Assignments are the primary means through which students demonstrate mastery of course content and apply their learning to real-world tasks. Effective assignments are purposefully aligned to module outcomes, require students to perform authentic work that reflects skills and practices used in their intended field or industry, and are designed so that expectations are unambiguous; students should never have to guess what is required of them.
When to Use
Outcome-Based Deliverable
When students need to demonstrate achievement of a specific module outcome through a tangible deliverable.
Authentic Performance Task
When the module outcome involves performing a task that reflects real-world or professional practice.
Product as Evidence of Learning
When a graded product—written, multimedia, or otherwise—is the most appropriate evidence of learning.
Structure & Components
A well-built assignment typically includes the following:
Overview
An introduction to the assignment that tells students what they will be doing—including the deliverable—and why it matters in a real-world context. This section bridges the course content with the task and makes the relevance to students’ professional or personal lives explicit. The overview should not contain instructional content. It is simply an overview.
Prepare (if applicable)
Describe any significant preparation that a student needs to complete before beginning the assignment—but will not submit for grading. This includes activities such as reading a scenario, reviewing an article, conducting targeted research, or watching a resource specific to the task. Preparation steps are kept separate from the completion steps to avoid confusion about what students are required to submit.
Complete
Step-by-step numbered instructions that tell students exactly what to do to complete the deliverable. Use the following guidance to ensure that assignment instructions are clear, aligned, and easy for students to follow. (Note: These categories are intended to guide how you design instructions, not how they are presented to students.)
Task
- Use numbered steps to describe discrete, meaningful actions (one step/action).
- Begin each step with a clear, observable verb.
- Use bulleted items under each step for supporting details, requirements, or sub-tasks, not for additional steps.
Purpose
- Sequence and group steps so the progression of work is clear.
- Design and sequence steps so that each step clearly contributes to the deliverable and aligns with one or more module outcomes.
Criteria
- Match the verb in each step to the Bloom’s level of the related MO. The assignment must assess at the same Bloom’s level as the MO; however, individual steps may operate at lower levels to scaffold toward that MO. Steps should not exceed the MO’s cognitive level.
- Write steps that make evaluation criteria explicit by clearly defining what students must produce, including required components, scope, and level of detail.
Submit
This section answers the question, “What do students turn in, and how do they turn it in?” Note required components and whether they should be combined or submitted separately. This tab includes only submission requirements, not assignment instructions, quality expectations, or evaluation criteria.
Grading Rubric
A rubric aligned to the assignment and its corresponding module outcome(s) is required for all assignments. Rubrics must follow Excelsior rubric standards (see Rubrics page). Criteria should be specific to the deliverable so students can use the rubric to guide and self-assess their work.
Student Time-on-Task Estimate
Each assignment should include a realistic estimate of how long a typical student will need to complete it. This estimate is used internally for course load planning and pacing purposes and is not student-facing content in the course.
Content Guidelines
Best Practices
- Design tasks that are authentic.
- Assignments should reflect something students would realistically do in their lives or intended field.
- If the assignment places students in a scenario or role, ensure it is a realistic one. For example, a Bachelor of Business student might be asked to advise a manager, but should not be expected to assume the perspective of a C-suite executive unless the program context explicitly supports that.
- Strive for clarity: Ensure instructions are written clearly enough that a student can follow them without instructor clarification. In asynchronous online courses, students may not be able to get clarification quickly, so nothing should be left to interpretation.
Avoid
- Vague or multi-part instructions that require interpretation (e.g., “Address the key issues in the case” without defining what “key” means or how many issues to address).
- Scenarios or role assignments that are not plausible given students’ actual level of experience.
- Placing key requirements (e.g., number of examples, depth of analysis, required components) only in the rubric. If something is graded, it must be clearly stated in the assignment instructions.
Examples
We’ve selected several example assignments that we consider exemplary models. Please review these and the accompanying annotations, which highlight the key elements that make them effective and demonstrate best practices in assignment design.
Lorem Ipsum
Explore how this concept applies to a real-world scenario in your field.
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Reflect on how course concepts relate to your own experience.
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Examine a complex issue with multiple valid perspectives.
Roles and Responsibilities
| Task | SME | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Identify the concept, skill, or outcome the assignment will assess | Lead | Consult |
| Draft the assignment prompt and instructions | Collaborate | Collaborate |
| Define deliverable requirements (format, length, scope) | Collaborate | Collaborate |
| Write or approve the grading rubric | Consult | Lead |
| Review for alignment to learning outcomes and Bloom’s level | Consult | Lead |
| Review for clarity and completeness of student-facing instructions | Consult | Lead |
| Estimate student time-on-task | Lead | Consult |
| Review for authenticity and realism of scenario/task | Lead | Consult |
AI Use Policy
IDs are encouraged to use AI to draft the course welcome. The most effective approach is to prompt AI using content already in the course—the catalog description, course-level outcomes, and module topics—and then refine the output for tone, specificity, and accuracy. All AI-generated drafts must be reviewed before use.
Review Checklist
Is the welcome specific to this course—not a generic statement that could appear in any course catalog?
Does it connect the course to real-world application or professional relevance?
Is the tone warm, student-facing, and engaging—not a restatement of the catalog description?
Does it stay within 1–3 paragraphs?
Is it free of generic learning activity references, module-by-module outlines, and references to specific modules or weeks?