Definition and Purpose
An assignment prompt is a statement of what an instructor expects a student to do to demonstrate learning in an assignment. Assignment prompts provide students with the information they need to complete an assignment successfully. The purpose of the prompt is to provide students with clear understanding of the assignment and directions for completing it. Assignment prompts inform students of the purpose, objectives, and expectations for the assignment, as well as of the process and parameters for completing it. Well written assignment prompts create a common understanding of the assignment, so all students can be held to the same standard. They ensure that students’ work is assessed on the content they have learned, rather than on their reading skills or past writing experiences.
Components of Assignment Prompts
There are many ideas about what information is important to include in an effective assignment prompt. Some of those most mentioned are the following:
- Title of the assignment should include a specific description of the nature of the assignment, as well as the topic (e.g., Descriptive Essay, Summary of an Article, or Comparison of Theories).
- Preamble situates the assignment within the larger context of the course, what lead up to it and what will follow, how the assignment relates to the overall theme of the course (e.g., remind students of what they have been working on in anticipation of the assignment and how that work has prepared them to succeed at it).
- Purpose and rationale/justification link the assignments to the goals of the course. They also explain how this specific assignment is related to a learning objective of the course; that is, they tell students what they will learn by doing it and why it is important. The prompt might also provide the specific learning objectives for the assignment.
- Tasks/steps/process outlines what students are supposed to do to complete the assignment. The phrase that explains the writing task will commonly contain an action verb, such as “discuss,” “analyze,” or “explore.” Strong assignment prompts not only identify a clear task, but also provide suggestions for how students might begin to accomplish the task (e.g., how to start, where to look, how to ask for help). Sometimes, prompts include a list of questions that are either suggestions for brainstorming or questions that you need to address in your essay.
- Intended audience tells students for whom to write the assignment (e.g., undergraduates with no psychology background, a potential funder who knows a great deal about start-ups, or a school principal who is interested in adopting a program for teaching with generative AI).
- Details about format provides information on the specifics of the document to be turned in. This might include the following:
- Length (how many word/pages)
- Citation style or format (e.g., APA)
- Font type and size
- Margin settings
- Title sheets
- Special instructions about appearance
- Rubric and grading criteria communicate clear expectations about dimensions to be evaluated (e.g., content, clarity, originality, logic, organization, or grammar). This section might also indicate the assignment’s point value or percentage of the course grade. Models or samples of exemplary work might also be provided.
- Submission guidelines tell students how and when to submit their work. For example, should the assignment be handed in as a hard copy, emailed to the instructor, or uploaded to Canvas? When, exactly, is it due (e.g., by the beginning of the last class or by next Tuesday at 5:00pm?)
Additional Tips
- Write prompts that are short and focused, using short paragraphs or one-line statements.
- Use direct, clear language.
- Utilize a bulleted or numbered list with parallel wording in each item.
- Provide sufficient information for students to clearly understand the task but not so much as to obscure the focus.
- Anticipate questions students may have and answer those in the assignment prompt.
- Consider providing resources that can help a student, such as a link to a citation manual, a writing guide, or a sample.
- Avoid terms that may marginalize students. For example, use names that reflect the demographic diversity of students and include varied and non-binary names and pronouns.
- Write prompts in a manner that all students will have the knowledge and experience to understand them. For example, they avoid jargon, unusual figures of speech, and obscure cultural refences.
Sources
Harvard University Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
How to Write an Effective Assignment
Stanford University Teaching Writing
Creating Your Assignment Sheets
University of Texas/Austin Faculty Innovation Center
Assignment Prompts
University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Developing Writing Prompts
University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center
Writing an Assignment Prompt
Southwest University Faculty Resources for Writing Instruction
Six Parts of an Effective Prompt
University of Houston/Downtown Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
Creating Effective Assignment Prompts
University of Nebraska/Lincoln Center for Transformative Teaching
Use What-Why-How Prompts
Transparency in Learning and Teaching
Transparency in teaching is about providing clarity and structure that supports student learning.
Specifically, transparent assignment design aims to make the learning processes more explicit for students. It demystifies academic processes and helps students understand what is required of them, leading to enhanced learning and engagement among all students. “Transparent learning and teaching methods explicitly focus on how and why students are learning course content in particular ways, and how they’ll use what they learned in their lives after college.”
Assignment Design Using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching Framework
Dr. Mary-Ann Winkelmes and colleagues developed the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TLT) framework, which has spawned a great deal of research on transparent teaching, particularly on creating transparent assignments. Findings have indicated that adding transparently designed assignments to a course can have an impact on student engagement and success. For example, students who took courses with just two transparently designed assignments showed increased academic confidence, sense of belonging in college, and awareness of skill development compared to their peers. Additionally, these students were more likely to persist in college (Winkelmes et al., 2016; Winkelmes et al., 2015). These positive results are especially true for first-generation, low income, and racially underrepresented students (Winkelmes, 2013; Gianoutsos & Winkelmes, 2016; Winkelmes et al., 2019).
The TILT framework focuses on three components for designing and introducing assignments:
- Purpose: Clearly articulating the learning objectives and the relevance of the assignment to skills students will learn and knowledge they will gain to performance beyond the course. Knowing why an assignment has been included in a course helps students understand both the short and long-term importance of the task and how it fits into their overall learning goals and plans, increasing their engagement and motivation. Issues to address:
- Skills practiced
- Knowledge gained
- Relevance to students’ future
- Relevance to course learning objections
- Task: Providing explicit instructions on what students are expected to do. This information includes detailing the activities, steps, and processes required to complete the assignment. This knowledge gives students an idea of how to approach the task and helps them focus by reducing their confusion, anxiety, and frustration. Issues to address:
- Steps to follow
- Order in which to follow them
- Possible problems
- Resources available
- Criteria: Specifying the characteristics of the finished product and the standards by which the work will be evaluated. This step includes providing rubrics, checklists, examples of successful work, or explanations of what constitutes excellence on the assignment. The purpose is to clarify both the expectations and common pitfalls of the assignment. This specificity also increases consistency and fairness in grading and allows students to evaluate their own work more accurately. Issues to address:
- What excellence looks like
- How best to evaluate student work
- Opportunities for feedback
- Criteria students can use for self-evaluation
Sources
Lafayette College Center for the Integration of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship
Assignment Design Using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching Framework
Dakota State University Center for Teaching & Learning
Transparency in Learning and Teaching
TILT Higher Ed
Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
TILT Higher Ed
TILT Higher Ed. Examples and Resources
University of Oregon Teaching Support and Innovation
Transparent Assignment Design
Northeastern University Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research
Transparent Assignment Design
Indiana University/Bloomington Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning
Transparency in Learning and Teaching
University of Wisconsin/Eau Claire Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Transparent Design Resources
University of Wisconsin office of Online & Professional Learning Resources
Promoting Equity with Transparent Assignment Design
William & Mary Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation
A Guide to Transparent Assignment Design
References
Winkelmes, M. A., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., & Weevils, K. H. (2016). A Teaching Intervention that Increases Underserved College Students’ Success. Peer Review, 18(1/2).
Winkelmes, M. A. (2015). Equity of Access and Equity of Experience in Higher Education. National Teaching and Learning Forum, 24 (2).
Winkelmes, M. A. (2013). Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Data and Improve Students’ Learning. Liberal Education, 99 (2).
Gianoutsos, D., & Winkelmes, M. A. (2016). Navigating with transparency: Enhancing underserved student success through transparent learning and teaching in the classroom and beyond. Published in Conference Proceedings.
Winkelmes, M. A., Boye, A., & Tapp, S. (2019). Transparent Design in Higher Education Teaching and Leadership: A Guide to Implementing the Transparency Framework Institution-Wide to Improve Learning and Retention. Stylus Publishing LLC.
Resources for Using Transparent Design
Notre Dame Learning
Transparent Assignment Design Work Sheet
TILT Higher Ed
Checklist for Designing Transparent Assignments
TILT Higher Ed
Transparent Assignment Template
University of Nevada/Las Vegas Provost Office
Transparent Assignment Checklist
University of Nevada/Las Vegas
Transparent Assignment Design
University of Kentucky Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching
Transparent Assignment Design Checklist
University of New Mexico Center for Teaching & Learning
Transparent Assignment Design
University of Vermont Center for Teaching and Learning
Transparent Assignment Design