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Templates for college and university assignments

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Referencing, proofreading and formatting

How to format your work

Illustrated step-by-step guides to help you understand the general formatting and presentation expectations of university assignments.

Introduction

Although formatting your essay, report or dissertation can feel like a minor element of the writing process, it is an important way to ensure your ideas are given the spotlight through visually accessible, professional presentation.

Formatting can be a minefield, especially if left to the last minute; it’s important to leave a few days before your deadline for formatting.

Formatting requirements can vary between Schools and disciplines - always check the general requirements for your School or the individual assignment.

Some referencing styles also have a style guide containing formatting requirements.

Formatting key information

Assignment cover sheets.

You may be expected to include a cover sheet as the first page of your assignment, your School may provide a template for this. This is a page including key information, such as your module code, student registration number, essay title, and submission date.

You may be asked to submit a plagiarism declaration and to make your markers aware of any disabilities through the yellow sticker system .

Assignment titles

Place your assignment title at the top of your first page, either centre or left aligned, in bold font. Your title or question may be pre-determined, a choice from several possible titles, or one which you design yourself. A good title contains instruction words that indicate the appropriate approach to take to your response.

You may be asked to state your word count, either on your cover sheet or at the beginning of your essay. If you are asked to include this information, make sure your word count accurately reflects the assessment guidance. Are references included in your word count? Is the word count a fixed maximum or are you allowed to go slightly over/under this?

Visual clarity

Line spacing.

Most assignment guidelines specify that you should increase the space between each line on the page, from the standard 1.0 spacing to either 1.5 or 2.0 spacing. You are asked to do this to make the text easier to read, by breaking up the number of lines on each page.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to line spacing in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Fonts

Most non-examination based assignments should be word processed rather than handwritten. Most assignment descriptions will specify that for visual clarity, you should use a plain, sans-serif font such as Arial. For readability, this should be in 11 or 12 point size. Check your departmental or assignment guidance for any specific rules about font choices.

Page numbering, headers and footers

Including page numbers in your assignments makes them more accessible. You may be asked to include these in either the header or the footer of your essay (the blank space above and below where the text would go on a normal page in a document). It may also be helpful to include your registration number and the module code of the assignment in the header or footers.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to adding page numbers, headers and footers in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Page layout

Margins .

A margin is the amount of blank space around the edges of your page on a word processor. As most assignments are no longer printed, margin settings are less important and may not need to be changed from the default.

For dissertations and theses, you may receive specific guidance about the suitable layout of margins, as these are more likely to be printed: see this guide to formatting PhD theses .

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting document margins in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Paragraph alignment

Most formatting instructions specify that paragraphs should be aligned to the left hand edge of the page, but left jagged on the right hand edge (like this page). This is called left alignment, or flush-left style, and should be the default alignment setting for your word processor. This style can be helpful for visual accessibility if it is permitted by your School.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting paragraph alignment in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Paragraph indentation

You may be asked to add indents to your paragraphs: an indent is an additional small gap between the margin and the beginning of a paragraph (it makes a ‘dent’ in the first line of your paragraph). Indents provide extra clarification that the reader is starting a new paragraph after finishing the last one: therefore, they should not be used in the first paragraph of your essay. Indents are not always required, and whether you are expected to use them may depend on your referencing style, and any formatting instructions for your School.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to indenting paragraphs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Formatting referenced material

Footnotes and endnotes .

Some referencing systems require you to use footnotes or endnotes to format your references, you can check our How to reference guide for more information. Inserting a footnote adds a superscript number (a number formatted in a smaller font) to the sentence. It creates a note with a matching number at the bottom of that page in the footer, which you can add the reference information to.

Endnotes work in the same way, but instead of appearing at the bottom of the page, the reference list appears at the end of the document.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to manually inserting footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

References and bibliographies

Some referencing systems ask you to include a bibliography and/or a reference list at the end of your assignment.

A reference list is a list of all the sources you have directly referred to in the text, which may be ordered numerically or alphabetically.

A bibliography lists all the sources you have consulted that have influenced your ideas, whether they are included in the text or not.

If you auto-generate your citations in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can auto-generate your bibliography instead of creating it manually. If you use a different reference manager , such as Mendeley, Zotero, or Endnote, these have their own specific instructions for auto-generating bibliographies.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to manually or automatically formatting a bibliography or reference list in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Block quotations

When you need to include a quotation in your essay that is three or more lines long, you can add this as a block quotation. A block quotation appears on a new line, and is indented from the left-hand margin. Quotation marks are not used, so the indentation indicates that you are using a quotation.

Check our How to reference guide and any departmental guidance to learn more about the relevant rules. Use block quotations sparingly as they break the flow of your text and use of your word count. They are helpful for close analysis of text.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting block quotations in Microsoft Word.

Advanced formatting

Headings and contents tables .

Most essays only include the essay title and reference/bibliography list heading. Section headings may be required for some longer or more structured types of academic writing, such as project reports, dissertations and theses.

Check the specific formatting guidelines issued with your brief and make sure that formatting is consistently applied throughout the document.

Longer lab reports may require a table of contents to help the reader navigate between sections. Contents tables are generally standard practice in longer assignments such as dissertations and theses.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting headings and contents tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Figures and tables

Some kinds of essays, dissertations and reports will require you to make use of figures (pictures, diagrams, and graphs) and tables (any data in a table format). Figures and tables are normally numbered in sequence, e.g. ‘Table 1’, ‘Figure 4’, and are directly referred to in the text according to their number, rather than according to their location on the page (e.g. ‘as shown in Table 2’ rather than ‘as shown below’).

If your document has several figures, it may also be helpful to include a list of figures immediately after the table of contents. Check our How to reference guide for specific rules about presenting and referencing tables and figures, and any requirements in your assignment brief.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting figures and tables and creating lists of figures/tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Displaying data in graphs and tables Workshop: Book here

Appendices

An appendix provides supporting information for the reader that might be too long, detailed or awkward to insert into the main body of the assignment without breaking up its flow.

Appendices might contain:

Interview questions or transcripts
Sample questionnaires
Raw data
Figures, diagrams or photographs
Detailed research protocols

The reader should be able to understand the text without this supporting information, as all the most important information is included in the body. Your appendices must be clearly signposted and explained in the body of your report so that the reader understands their relevance. Do not include any appendices that are not referenced in the text itself.

The appendices should be placed in numerical or alphabetical order, and signposted according to this specific system (e.g. ‘Appendix B indicates that…’) They should be clearly labelled, using headings that match up to the in-text reference. Appendices usually appear at the very end of the assignment and appear in your table of contents.

Appendix headings, and in-text references to these should meet the requirements of your assignment brief and referencing style.

View our step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting appendices and creating lists of appendices in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

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How to write the best college assignments.

By Lois Weldon

When it comes to writing assignments, it is difficult to find a conceptualized guide with clear and simple tips that are easy to follow. That’s exactly what this guide will provide: few simple tips on how to write great assignments, right when you need them. Some of these points will probably be familiar to you, but there is no harm in being reminded of the most important things before you start writing the assignments, which are usually determining on your credits.

The most important aspects: Outline and Introduction

Preparation is the key to success, especially when it comes to academic assignments. It is recommended to always write an outline before you start writing the actual assignment. The outline should include the main points of discussion, which will keep you focused throughout the work and will make your key points clearly defined. Outlining the assignment will save you a lot of time because it will organize your thoughts and make your literature searches much easier. The outline will also help you to create different sections and divide up the word count between them, which will make the assignment more organized.

The introduction is the next important part you should focus on. This is the part that defines the quality of your assignment in the eyes of the reader. The introduction must include a brief background on the main points of discussion, the purpose of developing such work and clear indications on how the assignment is being organized. Keep this part brief, within one or two paragraphs.

This is an example of including the above mentioned points into the introduction of an assignment that elaborates the topic of obesity reaching proportions:

Background : The twenty first century is characterized by many public health challenges, among which obesity takes a major part. The increasing prevalence of obesity is creating an alarming situation in both developed and developing regions of the world.

Structure and aim : This assignment will elaborate and discuss the specific pattern of obesity epidemic development, as well as its epidemiology. Debt, trade and globalization will also be analyzed as factors that led to escalation of the problem. Moreover, the assignment will discuss the governmental interventions that make efforts to address this issue.

Practical tips on assignment writing

Here are some practical tips that will keep your work focused and effective:

– Critical thinking – Academic writing has to be characterized by critical thinking, not only to provide the work with the needed level, but also because it takes part in the final mark.

– Continuity of ideas – When you get to the middle of assignment, things can get confusing. You have to make sure that the ideas are flowing continuously within and between paragraphs, so the reader will be enabled to follow the argument easily. Dividing the work in different paragraphs is very important for this purpose.

– Usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ – According to the academic writing standards, the assignments should be written in an impersonal language, which means that the usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ should be avoided. The only acceptable way of building your arguments is by using opinions and evidence from authoritative sources.

– Referencing – this part of the assignment is extremely important and it takes a big part in the final mark. Make sure to use either Vancouver or Harvard referencing systems, and use the same system in the bibliography and while citing work of other sources within the text.

– Usage of examples – A clear understanding on your assignment’s topic should be provided by comparing different sources and identifying their strengths and weaknesses in an objective manner. This is the part where you should show how the knowledge can be applied into practice.

– Numbering and bullets – Instead of using numbering and bullets, the academic writing style prefers the usage of paragraphs.

– Including figures and tables – The figures and tables are an effective way of conveying information to the reader in a clear manner, without disturbing the word count. Each figure and table should have clear headings and you should make sure to mention their sources in the bibliography.

– Word count – the word count of your assignment mustn’t be far above or far below the required word count. The outline will provide you with help in this aspect, so make sure to plan the work in order to keep it within the boundaries.

The importance of an effective conclusion

The conclusion of your assignment is your ultimate chance to provide powerful arguments that will impress the reader. The conclusion in academic writing is usually expressed through three main parts:

– Stating the context and aim of the assignment

– Summarizing the main points briefly

– Providing final comments with consideration of the future (discussing clear examples of things that can be done in order to improve the situation concerning your topic of discussion).

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Lois Weldon is writer at Uk.bestdissertation.com . Lives happily at London with her husband and lovely daughter. Adores writing tips for students. Passionate about Star Wars and yoga.

7 comments on “How To Write The Best College Assignments”

Extremely useful tip for students wanting to score well on their assignments. I concur with the writer that writing an outline before ACTUALLY starting to write assignments is extremely important. I have observed students who start off quite well but they tend to lose focus in between which causes them to lose marks. So an outline helps them to maintain the theme focused.

Hello Great information…. write assignments

Well elabrated

Thanks for the information. This site has amazing articles. Looking forward to continuing on this site.

This article is certainly going to help student . Well written.

Really good, thanks

Practical tips on assignment writing, the’re fantastic. Thank you!

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Free, Downloadable Educational Templates for Students

Published on June 16, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 23, 2023.

We have designed several free templates to help you get started on a variety of academic topics. These range from formatting your thesis or dissertation to writing a table of contents or a list of abbreviations .

We also have templates for various citation styles , including APA (6 and 7), MLA , and Chicago .

The templates are loosely grouped by topic below.

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Chicago and chicago turabian, structuring your document, applying to college, formatting your front matter, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about scribbr templates.

General formatting: Word | Google Docs
APA 6th: Word
APA 7th: Word | Google Doc

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General formatting: Word | Google Doc
Citations: Word
Works Cited: Word | Google Doc
Header: Word | Google Doc
Title: Word | Google Doc
Author-date style
Notes and bibliography style
Research proposal outline: Word
Research schedule template: Word
Literature review outline: Word | Google Doc
Evaluating your sources for a literature review: Word | Google Doc
Dissertation or thesis outline: Word | Google Doc

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Scholarship essay tracker: Google Sheet
Writing a résumé: Research program option | Professional program option
College application tracker: Google Sheet
Figure and table lists: Word
List of abbreviations: Word | Google Doc
Acknowledgments: Word | Google Doc
Glossary: Word | Google Doc

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

Hands on a keyboard using the Ctrl C copy function

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

Young woman sitting at desk with laptop and checking notes for assignment

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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Transparent Assignment Template

This template can be used as a guide for developing, explaining, and discussing class activities and out-of-class assignments. Making these aspects of each course activity or assignment explicitly clear to students has demonstrably enhanced students’ learning in a national study. 1

Assignment Name Due Date:

Define the learning objectives, in language and terms that help students recognize how this assignment will benefit their learning. Indicate how these are connected with institutional learning outcomes, and how the specific knowledge and skills involved in this assignment will be important in students’ lives beyond the contexts of this assignment, this course, and this college.

The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the following skills that are essential to your success in this course / in school / in this field / in professional life beyond school:

Terms from Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives may help you explain these skills in language students will understand. Listed from cognitively simple to most complex, these skills are:

understanding basic disciplinary knowledge and methods/tools
applying basic disciplinary knowledge/tools to problem-solving in a similar but unfamiliar context
synthesizing
judging/evaluating and selecting best solutions
creating/inventing a new interpretation, product, theory

This assignment will also help you to become familiar with the following important content knowledge in this discipline:

Define what activities the student should do/perfom. “Question cues” from this chart might be helpful. List any steps or guidelines, or a recommended sequence for the students’ efforts. Specify any extraneous mistakes to be avoided. If there are sound pedagogical reasons for withholding information about how to do the assignment, protect students' confidence and sense of belonging in college with a purpose statement something like this: "The purpose of this assignment is for you to struggle and feel confused while you invent and test your own approach for addressing the problem..."

Criteria for Success

Define the characteristics of the finished product. Provide multiple examples of what these characteristics look like in real-world practice, to encourage students’ creativity and reduce their incentive to copy any one example too closely. Engage students in analyzing multiple examples of real-world work before the students begin their own work on the assignment. Discuss how excellent work differs from adequate work. This enables students to evaluate the quality of their own efforts while they are working, and to judge the success of their completed work. It is often useful to provide or compile with students a checklist of characteristics of successful work. Students can also use the checklist to provide feedback on peers’ coursework. Indicate whether this task/product will be graded and/or how it factors into the student’s overall grade for the course. Later, asking students to reflect and comment on their completed, graded work allows them to focus on changes to their learning strategies that might improve their future work.

Developed by Mary-Ann Wilkemes (PDF) , shared via Creative Commons.

1 Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. “Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Data and Improve Students’ Learning.” Liberal Education 99,2 (Spring 2013)

Winkelmes et al, “A Teaching Intervention that Increases Underserved College Students’ Success.” Peer Review 18,1/2 (Winter/Spring 2016).

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Common Writing Assignments

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers. This section also includes resources on writing academic proposals for conference presentations, journal articles, and books.

Understanding Writing Assignments

This resource describes some steps you can take to better understand the requirements of your writing assignments. This resource works for either in-class, teacher-led discussion or for personal use.

Argument Papers

This resource outlines the generally accepted structure for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions in an academic argument paper. Keep in mind that this resource contains guidelines and not strict rules about organization. Your structure needs to be flexible enough to meet the requirements of your purpose and audience.

Research Papers

This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.

Exploratory Papers

This resource will help you with exploratory/inquiry essay assignments.

Annotated Bibliographies

This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.

Book Report

This resource discusses book reports and how to write them.

Definitions

This handout provides suggestions and examples for writing definitions.

Essays for Exams

While most OWL resources recommend a longer writing process (start early, revise often, conduct thorough research, etc.), sometimes you just have to write quickly in test situations. However, these exam essays can be no less important pieces of writing than research papers because they can influence final grades for courses, and/or they can mean the difference between getting into an academic program (GED, SAT, GRE). To that end, this resource will help you prepare and write essays for exams.

Book Review

This resource discusses book reviews and how to write them.

Academic Proposals

This resource will help undergraduate, graduate, and professional scholars write proposals for academic conferences, articles, and books.

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Using the Transparent Assignment Template

Developed by Mary-Ann Winkelmes, Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) is a straightforward framework for assignment design that supports student success by making the goals, process, and expectations for their learning clear. Using TILT has been shown to improve learners' academic confidence and success, metacognitive awareness, and sense of belonging in class (Winkelmes et al., 2016). The TILT process centers around defining (and then communicating to students) three key components of your assignment: purpose , tasks , and criteria for success .

First, think about what you want students to gain from the assignment. What should they understand about course concepts? What knowledge and skills will they gain by undertaking the assignment? How does the assignment connect to students’ lives or the world beyond the classroom?

Next, list the steps students should take when completing the assignment. In what order should they do specific tasks, what do they need to be aware of to perform each task well, and what mistakes should they avoid?

Lastly, clarify the criteria for success on the assignment. What are the characteristics of a successful submission? How does excellent work differ from adequate work? Be prepared to provide a scoring rubric and examples of sample submissions to support students in understanding the criteria.

Alongside the TILT framework, Winkelmes and colleagues developed a template to support instructors in planning out the purpose, tasks, and criteria for an assignment. Evidence gathered from use of this Transparent Assignment Template demonstrated its ability to promote academic success and reduce achievement gaps for underrepresented and nontraditional students (Winkelmes et al., 2016).

Here we present a modified version of the Transparent Assignment Template, with additional rows to plan expected learning outcomes (ELOs) and examples to share with students. The completed model below shows preliminary plans for an education course assignment that asks students to generate a lesson plan using artificial intelligence (AI), and then evaluate and revise that lesson plan. Keep in mind that these are just planning notes ( you can view the final assignment here ).

Download our adapted Transparent Assignment Template to help with planning your next assignment.

Transparent Assignment Template

Assignment Name: AI-Generated Lesson Plan

Due Date: March 7, 2024

Component	Description
Define the learning outcomes, in language and terms that help students recognize how this assignment will benefit their learning.	You will be able to:
Indicate how the specific knowledge and skills involved in this assignment will be important in students’ lives beyond the contexts of this assignment, this course, and this college.	Understand uses of AI for planning lessons. Understand the benefits and limitations of AI. Recognize an effective lesson plan. Critically analyze AI output for deficiencies. Evaluate an existing lesson plan's strengths and weaknesses. Apply best practices from course material/class discussion in lesson plans. Align lesson plan to learning outcomes. Reflect upon and support lesson plan changes and choices.
List any steps or guidelines, or a recommended sequence for the students’ efforts. Use Academic Integrity Icons to communicate approved and restricted activities.	.
Define the characteristics of the finished product.	The revised lesson plan: The reflection:
Provide multiple examples of what these characteristics look like in real-world practice, to encourage students’ creativity and reduce their incentive to copy any one example too closely.

The original Transparent Assignment Template created by Mary-Ann Winkelmes (2013) and the remixed version presented above are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Winkelmes, M. (2013). Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Data and Improve Students’ Learning. Liberal Education 99 (2).

Wilkelmes, M. (2013). Transparent Assignment Design Template for Teachers. TiLT Higher Ed: Transparency in Learning and Teaching. https://tilthighered.com/assets/pdffiles/Transparent%20Assignment%20Templates.p

Winkelmes, M., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., Weavil, K. (2016). A Teaching Intervention that Increases Underserved College Students’ Success. Peer Review.

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Assignment writing guides and samples

If you're looking for useful guides for assignment writing and language skills check out our range of study skills resources

Essay writing

Writing essays [PDF 240KB] . Tips on writing a great essay, including developing an argument, structure and appropriate referencing.
Sample essay [PDF 330KB] . A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.

Writing a critical review

Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB] . Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review.
Sample critical review [PDF 260KB] . A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.

Writing a business-style report

Writing a business-style report [PDF 330KB] . A resource for business and law students Find out how to write and format business-style reports.
Sample of a business-style report [PDF 376 KB] . A resource for business and law students. A sample of a business-style report with an annotated format.

Investigative report sample

Sample of an investigative report [PDF 500KB] . A resource for science, engineering and technology students. How to write an investigative report, including an annotated format.

Assignment topics and editing

Interpreting assignment topics [PDF 370 KB] . Find out how to interpret an assignment topic, including understanding key words and concepts.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.

Language skills

Building your word power (expanding your knowledge of words) [PDF 306KB]. A guide to expanding your knowledge of words and communicating your ideas in more interesting ways.
Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB] . A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Resources relevant to your study area

Science, engineering and technology.

Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB]. Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review.
Sample critical review [PDF 260KB] . A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
Sample of an investigative report [PDF 500KB] . A resource for science, engineering and technology students. How to write an investigative report, including an annotated format.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.
Building your word power (expanding your knowledge of words) [PDF 306KB]. A guide to expanding your knowledge of words and communicating your ideas in more interesting ways.
Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB] . A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Health, Arts and Design

Sample essay [PDF 330KB] . A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB]. Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review.
Sample critical review [PDF 260KB]. A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.
Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB]. A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Business and Law

Sample essay [PDF 330KB]. A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
Writing a business-style report [PDF 330KB]. A resource for business and law students. Find out how to write and format business-style reports.
Sample of a business-style report [PDF 376 KB]. A resource for business and law students. A sample of a business-style report, with an annotated format.
Interpreting assignment topics [PDF 370 KB]. Find out how to interpret an assignment topic, including understanding key words and concepts.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB]. A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.

Welcome to the new OASIS website! We have academic skills, library skills, math and statistics support, and writing resources all together in one new home.

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Walden Writing Templates: Writing Templates

Introduction.

The Writing Center provides templates for Walden University course papers. These templates are Microsoft Word or PowerPoint files with APA style and Walden-specified formatting. The Office of Research and Doctoral Services provides prospectus forms and templates for doctoral capstone studies. Note that some instructors may require changes to the standard templates and that some of the templates include Walden-specific formatting guidelines that supersede APA style guidelines.

Writing Center templates for undergraduate and graduate students

Office of Research and Doctoral Services prospectus forms and resources

Office of Research and Doctoral Services doctoral capstone templates

If you need some extra help with using Microsoft Word, please visit the Academic Skills Center website .

You can also watch the following short videos for an overview on using the course paper template.

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Templates — Homework Assignment

Templates tagged Homework Assignment

Show all Templates

Here we provide a selection of homework assignments templates and examples for school, college and university use. These often include a question and answer section already set out, along with space for the student name, course title, date and any other required information. Teachers and lecturers may also find these templates useful for preparing material for their classes.

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TILT Higher Ed Examples and Resources

The following resources from the Transparency in Learning and Teaching project (TILT Higher Ed) can help faculty, educational developers and administrators to apply the Transparency Framework (of purpose/task/criteria) in contexts including assignments, curricula, assessment and strategic initiatives, all toward the goal of enhancing student success equitably. If you have developed TILT-focused tools or publications you would like to share, please contact [email protected]

Introduction to Transparency in Learning and Teaching

Transparency and Problem-centered Learning (7-minute overview)
Transparent Instruction and Its Impact on Learning, University of Tokyo TV (45 minutes)
Transparency Framework for academic work
Unwritten Rules for College Success, 39 second video
Transparency Framework 1) Purpose, 44 second video
Transparency Framework 2) Task, 25 second video
Transparency Framework 3) Criteria, 24 second video
Nave, Lillian. " Transparent Design with Mary-Ann Winkelmes. " Think UDL, Episode 76, 9 December 2021
Christopher, K. (2018). "What are we doing and why? Transparent assignment design benefits students and faculty alike." The Flourishing academic: A Blog for teacher-scholars. Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence, April 16, 2018.
Willingham-McLain, L. (2017). Just a TAD: Transparent assignment design. The Flourishing academic: A Blog for teacher-scholars. Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence. December 8, 2017.
Cepek, R. (2017). Parallelograms and poetry: Helping first generation students connect. The Flourishing academic: A Blog for teacher-scholars. Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence. October 5, 2017.
Yong, Darryl. "How Transparency Improves Learning." Teaching Tidbits (Mathematical Association of America blog), October 24, 2017.
Nichols, Karen. "Remember 'Transparency' in Your Instructional Continuity Preparations." >CAT FooD, August 18, 2017.
Mulnix, Amy B. "The Power of Transparency in Your Teaching." Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching Strategies, November 6, 2016.
Gambill, Sandy. "Transparent Assignments." Inclusive Teaching, November 30, 2016.
Volk, Steven. Revealing the Secret Handshakes: The Rules of Clear Assignment Design." Article of the Week: Teaching and Learning at Oberlin College, September 27, 2015.
Mary-Ann Winkelmes: "Transparency in Teaching and Learning interview,Smart Talks", Project Information Literacy
“Small Teaching Changes, Big Learning Benefits” video interview with Mary-Ann Winkelmes, ACUE Community ‘Q’ Blog, Expert Series, December 2016.
Great Conversations: Mary-Ann Winkelmes video interview at Indiana University (6 min:47 sec - 10 min: 25 sec)
Faculty at 7 institutions reflect on their use of transparent assignment design (as part of an AAC&U project funded by TG Philanthropy) in the "Transparency and Problem-Centered Learning" issue of Peer Review, (Winter/Spring 2016) vol.18, no. 1/2.
Faculty at University of Nevada, Las Vegas reflect on their use of transparently designed assignments in “Benefits (some unexpected) of Transparently Designed Assignments.” National Teaching and Learning Forum 24, 4 (May 2015), pages 4-6.
Faculty at Texas Tech University discuss the design process and impacts of transparent assignments in their courses: Transparent Assignment Design at Texas Tech: A Panel Discussion, 13 th Annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference, Texas Tech University, March 3, 2017.
Fukuda, D. 2018. Promote active learning in group projects through the use of the transparent assignment framework. In Chen, B., deNoyelles, A., & Thompson, K. (Eds.), Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository . Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
Turlington, Anita; Shimkus, Jim. (2017). "TILTing the Writing Across the Curriculum Program at UNG."
Ou, J. (2018, June), Board 75 : Work in Progress: A Study of Transparent Assignments and Their Impact on Students in an Introductory Circuit Course Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kane, J. & Mushtare, R. (Hosts). (2023 May) , Transparency in Learning and Teaching (episode 290). [Audio podcast episode]. In Tea for Teaching. https://teaforteaching.com/290-transparency-in-learning-and-teaching/
Bruff, D. (Host). (January 2023), Transparent Teaching with Mary-Ann Winkelmes (Episode 5). [Audio podcast episode]. In Intentional Teaching

Example A: Sociology

Example B: Science 101

Example C: Psychology

Example D: Communications

Authors of Examples A-D describe the outcomes of their assignment revisions

Example E: Biology

Discussion Questions (about Examples A-E)

Example F: Library research Assignment

Example G: Criminal Justice In-Class activity

Example H: Criminal Justice Assignment

Example I: Political Science Assignment

Example J: Criteria for Math Writing

Example K - Environmental History

Example L - Calculus

Example M - Algebra

Example N - Finance

Transparent Assignment Template for instructors
Checklist for Designing Transparent Assignments
Measuring Transparency: A Learning-focused Assignment Rubric (Palmer, M., Gravett, E., LaFleur, J.)
Assignment Cues to use when designing an assignment (adapted from Bloom’s Taxonomy) for faculty
Transparent Equitable Learning Readiness Assessment for Teachers
Transparent Assignment Template for students (to help students learn to parse assignments; also to frame a conversation to gather feedback from your students about how to make assignments’ more transparent and relevant for them)
Transparent Assignment Template for students (to help students learn to parse assignments; also to frame a conversation to gather feedback from your students about how to make assignments more transparent and relevant for them)
Transparent Equitable Learning Framework for Students (to frame a conversation with students about how to make the purposes, tasks and criteria for class activities transparent and relevant for them)
TILT and Align Your Assessment
TILT Strategic Planning Worksheet
Transparent Equitable Collaboration Framework for Staff
Unwritten Rules: Transparent Assignment Framework for Students
Transparent Equitable Learning Framework for Students

Workshop Videos and Slides

For faculty.

Transparent Assignments Promote Equitable Opportunities for Students’ Success videorecording (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, April 29, 2016).
Transparent Assignment Design faculty workshop videorecording (“Using Transparent Assignments to Increase Students' Success,” Mary-Ann Winkelmes, keynote workshop, 13th Annual Advancing Teaching and Learning Conference, Texas Tech University, March 3, 2017).
Part 1) Research findings
Part 2) Example Assignments
Part 3) Peer feedback on your own assignments

FOR FACULTY DEVELOPERS

Faculty workshop slides, Indianapolis Assessment Conference
TILT Workshop Slides and Notes for Facilitators
Train the Trainers webinar recording
NILOA Charrette and Feedback with TILT
TILT Course Sequencing Worksheet

FOR INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS

Transparency and Equity webinar recording (hosted by AAC&U, NILOA, TILT)

For institutions, results can include increased retention and completion rates. For participating instructors, individualized reports identify small teaching adjustments best suited to improving students’ learning for the specific population of students in their courses. Ongoing analysis explores teaching/learning adjustments that improve learning outcomes, specific to discipline, class size, level of expertise, and student demographics.

A national study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, funded by TG Philanthropy, demonstrated that transparency around academic work enhances students’ success at statistically significant levels, with even greater benefits for historically underserved students (with a medium-to-large sized magnitude of effect) [Winkelmes et al., Peer Review 2016]. Students who receive transparent instruction about the purposes, tasks and criteria for their academic work report gains in three areas that are important predictors of students’ success:

academic confidence,
sense of belonging, and
mastery of the skills that employers value most when hiring.

Important studies have already connected academic confidence and sense of belonging with students’ greater persistence and higher grades [Walton and Cohen, Science 2011; Aronson, Fried, Good, 2002, Brady, Cohen, et al., Science Advances 2020. ]

To bring a Transparency Project workshop to your institution, please contact Mary-Ann Winkelmes at [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
Transparent Methods: Examples
Winkelmes, M. (2023). Introduction to Transparency in Learning and Teaching. Perspectives In Learning, 20 (1). Retrieved from https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/pil/vol20/iss1/2
Brown, J., et al. (2023). Perspectives in Learning: TILT Special Issue, 20 (1). Retrieved from https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/pil/vol20/iss1/
Winkelmes, M. (2022). “Assessment in Class Meetings: Transparency Reduces Systemic Inequities.” In Henning, G. W., Jankowski, N. A., Montenegro, E., Baker, G. R., & Lundquist, A. E. (Eds.). (2022). Reframing Assessment to Center Equity: Theories, Models, and Practices. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Howard, Tiffiany, Mary-Ann Winkelmes, and Marya Shegog. “ Transparency Teaching in the Virtual Classroom: Assessing the Opportunities and Challenges of Integrating Transparency Teaching Methods with Online Learning.” Journal of Political Science Education, June 2019.
Palmer, M. S., Gravett, E. O., & LaFleur, J. (2018). Measuring transparency: A learning‐focused assignment rubric . To Improve the Academy, 37(2), 173-187. doi:10.1002/tia2.20083
Winkelmes, M., Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp, ed.s. (2019). Transparent Design in Higher Education Teaching and Leadership. Stylus Publishing.
Humphreys, K., Winkelmes, M.A., Gianoutsos, D., Mendenhall, A., Fields, L.A., Farrar, E., Bowles-Terry, M., Juneau-Butler, G., Sully, G., Gittens, S. Cheek, D. (forthcoming 2018). Campus-wide Collaboration on Transparency in Faculty Development at a Minority-Serving Research University. In Winkelmes, Boye, Tapp, (Eds.), Transparent Design in Higher Education Teaching and Leadership.
Copeland, D.E., Winkelmes, M., & Gunawan, K. (2018). Helping students by using transparent writing assignments. In T.L. Kuther (Ed.), Integrating Writing into the College Classroom: Strategies for Promoting Student Skills, 26-37. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website.
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann, Matthew Bernacki, Jeffrey Butler, Michelle Zochowski, Jennifer Golanics, and Kathryn Harriss Weavil. "A Teaching Intervention that Increases Underserved College Students’ Success."Peer Review (Winter/Spring 2016).
Transparency and Problem-Centered Learning. (Winter/Spring 2016) Peer Review vol.18, no. 1/2.b
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. Small Teaching Changes, Big Learning Benefits.” ACUE Community ‘Q’ Blog, December, 2016.
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. “Helping Faculty Use Assessment Data to Provide More Equitable Learning Experiences.” NILOA Guest Viewpoints. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, March 17, 2016.
Gianoutsos, Daniel, and Mary-Ann Winkelmes.“Navigating with Transparency: Enhancing Underserved Student Success through Transparent Learning and Teaching in the Classroom and Beyond.” Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educators (Spring 2016).
Sodoma, Brian.“The End of Busy Work.” UNLV Magazine 24,1 (Spring 2016): 16-19.
Cook, Lisa and Daniel Fusch. One Easy Way Faculty Can Improve Student Success." Academic Impressions (March 10, 2016).
Head, Alison and Kirsten Hosteller. "Mary-Ann Winkelmes: Transparency in Teaching and Learning," Project Information Literacy, Smart Talk Interview, no. 25. Creative Commons License 3.0 : 2 September 2015.
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann, et al. David E. Copeland, Ed Jorgensen, Alison Sloat, Anna Smedley, Peter Pizor, Katharine Johnson, and Sharon Jalene. “Benefits (some unexpected) of Transparent Assignment Design.” National Teaching and Learning Forum, 24, 4 (May 2015), 4-6.
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. “Equity of Access and Equity of Experience in Higher Education.” National Teaching and Learning Forum, 24, 2 (February 2015), 1-4.
Cohen, Dov, Emily Kim, Jacinth Tan, Mary-Ann Winkelmes, “A Note-Restructuring Intervention Increases Students’ Exam Scores.” College Teaching vol. 61, no. 3 (2013): 95-99.
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann."Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Data and Improve Students' Learning.” Liberal Education Association of American Colleges and Universities (Spring 2013).
Winkelmes, Mary-Ann. “Transparency in Learning and Teaching: Faculty and students benefit directly from a shared focus on learning and teaching processes.” NEA Higher Education Advocate (January 2013): 6 - 9.
Bhavsar, Victoria Mundy. (2020). A Transparent Assignment to Encourage Reading for a Flipped Course, College Teaching, 68:1, 33-44, DOI: 10.1080/87567555.2019.1696740
Bowles-Terry, Melissa, John C. Watts, Pat Hawthorne, and Patricia Iannuzzi. “ Collaborating with Teaching Faculty on Transparent Assignment Design .” In Creative Instructional Design: Practical Applications for Librarians, edited by Brandon K. West, Kimberly D. Hoffman, and Michelle Costello, 291–311. Atlanta: American Library Association, 2017.
Leuzinger, Ryne and Grallo, Jacqui, “ Reaching First- Generation and Underrepresented Students through Transparent Assignment Design .” (2019). Library Faculty Publications and Presentations. 11. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/lib_fac/11
Fuchs, Beth, “ Pointing a Telescope Toward the Night Sky: Transparency and Intentionality as Teaching Techniques ” (2018). Library Presentations. 188. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/libraries_present/188
Ferarri, Franca; Salis, Andreas; Stroumbakis, Kostas; Traver, Amy; and Zhelecheva, Tanya, “ Transparent Problem-Based Learning Across the Disciplines in the Community College Context: Issues and Impacts ” (2015).NERA Conference Proceedings 2015. 9. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/nera-2015/9
Milman, Natalie B. Tips for Success: The Online Instructor's (Short) Guide to Making Assignment Descriptions More Transparent . Distance Learning. Greenwich Vol. 15, Iss. 4, (2018): 65-67. 3

Offer research-based explanations about concepts or tasks that students often struggle to master in your discipline [See examples below including Bloom, Bransford, Gregorc, Light, Perry.]

Ryjova, Yana. What is the Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Project (TILT Higher Ed)? Interview with Dr. Mary-Ann Winkelmes." Hixson-Lied Success Scholar Newsletter. Las Vegas: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Academic Success Center, March 2016.
Sodoma, Brian. Forget the What: It's the How and Why That Matters." UNLV News Center, January 21, 2016.
Summers, Keyonna. “Newsmakers 2015: People.” UNLV News Center, January 7, 2016.
Berrett, Dan. “The Unwritten Rules of College.” Chronicle of Higher Education, September 21, 2015.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, “Researchers say as college demographics change, so must teaching.” 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio. March 13, 2015.
“Transparency and Problem-Centered Learning.” Association of American Colleges and Universities website, retrieved November 5, 2014.
“Mary-Ann Winkelmes and UNLV's Transparency in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Project.” Accomplishments, UNLV News Center, September 2014.
“New Project Will Engage Minority-Serving Institutions to Research Effect of Faculty Intentionality in Problem-Centered Educational Practices on the Success of Students Who Have Historically Been Underserved in Higher Education.” Association of American Colleges & Universities press release, August 4, 2014.
“UNLV Partners with AAC&U to Lead National Project to Improve Under-Represented Students’ Success.” UNLV Research and Economic Development press release. August 7, 2014.
Mellon grant in partnership with Berea College (2017-2021)
Robert J. Menges Award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development, 2012, from Professional Organizational Development Network in Higher Education
TG Philanthropy grant in partnership with Association of American Colleges and Universities(2014-2016)

University of Illinois

Application to Institutional Review Board, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Exempt Research Application
University of Illinois Institutional Review Board Certification of principal investigator
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Certification of principal investigator
Approvals from Institutional Review Board, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
November 18, 2009
May 5, 2010
November 8, 2010
December 9, 2011
November 19, 2012
February 12, 2013

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Approvals from Institutional Review Board, University of Nevada, Las Vegas:
August 23, 2013 Application for Exempt Status and Approval
November 2014 Modification request, Updated exempt application, Approval
September 2015 Modification Request and October 13, 2015 Approval
December 2015 Modification Request and Approval
July 12 2016 Modification Request and Approval
July 28, 2016 Modification Request and Approval
July 28, 2016 Continuing Review Approval
August 2016 Modification Request and September 1, 2016 Approval
October 27, 2016 Modification Request and Approval
March 20, 2017 Modification Request and Approval
September 2017 Modification Request and Approval
October 2017 Modification Request and Approval
February 2018 Modification Request and Approval
October 2018 Modification Request and Approval
Principal Investigator's 2013-2018 Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Certification
Principal Investigator's 2018-2023 Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Certification

Brandeis University

March 28, 2019 Application for Exempt Status and Approval
April 18, 2019 Modification Request and Approval
May 6 2022 Mod and Approval
Exempt determination through Jun 30 2030

Additional Materials to Support Assignment Design

Organizing Assignment-Design Work on Your Campus: A Tool Kit of Resources and Materials.

A Library of DQP Assignments: Building Capacity for a New Model of Assessment

AAC&U VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education)

Decoding Assignments

Please send to [email protected] any additional materials and resources that you develop and would like to share.

Mary-Ann Winkelmes, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator and Founder, TILT Higher Ed

Copyright © 2009-2023 M.A. Winkelmes. TILT Higher Ed © 2009-2023 by Mary-Ann Winkelmes and materials on this website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) except where otherwise noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

2009-2023 M.A. Winkelmes

TILT Higher Ed © 2009-2023 by Mary-Ann Winkelmes and materials on this website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) except where otherwise noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

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Please download the submission template and abide by the assignment submission guideline document.

Unless a lecturer advises otherwise, all assignments should

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be structured following the assignment submission guidelines.

Assignment Submission Cover Page ‌ - all students, School of Engineering

Student Report / Assignment Submission Guidelines - all students, School of Engineering.‌

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Assignments

Assignments, also known as homework, are usually given to school or university students to reinforce their knowledge of a subject and aid in learning. They are typically structured in question and answer form to be completed by the student consecutively.

fphw Assignment

This template is for formatting assignments or homework in a clear and simple way. The title section at the top of the first page clearly displays the assignment, student and class information. This information also appears in the headers and footers of subsequent pages. Questions in the assignment are clearly demarcated and appear inside boxes to focus attention. The template features examples of including images, tables, equations and code listings for covering virtually all common assignment information. Multi-part questions and answers are shown for more complex questions.

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Wenneker Assignment

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Information Literacy Teaching Toolkit

Research Assignment Design
Information Literacy Toolkit
Information Literacy
Videos & Tutorials

Designing Effective Research Assignments

Designing a Research Assignment
Designing an Information Literacy Curriculum

Below are questions to ask yourself when designing an assignment that promotes information literacy and critical thinking skills.

What will students learn as a result of completing this assignment?
What are the information literacy student learning outcomes?
What are the writing or presentation outcomes?
What are the discipline-specific outcomes?
Are these goals clear to students?
Does our library have these resources? Are they freely and easily available elsewhere?
Is there a link to the library (or other needed resources) in the assignment and/or syllabus?
Is there a link to any related student services (peer tutoring, technology help desk, etc.) in the assignment and/or syllabus?
Does this model a process students can repeat in the future? Is that clear to students?
Is there space for students to reflect on what they are doing, which strategies are working and which aren’t?
Does this provide enough time for students to be successful?
Does it provide time for you to give feedback to students, and for students to revise and/or integrate that feedback into their next piece of work?
Do you have grading criteria or a rubric to help you score student work? Is this available to students?
Might you ask past students if you can use their work as a sample, or can you create your own?
How will students access the sample(s)? Hand out in class, provide in Moodle, etc.?

Source: Greenfield Community College Library. “Information Literacy Toolkit for Faculty.” gcc.mass.edu, Greenfield Community College. Accessed 1 Jan. 2021.

Scaffolding and reinforcing information literacy skills and concepts throughout your courses and program, will allow students to develop and master their skill set. Below are a number of questions to think about while creating course and program materials.

Is it clear to students how these skills connect to continued study and/or real life?
What do they already know? Can you assume, or do you need to find out?
Which information literacy skills do you need to teach, in addition to your course content?
What can a librarian help teach?
What needs to be done during class time (for face-to-face classes)?
What can be done outside of class, as homework?
What supports does the library already have available (i.e. Moodle plug-ins, videos, handouts, etc.)?
If you want a librarian to teach, where does that fit in the course schedule?
If not, what needs to change? Course content, the research assignment, or both?

Greenfield Community College Library. “Information Literacy Toolkit for Faculty.” gcc.mass.edu, Greenfield Community College. Accessed 1 Jan. 2021.

Ideas and Examples

Classic Examples of Research Assignments
Ideas for Research-related Assignments

Assignments below are linked to documents. Please feel to download and edit for your classroom or context and to remix assignments. A librarian would be happy to tailor a version of an assignment or scaffold research skills into your class.

Example of a short assignment that asks students to think critically about two news sources.

Example of an annotated bibliography assignment that asks students to think critically about their sources.

Example of a research paper abstract assignment that asks students to closely evaluate their topics and sources needed.

Example of an assignment that asks students to brainstorm and evaluate research questions.

Example of an assignment that asks to compare and evaluate various sources.

Example of an assignment that asks students to critically approach source use and paraphrasing.

Example of an assignment that asks students to detail the research process by recording search strategies and resources located.

Example of an assignment that asks students to choose and refine a research topic.

Example of an assignment that asks students to think critically about sources.

Example of an assignment that asks students to crucially evaluate their research topic by evalauting sources.

There are any number of library-related assignments that can be incorporated into a course. Here are a few examples that can be adapted to most subjects (assignments may be repeated across categories).

Critical Evaluations & Comparisons

Locate a popular magazine article, then find a scholarly article on the same subject. Compare the two articles for content, style, bias, audience, etc.
Analyze the content, style, and audience of three journals in a given discipline.
Choose an autobiography of someone related to the course content. Find secondary sources which deal with an idea or event described in the autobiography. Compare and contrast the sources.
Evaluate a website based on specific criteria.
Determine the adequacy of a psychological test based on the literature about the test. Then develop a test battery designed for a particular clinical (or other) situation, by using published tests and the literature about them.
To develop the ability to evaluate sources, students prepare a written criticism of the literature on a particular issue by finding book reviews, by searching citation indexes to see who is quoting the context of the scholarship in a particular field.
Students use bibliographies, guides to the literature and the Internet to find primary sources on an issue or historical period. They can contrast the treatment in the primary sources with the treatment in secondary sources including their textbook.
Write a newspaper story describing an event--political, social, cultural, whatever suits the objectives-based on their research. The assignment can be limited to one or two articles, or it can be more extensive. This is a good exercise in critical reading and in summarizing. The assignment gains interest if several people research the same event in different sources and compare the newspaper stories that result.
Contrast journal articles or editorials from recent publications reflecting conservative and liberal tendencies.
Write a review of a musical performance. Include reference not only to the performance attended, but to reviews of the composition's premiere, if possible. Place the composition in a historical context using timetables, general histories and memoirs when available, using this information to gain insight into its current presentation.

Fact-Finding Research

Read an editorial and find facts to support it.
In biology or health classes, assign each student a 'diagnosis' (can range from jock itch to Parkinson's Disease). Have them act as responsible patients by investigating both the diagnosis and the prescribed treatment. Results presented in a two-page paper should cover: a description of the condition and its symptoms; its etiology; its prognosis; the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, its side effects and contradictions, along with the evidence; and, finally, a comparison of the relative effectiveness of alternate treatments. This can also be accompanied by oral or visual presentations, slideshow, poster session, etc.
Students follow a piece of legislation through Congress. This exercise is designed primarily to help them understand the process of government. However it could also be used in something like a 'critical issues' course to follow the politics of a particular issue. (What groups are lobbying for or against a piece of legislation? How does campaign financing affect the final decision? etc.).
Similar to the above, have students follow a particular foreign policy situation as it develops. Who are the organizations involved? What is the history of the issue? What are the ideological conflicts?
Nominate someone or a group for the Nobel Peace Prize. Learn about the prize, the jury, etc. Justify the nominations.
Write an exam on one area; answer some or all of the questions (depending on professor's preference). Turn in an annotated bibliography of source material, and rationale for questions.

Career-Based Research

Assemble background information on a company or organization in preparation for a hypothetical interview. For those continuing in academia, research prospective colleagues' and professors' backgrounds, publications, current research, etc.
Ask each student to describe a career they envision themselves in and then research the career choice. What are the leading companies in that area? Why? (If they choose something generic like secretarial or sales, what is the best company in their county of residence to work for? Why?) Choose a company and find out what its employment policies are-flex time, family leave, stock options. If the company is traded publicly, what is its net worth? What is the outlook for this occupation? Expected starting salary? How do the outlook and salaries vary by geography?

Personal Research

Locate primary sources from the date of your birth. You may use one type type of material only once, i.e., one newspaper headline of a major event, one quotation, one biography, one census figure, one top musical number, one campus event, etc. Use a minimum of six different sources. Write a short annotation of each source and include the complete bibliographic citation.

Historical Research (for any subject)

Select a scholar/researcher in a field of study and explore that person's career and ideas. Besides locating biographical information, students prepare a bibliography of writings and analyze the reaction of the scholarly community to the researcher's work.
Pick a topic and research it in literature from the 60s and 70s. Then research the same topic in the literature of the 80s and 90s. Compare and contrast the topic in a bibliographic essay.
Write a biographical sketch of a famous person. Use biographical dictionaries, popular press and scholarly sources, and books to find information about the person.
Everyone becomes an historical figure for a day. Students research the person, time-period, culture, etc. They give an oral presentation in class and answer questions.
Similar to the above, students adopt a persona and write letters or journal entries that person might have written. The level of research required to complete the assignment can range from minimal to a depth appropriate for advanced classes.
News conferences offer good opportunities to add depth to research and thus might work particularly well with advanced students. A verbatim transcript of an analytical description of a news conference can serve as a format for simulated interviews with well known people of any period. What questions would contemporaries have asked? What questions would we now, with hindsight, want to ask? How would contemporary answers have differed from those that might be given today? Here students have an opportunity to take a rigorous, analytical approach, both in terms of the questions to be asked and the information contained in the answers.

Biographical Research

(annotated) bibliography variations.

Prepare an annotated bibliography of books, journal articles, and other sources on a topic. Include evaluative annotations.
Create a Web page on a narrow topic relevant to the course. Include meta sites, e-journals, discussion lists, and organizations.
Update an existing bibliography or review of the literature.
Compile an anthology of readings by one person or on one topic. Include an introduction with biographical information about the authors, and the rationale for including the works [justify with reviews or critical materials].
Choose a topic of interest and search it on the Internet. Cross reference all search engines and find all websites which discuss the topic. Like a research paper, students will have to narrow and broaden accordingly. The student will then produce an annotated bibliography on the topic, based solely on internet references.
Create an anthology. The model for this format is the annotated book of readings with which most students are familiar. In this case, however, rather than being given the anthology, they are asked to compile it themselves. The assignment can limit the acceptable content to scholarly articles written within the last ten years, or it can be broadened to include chapters or excerpts from monographs and significant older materials. Students should be asked to write an introduction to the anthology that would display an overall understanding of the subject. In addition, each item should be described, and an explanation given as to why it is included. The assignment could also require a bibliography of items considered for inclusion as well as copies of the items selected. In any subject course in which students would benefit from finding and reading a variety of scholarly, such an assignment would guarantee that they use their library skills to locate the articles, their critical reading skills to make the selections, and a variety of writing skills to produce the introduction, the summaries, and the explanations.

Literature Review Variations

Each student in the class is given responsibility for dealing with a part of the subject of the course. He or she is then asked to 1) find out what the major reference sources on the subject are; 2) find out "who's doing what where" in the field; 3) list three major unresolved questions about the subject; 4) prepare a 15 minute oral presentation to introduce this aspect of the subject to the class.
Conduct the research for a paper except for writing the final draft. At various times students are required to turn in 1) their choice of topic; 2) an annotated bibliography; 3) an outline; 4) a thesis statement; 5) an introduction and a conclusion.
Write a grant proposal addressed to a specific funding agency; include supporting literature review, budget, etc. Have class peer groups review. (Best proposal could be submitted for funding of summer research).

Collins Memorial Library. “Ideas for Library-Related Assignments.” Pugetsound.edu, University of Puget Sound. Accessed 1 Jan. 2021.

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