need to complete. Remember you may not be there to fill in the blanks if you leave out an important detail.

Getting started with a few basics can simplify the process of creating dynamic digital content . Recording short videos is an excellent way to simulate actually being there, especially when teaching concepts asynchronously. To record what is on your computer screen, try a screencast program, like Screencastify or Loom for Education . Here you can include your face and help learners better understand you by watching you speak.  

Along with video and audio recordings, further support deeper understanding of the subject matter with multimedia elements. These can include graphics, animations, digital graphics, p odcasts, interactive quizzes and simulations like trivia games. 

Even the best instruction and assignments won’t make the learning experience pleasant if students have to spend extra hours figuring out where to find assignments and instructions. Just because students are often tech-savvy does not mean all of them can immediately navigate your school’s LMS unsupported. 

Your online assignment at the beginning of the school term could be a simple one that orients learners while providing the opportunity to get hands-on practice using the system. That helps them get used to the workflow and setup. Frustration is easy to mitigate by structuring assignments and using an intuitive learning platform. One example is Hāpara Workspace with an easy-to-view layout that organizes goals, resources, assessments and rubrics into columns.

At the heart of learning is interacting with peers and collaborating. Include activities and projects that support individuals as they practice engaging and working together with other learners. Some learners who feel more comfortable working alone may need extra encouragement and support. This is an opportunity to promote deeper learning and connection by introducing resources that are relevant to students.

Teachers can quickly share resources with groups, or better yet, give learners the opportunity to add their own resources in Hāpara Workspace. Upload everything from videos, links to apps, images and online articles to Google Docs, Slides, Forms and Drawings into Workspace. Group members can access all these resources for shared activities , assessments and collaborative projects.

Once you have a well-designed assignment with clear instructions tailored to the needs of different learners, it’s essential to give them guidance. The amount of management you need to provide can vary significantly.

Clearly communicate with students throughout the learning process all the way through to assessment. Regular communication helps students stay informed and engaged. You can manage learners as they build toward mastery in an online environment with Hāpara tools. 

They provide superior student communication tools, including date reminders for learners and online progress tracking for teachers.

Hāpara Student Dashboard is an online assignment tracker that helps learners develop crucial executive functioning skills. It will help them gain practice organizing their own time, managing and prioritizing their assignments and assessments. 

Educators can help learners build upon these skills by providing formative feedback that encourages students to take risks and learn from mistakes. Directly from Hāpara Teacher Dashboard , you can open a learner’s assignment or assessment and provide personalized support. This timely feedback helps learners move toward their academic goals more quickly and confidently.

Monitor how learners are progressing through the assignment. This can inform you whether you need to check in with a learner. Teacher Dashboard shows each learner’s most recent files and when they last modified it. You can also send due date reminders to the class or individual learners through an instant message in Hāpara Highlights .

With Teacher Dashboard, it’s easy to leave personalized feedback in learners’ recent files and share differentiated resources directly to their screens.

Pull from your own Google Drive or create a new Google Doc, Slide or Drawing on the spot to share with the class, a group or an individual learner. 

When a learner can’t find a Google file, teachers can access a learner’s Google Drive with one click in Hāpara. S earch for missing files by title or content and filter to view deleted or unshared files.

Evaluate learners’ understanding and progress with different types of assessment methods, including rubrics, quizzes, peer review and presentations. 

Assessments should provide meaningful feedback for learners and educators alike. Use learner feedback to improve on each new assignment you develop. Data on engagement, task completion rates and learner satisfaction will help you make adjustments to improve a future assignment.

Several alternatives to building your lessons from the ground up are available. These can save time and hassle. To begin with, Google Assignments is a free online assignment solution. To make this even easier, in Hāpara Highlights, as teachers monitor what learners are doing online and offering personalized support, they can quickly share Google Classroom Assignments, Questions and Materials. 

Finding free assignments online is another option. With the Discover feature in Hāpara Workspace , you can access online assignments other educators have created from around the world. Search thousands of curriculum-aligned Workspaces by standard, subject, grade level or topic. Then copy and modify them to meet your learners’ needs. 

Teachers can also use AI to support learning content development and in class with students.

Among the many ways ChatGPT can be used by teachers is helping them create new material, and generate ideas and quizzes. They can quickly personalize the same content in several ways to reach different learners. For example, high school literacy specialist Amanda Kremnitzer told EdWeek that she used ChatGPT to create outlines for her multiple learners who require them as a supplementary aid.  

Consider shouldering the effort and building content together as a team. Individual members of departments or subject-grade level teams can develop the type of content they are best at and share. Or they can collaborate as a group. As mentioned, you can use the Discover option in Hāpara Workspace to find assignments educators from around the world have created. 

If you are looking for a way to create, curate and manage a collection of digital assignments that only your school or district can access, consider Hāpara’s Private Library . With just a click, you can easily distribute your online assignments to educators in your school or district.

About the Author

Sheilamary koch, you might also enjoy.

FREE E-BOOK FOR EDUCATORS

Must-have digital citizenship checklist for K-12 schools

Download our checklist to guide how you incorporate digital citizenship into your school district’s curriculum at every opportunity.

Pin It on Pinterest

MASS TRANSIT ALERT: No MARC Brunswick Line service from W. Virginia stations, no alternatives will be provided after fire at Harpers Ferry

TRAFFIC ALERT: Delays remain on Metro Silver Line between Reston Town-Center and Wiehle-Reston East stations due to earlier fire dept. activity

9 Types of Assignments in Online Courses

U.S. News & World Report

July 27, 2017, 8:00 PM

• Share This:
• share on facebook
• share on threads
• share on linkedin
• share on email

Students considering taking their first online course may worry about the types of assignments they will encounter.

In particular, those who are accustomed to face-to-face education may not know what coursework to expect before they start. Below is a list of nine common types of virtual assignments instructors generally assign in online classes.

1. Read or watch, then respond: This type of assignment closely mirrors the face-to-face lecture. Instructors provide video lectures, articles or book chapters and assign students a set of questions. Students can read or watch the material at their own pace, so long as they meet the deadline for their responses.

2. Research papers: Formal research papers remain a popular assignment in online classes . Writing about research is a required skill for many graduate degrees , and publishing original research is a measure of expertise in many disciplines.

There is little difference in completing research papers for online versus on-ground classes. However, online learners should ensure they have remote access to a university’s library resources to succeed.

3. Exams: The often-dreaded tests and quizzes are also common in online courses. But the rules and testing environments can differ depending on the institution. Some will use proctoring services that monitor students through webcams and identity verification questions.

4. Discussion boards: Usually intended as a supplement to the weekly coursework, the discussion forum is intended to replace the in-class discussion or seminar. In the virtual classroom, students respond to a prompt and each other. Some discussions require students to submit responses before being able to see what classmates wrote.

[Discover what to expect in online course discussion boards. ]

5. Blogs: These keep a running public dialogue of students’ thoughts and ideas about a topic. Students can add new insights to the blog throughout the course, and sometimes other students can comment. Blogs are particularly useful for online classes that require students to reflect upon life or clinical experiences and internships.

6. Journals: The journal assignment is usually a private way for online students to communicate with the instructor . Sometimes, journal topics are prescribed and formal, but usually these assignments allow students to express ideas, opinions, concerns and questions about course material.

7. Wikis: These are especially useful for group work . Students can comment on and edit a shared document to develop task lists, write research questions, document experiences or start discussions.

8. Case-based assignments: These are more popular in certain fields than others. Generally, an assigned reading or video vividly depicts a real-world example of the issues or concepts the class is learning about, describing all of the salient details and information. Well-constructed cases force students to analyze problems and research, test and present potential solutions.

9. Self-paced adaptive assignments: Adaptive learning is growing in popularity, especially in subjects such as math and science.

[Learn how to decide between live and self-paced online courses. ]

Usually, students watch short lectures, then answer a set of questions. Based on how they perform, new lectures follow and focus on areas the student needs help with. These types of courses generally don’t have a class or cohort structure as each student moves at a personalized pace. There may not be one instructor for the course, but a team of facilitators is generally available in real time.

The takeaway: While these types of virtual assignments don’t represent the total list of possibilities, they are among the most common. Instructors will choose which online coursework best fits the material and learning objectives. Each online class may be slightly different.

More from U.S. News

Study: Many Online Students Use Mobile Devices for Coursework

Develop Self-Motivation Skills Before Starting Online Courses

What to Expect Out of an Online Graduate Program in Education

9 Types of Assignments in Online Courses originally appeared on usnews.com

Related News

A look at Julian Assange and how the long-jailed WikiLeaks founder is now on the verge of freedom

What is Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group that could go to all-out war against Israel?

Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 20 people, officials say

Recommended.

'It's going to be a big job': Community, education leaders on priorities for Montgomery County's next superintendent

Prince George's Co. community mourns death of couple who died on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court and later freedom

Related categories:.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

9 Types of Assignments in Online Courses

Students considering taking their first online course may worry about the types of assignments they will encounter.

In particular, those who are accustomed to face-to-face education may not know what coursework to expect before they start. Below is a list of nine common types of virtual assignments instructors generally assign in online classes.

1. Read or watch, then respond: This type of assignment closely mirrors the face-to-face lecture. Instructors provide video lectures, articles or book chapters and assign students a set of questions. Students can read or watch the material at their own pace, so long as they meet the deadline for their responses.

2. Research papers: Formal research papers remain a popular assignment in online classes . Writing about research is a required skill for many graduate degrees , and publishing original research is a measure of expertise in many disciplines.

There is little difference in completing research papers for online versus on-ground classes. However, online learners should ensure they have remote access to a university's library resources to succeed.

3. Exams: The often-dreaded tests and quizzes are also common in online courses. But the rules and testing environments can differ depending on the institution. Some will use proctoring services that monitor students through webcams and identity verification questions.

4. Discussion boards: Usually intended as a supplement to the weekly coursework, the discussion forum is intended to replace the in-class discussion or seminar. In the virtual classroom, students respond to a prompt and each other. Some discussions require students to submit responses before being able to see what classmates wrote.

[Discover what to expect in online course discussion boards. ]

5. Blogs: These keep a running public dialogue of students' thoughts and ideas about a topic. Students can add new insights to the blog throughout the course, and sometimes other students can comment. Blogs are particularly useful for online classes that require students to reflect upon life or clinical experiences and internships.

6. Journals: The journal assignment is usually a private way for online students to communicate with the instructor . Sometimes, journal topics are prescribed and formal, but usually these assignments allow students to express ideas, opinions, concerns and questions about course material.

7. Wikis: These are especially useful for group work . Students can comment on and edit a shared document to develop task lists, write research questions, document experiences or start discussions.

8. Case-based assignments: These are more popular in certain fields than others. Generally, an assigned reading or video vividly depicts a real-world example of the issues or concepts the class is learning about, describing all of the salient details and information. Well-constructed cases force students to analyze problems and research, test and present potential solutions.

9. Self-paced adaptive assignments: Adaptive learning is growing in popularity, especially in subjects such as math and science.

[Learn how to decide between live and self-paced online courses. ]

Usually, students watch short lectures, then answer a set of questions. Based on how they perform, new lectures follow and focus on areas the student needs help with. These types of courses generally don't have a class or cohort structure as each student moves at a personalized pace. There may not be one instructor for the course, but a team of facilitators is generally available in real time.

The takeaway: While these types of virtual assignments don't represent the total list of possibilities, they are among the most common. Instructors will choose which online coursework best fits the material and learning objectives. Each online class may be slightly different.

Bradley Fuster, associate vice president of institutional effectiveness at SUNY Buffalo State , has taught both hybrid and online courses and developed the school's fully online master's program in music education. Fuster holds degrees in music from SUNY--Geneseo , Yale University and the University of Southern California .

What Types of Assignments Can You Expect in an Online Course?

What kinds of assignments can you expect when taking an online class? Check out this helpful list for distance learners.

• News and Events

Tags in Article

• Online Learning
• Saint Leo Learning

Taking online classes offers a number of benefits. Among them are the ability to do your coursework when it is most convenient for you, not having to travel to and from campus (which is an added bonus in inclement weather), and the ability to earn your degree from colleges and universities that are not within your local vicinity.

However, sometimes people don't sign up for online courses solely because they don't know what to expect as far as homework and assignments are concerned. While each class is different, many of the assignments given by college-level instructors generally fall into one of these categories.

Reading Required Texts

Online classes are a lot like traditional college classes in that there is often a fair bit of reading that will be required. In some cases, these reading assignments involve the use of course-specific textbooks. Other times, they come from other sources such as online articles or guides.

If the idea of extensive reading feels overwhelming to you, it may help to know that these types of assignments are broken up throughout the course of the term. So, it's not like you have to sit and read an entire textbook all at once. Usually it's just one or two chapters at a time that would be required.

Posting Discussion Answers

Because you're not face-to-face with your instructor and fellow students in an online course, one method they use to test how well you have learned the information is by posting discussion questions that you'll have to answer in narrative form. By putting your responses in your own words, it is easier for them to tell whether you are able to actually apply what it is you have learned.

Posting discussion answers also helps you hone your ability to communicate. This is important because, as Leadership Choice shares, good communication skills in the workplace can reduce conflict, improve employee engagement, strengthen client relationships, and bolster productivity.

Check out these tips for writing a top-notch discussion post for your online class.

Watching and Analyzing Visuals

Some course instructors will also share visuals (such as videos or charts) and ask you to analyze what you see. Again, the goal is for them to see that you are able to take information that is provided in this type of format and extract from it the data you need to act appropriately in your specific field.

The great thing about these types of assignments is that they provide a lot of value if you are a visual learner. Being a visual learner means that you find it easier to understand new ideas or concepts by watching or looking at something versus reading about it. If this is you, you'll likely find these assignments extremely enjoyable!

Writing Reports

Nothing beats practical experience, so if you're going into a field in which you may be required to submit lengthy reports—such as business or any research-based field—you may be asked to start working on them in your online college course. This gets you used to the report-writing process by providing hands-on experience of what lies ahead for you.

Even if your career won't involve writing long reports, some courses require this type of assignment simply so you more thoroughly understand various processes in your field. Reports help to teach you how to follow the steps necessary in a way you're likely to remember because you've walked through them yourself.

Doing Group Projects

In some cases, you may also be required to complete group projects in your online classes. Though they may be a bit more time intensive because they require working with other students' schedules, too, these types of assignments serve a valuable purpose.

For instance, whether you plan on going into business for yourself or want to work for an employer, your ability to collaborate with others is critical for success. Doing group projects helps you build this skill.

Working with groups of people from all different backgrounds and experiences also teaches you that everyone interacts with the world in his or her own unique way. And the more interactions and experiences you are aware of and can use when solving problems, the better your results.

Taking Quizzes and Tests

One of the assignment types that causes a lot of students—whether online or traditional—a fair bit of anxiety are the quizzes and tests. After all, these determine whether you've learned the information provided with enough efficiency to be able to contribute intelligently in your field of choice.

Sometimes these quizzes and tests are multiple choice and other times they also have essays that must be completed. Additionally, some are timed and others give you as much time as you need. Either way, this type of information is typically communicated beforehand so you know what to expect with your specific online courses.

These helpful tips on taking exams online  are good to keep in your back pocket.

You can also reach out to the course instructor if you have any questions or concerns about any of these types of assignments. Remember that they want your success just as much as you do, so don't be afraid to ask for their assistance along the way in achieving it.

Saint Leo University See more from this author

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Types of Assignments

Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington

Introduction

As discussed in the previous chapter, assignments are a common method of assessment at university. You may encounter many assignments over your years of study, yet some will look quite different from others. By recognising different types of assignments and understanding the purpose of the task, you can direct your writing skills effectively to meet task requirements. This chapter draws on the skills from the previous chapter, and extends the discussion, showing you where to aim with different types of assignments.

The chapter begins by exploring the popular essay assignment, with its two common categories, analytical and argumentative essays. It then examines assignments requiring case study responses , as often encountered in fields such as health or business. This is followed by a discussion of assignments seeking a report (such as a scientific report) and reflective writing assignments, common in nursing, education and human services. The chapter concludes with an examination of annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of  your assignment writing skills.

Different Types of Written Assignments

At university, an essay is a common form of assessment. In the previous chapter Writing Assignments we discussed what was meant by showing academic writing in your assignments. It is important that you consider these aspects of structure, tone and language when writing an essay.

Components of an essay

Essays should use formal but reader friendly language and have a clear and logical structure. They must include research from credible academic sources such as peer reviewed journal articles and textbooks. This research should be referenced throughout your essay to support your ideas (See the chapter Working with Information ).

If you have never written an essay before, you may feel unsure about how to start.  Breaking your essay into sections and allocating words accordingly will make this process more manageable and will make planning the overall essay structure much easier.

• An essay requires an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Generally, an introduction and conclusion are approximately 10% each of the total word count.
• The remaining words can then be divided into sections and a paragraph allowed for each area of content you need to cover.
• Use your task and criteria sheet to decide what content needs to be in your plan

An effective essay introduction needs to inform your reader by doing four basic things:

Table 20.1 An effective essay

An effective essay body paragraph needs to:

An effective essay conclusion needs to:

Common types of essays

You may be required to write different types of essays, depending on your study area and topic. Two of the most commonly used essays are analytical and argumentative .  The task analysis process discussed in the previous chapter Writing Assignments will help you determine the type of essay required. For example, if your assignment question uses task words such as analyse, examine, discuss, determine or explore, you would be writing an analytical essay . If your assignment question has task words such as argue, evaluate, justify or assess, you would be writing an argumentative essay . Despite the type of essay, your ability to analyse and think critically is important and common across genres.  

Analytical essays

These essays usually provide some background description of the relevant theory, situation, problem, case, image, etcetera that is your topic. Being analytical requires you to look carefully at various components or sections of your topic in a methodical and logical way to create understanding.

The purpose of the analytical essay is to demonstrate your ability to examine the topic thoroughly. This requires you to go deeper than description by considering different sides of the situation, comparing and contrasting a variety of theories and the positives and negatives of the topic. Although in an analytical essay your position on the topic may be clear, it is not necessarily a requirement that you explicitly identify this with a thesis statement, as is the case with an argumentative essay. If you are unsure whether you are required to take a position, and provide a thesis statement, it is best to check with your tutor.

Argumentative essays

These essays require you to take a position on the assignment topic. This is expressed through your thesis statement in your introduction. You must then present and develop your arguments throughout the body of your assignment using logically structured paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs needs a topic sentence that relates to the thesis statement. In an argumentative essay, you must reach a conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.

Case Study Responses

Case studies are a common form of assignment in many study areas and students can underperform in this genre for a number of key reasons.

Students typically lose marks for not:

• Relating their answer sufficiently to the case details
• Applying critical thinking
• Writing with clear structure
• Using appropriate or sufficient sources
• Using accurate referencing

When structuring your response to a case study, remember to refer to the case. Structure your paragraphs similarly to an essay paragraph structure but include examples and data from the case as additional evidence to support your points (see Figure 20.5 ). The colours in the sample paragraph below show the function of each component.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Code of Conduct and Nursing Standards (2018) play a crucial role in determining the scope of practice for nurses and midwives. A key component discussed in the code is the provision of person-centred care and the formation of therapeutic relationships between nurses and patients (NMBA, 2018). This ensures patient safety and promotes health and wellbeing (NMBA, 2018). The standards also discuss the importance of partnership and shared decision-making in the delivery of care (NMBA, 2018, 4). Boyd and Dare (2014) argue that good communication skills are vital for building therapeutic relationships and trust between patients and care givers. This will help ensure the patient is treated with dignity and respect and improve their overall hospital experience. In the case, the therapeutic relationship with the client has been compromised in several ways. Firstly, the nurse did not conform adequately to the guidelines for seeking informed consent before performing the examination as outlined in principle 2.3 (NMBA, 2018). Although she explained the procedure, she failed to give the patient appropriate choices regarding her health care. 

Topic sentence | Explanations using paraphrased evidence including in-text references | Critical thinking (asks the so what? question to demonstrate your student voice). | Relating the theory back to the specifics of the case. The case becomes a source of examples as extra evidence to support the points you are making.

Reports are a common form of assessment at university and are also used widely in many professions. It is a common form of writing in business, government, scientific, and technical occupations.

Reports can take many different structures. A report is normally written to present information in a structured manner, which may include explaining laboratory experiments, technical information, or a business case.  Reports may be written for different audiences including clients, your manager, technical staff, or senior leadership within an organisation. The structure of reports can vary, and it is important to consider what format is required. The choice of structure will depend upon professional requirements and the ultimate aims of the report. Consider some of the options in the table below (see Table 20.2 ).

Table 20.2 Explanations of different types of reports

Reflective writing

Reflective writing is a popular method of assessment at university. It is used to help you explore feelings, experiences, opinions, events or new information to gain a clearer and deeper understanding of your learning. A reflective writing task requires more than a description or summary.  It requires you to analyse a situation, problem or experience, consider what you may have learnt and evaluate how this may impact your thinking and actions in the future. This requires critical thinking, analysis, and usually the application of good quality research, to demonstrate your understanding or learning from a situation. Essentially, reflective practice is the process of looking back on past experiences and engaging with them in a thoughtful way and drawing conclusions to inform future experiences. The reflection skills you develop at university will be vital in the workplace to assist you to use feedback for growth and continuous improvement. There are numerous models of reflective writing and you should refer to your subject guidelines for your expected format. If there is no specific framework, a simple model to help frame your thinking is What? So what? Now what?   (Rolfe et al., 2001).

Table 20.3 What? So What? Now What? Explained.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs’ Cycle of reflection encourages you to consider your feelings as part of the reflective process. There are six specific steps to work through. Following this model carefully and being clear of the requirements of each stage, will help you focus your thinking and reflect more deeply. This model is popular in Health.

The 4 R’s of reflective thinking

This model (Ryan and Ryan, 2013) was designed specifically for university students engaged in experiential learning.  Experiential learning includes any ‘real-world’ activities including practice led activities, placements and internships.  Experiential learning, and the use of reflective practice to heighten this learning, is common in Creative Arts, Health and Education.

Annotated Bibliography

What is it.

An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of appropriate sources (books, journals or websites) on a topic, accompanied by a brief summary, evaluation and sometimes an explanation or reflection on their usefulness or relevance to your topic. Its purpose is to teach you to research carefully, evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. An annotated bibliography may be one part of a larger assessment item or a stand-alone assessment piece. Check your task guidelines for the number of sources you are required to annotate and the word limit for each entry.

How do I know what to include?

When choosing sources for your annotated bibliography it is important to determine:

• The topic you are investigating and if there is a specific question to answer
• The type of sources on which you need to focus
• Whether they are reputable and of high quality

What do I say?

Important considerations include:

• Is the work current?
• Is the work relevant to your topic?
• Is the author credible/reliable?
• Is there any author bias?
• The strength and limitations (this may include an evaluation of research methodology).

Literature Reviews

It is easy to get confused by the terminology used for literature reviews. Some tasks may be described as a systematic literature review when actually the requirement is simpler; to review the literature on the topic but do it in a systematic way. There is a distinct difference (see Table 20.4 ). As a commencing undergraduate student, it is unlikely you would be expected to complete a systematic literature review as this is a complex and more advanced research task. It is important to check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure of the requirements.

Table 20.4 Comparison of Literature Reviews

Generally, you are required to establish the main ideas that have been written on your chosen topic. You may also be expected to identify gaps in the research. A literature review does not summarise and evaluate each resource you find (this is what you would do in an annotated bibliography). You are expected to analyse and synthesise or organise common ideas from multiple texts into key themes which are relevant to your topic (see Figure 20.10 ). Use a table or a spreadsheet, if you know how, to organise the information you find. Record the full reference details of the sources as this will save you time later when compiling your reference list (see Table 20.5 ).

Overall, this chapter has provided an introduction to the types of assignments you can expect to complete at university, as well as outlined some tips and strategies with examples and templates for completing them. First, the chapter investigated essay assignments, including analytical and argumentative essays. It then examined case study assignments, followed by a discussion of the report format. Reflective writing , popular in nursing, education and human services, was also considered. Finally, the chapter briefly addressed annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of your assignment writing skills.

• Not all assignments at university are the same. Understanding the requirements of different types of assignments will assist in meeting the criteria more effectively.
• There are many different types of assignments. Most will require an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• An essay should have a clear and logical structure and use formal but reader friendly language.
• Breaking your assignment into manageable chunks makes it easier to approach.
• Effective body paragraphs contain a topic sentence.
• A case study structure is similar to an essay, but you must remember to provide examples from the case or scenario to demonstrate your points.
• The type of report you may be required to write will depend on its purpose and audience. A report requires structured writing and uses headings.
• Reflective writing is popular in many disciplines and is used to explore feelings, experiences, opinions or events to discover what learning or understanding has occurred. Reflective writing requires more than description. You need to be analytical, consider what has been learnt and evaluate the impact of this on future actions.
• Annotated bibliographies teach you to research and evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. They may be part of a larger assignment.
• Literature reviews require you to look across the literature and analyse and synthesise the information you find into themes.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ryan, M. & Ryan, M. (2013). Theorising a model for teaching and assessing reflective learning in higher education.  Higher Education Research & Development , 32(2), 244-257. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2012.661704

Academic Success Copyright © 2021 by Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

7 Types Of Assignments In Online Courses

Types Of Assignments

1. reflections or journals                                             .

Are you in need of a high-quality, 100% plagiarism free essay or online class help? Place your order and get 100% original work.

3. Research paper

4. discussion boards, 6. literature review.

• Introduction-offers background information on the topic
• Body: discusses the source and the concepts discussed
• Conclusion: recommendations of what could be included or changed in the future to improve the contents

7. Case study

What do good online assignments contain.

• Thought-provoking
• A clear motive
• Direct criteria for assessment
• Clear instructions
• Easily accessible 
• Relevant to the course content
• Utilize the internet as a learning environment

5 Tips You Help You Pass Every Online Course Assignment

1. have a schedule, 2. visualize your future, 3. reach out to peers and instructors, 4. cultivate discipline, 5. use online resources, about our services.

• Affordable rates- our essays are charged on a bidding system, and our coursework tutoring is also quite affordable. This is because we believe in reasonable pricing, which you request a quote for here and compare with similar firms.
• Prowess in multiple majors- no matter what you are studying, we can handle it. We have tutors who are skilled in diverse subjects, ranging from biology to literature. As such, we have a large clientele who keep coming back for the quality offered.
• 24/7 customer care-you can contact us anytime, especially if you are running behind your deadline and want a tutor to handle your work immediately.
• Free revisions-if you would like any tweaks to your work, feel free to contact us and we will get the edited version back to you in no time.
• Refund policy-if there is no room for revisions; you can request a refund, and a customer support agent will reach out to discuss it with you.
• Timely deliveries-before we accept an order, we check to ensure that we can deliver within the timeframe you specify to avoid disappointments. For urgent orders, we have a slightly higher price but can guarantee quality and quick completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. i missed the deadline on my online course assignment. can i still submit it, 2. i plan on studying an online course independently. which platform should i choose, 3. i live in a different time zone so it’s hard for me to adjust to a new routine. what tips can you offer.

• Use caffeine products like coffee to stay awake but in moderation.
• Develop a sleep schedule.
• Practice the night before starting classes. This gives you practice and helps you initiate the proper sleep schedule moving forward.
• Limit exposure to sunlight after classes to help you sleep.
• Inform those you live with to  minimize noise and movement during your new sleeping hours

4. I am tired of online learning but I am not in a position for full-time in-person schooling. What are my options?

5. will i get a certificate after completing my online course, 6. i missed one test on my online course. will i fail, do you need any homework, essay writing or online class help.

Meet the author

Melanie is a seasoned writer with more than 8 years of experience. She is passionate about academia and works off the clock to ensure she write the topnotch content for her readers.

Get Homework Help Now

Related posts.

• »50 Captivating College Essay Prompts
• »100 Capstone Project Ideas
• »Guide on How to Write a PESTLE Analysis
• »How to Write an Essay Outline
• »How to Write Attention Grabbing Essay Hook
• »100 Best Conclusion Paragraph Starters
• »How to Pass and Prepare GED Tests
• »Why I Want to be a Nurse Essay
• »Special Occasion Speech Topics
• »100 Cause and Effect Essay Topics and Ideas
• »How to Finish ALEKS Courses Fast and Pass
• »How To Choose The Best Online Course
• »The Epic of Gilgamesh Summary
• »How to Write a Catchy Advertisement Analysis Essay
• »How To Write A Research Paper
• »How To Pass Your Online Courses
• »How To Write A Lab Report
• »Words to Start a Paragraph
• »Why You Should Hire An Online Class Helper
• »How to Cheat ExamSoft
• »How to Get Free Chegg Answers
• »Difference between Primary and Secondary Sources
• »10 Best Free Math Solvers For Students
• »How To Get Free Coursehero Answers
• »How to Write an Observation Essay
• »10 Reasons to Hire an Online Statistics Helper
• »How to Write a Peer Review
• »Tips for Introducing Yourself in an Online Class
• »How to Start a Captivating Scholarship Essay
• »Differences Between Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
• »How To End A College Essay
• »How To Write A Personal Statement For Nursing
• »Why Math is Important

Why Choose Us

• 100% Original Work
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Unlimited Free Revisions
• Experienced Writers
• Real-time Communication
• Affordable Prices
• Deadline Guaranteed

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

10 Types of Assignments in Online Degree Programs

Learn What to Expect

Experts say online degree programs are just as rigorous as those offered on campus. Prospective online students should expect various types of coursework suited for a virtual environment, such as discussion boards or wikis, or more traditional research papers and group projects .

Here are 10 types of assignments you may encounter in online courses.

Read or Watch, Then Respond

An instructor provides a recorded lecture, article or book chapter and requires students to answer questions. Students generally complete the assignment at their own pace, so long as they meet the ultimate deadline, Bradley Fuster, associate vice president of institutional effectiveness at SUNY Buffalo State , wrote in a recent U.S. News blog post .

Discussion Boards

The discussion forum is a major part of many online classes, experts say, and often supplements weekly coursework. Generally, the professor poses a question, and students respond to the prompt as well as each other. Sometimes, students must submit their own post before seeing classmates' answers.

"Good response posts are response posts that do not only agree or disagree," Noam Ebner, who then led the online graduate program in negotiation and conflict resolution at Creighton University 's law school, told U.S. News in 2015. "When you read another student's post, you have the ability to expand the conversation."

Group Projects

Just because online students may live around the world doesn't mean they won't complete group work. Students may use Google Docs to edit assignments, email to brainstorm ideas and software such as Zoom to videoconference. Katy Katz, who earned an online MBA in 2013 at Benedictine University in Illinois, used both Skype and a chat feature in her online classroom to communicate with classmates.

"That was a good way for our instructor to see that everyone was participating," she told U.S. News in 2015. "Any planning we did -- if there were going to be changes to meeting times -- we would communicate in that chat area."

Virtual Presentations

Students may also give either live or recorded presentations to their classmates. At Colorado State University--Global Campus , for example, students use various video technologies and microphones for oral presentations, or software such as Prezi for more visual assignments, says Karen Ferguson, the online school's vice provost.

Oftentimes, Ferguson says, "They're using the technology that they will use in their field."

Like on-campus courses, online courses may have exams , depending on the discipline. These may be proctored at a local testing center, or an actual human may monitor online students through their webcam. Companies such as ProctorU make this possible.

In other cases, students may take online exams while being monitored by a computer. Automated services including ProctorTrack can keep track of what's happening on an online student's screen in case there are behaviors that may indicate cheating.

Research Papers

Formal research papers, wrote Buffalo State's Fuster, remain common in online courses, as this type of writing is important in many disciplines, especially at the graduate level .

While there are few differences between these assignments for online and on-ground courses, online students should ensure their program offers remote access to a university's library and its resources, which may include live chats with staff, experts say.

Case Studies and Real-World Scenarios

When it comes to case studies, a reading or video may provide detailed information about a specific situation related to the online course material, Fuster wrote. Students analyze the presented issues and develop solutions.

Real-world learning can also take other forms, says Brian Worden, manager of curriculum and course development for several schools at the for-profit Capella University . In online psychology degree programs, students may hold mock therapy sessions through videoconferencing. In the K-12 education online master's program , they create lesson plans and administer them to classmates.

These are particularly useful in online courses where students reflect on personal experiences, internships or clinical requirements , Fuster wrote. Generally, these are a running dialogue of a student's thoughts or ideas about a topic. They may update their blogs throughout the course, and in some cases, their classmates can respond.

These allow students to comment on and edit a shared document to write task lists, answer research questions, discuss personal experiences or launch discussions with classmates. They are particularly beneficial when it comes to group work, Fuster wrote.

"A blog, a wiki, even building out portfolios -- we see a lot of those in communications, marketing and some of our business programs ," says Ferguson, of CSU--Global. "You may not see as much of that in accounting," for example, where students focus more on specific financial principles.

A journal assignment allows an online student to communicate with his or her professor directly. While topics are sometimes assigned, journals often enable students to express ideas, concerns, opinions or questions about course material, Fuster wrote.

More About Online Education

Learn more about selecting an online degree program by checking out the U.S. News 2017 Best Online Programs rankings and exploring the Online Learning Lessons blog.

For more advice, follow U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook .

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at [email protected] .

• Privacy Policy

Home » Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Assignment is a task given to students by a teacher or professor, usually as a means of assessing their understanding and application of course material. Assignments can take various forms, including essays, research papers, presentations, problem sets, lab reports, and more.

Assignments are typically designed to be completed outside of class time and may require independent research, critical thinking, and analysis. They are often graded and used as a significant component of a student’s overall course grade. The instructions for an assignment usually specify the goals, requirements, and deadlines for completion, and students are expected to meet these criteria to earn a good grade.

History of Assignment

The use of assignments as a tool for teaching and learning has been a part of education for centuries. Following is a brief history of the Assignment.

• Ancient Times: Assignments such as writing exercises, recitations, and memorization tasks were used to reinforce learning.
• Medieval Period : Universities began to develop the concept of the assignment, with students completing essays, commentaries, and translations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
• 19th Century : With the growth of schools and universities, assignments became more widespread and were used to assess student progress and achievement.
• 20th Century: The rise of distance education and online learning led to the further development of assignments as an integral part of the educational process.
• Present Day: Assignments continue to be used in a variety of educational settings and are seen as an effective way to promote student learning and assess student achievement. The nature and format of assignments continue to evolve in response to changing educational needs and technological innovations.

Types of Assignment

Here are some of the most common types of assignments:

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument, analysis, or interpretation of a topic or question. It usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Essay structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and thesis statement
• Body paragraphs : each paragraph presents a different argument or idea, with evidence and analysis to support it
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and reiterates the thesis statement

Research paper

A research paper involves gathering and analyzing information on a particular topic, and presenting the findings in a well-structured, documented paper. It usually involves conducting original research, collecting data, and presenting it in a clear, organized manner.

Research paper structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the paper, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the paper’s main points and conclusions
• Introduction : provides background information on the topic and research question
• Literature review: summarizes previous research on the topic
• Methodology : explains how the research was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the research
• Discussion : interprets the results and draws conclusions
• Conclusion : summarizes the key findings and implications

A case study involves analyzing a real-life situation, problem or issue, and presenting a solution or recommendations based on the analysis. It often involves extensive research, data analysis, and critical thinking.

Case study structure:

• Introduction : introduces the case study and its purpose
• Background : provides context and background information on the case
• Analysis : examines the key issues and problems in the case
• Solution/recommendations: proposes solutions or recommendations based on the analysis
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points and implications

A lab report is a scientific document that summarizes the results of a laboratory experiment or research project. It typically includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Lab report structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the experiment, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the purpose, methodology, and results of the experiment
• Methods : explains how the experiment was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the experiment

Presentation

A presentation involves delivering information, data or findings to an audience, often with the use of visual aids such as slides, charts, or diagrams. It requires clear communication skills, good organization, and effective use of technology.

Presentation structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and purpose of the presentation
• Body : presents the main points, findings, or data, with the help of visual aids
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and provides a closing statement

Creative Project

A creative project is an assignment that requires students to produce something original, such as a painting, sculpture, video, or creative writing piece. It allows students to demonstrate their creativity and artistic skills.

Creative project structure:

• Introduction : introduces the project and its purpose
• Body : presents the creative work, with explanations or descriptions as needed
• Conclusion : summarizes the key elements and reflects on the creative process.

Examples of Assignments

Following are Examples of Assignment templates samples:

Essay template:

I. Introduction

• Hook: Grab the reader’s attention with a catchy opening sentence.
• Background: Provide some context or background information on the topic.
• Thesis statement: State the main argument or point of your essay.

II. Body paragraphs

• Topic sentence: Introduce the main idea or argument of the paragraph.
• Evidence: Provide evidence or examples to support your point.
• Analysis: Explain how the evidence supports your argument.
• Transition: Use a transition sentence to lead into the next paragraph.

III. Conclusion

• Restate thesis: Summarize your main argument or point.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your essay.
• Concluding thoughts: End with a final thought or call to action.

Research paper template:

I. Title page

• Title: Give your paper a descriptive title.
• Author: Include your name and institutional affiliation.
• Date: Provide the date the paper was submitted.

II. Abstract

• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of your research.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct your research.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of your research.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions of your research.

III. Introduction

• Background: Provide some background information on the topic.
• Research question: State your research question or hypothesis.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your research.

IV. Literature review

• Background: Summarize previous research on the topic.
• Gaps in research: Identify gaps or areas that need further research.

V. Methodology

• Participants: Describe the participants in your study.
• Procedure: Explain the procedure you used to conduct your research.
• Measures: Describe the measures you used to collect data.

VI. Results

• Quantitative results: Summarize the quantitative data you collected.
• Qualitative results: Summarize the qualitative data you collected.

VII. Discussion

• Interpretation: Interpret the results and explain what they mean.
• Implications: Discuss the implications of your research.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of your research.

VIII. Conclusion

• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your paper.

Case study template:

• Background: Provide background information on the case.
• Research question: State the research question or problem you are examining.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the case study.

II. Analysis

• Problem: Identify the main problem or issue in the case.
• Factors: Describe the factors that contributed to the problem.
• Alternative solutions: Describe potential solutions to the problem.

III. Solution/recommendations

• Proposed solution: Describe the solution you are proposing.
• Rationale: Explain why this solution is the best one.
• Implementation: Describe how the solution can be implemented.

IV. Conclusion

• Summary: Summarize the main points of your case study.

Lab report template:

• Title: Give your report a descriptive title.
• Date: Provide the date the report was submitted.
• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of the experiment.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct the experiment.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of the experiment.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions
• Background: Provide some background information on the experiment.
• Hypothesis: State your hypothesis or research question.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the experiment.

IV. Materials and methods

• Materials: List the materials and equipment used in the experiment.
• Procedure: Describe the procedure you followed to conduct the experiment.
• Data: Present the data you collected in tables or graphs.
• Analysis: Analyze the data and describe the patterns or trends you observed.

VI. Discussion

• Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of the experiment.

VII. Conclusion

• Restate hypothesis: Summarize your hypothesis or research question.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your report.

Presentation template:

• Attention grabber: Grab the audience’s attention with a catchy opening.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your presentation.
• Overview: Provide an overview of what you will cover in your presentation.

II. Main points

• Main point 1: Present the first main point of your presentation.
• Supporting details: Provide supporting details or evidence to support your point.
• Main point 2: Present the second main point of your presentation.
• Main point 3: Present the third main point of your presentation.
• Summary: Summarize the main points of your presentation.
• Call to action: End with a final thought or call to action.

Creative writing template:

• Setting: Describe the setting of your story.
• Characters: Introduce the main characters of your story.
• Rising action: Introduce the conflict or problem in your story.
• Climax: Present the most intense moment of the story.
• Falling action: Resolve the conflict or problem in your story.
• Resolution: Describe how the conflict or problem was resolved.
• Final thoughts: End with a final thought or reflection on the story.

How to Write Assignment

Here is a general guide on how to write an assignment:

• Understand the assignment prompt: Before you begin writing, make sure you understand what the assignment requires. Read the prompt carefully and make note of any specific requirements or guidelines.
• Research and gather information: Depending on the type of assignment, you may need to do research to gather information to support your argument or points. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites.
• Organize your ideas : Once you have gathered all the necessary information, organize your ideas into a clear and logical structure. Consider creating an outline or diagram to help you visualize your ideas.
• Write a draft: Begin writing your assignment using your organized ideas and research. Don’t worry too much about grammar or sentence structure at this point; the goal is to get your thoughts down on paper.
• Revise and edit: After you have written a draft, revise and edit your work. Make sure your ideas are presented in a clear and concise manner, and that your sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly.
• Proofread: Finally, proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It’s a good idea to have someone else read over your assignment as well to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
• Submit your assignment : Once you are satisfied with your work, submit your assignment according to the instructions provided by your instructor or professor.

Applications of Assignment

Assignments have many applications across different fields and industries. Here are a few examples:

• Education : Assignments are a common tool used in education to help students learn and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic, to develop critical thinking skills, and to improve writing and research abilities.
• Business : Assignments can be used in the business world to assess employee skills, to evaluate job performance, and to provide training opportunities. They can also be used to develop business plans, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
• Journalism : Assignments are often used in journalism to produce news articles, features, and investigative reports. Journalists may be assigned to cover a particular event or topic, or to research and write a story on a specific subject.
• Research : Assignments can be used in research to collect and analyze data, to conduct experiments, and to present findings in written or oral form. Researchers may be assigned to conduct research on a specific topic, to write a research paper, or to present their findings at a conference or seminar.
• Government : Assignments can be used in government to develop policy proposals, to conduct research, and to analyze data. Government officials may be assigned to work on a specific project or to conduct research on a particular topic.
• Non-profit organizations: Assignments can be used in non-profit organizations to develop fundraising strategies, to plan events, and to conduct research. Volunteers may be assigned to work on a specific project or to help with a particular task.

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of an assignment varies depending on the context in which it is given. However, some common purposes of assignments include:

• Assessing learning: Assignments are often used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic or concept. This allows educators to determine if a student has mastered the material or if they need additional support.
• Developing skills: Assignments can be used to develop a wide range of skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and communication. Assignments that require students to analyze and synthesize information can help to build these skills.
• Encouraging creativity: Assignments can be designed to encourage students to be creative and think outside the box. This can help to foster innovation and original thinking.
• Providing feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback to students on their progress and performance. Feedback can help students to understand where they need to improve and to develop a growth mindset.
• Meeting learning objectives : Assignments can be designed to help students meet specific learning objectives or outcomes. For example, a writing assignment may be designed to help students improve their writing skills, while a research assignment may be designed to help students develop their research skills.

When to write Assignment

Assignments are typically given by instructors or professors as part of a course or academic program. The timing of when to write an assignment will depend on the specific requirements of the course or program, but in general, assignments should be completed within the timeframe specified by the instructor or program guidelines.

It is important to begin working on assignments as soon as possible to ensure enough time for research, writing, and revisions. Waiting until the last minute can result in rushed work and lower quality output.

It is also important to prioritize assignments based on their due dates and the amount of work required. This will help to manage time effectively and ensure that all assignments are completed on time.

In addition to assignments given by instructors or professors, there may be other situations where writing an assignment is necessary. For example, in the workplace, assignments may be given to complete a specific project or task. In these situations, it is important to establish clear deadlines and expectations to ensure that the assignment is completed on time and to a high standard.

Characteristics of Assignment

Here are some common characteristics of assignments:

• Purpose : Assignments have a specific purpose, such as assessing knowledge or developing skills. They are designed to help students learn and achieve specific learning objectives.
• Requirements: Assignments have specific requirements that must be met, such as a word count, format, or specific content. These requirements are usually provided by the instructor or professor.
• Deadline: Assignments have a specific deadline for completion, which is usually set by the instructor or professor. It is important to meet the deadline to avoid penalties or lower grades.
• Individual or group work: Assignments can be completed individually or as part of a group. Group assignments may require collaboration and communication with other group members.
• Feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for feedback from the instructor or professor. This feedback can help students to identify areas of improvement and to develop their skills.
• Academic integrity: Assignments require academic integrity, which means that students must submit original work and avoid plagiarism. This includes citing sources properly and following ethical guidelines.
• Learning outcomes : Assignments are designed to help students achieve specific learning outcomes. These outcomes are usually related to the course objectives and may include developing critical thinking skills, writing abilities, or subject-specific knowledge.

Advantages of Assignment

There are several advantages of assignment, including:

• Helps in learning: Assignments help students to reinforce their learning and understanding of a particular topic. By completing assignments, students get to apply the concepts learned in class, which helps them to better understand and retain the information.
• Develops critical thinking skills: Assignments often require students to think critically and analyze information in order to come up with a solution or answer. This helps to develop their critical thinking skills, which are important for success in many areas of life.
• Encourages creativity: Assignments that require students to create something, such as a piece of writing or a project, can encourage creativity and innovation. This can help students to develop new ideas and perspectives, which can be beneficial in many areas of life.
• Builds time-management skills: Assignments often come with deadlines, which can help students to develop time-management skills. Learning how to manage time effectively is an important skill that can help students to succeed in many areas of life.
• Provides feedback: Assignments provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their work. This feedback can help students to identify areas where they need to improve and can help them to grow and develop.

Limitations of Assignment

There are also some limitations of assignments that should be considered, including:

• Limited scope: Assignments are often limited in scope, and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. They may only cover a specific aspect of a topic, and may not provide a full picture of the subject matter.
• Lack of engagement: Some assignments may not engage students in the learning process, particularly if they are repetitive or not challenging enough. This can lead to a lack of motivation and interest in the subject matter.
• Time-consuming: Assignments can be time-consuming, particularly if they require a lot of research or writing. This can be a disadvantage for students who have other commitments, such as work or extracurricular activities.
• Unreliable assessment: The assessment of assignments can be subjective and may not always accurately reflect a student’s understanding or abilities. The grading may be influenced by factors such as the instructor’s personal biases or the student’s writing style.
• Lack of feedback : Although assignments can provide feedback, this feedback may not always be detailed or useful. Instructors may not have the time or resources to provide detailed feedback on every assignment, which can limit the value of the feedback that students receive.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Research Methodology – Types, Examples and...

Research Paper – Structure, Examples and Writing...

Tables in Research Paper – Types, Creating Guide...

Dissertation – Format, Example and Template

Table of Contents – Types, Formats, Examples

Context of the Study – Writing Guide and Examples

• Columbia University in the City of New York
• Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
• University Policies
• Columbia Online
• Academic Calendar
• Resources and Technology
• Instructional Technologies
• Teaching in All Modalities

Designing Assignments for Learning

The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning meant that many instructors reimagined their assessment practices. Whether adapting existing assignments or creatively designing new opportunities for their students to learn, instructors focused on helping students make meaning and demonstrate their learning outside of the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting. This resource distills the elements of assignment design that are important to carry forward as we continue to seek better ways of assessing learning and build on our innovative assignment designs.

On this page:

Rethinking traditional tests, quizzes, and exams.

• Examples from the Columbia University Classroom
• Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

Reflect On Your Assignment Design

Connect with the ctl.

• Resources and References

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021). Designing Assignments for Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/designing-assignments/

Traditional assessments tend to reveal whether students can recognize, recall, or replicate what was learned out of context, and tend to focus on students providing correct responses (Wiggins, 1990). In contrast, authentic assignments, which are course assessments, engage students in higher order thinking, as they grapple with real or simulated challenges that help them prepare for their professional lives, and draw on the course knowledge learned and the skills acquired to create justifiable answers, performances or products (Wiggins, 1990). An authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to practice, consult resources, learn from feedback, and refine their performances and products accordingly (Wiggins 1990, 1998, 2014). 

Authentic assignments ask students to “do” the subject with an audience in mind and apply their learning in a new situation. Examples of authentic assignments include asking students to: 

• Write for a real audience (e.g., a memo, a policy brief, letter to the editor, a grant proposal, reports, building a website) and/or publication;
• Solve problem sets that have real world application; 
• Design projects that address a real world problem; 
• Engage in a community-partnered research project;
• Create an exhibit, performance, or conference presentation ;
• Compile and reflect on their work through a portfolio/e-portfolio.

Noteworthy elements of authentic designs are that instructors scaffold the assignment, and play an active role in preparing students for the tasks assigned, while students are intentionally asked to reflect on the process and product of their work thus building their metacognitive skills (Herrington and Oliver, 2000; Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2013; Frey, Schmitt, and Allen, 2012). 

It’s worth noting here that authentic assessments can initially be time consuming to design, implement, and grade. They are critiqued for being challenging to use across course contexts and for grading reliability issues (Maclellan, 2004). Despite these challenges, authentic assessments are recognized as beneficial to student learning (Svinicki, 2004) as they are learner-centered (Weimer, 2013), promote academic integrity (McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, 2021; Sotiriadou et al., 2019; Schroeder, 2021) and motivate students to learn (Ambrose et al., 2010). The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning is always available to consult with faculty who are considering authentic assessment designs and to discuss challenges and affordances.   

Examples from the Columbia University Classroom 

Columbia instructors have experimented with alternative ways of assessing student learning from oral exams to technology-enhanced assignments. Below are a few examples of authentic assignments in various teaching contexts across Columbia University. 

• E-portfolios: Statia Cook shares her experiences with an ePorfolio assignment in her co-taught Frontiers of Science course (a submission to the Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning initiative); CUIMC use of ePortfolios ;
• Case studies: Columbia instructors have engaged their students in authentic ways through case studies drawing on the Case Consortium at Columbia University. Read and watch a faculty spotlight to learn how Professor Mary Ann Price uses the case method to place pre-med students in real-life scenarios;
• Simulations: students at CUIMC engage in simulations to develop their professional skills in The Mary & Michael Jaharis Simulation Center in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center in the Columbia School of Nursing; 
• Experiential learning: instructors have drawn on New York City as a learning laboratory such as Barnard’s NYC as Lab webpage which highlights courses that engage students in NYC;
• Design projects that address real world problems: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy on the Engineering design projects completed using lab kits during remote learning. Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy talk about his teaching and read the Columbia News article . 
• Writing assignments: Lia Marshall and her teaching associate Aparna Balasundaram reflect on their “non-disposable or renewable assignments” to prepare social work students for their professional lives as they write for a real audience; and Hannah Weaver spoke about a sandbox assignment used in her Core Literature Humanities course at the 2021 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium . Watch Dr. Weaver share her experiences.  

​Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

While designing an effective authentic assignment may seem like a daunting task, the following tips can be used as a starting point. See the Resources section for frameworks and tools that may be useful in this effort.  

Align the assignment with your course learning objectives 

Identify the kind of thinking that is important in your course, the knowledge students will apply, and the skills they will practice using through the assignment. What kind of thinking will students be asked to do for the assignment? What will students learn by completing this assignment? How will the assignment help students achieve the desired course learning outcomes? For more information on course learning objectives, see the CTL’s Course Design Essentials self-paced course and watch the video on Articulating Learning Objectives .  

Identify an authentic meaning-making task

For meaning-making to occur, students need to understand the relevance of the assignment to the course and beyond (Ambrose et al., 2010). To Bean (2011) a “meaning-making” or “meaning-constructing” task has two dimensions: 1) it presents students with an authentic disciplinary problem or asks students to formulate their own problems, both of which engage them in active critical thinking, and 2) the problem is placed in “a context that gives students a role or purpose, a targeted audience, and a genre.” (Bean, 2011: 97-98). 

An authentic task gives students a realistic challenge to grapple with, a role to take on that allows them to “rehearse for the complex ambiguities” of life, provides resources and supports to draw on, and requires students to justify their work and the process they used to inform their solution (Wiggins, 1990). Note that if students find an assignment interesting or relevant, they will see value in completing it. 

Consider the kind of activities in the real world that use the knowledge and skills that are the focus of your course. How is this knowledge and these skills applied to answer real-world questions to solve real-world problems? (Herrington et al., 2010: 22). What do professionals or academics in your discipline do on a regular basis? What does it mean to think like a biologist, statistician, historian, social scientist? How might your assignment ask students to draw on current events, issues, or problems that relate to the course and are of interest to them? How might your assignment tap into student motivation and engage them in the kinds of thinking they can apply to better understand the world around them? (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Determine the evaluation criteria and create a rubric

To ensure equitable and consistent grading of assignments across students, make transparent the criteria you will use to evaluate student work. The criteria should focus on the knowledge and skills that are central to the assignment. Build on the criteria identified, create a rubric that makes explicit the expectations of deliverables and share this rubric with your students so they can use it as they work on the assignment. For more information on rubrics, see the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics into Your Grading and Feedback Practices , and explore the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). 

Build in metacognition

Ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the assignment. Help students uncover personal relevance of the assignment, find intrinsic value in their work, and deepen their motivation by asking them to reflect on their process and their assignment deliverable. Sample prompts might include: what did you learn from this assignment? How might you draw on the knowledge and skills you used on this assignment in the future? See Ambrose et al., 2010 for more strategies that support motivation and the CTL’s resource on Metacognition ). 

Provide students with opportunities to practice

Design your assignment to be a learning experience and prepare students for success on the assignment. If students can reasonably expect to be successful on an assignment when they put in the required effort ,with the support and guidance of the instructor, they are more likely to engage in the behaviors necessary for learning (Ambrose et al., 2010). Ensure student success by actively teaching the knowledge and skills of the course (e.g., how to problem solve, how to write for a particular audience), modeling the desired thinking, and creating learning activities that build up to a graded assignment. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills they will need for the assignment, whether through low-stakes in-class activities or homework activities that include opportunities to receive and incorporate formative feedback. For more information on providing feedback, see the CTL resource Feedback for Learning . 

Communicate about the assignment 

Share the purpose, task, audience, expectations, and criteria for the assignment. Students may have expectations about assessments and how they will be graded that is informed by their prior experiences completing high-stakes assessments, so be transparent. Tell your students why you are asking them to do this assignment, what skills they will be using, how it aligns with the course learning outcomes, and why it is relevant to their learning and their professional lives (i.e., how practitioners / professionals use the knowledge and skills in your course in real world contexts and for what purposes). Finally, verify that students understand what they need to do to complete the assignment. This can be done by asking students to respond to poll questions about different parts of the assignment, a “scavenger hunt” of the assignment instructions–giving students questions to answer about the assignment and having them work in small groups to answer the questions, or by having students share back what they think is expected of them.

Plan to iterate and to keep the focus on learning 

Draw on multiple sources of data to help make decisions about what changes are needed to the assignment, the assignment instructions, and/or rubric to ensure that it contributes to student learning. Explore assignment performance data. As Deandra Little reminds us: “a really good assignment, which is a really good assessment, also teaches you something or tells the instructor something. As much as it tells you what students are learning, it’s also telling you what they aren’t learning.” ( Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode 337 ). Assignment bottlenecks–where students get stuck or struggle–can be good indicators that students need further support or opportunities to practice prior to completing an assignment. This awareness can inform teaching decisions. 

Triangulate the performance data by collecting student feedback, and noting your own reflections about what worked well and what did not. Revise the assignment instructions, rubric, and teaching practices accordingly. Consider how you might better align your assignment with your course objectives and/or provide more opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will rely on for the assignment. Additionally, keep in mind societal, disciplinary, and technological changes as you tweak your assignments for future use. 

Now is a great time to reflect on your practices and experiences with assignment design and think critically about your approach. Take a closer look at an existing assignment. Questions to consider include: What is this assignment meant to do? What purpose does it serve? Why do you ask students to do this assignment? How are they prepared to complete the assignment? Does the assignment assess the kind of learning that you really want? What would help students learn from this assignment? 

Using the tips in the previous section: How can the assignment be tweaked to be more authentic and meaningful to students? 

As you plan forward for post-pandemic teaching and reflect on your practices and reimagine your course design, you may find the following CTL resources helpful: Reflecting On Your Experiences with Remote Teaching , Transition to In-Person Teaching , and Course Design Support .

The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is here to help!

For assistance with assignment design, rubric design, or any other teaching and learning need, please request a consultation by emailing [email protected] . 

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework for assignments. The TILT Examples and Resources page ( https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources ) includes example assignments from across disciplines, as well as a transparent assignment template and a checklist for designing transparent assignments . Each emphasizes the importance of articulating to students the purpose of the assignment or activity, the what and how of the task, and specifying the criteria that will be used to assess students. 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) offers VALUE ADD (Assignment Design and Diagnostic) tools ( https://www.aacu.org/value-add-tools ) to help with the creation of clear and effective assignments that align with the desired learning outcomes and associated VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). VALUE ADD encourages instructors to explicitly state assignment information such as the purpose of the assignment, what skills students will be using, how it aligns with course learning outcomes, the assignment type, the audience and context for the assignment, clear evaluation criteria, desired formatting, and expectations for completion whether individual or in a group.

Villarroel et al. (2017) propose a blueprint for building authentic assessments which includes four steps: 1) consider the workplace context, 2) design the authentic assessment; 3) learn and apply standards for judgement; and 4) give feedback. 

References 

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., & DiPietro, M. (2010). Chapter 3: What Factors Motivate Students to Learn? In How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching . Jossey-Bass. 

Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., and Brown, C. (2013). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 39(2), 205-222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566 .  

Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Frey, B. B, Schmitt, V. L., and Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. 17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829  

Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., and Oliver, R. (2010). A Guide to Authentic e-Learning . Routledge. 

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. 

Litchfield, B. C. and Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 142 (Summer 2015), 65-80. 

Maclellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 29(3), June 2004. DOI: 10.1080/0260293042000188267

McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus. June 2, 2021. 

Mueller, J. (2005). The Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning through Online Faculty Development . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 1(1). July 2005. Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox is available online. 

Schroeder, R. (2021). Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment . Inside Higher Ed. (February 26, 2021).  

Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., and Guest, R. (2019). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skills development and employability. Studies in Higher Education. 45(111), 2132-2148. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1582015    

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (November 25, 2020). Authentic Assignments with Deandra Little. (Episode 337). In Teaching in Higher Ed . https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/authentic-assignments/  

Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 100 (Winter 2004): 23-29. 

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S, Bruna, D., Bruna, C., and Herrera-Seda, C. (2017). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43(5), 840-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396    

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice . Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Wiggins, G. (2014). Authenticity in assessment, (re-)defined and explained. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/authenticity-in-assessment-re-defined-and-explained/

Wiggins, G. (1998). Teaching to the (Authentic) Test. Educational Leadership . April 1989. 41-47. 

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment . Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 2(2). 

Wondering how AI tools might play a role in your course assignments?

See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”

This website uses cookies to identify users, improve the user experience and requires cookies to work. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University's use of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice .

• [email protected]

Get Instant Help From 5000+ Experts For

11 common types of assignments in online courses. get help now.

Assignments in online courses are of great advantage to students who pursue digital learning.  These assignments allow students to apply the learned information and prepare them to improvise their skills. Most of the assignments in an online course are graded and define the success of the course. Therefore, students search the web for an assignment help.

As a student, you can opt for the option ‘take my online course’ and seek an assignment help from a reliable writing source such as helpwithassignment.com . However, it is important that you are aware of the 11 common types of Assignment in Online Courses.

11 Types of Assignments in Online Courses

Assignments in general may seem burdensome. However, they are quite enriching and test your learning abilities and encourage you to reflect on your lessons. Assignments in an online course come with conveniences that are suitable for you. They offer opportunities that guide you to explore beyond the classroom walls. There are individual as well as group assignments in an online course.

Discussion Writing

Discussion writing assignments enable students to have a deeper level of understanding on the topic by sharing their thoughts and reflecting on others. To test the learned information in an online course, you will be asked to write discussion assignments. Since a face-to-face instruction is absent, a narrative of your thoughts on the topic should be posted in an online discussion board. On the discussion board there will be exchange of responses between you and your peers who have signed up for the same course.

Group Projects 

Like discussion writing, in a group project there will be an exchange of perspectives between individual and the group. Students will be required to finish the required task with their group on a stipulated time. Although this may seem time-consuming, group projects are worthwhile as they equip you with collaborative skills in a learning environment. You will also understand perspectives from people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Quiz, Test and Exams

Like traditional classrooms, online courses have quizzes and exams too. This is to evaluate if the student has learnt the course material efficient enough to recall it.  Usually quizzes and tests have multiple choices, while some may require you to write essays. They may come with or without a time limit. Do not get anxious with this kind of assignment as your instructors will be friendly enough to help you with feedback.

In case-specific assignments, a problem or phenomenon is presented to which students must provide a solution. The problem may be a real-life event or hypothetical situation. Students are required to analyze the issue and resolve the conflict accordingly. By doing so, you will improve your analytical skills to comprehend and solve real-life situations. This type of online assignment will give you clarity on why you are asked to learn a lesson and apply them to encounter complex situations in the future.

Reflective Journals

Reflective journal is an assignment where a student can share close communication with the instructor regarding a specific topic. This kind of assignment helps students to revisit the learnt topic using critical skills for a deeper understanding of the same. In a reflective journal you can post opinions, concerns, ideas and analysis pertaining to the class. It provides the freedom to think deeply and draw connection to what you already know.

Blog Writing

A blog is a public platform where an individual or a group can share their perceptions, ideas and opinions on a specific topic. New information on the learnt topic is added consistently by the students. This kind of assignment provides readers, the freedom to respond to the blog posts in the form of comments. Blog writing is qualitatively different from journals and academic papers. It is a platform where you can reflect and provide meaningful personal input your learning. The blog posts created by the individual student or a group will be documented with author name, title and date.

Visual Analysis

In visual analysis, students are presented with charts or videos and are instructed to analyze the visuals. The main aim of visual analysis is to test your ability to grasp the required information in a visual format. Pictorial representation of information will create mind maps in students and improve their reflection skills. It is particularly beneficial for those students who are visual learners. If you are a visual learner, you will find this online assignment really amusing!

Mind Mapping

In a traditional classroom, students are suggested to develop a note-taking habit for better understanding of the topic. Similarly, in online courses mind mapping assignments are given for students to note the points in more creative and logical manner. Students are free to choose an organizational structure to note down the important pointers using symbols, lines, colors, words, images and so on. Doing so, will enable you to narrow down a large information into a memorable, colorful and creative map.

Report Writing

Report writing is crucial for students whose choice of study requires them to conduct field studies.  If you’re chosen study is research or business oriented, your online course will ask you to write a report writing assignment. Report writing assignment will train students to put down their field experiences in an organizational format. Even if this is not necessary, online courses keep report writing assignment as mandatory to keep students aware of the various processes in their respective field of study.

Research paper

Students pursuing higher studies online are required to formulate a research paper. A research paper is a formal presentation of the in-depth study conducted on a specific thesis. Students are instructed to write their research papers by strictly adhering to the format and using references from authentic sources. Writing an original research paper will add more credit to the student. However, while taking up a research paper assignment you must ensure to have access to the university library.

Literature Review

In a literature review assignment, students are asked to read information from journals, books or articles and share their input on the same. Like traditional classrooms, students who opt for online courses are instructed to do a considerable amount of reading. By doing so, you will learn and understand on the sources that are linked to the topic of your study. Literature review will also enhance your researching ability.

These are the few types assignments in an online course among many. The kind of assignment mainly depends on the course that you have chosen. If you still find online assignment writing difficult, then do not worry. You can still take up your desired course and seek for an assignment help. Helpwithassignment.com is the #1 reliable source for online assignment help . At helpwithassignment.com , we will guide you in writing any kind of assignment online. Name any kind of assignment and we provide step-by-step assistance in completion of your online course.

Online assignment – a platform for effective learning

An online assignment is a testing ground which evaluates the understanding levels of a student. These assignments help you learn the topics in-depth so that you have good clarity on your study. An online assignment comes with the following benefits.

• Enriches students with analytical and communication skills that are necessary for the work environment
• Encourages students to develop a regular reading habit by allowing them to submit assignments consistently
• Enables the students to have a one-to-one communication with their instructor, which is often difficult in a traditional classroom due to time constraint
• Teaches the importance of holistic approach, by encouraging students to understand and respect the opinions of other students via collaborative forums
• Emphasizes on voicing out individual perspective on the study topic

Unlike traditional classrooms, you have the freedom to opt for an assignment help to complete you online assignment. At helpwithassignment.com we will assist you in completion of your course, by taking up your online assignment. With our professional expertise you can avail good-quality assistance without any worry. Therefore, sit back and take deep breaths while we assist you.

Get Help Now

Fill up the assignment help request form on the right or drop us an email at  [email protected] . Feel free to contact our customer support on the company 24/7 Live chat or call us on 312-224-1615.

https://www.saintleo.edu/blog/what-types-assignments-expect-online-course

Teaching with Blogs

https://www.kent.edu/onlineteaching/resources-online-assignments

https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/assignment-design/types-of-learning-activities

Book Your Assignment

Recent Posts

How To Prepare An Excellent Thesis Defense?

How to restate a thesis – a detailed guide, explanatory thesis: examples and guide for clear writing, how to write 3 types of thesis statements, how to effectively prepare for your thesis defense, popular categories, get assignment help from subject matter experts.

4.7/5 rating | 10,000+ happy students | Great tutors 24/7

ONLINE TO HELP YOU 24X7

OR GET MONEY BACK!

OUT OF 38983 REVIEWS

Writing Guide: Types of Assignments & Best Practices

• Home & Appointments
• Types of Assignments & Best Practices
• Tables & Figures
• Thesis & Project Guide

The most common types of writing assignments you will encounter at MLTS

• How to approach a writing assignment
• Expository writing & research papers
• Compare & Contrast paper
• Book & Literature Reviews
• Reflective writing
• Online discussion posts
• Thesis/Project

As a graduate student, you will be assigned a variety of types of writing projects.  A good rule of thumb in approaching any writing project is to ask yourself: for whom am I writing and why?  Or, who is my audience and what do they expect from my writing?  Your assignments will almost invariably require you to make one or more arguments.   A good argument is well-written, logical, and supported by evidence.

Expository writing involves understanding, explaining, analyzing, and/or evaluating a topic.  It includes your standard graduate school essay, book review, or research paper where your instructor requires you to analyze and/or study a topic.  In general, your audience for such assignments will be your course instructor. You can think of such writing assignments as your instructor asking you to make an argument.  Your instructor wants to gauge your creative thinking skills and how well you understand the course material by seeing how well you can make an argument related to that material.  Remember: a good argument is well-written, logical, and supported by evidence.

An expository paper is therefore not about you (at least not directly); it is about the facts you have learned and researched and the argument you have built from those facts. Therefore, unless you are quoting someone, you should avoid using first person pronouns (the words I, me, my, we, us, our ) in your writing.  Let your facts and arguments speak for themselves instead of beginning statements with "I think" or "I believe."

A compare & contrast assignment is a type of expository & research paper assignment.  It is important to organize your writing around the themes you are comparing & contrasting.  If, for example, you are assigned to compare & contrast, say, Augustine's Confessions and The Autobiography of Malcolm X , a common mistake students make is to write the first part of their essay strictly about Augustine's Confessions , and the second part of the essay strictly about The Autobiography of Malcolm X .  In a good compare & contrast essay, you instead explore an issue in every paragraph or two, and show how, in this case, both Augustine & Malcolm X share common ground or differ on that issue.  Then, move onto another issue and show how both Augustne and Malcolm X covered it.

Unless your instructor directs you otherwise, you should not use first person pronouns ( I, me, my ) in such a paper.

A book review assignment is meant to be an analysis of a book, not a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book.  Instead of organizing your paper sequentially (the first paragraph is about chapter 1, the second paragraph is about chapter 2, etc.), organize your paragraphs around the themes of the book that are thread throughout the book.  Topics to consider in a book review include (but are not limited to):

• What are the author's arguments, and how successful is she in making those arguments?
• What sort of sources does the author utilize?
• What methodology/methodologies does the author utilize?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?

A literature review is similar to a book review assignment in that it is meant to be an analysis of a theme or themes across several books/articles.   What have various authors written about your topic?   That said, as you will typically have less space to talk about each work (perhaps a paragraph or less for each work as opposed to multiple pages), you might end up moving from one author's findings to another.  For a literature review in a thesis, think of a literature review as a mini-essay within your broader thesis with its own mini-introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion.

Unless your instructor directs you otherwise, book reviews and literature reviews should be written like expository & research papers.  In particular, you should not use first person pronouns ( I, me, my ).  So, instead of writing: "I think this book is a good analysis of ___," write: "This book is a good analysis of ___."

Reflective essays are especially common in theology courses.  Reflective writing requires that you explicitly write about yourself and your own views.  To put it another way, you typically have two audiences to write for in such an assignment: your instructor and yourself.   As such, and unlike a standard expository paper, such essays require you to write about yourself using first person pronouns ( I, me, my) and use statements like “I think” and “I believe.”  Otherwise, a reflective essay shares a lot with expository writing.  You are still making arguments, and you still need evidence from cited sources!  Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you should still include a good title, introduction paragraph, thesis statement, conclusion, and bibliography.

For online courses, you will likely have to take part in classroom or group discussions online, in which you will be encouraged or even required to respond to your classmates.  Such writing assignments often include a reflective element. Discussion posts are almost always shorter than essays and as such may not need long introductions or conclusions.  That said, a discussion post is not like a Facebook or social media post!  Good discussion posts are long and well-written enough to convey one or more thoughtful, insightful observations; you cannot just "like" someone else's post or only write "Good job!"  If you decide to challenge or critique a classmate’s post—and you are certainly encouraged to do so!—you should do so in a respectful and constructive manner.   As your main audience for online discussions are your own classmates and, to a lesser extent, your instructor, it is often okay to use relatively more informal language and to refer to yourself using first person pronouns ( I, me, my ).  Finally, as with reflective essays, discussion posts still benefit from evidence.  Even if a discussion post is relatively less formal than an essay, if you quote, paraphrase, or draw ideas from outside sources, you still must cite them!  If the online medium does not allow for footnotes, use parenthetical references for citations (see chapter 19 of Turabian).

Those of you taking preaching courses or earning a DMin degree will have to write and submit your sermons. On one hand, your main audience for such a writing assignment is the congregation to whom you may preach.  The language, tone, message, level of detail, etc. of a good sermon will depend on the precise context of your congregation and the message you want to impart.  Therefore, unlike an expository essay or a reflective essay, you have a lot more freedom in how you chose to organize your sermon, as well as how formal or not you want the language to be.

On the other hand, in submitting such assignments, you also have a secondary audience: your instructor.  As such, you may still need to include citations, even if you would not read them out loud in your sermon.  In submitting a sermon as an assignment, you may also need to include some sort of write up or commentary, which your instructor may require to be expository and/or reflective in nature.

Those of you earning an MAR or DMin will finish your coursework by proposing, researching, writing, and defending a thesis or project.   A thesis/project should be an original contribution to your field of study.  To put it another way, the audience for your thesis/project is not just your advisor, but the broader academic and/or ministerial community.   A good thesis/project can go on to become the first draft of a published academic journal article or a chapter or two of a book.  Your thesis/project should be largely expository, but it may also include reflective sections.

It is never too early to start thinking about what you want to do for your thesis/project! You can try to make your thesis/project writing process easier by writing your course papers on topics within or adjacent to what you think you want to do for your thesis/project; that said, if you do so, you will need to cite these earlier works in your final thesis.   See our citation guide for help with that.

For more information on writing a thesis or project, from choosing a topic to submitting it, check out our Thesis & Project Guide .

Tips for Composing Good Academic Prose

• Proofread, proofread, proofread!
• Find evidence to support your thesis statement from good quality sources
• Use quotations as evidence, not filler
• Be careful not to turn long sentences into run-on sentences
• Relatively longer paragraphs are generally better than short ones
• Make sure your paper flows well from one idea to the next
• When possible, avoid using the passive voice
• Be precise and crystal-clear in your statements and arguments
• Use the present tense when paraphrasing an author or setting up a quotation
• Use repetition of words carefully

First and most importantly: Proofread your paper over before you submit it to make sure that it reads well and is without errors!  Read your paper over as you are writing it.  Check over your work with spell check.  Before you submit it, read it over one last time to catch anything you missed.  If possible, consider reading the work out loud: you will be more likely to spot problems in your writing than if you read it in your head.  If you are able to do so, ask a friend or schedule an appointment with the Writing Center for a review.  Another pair of eyes can often spot a mistake or problem that the writer has overlooked.

Find evidence to support your thesis from good quality sources.   Your research and writing should be based on the study of reputable primary and secondary sources.  Typically, this means books published by academic presses and academic journal articles.  Wikipedia, YouTube, random websites, and dictionary entries are generally not considered to be good sources for academic writing, although there are instances when it is acceptable to use and cite them, like if you were researching how topics in Black theology are represented or misrepresented on Wikipedia.  If you need help in finding good resources for your paper, consult a librarian.

Quotations are meant to be evidence to support your argument; they are not filler to meet a length requirement.   While you must quote and paraphrase sources, you should not quote or paraphrase more than you need.  When possible, consider paraphrasing over quoting.  Keep in mind that your writing assignments are supposed to showcase your thinking and writing, not the thinking and writing of whoever you are citing.

Be careful not to turn long sentences into run-on sentences.   Long sentences are not always bad: when well-written, a long sentence can read better and help convey complex ideas better than a series of short sentences.  A run-on sentence, on the other hand, occurs when multiple sentences are inappropriately lumped into a single sentence.  Therefore, when reading your paper over, keep an eye out for any sentence that you can break into multiple sentences.

Relatively longer paragraphs are generally better than short ones.   If your paragraph is three sentences or less, consider if you can write more about that paragraph's topic or incorporate it into another paragraph.  If a paragraph represents one idea, then a longer paragraph typically shows that you have better considered and flushed out that idea.  That said, if your paragraph is longer than a page, you could probably shorten it or break it into two paragraphs.

Make sure your paper flows well from one idea to the next.   Does your third paragraph make sense following your second paragraph?  Do you drop ideas and only pick them up much later?  Cut and paste sentences and paragraphs around as necessary.

When possible, avoid using the passive voice.   This can be tricky!  The passive voice is when you use the verb “to be” next to and in conjunction with another verb to make the object of the sentence into the subject.  For example, compare the active sentence: “Kate Turabian wrote the book” to its passive equivalent: “The book was written by Kate Turabian.”  Grammatically speaking, in the latter, passive sentence, "The book" is the subject, even though in a real world active sense, it is the object.

Writers consider passive sentences not as good because, like in the above example, they can be wordier than necessary and take the focus off the real subject. There are exceptions in which it is good to use the passive voice. For example, if you were writing an article about Kate Turabian, it would be better to write: “Kate Turabian was born in 1893” instead of “Kate Turabian’s mother gave birth to her in 1893.”  The former sentence keeps Kate Turabian, the focus of the paper, as the subject, while the latter sounds a little weird (maybe English speakers are too squeamish, but we typically do not recount someone's birth in that way).

At its worst, the passive voice can obscure the subject and make facts unclear. Consider the sentence: "Jackie Robinson's signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 was considered a crucial moment in the Civil Rights movement." With the passive voice, the reader does not know who exactly considered that so?  Did all Americans in 1946 think this?  Did some specific people come to recognize it later?  Compare that sentence to: "Martin Luther King, Jr. considered Jackie Robinson's signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 a crucial moment in the Civil Rights movement."

Be precise and crystal-clear in your statements and arguments.   Similar to how the passive voice can make facts unclear, overly general language can make for weak arguments.  Consider the argument: "Many people now support same-sex marriage."  Many people?  Which people?  "Many" and "people" are very general terms and do not tell us much in this statement; the more specific you can be, the better your argument:

• Despite official church statements, many American Catholics now support same-sex marriage.
• [Specific number]% of Chicagoans now support same-sex marriage.
• Many South African theologians, including [so-and-so] and [so-and so], now support same-sex marriage.

In general, use the present tense when paraphrasing an author or setting up a quotation.  While you should use the past tense when writing about events in the past, you should in general use the present tense when discussing a scholar's writing.  Scholarship is a ongoing discussion.  When you read and discuss an author's work, that author is making an argument right now in the present, even if she is dead.  So, do not write:

   Carl Jung wrote: "The psyche...    Carl Jung said, "The psyche...    Carl Jung argued that...

but instead:

   Carl Jung writes: "The psyche...    Carl Jung says, "The psyche...    Carl Jung argues that...

Use repetition of words carefully.   When done well, repeating words can sound good and emphasize ideas.  When done poorly, repetition sounds monotonous. Avoid, for example, starting too many sentences or paragraphs with the same word, or overutilizing the same verb.  If you need help in bringing variety to your word choices, purchase a thesaurus or check out thesaurus.com .

• << Previous: Formatting
• Next: Tables & Figures >>
• Last Updated: Jun 12, 2024 8:52 AM
• URL: https://library.meadville.edu/writing

Meadville Lombard Wiggin Library 180 N. Wabash Ave. Suite 625  Chicago, IL 60601

Library and Archives Phone:  312-546-6488          Library Email : [email protected]         Archives Email : [email protected]

• CONTACT SALES
• TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• Contact sales
• Technical support

Valuable capabilities of the #1 choice generative learning platform. Learn about AI, automation, gamification, course creation to delivery, and more.

Everything from employee training to customer training, career growth to hybrid learning, certification to compliance, and more.

Explore valuable best practices from CYPHER's customers, featuring insightful videos and expert advice.

The powers of LMS, LXP, and course development in one platform.

Research, videos, and resources to your AI questions!

9 Types of assignments teachers can create in their LMS to evaluate student progress

By CYPHER Learning

Assignments are an essential part of the evaluation process. They are also one of the most time-consuming tasks for teachers. Creating different types of assignments takes time and patience. You have to think about each class and tailor the content, instructions, and requirements based on their level. Afterward, you have to invest at least twice as much time checking and grading your students’ work.

Isn’t there an easier way to do all these, speed up the evaluation process and save time grading papers? The answer is yes and the solution comes in the form of a learning management system (LMS). Learn what different types of assignments these e-learning tools support and how they can ease your work and help you save time.

Why use the different types of assignments you can find in an LMS?

LMSs offer plenty of choices when it comes to student evaluation. In fact, one of the main reasons why you would use an LMS in the first place is that it makes evaluation easy through automation and helps you save time, whether you’re teaching remotely, face-to-face or using a hybrid model . There’s a wide range of LMS features that help you:

• Assign different projects, tasks, and challenges; 
• Automatically evaluate students via different types of assignments; 
• Get results in real-time with zero grading effort; 
• Generate result reports to track student progress; 
• Make sure students are on track to achieve their learning goals. 

Let’s focus on the types of assignments LMSs offer and how they can benefit you and your students.

How to use LMS assignments?

Teachers from all backgrounds can learn how to use LMS assignments fast and with minimum technical skills. Most platforms offer guides and tutorials on this topic, which comes down to a few clicks.

Adding a new assignment in an LMS usually involves the following simple steps:

• Go to the assignments section in the LMS;
• Open the list of assignment options;
• Select the type that interests you;
• Enter a name for the assignment;
• Add the instructions students should follow to complete it;
• Configure your assignment (e.g. choose the number of attempts for a quiz, add a rubric, add competencies );
• Save your changes to create the assignment.

Once the assignment is created, you can start using it to test your students’ knowledge. You can use the same assignment over and over again. You can also import or copy-paste content to save time creating written assignments .

As students start completing their assignments, you will simply have to check their progress on the platform. Assignments such as quizzes are automatically graded based on your data input (the answers you marked as correct when creating the assignment).

What types of assignments can you create with an LMS?

The types of assignments in school teachers usually create are perfectly mirrored in most modern LMSs. For example, maybe you rely heavily on essays. These types of writing assignments are available in a more user-friendly format if you use an LMS and students can submit them as soon as they are done. There’s no need to use an email or print and hand them in.

Some platforms offer more than a dozen different types of assignments. To make the most of these features, you should go through all the available options in your LMS. Afterward, you’ll know which assignments suit your teaching methodology and your students’ needs and you can only focus on those.

Here is a list of the most common types of LMS assignments you can come across:

Quizzes are the quickest way to assess student knowledge. They can be graded automatically as long as you also add the correct answers when creating a quiz. Of course, you can also add freeform questions where students need to provide more input and you have to check each answer individually.

Quizzes take little time to set up. You can manually add questions and answers or import existing questions from your LMS database, if available. There are different types of questions an LMS typically offers:

• True or false – students can choose between answers A or B;
• Multiple choice – questions with one or several correct answers;
• Fill in the blank – students have to type in one or more words;
• Freeform – students have to write lengthier answers and can add attachments such as a Word file, an image or a video/audio file;
• Matching – teachers create matching patterns between items; students have to find the corresponding items;
• Arithmetic – these include mathematical operations; students have to provide the results.

Here’s a student view of a quiz:

They also enable students to self-evaluate their skills . Once they're done with a lesson, they can take the quiz at the end. If the score is below expectations, they can resume parts of that lesson they didn't fully understand. Quizzes are some of the most important types of assignments used in teaching because they are short, they usually take a few minutes, easy to complete with little instructions and easy to check and grade, especially in an LMS.

Essays are larger freeform assignments. Students can use the HTML editor and start writing their essays. Teachers will automatically see the most recently submitted assignments and can check and grade them. The whole experience is more practical as you don't need to carry around and take home dozens of papers or check your email constantly.

Digital essays are among the assignments students find most engaging . These types of writing assignments also boost their tech skills. Working on digital essays is similar to writing and posting in WordPress, for example. Moreover, students can also add attachments to essay assignments such as PowerPoint presentations or Word documents.

3. Offline assignments

These are the traditional ways to evaluate students. For example, you can ask students to read an essay or book, which is a task they complete offline at their own pace. Then, once the students finish the task, they can mark it as complete. You can evaluate them in the classroom through a Socratic semina r, oral or paper-based test. Afterward, come back to the LMS to enter the results to have a centralized view of your students' grades and progress.

You can easily configure surveys in an LMS once you know what information you want to get from your students. Using surveys to ask for student feedback is a great way to constantly improve your teaching methods and get closer to your students

In an LMS, you can use surveys with multiple answers where students will simply have to check the answers that suit them. You can also create freeform surveys where students have to provide written feedback.

Read more: 8 Ways surveys help school leaders make better decisions

5. Discussions

These are fun assignments your students will probably love. Discussions mimic the online experience they enjoy while engaging in group conversations on online forums , public chats and social media.

LMSs allow you to create discussion threads on different topics. Once the thread is open, all the students that make part of a group you authorize for that discussion can post comments. You can supervise and actively moderate the discussion and assign points or even grade students based on their participation.

6. Team assignments

Team assignments are exactly what their name suggests – tasks you assign to a group of students instead of each individual. These are among the assignment types you should be aware of if you teach college students . College life is the bridge between school and work. It must prepare students for their careers and equip them with future-ready skills .

With these types of assignments, you can encourage student collaboration in the classroom and not only. Students can collaborate on these tasks outside the formal teaching environment, at their own pace, with the help of the LMS.

When creating a team assignment, you also set up a group on the platform . Each team will have a dedicated group where only that team's members can participate in discussions and share resources. Teachers have access to all the groups. Each group will represent the team's virtual workspace. Here, they can chat on a public thread, share resources, attachments, ideas and keep each other updated on the projects' development.

After the project is completed, students can submit it online via the platform. They can upload one or more files for their submission and use different file formats, including PDFs, videos, images and Word documents.

Debates are great for social learning. They are engaging and promote group cohesion and teamwork in the classroom . Moreover, debates boost students’ critical thinking skills at an individual level.

When setting up a debate assignment in an LMS, you provide a proposition. Based on your proposition and any other indications you might want to add, students have to offer for and against arguments.

Students will add their arguments in writing. This is a convenient solution for remote university programs. You could bring together different groups of students that normally have different schedules and don’t attend the same classes.

Read more: 7 Outside of the box ideas for teaching students who don’t like writing

8. Google assignments

If you use this LMS feature, you also need to use several other tools and accounts that integrate with Google. These assignments require you and your students to have a Google email account.

There are several elements you can use while configuring a Google assignment:

• Maximum score;
• Grading scale;
• Maximum number of attempts;
• Start date and due date.

You will also need to provide specific instructions for each type of assignment. When students complete these assignments, they do it via the Google Assignments site . This is also where teachers are directed to check and grade student work. However, the grades are instantly added to the LMS as well. Also, the Google assignments site can be accessed directly from the LMS, so there is no back and forth, the whole process is streamlined.

Google assignments are an excellent way to assess students in a fast, quiz-style way. If you already use other Google tools in your school, that will make it easy to create and submit these assignments.

9. H5P assignments

H5P learning resources and assignments are also available via LMSs. The H5P feature allows you to create engaging content and embed additional resources such as videos. Configuring H5P assignments is similar to working on other LMS assignments such as quizzes. You can personalize them with different scores, grading scales, choose the number of attempts for each assignment, etc. To launch these assignments, students only have to click on a “play” button and follow your instructions.

Bonus: Other handy tools for assessing students via an LMS

Besides the most common types of LMS assignments, these systems also feature other useful assessment tools, such as:

• Attendance assignments

These are correlated to points students can get based on their participation in classroom activities. The LMS allows you to register different attendance-related insights such as:

• The time of arrival in the classroom;
• If they left earlier;
• The times when they were excused;
• How many classes they didn’t attend.

All these details matter and you can quantify and transform them into extra points to award for participation.

• SCORM assignments

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model . If an assignment meets the SCORM standard in the LMS industry, it means users can share it on any platform. Any type of assignment on your LMS can be a SCORM assignment. You can fetch data from quizzes, for example.

SCORM assignments work like third-party content you create with different other tools, for example, Adobe Captivate or PowerPoint. Then, you can import the assignment on the LMS as a Zip file. SCORM allows you to create more interactive, animated content and upload it on the platform.

This is a helpful tool you can use for writing assignments. It allows you to check essays for plagiarism. The tool also verifies if the citations students included in their work are correct. This cloud-based service allows you to compare their texts against a rich internet database.

It also helps you grade their work and ask for peer review. Turnitin offers originality reports to see how much effort students have put into creating authentic, well-documented essays.

Unicheck is another plagiarism tool you can rely on to compare your students’ work against a live web index. Unicheck only needs a few seconds to check a text for plagiarism. It also works with several documents simultaneously.

More precisely, you can run five essays at a time through this plagiarism detection tool. The results are easily displayed, and you can use almost any type of text format with this tool.

Read more: Building a culture of academic integrity in a remote learning environment

LTI stands for Learning Tools Interoperability . This feature allows you to integrate other learning tools with the LMS when you teach and assess students. For example, you can create engaging video-based assignments with the LTI feature. You can also use LTI to create customized assignments for your students.

LMSs offer teachers a quick and easy way to assess and grade students. These systems eliminate time-consuming and tedious paper grading tasks. Once an assignment is created, you can use it repeatedly. You can choose from various assignments that grab students' attention and are fun to complete, such as quizzes, debates, surveys, or team assignments.

Some automated assignments make results available immediately after students submit their work. This allows them to quickly understand their competency level and put in more effort to improve, if necessary. Teachers also get a quick centralized overview of their students' results and can easily export them as reports or apply grade changes.

All in all, LMSs offer different types of assignments that make evaluation quick, engaging and easy both for students and teachers.

Get valuable resources and tips monthly. Subscribe to the newsletter. Don't miss out .

Subscribe to our newsletter, you may also like.

What’s the point of NFT in education and why should teachers care?

How parents can set up a productive home learning space for students

A Comprehensive Zoom Guide

Popular types of assignments for online classes.

During COVID 19 period, many students consider choosing types of online courses rather than face-to-face engagements. However, online students always worry about the online assignments for students they will come across. Those who are used to the face-to-face way of teaching may also be shocked by the most common online course assignments offered. Fortunately, homework services at domyhomework123.com can help you cope with any kind of assignments you ever get.

The following are some of the online assignments for students that instructors give in a virtual class.

• Research paper assignments

Research paper assignments are the most common college paper assignments online students should expect. Writing for research is a skill that every college student should always possess. Research writing requires you to produce original work free from plagiarism. The originality of work is what the lecturer test in these assignments.

• Writing journals

One of the online assignments for students is writing journals. Most instructors give online students this kind of assignment to act as private communication between the student and the instructor. These journals allow students to express their ideas, opinions, and thoughts about online course assignments. 

• Writing for blogs

Blogs are common college paper assignments that instructors give students. Blogs enable students to write about various topics concerning types of online course and tips on how to do my coursework online. This idea of writing blogs is best for online students because they can read and comment about what colleagues have written. Blogs are good for online students who wish to reflect upon their lives.

• Watch, read, and offer a response

Offering a response to material that you read or watched is one of the common online assignments for students in college. The instructors give you recorded lectures, PowerPoints, and articles to read and watch and then answer some questions at the end. A deadline for the online students; is communicated before all the common college paper assignments are submitted. This type of assignment allows students to read at their speed provided they adhere to the deadlines.

• Assignments on Wikis

Many students who ask how to do my coursework online should expect to find assignments on wikis. These assignments are for group works. This type of online course requires students to edit and comment on a document shared by the instructor. Then write research questions, start discussions with colleagues and come with a list of tasks.

• Online exams

Online students should expect online course assignments and exams. The students can access the online exams through the google classroom app. The students are then connected to zoom or google meet and monitored with the use of a webcam. Online students can do multiple-choice questions that are timed and strictly monitored.

Many students are opting for several types of online course. If you are planning to enroll in online course assignments, then expect to do online assignments for students; wikis, writing journals, writing blogs, and even doing online exams via the google classroom app.  There are many other online assignments for students apart from the ones this article has tackled. Students should find out, but first, read the points given in this article to understand what you expect when you enroll in an online class.

Browse Course Material

Course info.

• Prof. Bruno Perreau

Departments

• Global Studies and Languages

As Taught In

• International Literature
• Cultural Anthropology

Learning Resource Types

North america through french eyes, assignments.

Students are required to give one individual oral presentation limited to 10 minutes. Students will also have to speak to the class during their oral presentation (not to read a pre-written text).

Composition finale

One final creative paper: students will write the same short story (same characters, same plot…) twice: the first set in France, the second in the U.S.

Questions courtes

Short-answer papers consisting of a half-page answer to the weekly question.

Catherine Cusset, New York Journal d’un Cycle . Mercure de France, 2009, pp. 13–17.

• Pensez-vous que la narratrice aime New York ? Expliquez pourquoi.

Simone de Beauvoir, L’Amérique au jour le jour : 1947 . Gallimard, 1997, pp. 50–54. Extrait : « Ceux de Français qui adorent … arrogance et haine. »

• Paris ressemble-t-elle à une ville américaine ?

Jean Baudrillard, Amérique . Livre de Poche, 1988, pp. 50–53 and 76–77. Extrait : « Halloween … l’espace est spacious dans leur tête aussi » and  « L’Amerique est … autres y croient aussi. »

• Selon vous, pourquoi certain/es Français/es détestent-ils les États-Unis ?

Alexis de Tocqueville, De la démocratie en Amérique (1835–1840) . Extrait : « Une Constitution américaine n’est point… beaucoup diminué les dangers de ce pouvoir. » 

• Quel événement symbolise, selon vous, l’influence de la France en Amérique et pourquoi ?

Victor Hugo, « Les États-Unis d’Europe » (1849)

• Argumentez contre les États-Unis d’Europe

De Gaulle et l’OTAN, Discours et lettres (1959-1966) ; Charles de Gaulle, « Vive le Québec libre ! » (24 juillet 1967) ; Discours de Nicolas Sarkozy sur la réintégration de l’OTAN (archive INA) ; Discours de Dominique de Villepin d’opposition à la guerre en Irak (YouTube).

• La France est-elle une Nation indépendante ?

Question 7 

Serge Regourd, L’exception culturelle, Paris, PUF, coll. Que sais-je ? (2004), pp. 3-10.

• Internet est-il un outil de propagande américain ?

Question 8 

Darren Star, Emily in Paris (2020).

• Identifiez un lieu de la série et interrogez la façon dont il est présenté

James Baldwin, La chambre de Giovanni (1956). Rivage, 1998, pp. 42–49. Extrait : « Guillaume se tenait … permettre la moindre action. »

• Dans le texte de Baldwin, pourquoi les personnages utilisent-ils des stéréotypes culturels ?

Question 10

Bruno Perreau, Sphères d’injustice. Pour un universalisme minoritaire (2023). pp 147–156.

• Êtes-vous favorable à l’ affirmative action et pourquoi ?

You are leaving MIT OpenCourseWare

You must enable JavaScript in order to use this site.