Understanding the Task

• Find the topic. It is important you understand this to answer the assignment question properly.
• Find the instruction words. These tell you what you need to do with your knowledge of the topic, such as 'discuss', 'examine', 'analyse', or 'evaluate'
• Find the limiting words. These tell you the scope or limits of the assignment so you know what to concentrate on. e.g. Analyse and evaluate communication practices in your workplace.
• Think about how the topic fits in with this unit of study and how it relates to the unit objectives.
• Brainstorm everything you know about the topic.
• Explore the topic in more detail. Look for any underlying concepts, theories or ideas.

Go to the Unit Information Guide (UIG):

• Read all the requirements for the assignment, including the due date, weighting and word limit.
• What is the expected format of the assignment? Is it an essay, a report, a case study, a literature review or a presentation?
• Read the marking criteria for the assignment. These are the criteria your marker will use to grade your assignment.
• Search for any resources related to the assignment topic. Start with the required readings and then go to the recommended reference materials and eReadings.

Go to the Study Guide:

• Find and read all topics/modules related to the task.

Go to MySCU then open the following links on the Learning Site:

• Notice Board for recent notices about the assignment
• Discussion Board for discussion threads on this assignment for you to participate in and brainstorm your ideas with other students
• Assignments for instructions and guidelines
• Unit documents for access to the UIG, the Study Guide, the Book of Readings, and links to eReadings and additional material such as lecture notes, presentations and recordings

• Start early. Read through all assessment tasks for this unit at the beginning of the study session so you can look for relevant information from Day 1.
• Go to your Session Planner and check your workload for all units to estimate when you should start the assignment.
• Write a checklist to map out exactly what you need to do to complete the assignment. Start by writing down all the smaller tasks involved. List these in order of priority, then estimate timeframes.
• Slot the smaller tasks from the checklist into your Weekly Planner or diary.
• Ask questions or seek assistance early if you are unsure about anything.

Interpret the assignment task by searching for key words

• Identify the topic
• Find the instruction words
• Find any limiting words
• Brainstorm everything you already know about the topic
• Identify any underlying concepts, theories or ideas

Revisit the unit material and search for information related to the task

• Know the due date, word limit and weighting of the task
• Know the expected format
• Read the marking criteria for the task in the UIG
• Search the required and recommended readings
• Read related topics/modules in the Study Guide
• Check MySCU for assignment updates, discussions and resources

Manage the task using checklists and a semester and weekly planner

• Check workload for all units on your Session Planner to estimate a starting date
• Write a checklist of all smaller tasks
• Slot smaller tasks into your Weekly Planner or diary
• Seek assistance early

Download checklist