what is a quest assignment

Welcome to Quest Quest provides tools to incorporate online multimedia content and assessments into your course. This hybrid of in-class and online teaching can take on many forms:

Flipped Classroom Quest provides lecture content to students online before class and the classroom time is saved for case studies, problem solving, demonstrations, etc. The linked assessment feature assures students have seen the content and reveals their level of understanding of the material.

Online Content Quest prepares students for lectures with prerequisite knowledge. Feedback from the assessment highlights areas that may need emphasis.

Pre-Lab Quest can offer pre-laboratory exercises that demonstrate what occurs in experiments. This preparation and assessment can increase safety in the laboratory also.

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Assignments are story Quests in Monster Hunter World (MHW) . Players will need to complete these quest to progress the story, access the game, and increase their Hunter Rank (HR).

MHW Assignments

These are the story quests of the base game. Players do not need the expansion to complete these quests, that go from Low Rank to High Rank.

  All assignments have a 50 minutes time limit and the "Faint 3 times" failure conditions.

Master Rank Assignments

Yo could someone tell me if dragonbone stabber is any good for the kushala daora quest

Help me with nergigante pls

Ik this isn't the topic but can I have tips on pink rathian fight

Ich check es nicht. Ich habe iceborn komplett durch alle quest fertig aber bleibe auf Mr 49 hängen, und es steigt einfach nicht

With the kirin quest for base game are you sure there's nothing else cause I can't get past 50 so...

Did y'all know you can "fix the website" yourselves if you know what is wrong with one of the pages since this is a wiki? Lots of people put lots of paidless effort into this, don't be a ****ing Customer when you're not even paying to use the website. Please.

Love how we chase nergigante the complete history of the game, even in iceborne.

can't understand why the game tried to give you a feeling that it kind of ended once zora was send into the sea, when that aint even half of it

You don’t have to because it’s pretty much complete unless I’m wrong but adding the parts where you look for tracks. Again I don’t really see the point but why not

I can defeat a great jagras in 20 sec. also I'm star 7 but I am trying to defeat nergigante

Good job! If possible, add more details to the "Big Burly Bash" quest, because it seems kinda incomplete. Thanks!

You missed Shara ishvalda

THEIR ARE NO MISTAKES ANYMORE SO NO NEED TO KEEP COMPLAINING

Missed hunt a tzi tzi yaku between a ballooning problem and one for history book

Forgot the Beotoadus mission. Don't be incompitent. Fix your website. Add the proper information.

So there are no more quests after the tempered Kirin? What do I do now?

No hunt you can kill or capture where slay is you can only kill it meaning the monster is uncapture able

Aren't slay and hunt the same thing tho

I still think they made a mistake by making Legiana AFTER Radobaan, like we already been to Rotten Vale but then before Legiana quest they keep saying stuffs like they've never been there

Old monster in the new world is pink rathian

Into the Bowels of the Vale is the odogaron mission

Hunt assignment for the odogaron is missing.

Are quest HR ranks accurate here? Been looking for an assigned quest guide/list with the ranks and some pages i've looked at have been slightly different. As far as I can tell they are accurate but i'm only on the sixth story mission so don't know any farther than that. Thanks.

I took the liberty to redo the entire page, now to fill all these quests...

Who picked the format for this page? Its totally asinine to try to split the quests up this way. Whats wrong with just 2 columns of "low rank" and "high rank"?

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Using Quests in Project-Based Learning

Questlines—learning pathways that are both personalized and differentiated—build choice into any lesson.

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Student choice and voice are components of what the Buck Institute for Education considers the gold standard of a project-based learning unit because giving students choice can pique motivation and engagement.

Student choice also connects to self-determination theory. According to Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, there are three drivers of self-determination : autonomy (the perception of being in control), competence (feeling capable to achieve), and relatedness (social belongingness).

Choice-based learning is an approach some teachers use to apply self-determination theory to motivate students. More than giving students a menu of assignments to select from, choice-based learning is a flavor of gamification that uses a questline structure to present learning as a series of pathways. (Questlines are common in video games—players unlock parts of a map as they achieve goals or master levels. The map may unlock in nonlinear paths that lead to one or a few end goals.)

Student Choice and Questlines

Basically, questlines are learning pathways that are both personalized and differentiated. In a lesson plan, questlines should resemble an upside-down tree (like a family tree), starting with limited choices which then branch outward with more choices—in other words, choices are scaffolded so you don’t overwhelm your students.

To build questlines, start small. Try a project-based learning lesson that already has a menu of options or choices. For example, if you’re an English language arts teacher, you can create quests themed on genres of fiction or literary devices. Science and math teachers can begin by teaching facts and then branch off to quests in which students can apply what they’ve learned and mastered to real world contexts.

It’s easy to create questlines for students if you already have assignments that break down topics into a menu of choices. For example, you can convert a project-based learning lesson into a mission—perhaps students become time-traveling detectives, miniaturized doctors inside a human body, or Cold War spies.

I adapted a unit designed to teach about life in the Middle Ages in Europe. Because I had already written it as a project-based learning unit, it was simple to adapt to a questline structure. To start, all students were given the same narrative hook. They then watched a content-aligned BrainPOP video and answered basic, fundamental questions. Next, they selected subtopics to explore, ranging from the feudal system to the Crusades to the role of the Church in daily life. Subsequent questline branches then fanned outward (again, like a family tree) as students were given even more choices on what they wanted to learn about and what they wanted to make for their culminating projects. These ranged from building worlds in Minecraft to recording podcasts to writing historical fiction stories.

Tools and Platforms

With choice-based lessons, you can do low-tech planning with Post-it notes, or digital planning using mind-mapping tools such as Popplet or Bubbl.us . Then branch out with different activities and reflections pertaining to your content. Students should turn in reflections at the end of each quest.

There are quite a few tools and platforms to help teachers create choice-based learning. Educator Enrique Cachafeiro uses hyperlinks (links that jump to different webpages) to create questlines. For instance, he combined ThingLink—which lets users pin links to digital images—with the learning management system Canvas to create assignments such as a biology-themed quest . Cachafeiro has also shared the lessons he has learned about gamification.

There are several learning management systems that include quests. Rezzly (formerly 3D GameLab) was one of the first to include branched quests. It features an area where teachers can share and remix lessons. Deck.Toys , another platform, is highly visual. There are free and paid options, and a gallery of lessons shared.

Classcraft , which has both Google Classroom and Microsoft Office 365 integration, just added quests this past fall. Easy to set up, its quests feature colorful maps that allow teachers to drag and drop pins (a capability similar to the one in Google Maps) as assignments. These pins can then be connected with arrows. Teachers can also share and remix lessons via peer-to-peer links.

A choice-based approach puts learners in the driver’s seat. The structure of branching pathways gives learners a sense of agency or autonomy. What’s more, quests offer a way to gamify learning that avoids many of the extrinsic trappings sometimes associated with gamification, like point-based leaderboards, that can lead to artificial competition.

Interestingly, some students—more than you might think—will binge quests, completing more than the minimum amount of work (perhaps completing more than one questline, for instance). For fast-finishers, consider side quests. In video games, side quests are mini-missions that accrue points but are peripheral to the overall game story.

Giving students choice by adding quests to lessons is a game-like approach intended to add a sense of autonomy to learning.

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What is a Web Quest? How Do Teachers Use Them?

What's All the Hype?

It seems as if educators are striving to get an Internet connection in their classroom these days. The most common rationale for this movement is to provide students passive access to valuable information. Traditionally, most schools have used libraries as a main source of access and still do.

More recently, schools have discovered the Internet as a source which obviously breaks away from traditionalism. The question remains: Does digital/electronic access to information make a difference in fostering higher order thinking?

The Quest for Knowledge

The Internet, unlike any other medium before it, is interactive and accessible to a great deal of people at once. It has the ability to provide endless amounts of information that can be used to motivate students to conduct investigations on any given topic. As an interactive tool for learning, teachers can use the Internet to stimulate creative thought and guide students to develop critical thinking in their "quest" for knowledge. But, how does a teacher tame the nature of the Internet to provide his/her students with a beneficial learning environment?

The Nature of a Web Quest

One model approach for this dilemma is called a Web Quest developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge of San Diego State University. Simply put, a Web Quest is an inquiry-based activity where students are given a task and provided with access to on-line resources to help them complete the task. It is an ideal way to deliver a lesson over the web. Web Quests are discovery learning tools; they are usually used to either begin or finish a unit of study.

When creating a Web Quest, it is beneficial to be able to make your own web pages. But, it is not necessary. Teachers have delivered fantastic Web Quests in hard copy format.

Over the last five years, the TeAch-nology.com staff has seen a great deal of Web Quests. Some are good, some are great, and some are not worth the time it takes to download. In this tutorial, we will examine the use of Web Quests and qualities of effective Web Quests.

Six Reasons Teachers To Use Web Quests

1. To begin a unit as an anticipatory set (as per Madeline Hunter);

2. To conclude a unit as a summation;

3. As a collaborative activity in which students create a product (fostering cooperative learning);

4. To teach students how to be independent thinkers since most of the problems encountered in a Web Quest are real-world problems;

5. To increase competency in the use of technology; and

6. As a motivational techniques to keep students on task. However, if it proves to be an inefficient method of learning for your particular students (for whatever reasons), don't use it!

Qualities of Effective Web Quests

The Beauty of Web Quests are their flexibility since they can be anything to anyone. This makes it hard to identify a typically effective Web Quest. Nonetheless, we have found that Web Quests that promote learning typically have 6 common attributes.

1. Introduction:

The introduction is a means of providing the students with background information that is intended to be a springboard for them to begin the process of inquiry. One way is to present a simulation that leads students to develop a product/service, evaluate a time period, give advice on a given issue, manage a business situation, engage in a debate, or tackle one of life's challenges.

Formulating challenging questions is the difficult part of developing an effective Web Quest. In most cases, a single question is posed that requires students to analyze a vast array of information. For example, "Compare the leadership styles of George Washington and George Bush," or "You just made a revolutionary invention, what steps would you take to insure that no one can steal your ideas for profit?"

3. Process:

In this section, the teacher leads the student through the task. The teacher offers advice on how to manage time, collect data, and provides strategies for working in group situations. Teachers sometimes label this section: learning objectives or advice. In some cases the section is replaced with a complete time line for the project.

4. Resources:

Students are provided with tools (usually web sites), or leads to tools that can help them complete the task. In order for this to be valuable, a teacher must thoroughly review each source. When deciding on sources consider the following:

a. Only list sites that support the proper view for which you are aiming. For every site that explains how > helpful the rain forest is, there are two sites to explain how bad it is.

b. Make sure all the sites you choose are appropriate and do not link to any inappropriate sites.

c. Make sure the source is credible. Anybody can create a web page. Try to use a commercial (.com), non-profit (.org), or educational organization (.edu) site. These sites have something to lose by providing you with poor content.

d. Make sure the site is up to date.

5. Evaluation:

The outcome for Web Quests is usually a product, in most cases, in form of a written/oral report or multimedia presentation. An effective assessment tool to evaluate a product of a Web Quest is a rubric. Rubrics help make the teacher's expectations clear for students. Ideally, rubrics can be created collaboratively with students' input.

6. Conclusion:

Effective Web Quests have a built in mechanism for student reflections. To receive feedback, you can survey your students about their experience, or have the students send you an e-mail sharing their thoughts.

Where to find Web Quests Resources

Click here for TeAch-nology.com's in-depth review of available Web Quest resources on the Internet.

Make your own FREE web quest either on the web or in hard copy format with TeAch-nology.com web tools. To make a web site click here . To make your own hard copy web quest click here .

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What is Quest: Journey Through the Lifespan?

Quest: Journey Through the Lifespan is an engaging and innovative auto-graded learning game providing students with opportunities to apply content from their human development curriculum to real life whether you are teaching face-to-face or online.

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Did you recognize content you were learning about in class, did quest: journey through the lifespan help make content and theories relevant to daily life, is quest: journey through the lifespan engaging.

It was enjoyable and I feel like I learned a lot from it because of how it relates to real-life experiences.

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I loved this learning tool. It is way more engaging than anything I’ve ever used. It made learning fun! 10/10!

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It is the first learning game designed with inclusivity and accessibility at the forefront of development. Each stage of development was designed, developed, and tested against WCAG standards to ensure all learners will benefit from this amazing new learning resource!

Application

A learning game designed to help students apply course content and theories into real-life scenarios. Each quest is auto-graded and carefully designed to optimize student learning and efficiency. Follow-up analytical questions are available for further critical thinking.

Each character, environment, and task bring in real-life scenarios, questions, and factors to keep students engaged while helping them understand how what they are learning about is important to everyday life!

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Students play in the first person as 14 different characters who vary in age from 9 months to 80 years, as well as range in gender, race, and nationality. By taking on the perspectives of their characters, students experience human development concepts and theories—as well as real-world problems and situations—through the eyes of others, developing skills related to understanding others’ motivations, intentions, and behaviors.

Higher-Level Assessment

In addition to completing content-related objectives during game play, follow-up higher-level assessment is available for each of the 14 quests. Instructors can choose from 17 multiple choice and three short-answer questions to assign and assess students’ understanding of content applied during the game play experience.

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Some questions you may encounter in Quest will use numeric free response answers that you type in. The following example is a numeric type question on a learning module slide, but these questions can appear on all types of Quest assignments.

• If your instructor has allowed retries, you will be given 7 attempts
• Most solution answers are at least six digits (unless significant figures are relevant to the question/otherwise denoted) 
• For credit your answer must be within 1% of the correct answer, unless tolerance is otherwise denoted (so entering in four digits to the right of the decimal is usually sufficient)
• Start with at least four significant digits for numeric entry; your response must be within 1% of the correct answer unless otherwise designated
• Scientific notation may use the format of "e" or "x10^"
• Comma use is fine.
• Do not use symbols in solutions (ie do not use $ in monetary solutions, but you can write 'dollars'-or the specified 'answer in units of ---- '  stated in the question, after your numeric answer).
• If offered, use the function pallet. If you don't see the pallet, plan on entering an actual number calculated out or simple expression (ex: 3x-5).

For applicable practice, your professor may opt to include a short 3 part question ( sig fig practice , #222082 ) for you to get use to what is and is not acceptable:

Note that if you get a 'that response has already been entered' message, try to use another way to say the same thing (ie, if used 10^, try e). If you continue to get the 'that response has already been entered' accept that it is not correct and try again. This is a safeguard in place so you don't spend all your tries insisting on an answer that is incorrect.

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Task Search

Iceborne walkthrough: assigned quests.

This page contains a full list of every assigned quest to be found within Iceborne. Information on assigned quests can be found on the corresponding monster page that Assigned Quest has you fighting, with the links in the table leading to those monster pages.

Also see: Clutch Claw - Tips, Tutorial , or watch the video above!

Up Next: A Guide to the Guiding Lands - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne's End Game

Top guide sections.

• Beginner's Guide to Monster Hunter World
• How to get the Frozen Speartuna Greatsword - Trophy Fishin' Event Quest
• Iceborne Expansion
• Iceborne Changes - Update Ver. 10.11 and More

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In this guide.

WebQuest: An Inquiry-oriented Approach in Learning

The rise in online learning brings renewed interest in WebQuests. As an authentic, scaffolded, and inquiry-based activity, a WebQuest is an educational superstar. It utilizes essential resources and captures the attention of the students. Not only are students able to reflect on their own learning, but they also develop a richer understanding between topics.

The origins of WebQuest can be traced all the way back to 1995, when Bernie Dodge, a professor at San Diego State University, dreamed of using the newly accessible Internet as a tool in education. He thought that students could research ideas online in order to solve problems by summarizing the information found. WebQuest is treated as “an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing” (Dodge, 1997). He believed that they would need to follow six modules in order for this technological application to be successful: Introduction, Task, Resources, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion . The instructor will first present the topic (Introduction) while providing details of the activities to be completed by the students (Task). Then, web links will be provided to ensure that all information is accurate and reliable (Resources), and the instructor will list the steps to complete the task successfully (Process). Finally, instructors provide a rubric to evaluate a student’s performance on the task (Evaluation), and the outcomes are summarized after everyone reflects on their learning journey (Conclusion). As March (2004) put it:

A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding. The best WebQuests do this in a way that inspires students to see richer thematic relationships, facilitate a contribution to the real world of learning and reflect on their own metacognitive processes (p. 2).

See also: Teaching with Blogs

WebQuest Types

This process can be lengthy, so Dodge classified WebQuests into two levels: long-term and short-term WebQuests.

Long-term WebQuests can be used for:

• Summative evaluation
• One specific idea within a bigger concept
• In-depth analysis of one topic
• End of unit assessment

A long-term WebQuest is a big project that would usually be assigned towards the end of a unit. The learner should have had the opportunity to thoroughly analyze information and make conclusions on the topic. They will typically demonstrate their understanding with an essay, an assignment, or a creative artifact.

As the name suggests, Short-term WebQuests were meant to be completed in a smaller amount of time. They are used for a brief review of a large amount of information or as an introduction to new topics in class.

Short-term WebQuests can be used for:

• Technology skill building
• Link analysis and reflection
• To introduce a new topic
• To explore a new idea
• Review of anterior knowledge
• Review for an evaluation

See also: Using Wikis in Education

WebQuest benefits

Why should you want to use Webquests? There are three invaluable benefits to implementing a WebQuest in your classroom.

• WebQuests promote collaboration. They are often done in small groups and students must share the responsibility in order to complete the task. Students learn conflict-resolution strategies as well as critical thinking skills, which is currently a key goal of the American state standards in public education.
• WebQuests are versatile. This tool can be used in many ways: as a review, a summative evaluation, or an exploratory activity. Students become more competent at using technology and are motivated to complete the work. WebQuests also eliminate the need for some pre-teaching of skills, as the web links and resources have already been vetted.
• WebQuests can easily be differentiated to support various students . As inclusive classrooms become the norm, the instructor may find that their class consists of students with various levels of exceptionalities. WebQuests can be modified to accommodate basic tasks for some students and expand on the expectations for others.

Building a WebQuest

Section 1 – Introduction

Just as an author would write a juicy introduction to hook their audience, the instructor is attempting to pique the attention of their students with a small paragraph. This is where they would outline the Guiding Question (also known as Essential Question or Big Question) that will direct the course of the WebQuest. One way to pique the interest of the students is by creating a scenario that they must solve, which draws them into the lesson. For example, the instructor might set the scene by stating that the students are now detectives looking to find the author of this mysterious and compelling poetry.

Section 2 – Task

The task is essentially the learning goal that the students are trying to achieve. After the instructor captures their interest in the first section, they outline the task, which is the performance that will guide the entire learning journey. It is important that the instructor clearly describes the expectations for the activities. If the learner is unsure of what the final result should look like, they will not be successful.

Section 3 – Process

This section outlines the steps that the students will take in order to achieve the WebQuest. In order to answer the Guiding Question, learners must research online using the resources supplied by the instructor. This means that the process itself must include clear explanations, steps, and the appropriate tools for them to accomplish the task. Students will not be successful in this step unless the teacher also provides instructions on how to appropriately organize their research.

Section 4 – Evaluation

If the instructor explicitly stated the criteria for the task in section two, there should be no surprises when the students arrive at the evaluation section. The instructor will have already prepared a rubric or a set of standards by which a student’s performance will be marked. Students should be aware if their grade is dependent on a group or an individual performance, and know what needs to be demonstrated in order to meet the standards. Gaps in learning should be clearly outlined, and both the student and the instructor should be aware of the next steps in order to meet the learning goal .

Section 5 – Conclusion

The WebQuest finishes with a conclusion, which offers both the teacher and the learners a chance for reflection. They are able to review the knowledge gained throughout the process and summarize their newfound understanding. It is possible to extend the activity with further questioning, but a simpler option would be to encourage them to make connections to other ideas.

Optional Section – Teacher Page

At the end of the WebQuest, an instructor may choose to add information related to the lesson that may help other teachers implement the same activity. This could include rubrics, possible learning goals , student work, and challenges that came up throughout the learning journey.

See also: How to Use Concept Maps

• Dodge, B. (1997). Some thoughts about WebQuests. https://webquest.org/sdsu/about_webquests.html
• March, T. (2004). What are WebQuests (really)?

I am a professor of Educational Technology. I have worked at several elite universities. I hold a PhD degree from the University of Illinois and a master's degree from Purdue University.

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

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

Basic beginnings

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

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

Assignment formats

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

An Overview of Some Kind

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

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

The Task of the Assignment

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

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

Additional Material to Think about

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

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

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

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

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

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

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

Interpreting the assignment

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

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

Who is your audience.

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

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

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

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

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

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

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

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

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

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Grim Truth

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

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

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

What kind of evidence do you need?

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

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

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

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

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

Technical details about the assignment

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

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

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

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

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

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

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Writing Assignments

Kate Derrington; Cristy Bartlett; and Sarah Irvine

Introduction

Assignments are a common method of assessment at university and require careful planning and good quality research. Developing critical thinking and writing skills are also necessary to demonstrate your ability to understand and apply information about your topic.  It is not uncommon to be unsure about the processes of writing assignments at university.

• You may be returning to study after a break
• You may have come from an exam based assessment system and never written an assignment before
• Maybe you have written assignments but would like to improve your processes and strategies

This chapter has a collection of resources that will provide you with the skills and strategies to understand assignment requirements and effectively plan, research, write and edit your assignments.  It begins with an explanation of how to analyse an assignment task and start putting your ideas together.  It continues by breaking down the components of academic writing and exploring the elements you will need to master in your written assignments. This is followed by a discussion of paraphrasing and synthesis, and how you can use these strategies to create a strong, written argument. The chapter concludes with useful checklists for editing and proofreading to help you get the best possible mark for your work.

Task Analysis and Deconstructing an Assignment

It is important that before you begin researching and writing your assignments you spend sufficient time understanding all the requirements. This will help make your research process more efficient and effective. Check your subject information such as task sheets, criteria sheets and any additional information that may be in your subject portal online. Seek clarification from your lecturer or tutor if you are still unsure about how to begin your assignments.

The task sheet typically provides key information about an assessment including the assignment question. It can be helpful to scan this document for topic, task and limiting words to ensure that you fully understand the concepts you are required to research, how to approach the assignment, and the scope of the task you have been set. These words can typically be found in your assignment question and are outlined in more detail in the two tables below (see Table 19.1 and Table 19.2 ).

Table 19.1 Parts of an Assignment Question

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the task word requires you to address.

Table 19.2 Task words

The criteria sheet , also known as the marking sheet or rubric, is another important document to look at before you begin your assignment. The criteria sheet outlines how your assignment will be marked and should be used as a checklist to make sure you have included all the information required.

The task or criteria sheet will also include the:

• Word limit (or word count)
• Referencing style and research expectations
• Formatting requirements

Task analysis and criteria sheets are also discussed in the chapter Managing Assessments for a more detailed discussion on task analysis, criteria sheets, and marking rubrics.

Preparing your ideas

Brainstorm or concept map:  List possible ideas to address each part of the assignment task based on what you already know about the topic from lectures and weekly readings.

Finding appropriate information: Learn how to find scholarly information for your assignments which is

See the chapter Working With Information for a more detailed explanation .

What is academic writing?

Academic writing tone and style.

Many of the assessment pieces you prepare will require an academic writing style.  This is sometimes called ‘academic tone’ or ‘academic voice’.  This section will help you to identify what is required when you are writing academically (see Table 19.3 ). The best way to understand what academic writing looks like, is to read broadly in your discipline area.  Look at how your course readings, or scholarly sources, are written. This will help you identify the language of your discipline field, as well as how other writers structure their work.

Table 19.3 Comparison of academic and non-academic writing

Thesis statements

Essays are a common form of assessment that you will likely encounter during your university studies. You should apply an academic tone and style when writing an essay, just as you would in in your other assessment pieces. One of the most important steps in writing an essay is constructing your thesis statement.  A thesis statement tells the reader the purpose, argument or direction you will take to answer your assignment question. A thesis statement may not be relevant for some questions, if you are unsure check with your lecturer. The thesis statement:

• Directly  relates to the task .  Your thesis statement may even contain some of the key words or synonyms from the task description.
• Does more than restate the question.
• Is specific and uses precise language.
• Let’s your reader know your position or the main argument that you will support with evidence throughout your assignment.
• The subject is the key content area you will be covering.
• The contention is the position you are taking in relation to the chosen content.

Your thesis statement helps you to structure your essay.  It plays a part in each key section: introduction, body and conclusion.

Planning your assignment structure

When planning and drafting assignments, it is important to consider the structure of your writing. Academic writing should have clear and logical structure and incorporate academic research to support your ideas.  It can be hard to get started and at first you may feel nervous about the size of the task, this is normal. If you break your assignment into smaller pieces, it will seem more manageable as you can approach the task in sections. Refer to your brainstorm or plan. These ideas should guide your research and will also inform what you write in your draft. It is sometimes easier to draft your assignment using the 2-3-1 approach, that is, write the body paragraphs first followed by the conclusion and finally the introduction.

Writing introductions and conclusions

Clear and purposeful introductions and conclusions in assignments are fundamental to effective academic writing. Your introduction should tell the reader what is going to be covered and how you intend to approach this. Your conclusion should summarise your argument or discussion and signal to the reader that you have come to a conclusion with a final statement.  These tips below are based on the requirements usually needed for an essay assignment, however, they can be applied to other assignment types.

Writing introductions

Most writing at university will require a strong and logically structured introduction. An effective introduction should provide some background or context for your assignment, clearly state your thesis and include the key points you will cover in the body of the essay in order to prove your thesis.

Usually, your introduction is approximately 10% of your total assignment word count. It is much easier to write your introduction once you have drafted your body paragraphs and conclusion, as you know what your assignment is going to be about. An effective introduction needs to inform your reader by establishing what the paper is about and provide four basic things:

• A brief background or overview of your assignment topic
• A thesis statement (see section above)
• An outline of your essay structure
• An indication of any parameters or scope that will/ will not be covered, e.g. From an Australian perspective.

The below example demonstrates the four different elements of an introductory paragraph.

1) Information technology is having significant effects on the communication of individuals and organisations in different professions. 2) This essay will discuss the impact of information technology on the communication of health professionals.   3)  First, the provision of information technology for the educational needs of nurses will be discussed.  4)  This will be followed by an explanation of the significant effects that information technology can have on the role of general practitioner in the area of public health.  5)  Considerations will then be made regarding the lack of knowledge about the potential of computers among hospital administrators and nursing executives.  6)   The final section will explore how information technology assists health professionals in the delivery of services in rural areas .  7)  It will be argued that information technology has significant potential to improve health care and medical education, but health professionals are reluctant to use it.

1 Brief background/ overview | 2 Indicates the scope of what will be covered |   3-6 Outline of the main ideas (structure) | 7 The thesis statement

Note : The examples in this document are taken from the University of Canberra and used under a CC-BY-SA-3.0 licence.

Writing conclusions

You should aim to end your assignments with a strong conclusion. Your conclusion should restate your thesis and summarise the key points you have used to prove this thesis. Finish with a key point as a final impactful statement.  Similar to your introduction, your conclusion should be approximately 10% of the total assignment word length. If your assessment task asks you to make recommendations, you may need to allocate more words to the conclusion or add a separate recommendations section before the conclusion. Use the checklist below to check your conclusion is doing the right job.

Conclusion checklist 

• Have you referred to the assignment question and restated your argument (or thesis statement), as outlined in the introduction?
• Have you pulled together all the threads of your essay into a logical ending and given it a sense of unity?
• Have you presented implications or recommendations in your conclusion? (if required by your task).
• Have you added to the overall quality and impact of your essay? This is your final statement about this topic; thus, a key take-away point can make a great impact on the reader.
• Remember, do not add any new material or direct quotes in your conclusion.

This below example demonstrates the different elements of a concluding paragraph.

1) It is evident, therefore, that not only do employees need to be trained for working in the Australian multicultural workplace, but managers also need to be trained.  2)  Managers must ensure that effective in-house training programs are provided for migrant workers, so that they become more familiar with the English language, Australian communication norms and the Australian work culture.  3)  In addition, Australian native English speakers need to be made aware of the differing cultural values of their workmates; particularly the different forms of non-verbal communication used by other cultures.  4)  Furthermore, all employees must be provided with clear and detailed guidelines about company expectations.  5)  Above all, in order to minimise communication problems and to maintain an atmosphere of tolerance, understanding and cooperation in the multicultural workplace, managers need to have an effective knowledge about their employees. This will help employers understand how their employee’s social conditioning affects their beliefs about work. It will develop their communication skills to develop confidence and self-esteem among diverse work groups. 6) The culturally diverse Australian workplace may never be completely free of communication problems, however,   further studies to identify potential problems and solutions, as well as better training in cross cultural communication for managers and employees,   should result in a much more understanding and cooperative environment. 

1  Reference to thesis statement – In this essay the writer has taken the position that training is required for both employees and employers . | 2-5 Structure overview – Here the writer pulls together the main ideas in the essay. | 6  Final summary statement that is based on the evidence.

Note: The examples in this document are taken from the University of Canberra and used under a CC-BY-SA-3.0 licence.

Writing paragraphs

Paragraph writing is a key skill that enables you to incorporate your academic research into your written work.  Each paragraph should have its own clearly identified topic sentence or main idea which relates to the argument or point (thesis) you are developing.  This idea should then be explained by additional sentences which you have paraphrased from good quality sources and referenced according to the recommended guidelines of your subject (see the chapter Working with Information ). Paragraphs are characterised by increasing specificity; that is, they move from the general to the specific, increasingly refining the reader’s understanding. A common structure for paragraphs in academic writing is as follows.

Topic Sentence 

This is the main idea of the paragraph and should relate to the overall issue or purpose of your assignment is addressing. Often it will be expressed as an assertion or claim which supports the overall argument or purpose of your writing.

Explanation/ Elaboration

The main idea must have its meaning explained and elaborated upon. Think critically, do not just describe the idea.

These explanations must include evidence to support your main idea. This information should be paraphrased and referenced according to the appropriate referencing style of your course.

Concluding sentence (critical thinking)

This should explain why the topic of the paragraph is relevant to the assignment question and link to the following paragraph.

Use the checklist below to check your paragraphs are clear and well formed.

Paragraph checklist

• Does your paragraph have a clear main idea?
• Is everything in the paragraph related to this main idea?
• Is the main idea adequately developed and explained?
• Do your sentences run together smoothly?
• Have you included evidence to support your ideas?
• Have you concluded the paragraph by connecting it to your overall topic?

Writing sentences

Make sure all the sentences in your paragraphs make sense. Each sentence must contain a verb to be a complete sentence. Avoid sentence fragments . These are incomplete sentences or ideas that are unfinished and create confusion for your reader. Avoid also run on sentences . This happens when you join two ideas or clauses without using the appropriate punctuation. This also confuses your meaning (See the chapter English Language Foundations for examples and further explanation).

Use transitions (linking words and phrases) to connect your ideas between paragraphs and make your writing flow. The order that you structure the ideas in your assignment should reflect the structure you have outlined in your introduction. Refer to transition words table in the chapter English Language Foundations.

Paraphrasing and Synthesising

Paraphrasing and synthesising are powerful tools that you can use to support the main idea of a paragraph. It is likely that you will regularly use these skills at university to incorporate evidence into explanatory sentences and strengthen your essay. It is important to paraphrase and synthesise because:

• Paraphrasing is regarded more highly at university than direct quoting.
• Paraphrasing can also help you better understand the material.
• Paraphrasing and synthesising demonstrate you have understood what you have read through your ability to summarise and combine arguments from the literature using your own words.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is changing the writing of another author into your words while retaining the original meaning. You must acknowledge the original author as the source of the information in your citation. Follow the steps in this table to help you build your skills in paraphrasing (see Table 19.4 ).

Table 19.4 Paraphrasing techniques

Example of paraphrasing

Please note that these examples and in text citations are for instructional purposes only.

Original text

Health care professionals   assist people often when they are at their most  vulnerable . To provide the best care and understand their needs, workers must demonstrate good communication skills .  They must develop patient trust and provide empathy   to effectively work with patients who are experiencing a variety of situations including those who may be suffering from trauma or violence, physical or mental illness or substance abuse (French & Saunders, 2018).

Poor quality paraphrase example

This is a poor example of paraphrasing. Some synonyms have been used and the order of a few words changed within the sentences however the colours of the sentences indicate that the paragraph follows the same structure as the original text.

Health care sector workers are often responsible for vulnerable  patients.   To understand patients and deliver good service , they need to be excellent communicators .  They must establish patient rapport and show empathy if they are to successfully care for patients from a variety of backgrounds  and with different medical, psychological and social needs (French & Saunders, 2018).

A good quality paraphrase example

This example demonstrates a better quality paraphrase. The author has demonstrated more understanding of the overall concept in the text by using the keywords as the basis to reconstruct the paragraph. Note how the blocks of colour have been broken up to see how much the structure has changed from the original text.

Empathetic   communication is a vital skill for health care workers.   Professionals in these fields   are often responsible for patients with complex medical, psychological and social needs. Empathetic   communication assists in building rapport and gaining the necessary trust   to assist these vulnerable patients  by providing appropriate supportive care (French & Saunders, 2018).

The good quality paraphrase example demonstrates understanding of the overall concept in the text by using key words as the basis to reconstruct the paragraph.  Note how the blocks of colour have been broken up, which indicates how much the structure has changed from the original text.

What is synthesising?

Synthesising means to bring together more than one source of information to strengthen your argument. Once you have learnt how to paraphrase the ideas of one source at a time, you can consider adding additional sources to support your argument. Synthesis demonstrates your understanding and ability to show connections between multiple pieces of evidence to support your ideas and is a more advanced academic thinking and writing skill.

Follow the steps in this table to improve your synthesis techniques (see Table 19.5 ).

Table 19.5 Synthesising techniques

Example of synthesis

There is a relationship between academic procrastination and mental health outcomes.  Procrastination has been found to have a negative effect on students’ well-being (Balkis, & Duru, 2016). Yerdelen, McCaffrey, and Klassens’ (2016) research results suggested that there was a positive association between procrastination and anxiety. This was corroborated by Custer’s (2018) findings which indicated that students with higher levels of procrastination also reported greater levels of the anxiety. Therefore, it could be argued that procrastination is an ineffective learning strategy that leads to increased levels of distress.

Topic sentence | Statements using paraphrased evidence | Critical thinking (student voice) | Concluding statement – linking to topic sentence

This example demonstrates a simple synthesis. The author has developed a paragraph with one central theme and included explanatory sentences complete with in-text citations from multiple sources. Note how the blocks of colour have been used to illustrate the paragraph structure and synthesis (i.e., statements using paraphrased evidence from several sources). A more complex synthesis may include more than one citation per sentence.

Creating an argument

What does this mean.

Throughout your university studies, you may be asked to ‘argue’ a particular point or position in your writing. You may already be familiar with the idea of an argument, which in general terms means to have a disagreement with someone. Similarly, in academic writing, if you are asked to create an argument, this means you are asked to have a position on a particular topic, and then justify your position using evidence.

What skills do you need to create an argument?

In order to create a good and effective argument, you need to be able to:

• Read critically to find evidence
• Plan your argument
• Think and write critically throughout your paper to enhance your argument

For tips on how to read and write critically, refer to the chapter Thinking for more information. A formula for developing a strong argument is presented below.

A formula for a good argument

What does an argument look like?

As can be seen from the figure above, including evidence is a key element of a good argument. While this may seem like a straightforward task, it can be difficult to think of wording to express your argument. The table below provides examples of how you can illustrate your argument in academic writing (see Table 19.6 ).

Table 19.6 Argument

Editing and proofreading (reviewing)

Once you have finished writing your first draft it is recommended that you spend time revising your work.  Proofreading and editing are two different stages of the revision process.

• Editing considers the overall focus or bigger picture of the assignment
• Proofreading considers the finer details

As can be seen in the figure above there are four main areas that you should review during the editing phase of the revision process. The main things to consider when editing include content, structure, style, and sources. It is important to check that all the content relates to the assignment task, the structure is appropriate for the purposes of the assignment, the writing is academic in style, and that sources have been adequately acknowledged. Use the checklist below when editing your work.

Editing checklist

• Have I answered the question accurately?
• Do I have enough credible, scholarly supporting evidence?
• Is my writing tone objective and formal enough or have I used emotive and informal language?
• Have I written in the third person not the first person?
• Do I have appropriate in-text citations for all my information?
• Have I included the full details for all my in-text citations in my reference list?

There are also several key things to look out for during the proofreading phase of the revision process. In this stage it is important to check your work for word choice, grammar and spelling, punctuation and referencing errors. It can be easy to mis-type words like ‘from’ and ‘form’ or mix up words like ‘trail’ and ‘trial’ when writing about research, apply American rather than Australian spelling, include unnecessary commas or incorrectly format your references list. The checklist below is a useful guide that you can use when proofreading your work.

Proofreading checklist

• Is my spelling and grammar accurate?
•  Are they complete?
• Do they all make sense?
• Do they only contain only one idea?
• Do the different elements (subject, verb, nouns, pronouns) within my sentences agree?
• Are my sentences too long and complicated?
• Do they contain only one idea per sentence?
• Is my writing concise? Take out words that do not add meaning to your sentences.
• Have I used appropriate discipline specific language but avoided words I don’t know or understand that could possibly be out of context?
• Have I avoided discriminatory language and colloquial expressions (slang)?
• Is my referencing formatted correctly according to my assignment guidelines? (for more information on referencing refer to the Managing Assessment feedback section).

This chapter has examined the experience of writing assignments.  It began by focusing on how to read and break down an assignment question, then highlighted the key components of essays. Next, it examined some techniques for paraphrasing and summarising, and how to build an argument. It concluded with a discussion on planning and structuring your assignment and giving it that essential polish with editing and proof-reading. Combining these skills and practising them, can greatly improve your success with this very common form of assessment.

• Academic writing requires clear and logical structure, critical thinking and the use of credible scholarly sources.
• A thesis statement is important as it tells the reader the position or argument you have adopted in your assignment. Not all assignments will require a thesis statement.
• Spending time analysing your task and planning your structure before you start to write your assignment is time well spent.
• Information you use in your assignment should come from credible scholarly sources such as textbooks and peer reviewed journals. This information needs to be paraphrased and referenced appropriately.
• Paraphrasing means putting something into your own words and synthesising means to bring together several ideas from sources.
• Creating an argument is a four step process and can be applied to all types of academic writing.
• Editing and proofreading are two separate processes.

Academic Skills Centre. (2013). Writing an introduction and conclusion . University of Canberra, accessed 13 August, 2013, http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/conclusions

Balkis, M., & Duru, E. (2016). Procrastination, self-regulation failure, academic life satisfaction, and affective well-being: underregulation or misregulation form. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 31 (3), 439-459.

Custer, N. (2018). Test anxiety and academic procrastination among prelicensure nursing students. Nursing education perspectives, 39 (3), 162-163.

Yerdelen, S., McCaffrey, A., & Klassen, R. M. (2016). Longitudinal examination of procrastination and anxiety, and their relation to self-efficacy for self-regulated learning: Latent growth curve modeling. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16 (1).

Writing Assignments Copyright © 2021 by Kate Derrington; Cristy Bartlett; and Sarah Irvine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Understanding your assignment questions: A short guide

• Introduction
• Breaking down the question

Directive or task words

Task works for science based essays.

• Further reading and references
• A-Z of Other Guides This link opens in a new window
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It is really important to understand the directive or task word used in your assignment.

This will indicate how you should write and what the purpose of the assignment in. The following examples show some task words and their definitions.

However, it is important to note that none of these words has a fixed meaning. The definitions given are a general guide, and interpretation of the words may vary according to the context and the discipline.

If you are unsure as the exactly what a lecturer means by a particular task word, you should ask for clarification. 

Analyse : Break up into parts; investigate

Comment on : Identify and write about the main issues; give your reactions based on what you've read/ heard in lectures. Avoid just personal opinion. 

Compare : Look for the similarities between two things. Show the relevance or consequences of these similarities concluding which is preferable. 

Contrast : Identify the differences between two items or arguments. Show whether the differences are significant. Perhaps give reasons why one is preferable. 

Criticise : Requires an answer that points out mistakes or weaknesses, and which also indicates any favourable aspects of the subject of the question. It requires a balanced answer. 

Critically evaluate : Weigh arguments for and against something, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides. Use criteria to guide your assessment of which opinions, theories, models or items are preferable. 

Define : Give the exact meaning of. Where relevant, show you understand how the definition may be problematic. 

Describe : To describe is to give an observational account of something and would deal with what happened, where it happened, when it happened and who was involved. Spell out the main aspects of an idea or topic or the sequence in which a series of things happened. 

Discuss : Investigate or examine by argument; sift and  debate; give reasons for and against; examine the implications. 

Evaluate : Assess and give your judgement about the merit, importance or usefulness of something using evidence to support your argument. 

Examine : Look closely into something

Explain : Offer a detailed and exact rationale behind an idea or principle, or a set of reasons for a situation or attitude. Make clear how and why something happens. 

Explore : Examine thoroughly; consider from a variety of viewpoints

Illustrate : Make something clear and explicit, give examples of evidence

Justify : Give evidence that supports and argument or idea; show why a decision or conclusions were made

Outline : Give the main points/features/general principles; show the main structure and interrelations; omit details and examples

State : Give the main features briefly and clearly

Summarise : Draw out the main points only; omit details and examples

To what extent... : Consider how far something is true, or contributes to a final outcome. Consider also ways in which it is not true.

Task Words:

How to write e.g., discuss, argue etc.

Subject Matter:

What you should be writing about.

Limiting Words:

May narrow or change the focus of your answer. (Important - they stop you from including irrelevant info)

Below are some examples of questions and tips on how you might think about answering them.

Example of assignment questions:

1. compare acute and chronic pain in terms of pathophysiology and treatment.

Compare  - Make sure you are comparing and not just describing the two things in isolation

Acute and chronic pain  - Subject matter

In terms of pathophysiology and treatment  - Important limiting phrase - focus ONLY on these things. Use them as a lens to highlight the differences between acute and chronic pain.

Tip : Assignments that ask you to compare two things can be structured in different ways. You may choose to alternate continually between the two things, making direct comparisons and organising your essay according to themes. Alternatively, you may choose to discuss one thing fully and then the next. If you choose the second approach, you must make the links and comparisons between the two things completely clear. 

2. With reference to any particular example enzyme, outline the key structural and functional properties of its active site

With reference to any particular example enzyme  - Important limiting phase - focus your answer on a specific example. Use this example to help demonstrate your understanding. 

Outline  - Factual description is needed. You must demonstrate your knowledge and understanding. 

The key structural and functional properties of its active site  - Subject matter

Tip : Assignments that ask you to outline or describe are assessing your understanding of the topic. You must express facts clearly and precisely, using examples to illuminate them. 

3. There is no convincing evidence for the existence of life outside our solar systems

There is  - Task words not so obvious this time. Try turning the title into a question: 'Is there any convincing evidence for...?'

Convincing  - Important limiting word- there may be evidence but you need to assess whether or not it is convincing. 

For the existence of life outside of our solar system  - Subject matter

Tip : Assignment titles that are on actually a question are often simply asking 'how true is this statement?' You must present reasons it could be true and reasons it might not be, supported by evidence and recognising the complexity of the statement. 

4. To what extent can nuclear power provide a solution to environmental issues?

Discuss  - Explore the topic from different angles, in a critical way (not purely descriptive)

Nuclear power  - Subject matter

Provide a solution to  - Limiting phrase: discuss ways it can and ways it can't- don't be afraid to take a position based on evidence.

Environmental issues  - Subject matter. Might be an idea to define/ discuss what could be meant by environmental issues? This might be important for your argument. 

Tip : If an assignment is asking a direct question, make sure your essay answers it. Address it directly in the introduction, make sure each paragraph contributes something towards your response to it, and reinforce your response in your conclusion. 

5. Discuss the issue of patient autonomy in relation to at least one case study 

The issue of patient autonomy  - Subject matter

In relation to at least one case study  - Important limiting phrase - don't just discuss the issue of patient autonomy in general; discuss it in the context of one or more case studies. You should use the case study to illustrate all of your points about patient autonomy. 

Tip : Assignments that ask you to discuss in relation to a case study, or to a placement or own experience, usually want to see a clear link between theory and practice (reality). 

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Understanding Writing Assignments

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How to Decipher the Paper Assignment

Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing.

• Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.
• Underline or circle the portions that you absolutely must know. This information may include due date, research (source) requirements, page length, and format (MLA, APA, CMS).
• Underline or circle important phrases. You should know your instructor at least a little by now - what phrases do they use in class? Does he repeatedly say a specific word? If these are in the prompt, you know the instructor wants you to use them in the assignment.
• Think about how you will address the prompt. The prompt contains clues on how to write the assignment. Your instructor will often describe the ideas they want discussed either in questions, in bullet points, or in the text of the prompt. Think about each of these sentences and number them so that you can write a paragraph or section of your essay on that portion if necessary.
• Rank ideas in descending order, from most important to least important. Instructors may include more questions or talking points than you can cover in your assignment, so rank them in the order you think is more important. One area of the prompt may be more interesting to you than another.
• Ask your instructor questions if you have any.

After you are finished with these steps, ask yourself the following:

• What is the purpose of this assignment? Is my purpose to provide information without forming an argument, to construct an argument based on research, or analyze a poem and discuss its imagery?
• Who is my audience? Is my instructor my only audience? Who else might read this? Will it be posted online? What are my readers' needs and expectations?
• What resources do I need to begin work? Do I need to conduct literature (hermeneutic or historical) research, or do I need to review important literature on the topic and then conduct empirical research, such as a survey or an observation? How many sources are required?
• Who - beyond my instructor - can I contact to help me if I have questions? Do you have a writing lab or student service center that offers tutorials in writing?

(Notes on prompts made in blue )

Poster or Song Analysis: Poster or Song? Poster!

Goals : To systematically consider the rhetorical choices made in either a poster or a song. She says that all the time.

Things to Consider: ah- talking points

• how the poster addresses its audience and is affected by context I'll do this first - 1.
• general layout, use of color, contours of light and shade, etc.
• use of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity C.A.R.P. They say that, too. I'll do this third - 3.
• the point of view the viewer is invited to take, poses of figures in the poster, etc. any text that may be present
• possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing I'll cover this second - 2.
• ethical implications
• how the poster affects us emotionally, or what mood it evokes
• the poster's implicit argument and its effectiveness said that was important in class, so I'll discuss this last - 4.
• how the song addresses its audience
• lyrics: how they rhyme, repeat, what they say
• use of music, tempo, different instruments
• possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing
• emotional effects
• the implicit argument and its effectiveness

These thinking points are not a step-by-step guideline on how to write your paper; instead, they are various means through which you can approach the subject. I do expect to see at least a few of them addressed, and there are other aspects that may be pertinent to your choice that have not been included in these lists. You will want to find a central idea and base your argument around that. Additionally, you must include a copy of the poster or song that you are working with. Really important!

I will be your audience. This is a formal paper, and you should use academic conventions throughout.

Length: 4 pages Format: Typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins I need to remember the format stuff. I messed this up last time =(

Academic Argument Essay

5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins.

Minimum of five cited sources: 3 must be from academic journals or books

• Design Plan due: Thurs. 10/19
• Rough Draft due: Monday 10/30
• Final Draft due: Thurs. 11/9

Remember this! I missed the deadline last time

The design plan is simply a statement of purpose, as described on pages 40-41 of the book, and an outline. The outline may be formal, as we discussed in class, or a printout of an Open Mind project. It must be a minimum of 1 page typed information, plus 1 page outline.

This project is an expansion of your opinion editorial. While you should avoid repeating any of your exact phrases from Project 2, you may reuse some of the same ideas. Your topic should be similar. You must use research to support your position, and you must also demonstrate a fairly thorough knowledge of any opposing position(s). 2 things to do - my position and the opposite.

Your essay should begin with an introduction that encapsulates your topic and indicates 1 the general trajectory of your argument. You need to have a discernable thesis that appears early in your paper. Your conclusion should restate the thesis in different words, 2 and then draw some additional meaningful analysis out of the developments of your argument. Think of this as a "so what" factor. What are some implications for the future, relating to your topic? What does all this (what you have argued) mean for society, or for the section of it to which your argument pertains? A good conclusion moves outside the topic in the paper and deals with a larger issue.

You should spend at least one paragraph acknowledging and describing the opposing position in a manner that is respectful and honestly representative of the opposition’s 3 views. The counterargument does not need to occur in a certain area, but generally begins or ends your argument. Asserting and attempting to prove each aspect of your argument’s structure should comprise the majority of your paper. Ask yourself what your argument assumes and what must be proven in order to validate your claims. Then go step-by-step, paragraph-by-paragraph, addressing each facet of your position. Most important part!

Finally, pay attention to readability . Just because this is a research paper does not mean that it has to be boring. Use examples and allow your opinion to show through word choice and tone. Proofread before you turn in the paper. Your audience is generally the academic community and specifically me, as a representative of that community. Ok, They want this to be easy to read, to contain examples I find, and they want it to be grammatically correct. I can visit the tutoring center if I get stuck, or I can email the OWL Email Tutors short questions if I have any more problems.

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The War Within: Your Ultimate Daily and Weekly To-Do List Guide

This guide provides a to-do list for the War Within, covering the expansion launch and beyond. It is updated weekly with the latest daily and weekly goals to help you maximize your gameplay experience.

• 1. Introduction
• 2. The War Within To-Do List for the Week of September 3
• 3. To-Do List for The War Within Season 1 Start
• 4. Recommended Addons

Introduction

Prioritizing your goals when a new expansion is released can be tough. To help you stay on track, we have put together a list of key objectives to focus on as soon as War Within Early Access begins and when the expansion officially launches. For a comprehensive overview of all the new content, be sure to check out our expansion hub.

The War Within To-Do List for the Week of September 3

Here is what you should focus on during the week of September 3, 2024:

• Complete the final chapter of the War Within campaign and unlock the Earthen Allied Race.
• Darkmoon Faire is up. Make sure to use the buff for +10% increased reputation and experience gains.

• Continue spamming Heroic Dungeons for 571 gear and upgrade it all to 580.

• Before using reputation tokens, make sure to get the Darkmoon Faire buff.
• Complete World Events for chests, gear, upgrading materials, and delve keys. This includes Spreading the Light in Hallowfall, Theater Troupe in Isle of Dorn, Awakening the Machine in the Ringing Deeps, and Worldsoul Memory elsewhere.
• Continue increasing your Renown with the new factions by completing World Quests and killing rares every reset. At various Renown levels, you can buy gear from the vendors.

• Continue to raise Brann's level if you can.
• Complete your Profession quests. You can pick them up at the Artisan's Consortium (59, 56) in Dornogal.

• Complete the weekly dungeon quest for 1 Renown with one of the new factions.
• Complete the weekly Delves quest offered by Brann Bronzebeard at the Delver's Headquarters in Dornogal.

To-Do List for The War Within Season 1 Start

The following to-do list is for the week of September 10, 2024, when Season 1 begins.

• The item level of loot from all sources will increase.
• Mythic Difficulty dungeons are now available.
• The new Mythic+ and PvP Seasons start this week.
• Delves Tier 4-11 will become available this week.
• World Bosses will begin to spawn; make sure to kill the world boss before you choose an item from the weekly chest.
• Nerub-ar Palace opens on Normal and Heroic difficulty. Make sure to run the raid before picking loot in the Great Vault. The first LFR wing will open, too.
• After having completed all the weekly objectives listed above, pick your item from the Great Vault.
• You can now use the first Matrix Catalyst charge to create a Tier set item you currently do not possess to help you build your set bonuses.

Recommended Addons

To keep track of your progress, we recommend you to use the following addons:

• Tama's The War Within Helper
• 04 Sep. 2024: Updated for the War Within Global Launch Week 2.
• 27 Aug. 2024: Updated for launch.
• 16 Aug. 2024: Guide added.
• Darkflame Cleft Dungeon Guide
• Mycomancer Cavern Delve Guide
• Nerub-ar Palace Verry Rare Drops
• The Spiral Weave Delve Guide
• The War Within Leveling Guide
• The Stonevault Dungeon Guide
• Priory of the Sacred Flame Dungeon Guide
• The Sinkhole Delve Guide
• Tak-Rethan Abyss Delve Guide
• Kriegval's Rest Delve Guide
• Nerb-ar Palace RWF Day 2: A Big Worm and LOTS of Spiders
• War Within Hotfixes: September 18th
• Restore the Classic Login Screen in World of Warcraft: A Simple Guide
• 20th Anniversary Update PTR Development Notes: September 18th
• Maximize Your Rewards: Week 2 To-Do List for The War Within Season 1 (Don’t Miss These Objectives!)
• Increased Drop Rate for Ashes of Al’ar in This Week’s Black Temple Timewalking Raid!
• Players Getting Tier Set Gear From Delve Great Vault Row!
• Unlock Story Mode for Queen Ansurek in The War Within: Full Guide to Rewards & Access
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Academic Writing - Education & CCSC students: Assignment Question

• Anthropomorphism
• Assignment Genre
• Assignment Question
• Literature Searches
• Publication Style
• Referencing

The Assignment Question

Understanding the assignment question is a key skill in academic writing

It is important to invest time in analysing the assignment question. Do not start to write, or even draft a plan, until you are confident that you know what the question is asking, how you should respond, and that you have all the information you need. Students who consistently do well in their written assignments apply a version of the steps below.

See also  Assignment Writing and Editing Checklist

The Assignment Question (1)

Approaching a new assignment

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

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

The Assignment Question (2)

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

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

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

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

Checklist for writing and editing assignments

For further help in analysing assignment questions, see the following checklist.

UTS:HELPS Higher Education Language and Presentation Support. (2017).  Checklist for writing and editing assignments.  Retrieved 13 September, 2018, from  https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/article/downloads/Writing%20and%20Editing%20Checklist_3.pdf

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Answering Assignment Questions

In order to decide how to answer an essay question, you need to identify what the question requires in terms of content and genre. This guide outlines some methods to help you analyse essay questions.

Analyse the question using key words

Assignment questions can be broken down into parts so that you can better understand what you are being asked to do. It is important to identify key words and phrases in the topic.

What are key words?

Key words are the words in an assignment question that tell you the approaches to take when you answer.

Make sure you understand the meaning of key words in an essay question, especially t ask words . As Task words are verbs that direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question, understanding the meaning helps you know exactly what you to do.

Content words tell you what the topic area(s) of your assignment are and take you halfway towards narrowing down your material and selecting your answer. Content words help you to focus your research and reading on the correct area.

Limiting words make a broad topic workable. They focus the topic area further by indicating aspects you should narrowly concentrate on.

If you're not sure about any aspect of the question, ask your tutor/lecturer for clarification. Never start any assignment until you know and understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

How to use key words

• Look for the keywords in your essay question.
• Underline them.
• Spend a little time working out what they mean. Use the Glossary of task words to help you.

Example Question

Computers have had a significant impact on education in the 20th century. Discuss the changes they have made.

DISCUSS. Look up the meaning in the glossary of task words to find out what it means.

(See Glossary of task words )

Content Words

EDUCATION, COMPUTERS. Content words help you to direct your research and reading towards the correct area(s), in this case on computers and on education.

Limiting Words

CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, 20TH CENTURY. Limiting words further define the topic area and indicate aspects you should narrowly concentrate on. For example, in this question, do not just write about computers in education, Discuss the SIGNIFICANT IMPACT they have had and the CHANGES computers have made to education during a certain time: the 20TH CENTURY.

 See next: Implied or complex questions

Essay and assignment writing guide.

• Essay writing basics
• Essay and assignment planning
• Complex assignment questions
• Glossary of task words
• Editing checklist
• Writing a critical review
• Annotated bibliography
• Reflective writing
• ^ More support

Study Hacks Workshops | All the hacks you need! 10 Sep – 7 Nov 2024

Quest vs Assignment - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between quest and assignment, as a verb quest, as an abbreviation quest, derived terms.

Blog | Classes , Writing Techniques | By: nick

The Quest Narrative: A Great Way to Tell a Story

A quest narrative is one of the oldest and surest ways of telling a story. The Odyssey is essentially a quest narrative, with Odyssey’s journey back to his wife and son serving as the basis for the quest. Since then there have been thousands of quest narratives written, including King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, detective stories, Moby Dick, and many others.

The form of a quest narrative is simple. Basically, the author describes his or her desire to do something, see something, experience something, discover something. In describing the object of the quest, whether a grail, or castle or insight or pot of gold, it’s helpful to “sell” the quest, emphasizing why it’s important either to the writer or the reader. Since the writer is the reader’s surrogate, describing why you want to go to Mexico City is often enough, especially if you can make it seem an especially appealing destination. Some quests are so compelling they don’t need to be sold: the quest to find the Green River Killer or a cure for cancer but remember to be very specific.

The description of the goal for the quest encourages a sense of seeking, questioning and curiosity, propelling readers forward into the narrative. It gives a structure and suspense to a piece that might otherwise be flat and static.

This is a very adaptable form, appropriate to all kinds of subjects, whether personal essays, travel pieces, investigative journalism, memoir and even literary criticism. You can write a quest narrative about seeking to find the perfect peach, or the perfect glass of Pinot Noir wine, or about coming to terms with your parents. The quest narrative can be used effectively in many different contexts.

The form fits very well with the emphasis on curiosity as the basis of fine nonfiction writing. The description of the quest immediately poses a quest in the reader’s mind: will the author or narrator achieve the quest?

Quest narratives can be written in a number of points of view. First person is probably most common in nonfiction, but third person can also be used, as in the description of a scientist searching for a cure for the common cold.

Writing a Quest Narrative

• Describe the object of the quest and why it’s important. You don’t have to start the story with this statement, but it should come near the beginning, explaining why you’ve arrived in New Guinea, for example, and what you’re looking for there.
• Set out on the quest. What do you bring? How do you prepare?
• Dramatis personae – Who will accompany you on the quest? Who is the person (s) who will help you complete it? Attempt to thwart it?
• Describe the journey and the difficulties of achieving it, remembering to use scenes to highlight the conflict and drama, showing rather than simply telling, and making the story come to life.
• Describe whether you complete the quest or not.

Get it down. Take chances.

Writing a novel is a terrible experience.

Just follow your hero.

…with luck and if you stated it purely enough, always.

The forms of things unknown and the the poet’s pen…

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth.

There are only two or three human stories.

One false word, one extra word…

It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world.

The difference between the right word and the almost right word…

Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you.

Literature is nothing but carpentry.

Pleasure in a good novel…

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When you receive a paper assignment, your first step should be to read the assignment prompt carefully to make sure you understand what you are being asked to do. Sometimes your assignment will be open-ended (“write a paper about anything in the course that interests you”). But more often, the instructor will be asking you to do something specific that allows you to make sense of what you’ve been learning in the course. You may be asked to put new ideas in context, to analyze course texts, or to do research on something related to the course.

Even if the instructor has introduced the assignment in class, make sure to read the prompt on your own. You’d be surprised how often someone comes to the Writing Center to ask for help on a paper before reading the prompt. Once they do read the prompt, they often find that it answers many of their questions.

When you read the assignment prompt, you should do the following:  

• Look for action verbs. Verbs like analyze , compare , discuss , explain , make an argument , propose a solution , trace , or research can help you understand what you’re being asked to do with an assignment.

Unless the instructor has specified otherwise, most of your paper assignments at Harvard will ask you to make an argument. So even when the assignment instructions tell you to “discuss” or “consider,” your instructor generally expects you to offer an arguable claim in the paper. For example, if you are asked to “discuss” several proposals for reaching carbon neutral by 2050, your instructor would likely not be asking you to list the proposals and summarize them; instead, the goal would be to analyze them in relation to each other and offer some sort of claim—either about the differences between the proposals, the potential outcomes of following one rather than another, or something that has been overlooked in all of the proposals. While you would need to summarize those proposals in order to make a claim about them, it wouldn’t be enough just to summarize them. Similarly, if you’re asked to compare sources or consider sources in relation to each other, it is not enough to offer a list of similarities and differences. Again, this type of assignment is generally asking you to make some claim about the sources in relation to each other.

• Consider the broader goals of the assignment. What kind of thinking is your instructor asking you to do? Are you supposed to be deciding whether you agree with one theorist more than another? Are you supposed to be trying out a particular method of analysis on your own body of evidence? Are you supposed to be learning a new skill (close reading? data analysis? recognizing the type of questions that can be asked in a particular discipline?)? If you understand the broader goals of the assignment, you will have an easier time figuring out if you are on the right track.
• Look for instructions about the scope of the assignment. Are you supposed to consult sources other than those you have read in class? Are you supposed to keep your focus narrow (on a passage, a document, a claim made by another author) or choose your own focus (raise a question that is sparked by course texts, pair texts in a new way)? If your instructor has told you not to consider sources outside of those specified in the assignment, then you should follow that instruction. In those assignments, the instructor wants to know what you think about the assigned sources and about the question, and they do not want you to bring in other sources.
• If you’re writing a research paper, do not assume that your reader has read all the sources that you are writing about. You’ll need to offer context about what those sources say so that your reader can understand why you have brought them into the conversation.
• If you’re writing only about assigned sources, you will still need to provide enough context to orient the reader to the main ideas of the source. While you may not need to summarize the entire text, you will need to give readers enough information to follow your argument and understand what you are doing with the text. If you’re not sure whether you should assume that readers are familiar with the ideas in the text, you should ask your instructor.  
• Ask questions! If you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do, email your instructor or go to office hours and ask.
• picture_as_pdf Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt

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Orioles Designate Reliever Craig Kimbrel for Assignment After Meltdown Against Giants

Patrick andres | 20 hours ago.

• Baltimore Orioles

In the wake of a complete collapse against the San Francisco Giants Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles are parting ways with a veteran reliever.

The Orioles have designated pitcher Craig Kimbrel for assignment, they announced Wednesday afternoon. In Baltimore's 10–0 loss to the Giants Thursday, Kimbrel surrendered six earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Kimbrel pitched in 57 games for the Orioles this season, going 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings.

Once one of the most feared closers in baseball, Kimbrel has nine career All-Star appearances to his name. The 36-year-old's 440 career saves rank fifth in baseball history, and trail only Kenley Jansen among active pitchers.

The Orioles did it: They DFA’d Craig Kimbrel. — Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 18, 2024

In an otherwise rock-solid season for Baltimore, its bullpen has been a major question mark. With Kimbrel presumably on his way out the door, pitcher Seranthony Dominiguez is now the Orioles' saves leader with nine.

Baltimore is currently 84-67, four games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East division.

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PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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