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Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

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Assignments are an essential part of academic learning, designed to help students develop skills, reinforce knowledge, and demonstrate their understanding of course material. They come in various forms, each serving a unique purpose in enhancing critical thinking, research abilities, and problem-solving skills. This guide explores the different types of assignments, provides examples, and offers a step-by-step writing guide to help you complete your assignments effectively.

What is an Assignment?

An assignment is a task given to students as part of their coursework to assess and develop their understanding of a particular topic or skill. Assignments can range from simple essays to complex research papers, and their objectives vary depending on the academic level, course, and subject.

Types of Assignments

• Example : Write an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on mental health.
• Example : Conduct a study on the effects of climate change on biodiversity and present your findings in a research paper.
• Example : Analyze a company facing a decline in market share and suggest strategies to regain its competitive advantage.
• Example : Write a lab report on an experiment testing the pH levels of different soil samples.
• Example : Reflect on your experience in a group project, discussing what you learned and the challenges you faced.
• Example : Create an annotated bibliography on recent studies about renewable energy technologies.
• Example : Prepare a presentation on the history and future of artificial intelligence.
• Example : Solve a set of calculus problems related to limits and derivatives.

Writing Guide for an Assignment

Completing an assignment effectively requires careful planning, research, and clear writing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Understand the Assignment Requirements

• Read the Instructions Carefully : Review the guidelines, including formatting, word count, and citation style. Ensure you understand the objective and expectations.
• Identify the Purpose : Determine whether the assignment requires you to argue, analyze, describe, or reflect.
• Clarify the Question : Make sure you understand the question or prompt. If unclear, ask your instructor for clarification.

Step 2: Conduct Research and Gather Information

• Search for Reliable Sources : Use academic databases, books, and credible websites to gather information. Take notes and organize your sources.
• Evaluate Sources : Ensure the sources you use are credible, recent, and relevant to the assignment topic.
• Create an Outline : Plan the structure of your assignment. An outline will help you organize your thoughts and stay on track.

Step 3: Write a Strong Introduction

• Introduce the Topic : Provide background information to set the context.
• State the Purpose : Clearly state the purpose of the assignment or your main argument.
• Present the Thesis Statement : In assignments like essays or research papers, include a thesis statement that summarizes your main point.

Step 4: Develop the Main Body

• Follow the Outline : Organize the main points logically, with each paragraph focusing on one idea.
• Use Evidence : Support your arguments or analysis with data, examples, or quotes from reliable sources.
• Analyze and Interpret : Go beyond description—explain the significance of your points and how they contribute to the overall argument or purpose.

Step 5: Write a Conclusion

• Summarize Key Points : Recap the main ideas discussed in the assignment.
• Restate the Thesis : Reiterate the main argument or purpose of the assignment.
• End with a Thought-Provoking Statement : Leave the reader with a final thought or recommendation, if applicable.

Step 6: Edit and Proofread

• Check for Clarity and Coherence : Ensure each paragraph flows logically and supports the main argument.
• Correct Grammar and Spelling Errors : Proofread for typos, grammatical mistakes, and punctuation errors.
• Verify Formatting : Confirm that the assignment meets formatting guidelines and that citations follow the required style (e.g., APA, MLA).

Step 7: Cite Sources and Create a Bibliography

• Use In-Text Citations : Properly cite all sources used within the text.
• Compile a Bibliography or Reference List : List all sources used in the assignment in the specified format (e.g., APA, MLA).
• Check for Plagiarism : Ensure that all borrowed information is correctly cited to avoid unintentional plagiarism.

Examples of Assignments by Academic Discipline

1. English Literature

• Assignment : Analyze the use of symbolism in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Objective : Interpret literary symbols and their impact on the story’s themes.

2. Psychology

• Assignment : Write a case study on a client presenting symptoms of anxiety disorder.
• Objective : Apply theoretical knowledge to assess symptoms, causes, and treatment options.

3. Business

• Assignment : Develop a marketing plan for a new product in the technology industry.
• Objective : Demonstrate understanding of market research, strategy, and consumer behavior.
• Assignment : Conduct a lab experiment on photosynthesis and report your findings.
• Objective : Document experimental procedures, observations, and conclusions.
• Assignment : Discuss the causes and consequences of World War II.
• Objective : Analyze historical events and their impacts on global relations.

Tips for Successfully Completing Assignments

• Start Early : Begin working on your assignment well before the deadline to allow time for thorough research and revision.
• Follow the Rubric : Review any grading rubrics provided to understand how your work will be evaluated.
• Stay Organized : Keep your notes, sources, and drafts well-organized, making it easier to reference and edit your work.
• Use Clear and Concise Language : Avoid jargon and complex language unless necessary; aim for clarity and precision.
• Seek Feedback : If possible, get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your work before submission.

Assignments are valuable learning tools that enable students to apply, analyze, and communicate knowledge. Whether writing an essay, conducting research, or presenting findings, understanding the type of assignment, following a structured writing guide, and implementing effective research and writing techniques can help ensure academic success. By approaching assignments systematically, students can improve their critical thinking, writing skills, and overall academic performance.

• Greetham, B. (2018). How to Write Better Essays . Macmillan International Higher Education.
• Murray, R. (2011). How to Write a Thesis . McGraw-Hill Education.
• Cottrell, S. (2019). The Study Skills Handbook (5th ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Bailey, S. (2017). Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students . Routledge.
• Northedge, A. (2005). The Good Study Guide . Open University Press.

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11 Types of Assignments You’ll Write In College This Year

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by  Antony W

February 2, 2024

This is the complete list of the types of assignments that you will come across in high school, college, and university this year and beyond.

Types of Assignments: The Complete List for High School and College Students

The following is the complete list of the types of assignments that you will do in school. Whether you’re in high school, college, or university, this list is worth checking.

1. Essay Assignments

Essay assignments give students a chance to express and back up their thought with explanations, statements, facts, and analysis.

Although an essay can have as many paragraphs to express various ideas, the basic format is the 5-paragraph structure, which already includes the introduction, body, and conclusion. 

Other than the structure, it’s also important to know about the types of essays . These include argumentative, persuasive, analytic, and expository essays.

An analytic essay will disintegrate issues into solutions. An expository essay provides explanations to things. Then an argumentative essay attests topics to give proof.

2. Memo Assignments

Memos are assignments that require students to provide short reports such as a monthly sales report. Memorandum assignments are good because they help cultivate conciseness in students.

That’s so because a memo should be short and precise providing only what is important to the reader.

In addition, memos can either request or share important information, and is therefore important to keep it clear.

3. Presentation Skills Assignments

Your instructor may ask you, as an individual or in a group, to go in front of the class and present certain ideas. They do this to see how well students can be at representing ideas to a crowd.

Adequate preparation is the key when it comes to creating presentations. At the end of the day, the last thing you ever want to do is to get nervous in front of other students.

More importantly, presenting ideas as a group is good because it helps you to cultivate collaborative skills.

4. Flowchart Assignments

Flowcharts represent processes or workflow of events using boxes connected together with arrow. Students will use flowcharts to show step-by-step procedures to solve given tasks.

For example, they can use flowcharts to represent service or administrative processes, manufacturing processes, or project plans.

5. Project Report Assignments

Project report assignments are to be written in future tense if the goals intended are yet to be met and in past tense where the intended goal has been achieved.

This assignment provides stakeholders with a brief preview of the projects at hand and clues whether a given project will be a success or will need improvement to meet the set goal. Students should also draft their reports with factual details.

A report should have the following arrangement:

• Acknowledgements
• Table of content
• Introduction

The body should not feature any subtitles. The conclusion, on the other hand, should feature recommendations, references, and appendices.

The aim of having project reports is to ensure students are capable of organizing both their works and goals.

6. Reflective Journal Assignments

A reflective journal is one of the types of assignments that require students to write what they understand according to what they think.

Most students who find reflective assignments hard to do can always request academic writing help from the experts in their areas of study.

7. Research Paper Assignments

With research paper assignments, students are supposed to choose topics they can explore as they come up with explanations to support their investigation.

In this assignment, students are to survey their research to understand the study that they carry out. A good research paper will feature findings that check and marge with the hypothesis .

A good example of a research paper assignment that your teacher may ask you to write is a theology paper .

8. Case study Assignments

The goal of the case study assignment is to find out whether or not students can investigate situations.

The assignment will suggest scenarios to students for a given study and provide secondary or subordinate questions. It is the work of the student to treat the scenario as real. That way, they can get the right answers for the given case study within the shortest time possible.

A case study response should be authentic, reasonable, and based on facts. In a case study assignment, students are at liberty of having politicians, the public, and professionals as their audiences.

When it comes to writing, you have to avoid the use of a massive block of words instead but make the findings should be precise and direct to the point.

8. Wiki Assignments

Wiki assignments involve putting together information modified to about any imaginary audience. Wikis let students share their ideas and provide supportive pieces of evidence to illustrate amalgamation of understanding.

Wiki is another way of telling students the importance of collaborating with fellow students, as it allows them to come up with their own posts on given studies.

Students are at liberty of creating a list, writing research questions, or starting discussions. They are also able to comment and edit any document shared. Or they can collaborate and come up with a single well-researched and detailed post.

This is one of the simplest assignments you will ever come across in school. You can get wiki free and inexpensive wikis on websites like Wikispaces, PBwiki and Wetpaint.

Lastly, a wiki is among the tools used in colleges to help students get to an immense diversification of instructional targets.

9. Literature Review Assignments

A literature review assignment is an important pedagogical tool for students in college. Depending on the given scenario or topic, students have to validate answers by studying given literatures.

Students are supposed to use the official language and maintain high levels of literature as they prepare literature reviews.

While writing this assignment, you are encouraged to have an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction grabs the attention of the reader, the body explains the main idea and the conclusion tells the reader the overall summary of your study. 

Apart from providing similarities and differences after evaluating more than one source, you are still supposed to give their conclusive judgments.

10. Personal Narrative Assignments

Most lecturers allocate 5% to 10% of their overall grade to personal narrative assignments.

Personal narrative essays are two pages long, which means students should always provide brief answers to the topic.

Most lecturers use this assignment to get to know their students as the semester kicks off.

11. Annotated Bibliography Assignments

Annotated Bibliography is a type of college assignment that requires students to gather related findings relevant to the topic under investigation arranged alphabetically.

Annotated bibliography assignment also requires students to use the official language and be as objective as possible.

A good annotated bibliography should have a summary of the assignment in the first section. The assignment checks whether students are collect and recognize literature relating to given topics.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Types of Assignments

Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington

Introduction

As discussed in the previous chapter, assignments are a common method of assessment at university. You may encounter many assignments over your years of study, yet some will look quite different from others. By recognising different types of assignments and understanding the purpose of the task, you can direct your writing skills effectively to meet task requirements. This chapter draws on the skills from the previous chapter, and extends the discussion, showing you where to aim with different types of assignments.

The chapter begins by exploring the popular essay assignment, with its two common categories, analytical and argumentative essays. It then examines assignments requiring case study responses , as often encountered in fields such as health or business. This is followed by a discussion of assignments seeking a report (such as a scientific report) and reflective writing assignments, common in nursing, education and human services. The chapter concludes with an examination of annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of  your assignment writing skills.

Different Types of Written Assignments

At university, an essay is a common form of assessment. In the previous chapter Writing Assignments we discussed what was meant by showing academic writing in your assignments. It is important that you consider these aspects of structure, tone and language when writing an essay.

Components of an essay

Essays should use formal but reader friendly language and have a clear and logical structure. They must include research from credible academic sources such as peer reviewed journal articles and textbooks. This research should be referenced throughout your essay to support your ideas (See the chapter Working with Information ).

If you have never written an essay before, you may feel unsure about how to start.  Breaking your essay into sections and allocating words accordingly will make this process more manageable and will make planning the overall essay structure much easier.

• An essay requires an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Generally, an introduction and conclusion are approximately 10% each of the total word count.
• The remaining words can then be divided into sections and a paragraph allowed for each area of content you need to cover.
• Use your task and criteria sheet to decide what content needs to be in your plan

An effective essay introduction needs to inform your reader by doing four basic things:

Table 20.1 An effective essay

An effective essay body paragraph needs to:

An effective essay conclusion needs to:

Common types of essays

You may be required to write different types of essays, depending on your study area and topic. Two of the most commonly used essays are analytical and argumentative .  The task analysis process discussed in the previous chapter Writing Assignments will help you determine the type of essay required. For example, if your assignment question uses task words such as analyse, examine, discuss, determine or explore, you would be writing an analytical essay . If your assignment question has task words such as argue, evaluate, justify or assess, you would be writing an argumentative essay . Despite the type of essay, your ability to analyse and think critically is important and common across genres.  

Analytical essays

These essays usually provide some background description of the relevant theory, situation, problem, case, image, etcetera that is your topic. Being analytical requires you to look carefully at various components or sections of your topic in a methodical and logical way to create understanding.

The purpose of the analytical essay is to demonstrate your ability to examine the topic thoroughly. This requires you to go deeper than description by considering different sides of the situation, comparing and contrasting a variety of theories and the positives and negatives of the topic. Although in an analytical essay your position on the topic may be clear, it is not necessarily a requirement that you explicitly identify this with a thesis statement, as is the case with an argumentative essay. If you are unsure whether you are required to take a position, and provide a thesis statement, it is best to check with your tutor.

Argumentative essays

These essays require you to take a position on the assignment topic. This is expressed through your thesis statement in your introduction. You must then present and develop your arguments throughout the body of your assignment using logically structured paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs needs a topic sentence that relates to the thesis statement. In an argumentative essay, you must reach a conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.

Case Study Responses

Case studies are a common form of assignment in many study areas and students can underperform in this genre for a number of key reasons.

Students typically lose marks for not:

• Relating their answer sufficiently to the case details
• Applying critical thinking
• Writing with clear structure
• Using appropriate or sufficient sources
• Using accurate referencing

When structuring your response to a case study, remember to refer to the case. Structure your paragraphs similarly to an essay paragraph structure but include examples and data from the case as additional evidence to support your points (see Figure 20.5 ). The colours in the sample paragraph below show the function of each component.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Code of Conduct and Nursing Standards (2018) play a crucial role in determining the scope of practice for nurses and midwives. A key component discussed in the code is the provision of person-centred care and the formation of therapeutic relationships between nurses and patients (NMBA, 2018). This ensures patient safety and promotes health and wellbeing (NMBA, 2018). The standards also discuss the importance of partnership and shared decision-making in the delivery of care (NMBA, 2018, 4). Boyd and Dare (2014) argue that good communication skills are vital for building therapeutic relationships and trust between patients and care givers. This will help ensure the patient is treated with dignity and respect and improve their overall hospital experience. In the case, the therapeutic relationship with the client has been compromised in several ways. Firstly, the nurse did not conform adequately to the guidelines for seeking informed consent before performing the examination as outlined in principle 2.3 (NMBA, 2018). Although she explained the procedure, she failed to give the patient appropriate choices regarding her health care. 

Topic sentence | Explanations using paraphrased evidence including in-text references | Critical thinking (asks the so what? question to demonstrate your student voice). | Relating the theory back to the specifics of the case. The case becomes a source of examples as extra evidence to support the points you are making.

Reports are a common form of assessment at university and are also used widely in many professions. It is a common form of writing in business, government, scientific, and technical occupations.

Reports can take many different structures. A report is normally written to present information in a structured manner, which may include explaining laboratory experiments, technical information, or a business case.  Reports may be written for different audiences including clients, your manager, technical staff, or senior leadership within an organisation. The structure of reports can vary, and it is important to consider what format is required. The choice of structure will depend upon professional requirements and the ultimate aims of the report. Consider some of the options in the table below (see Table 20.2 ).

Table 20.2 Explanations of different types of reports

Reflective writing.

Reflective writing is a popular method of assessment at university. It is used to help you explore feelings, experiences, opinions, events or new information to gain a clearer and deeper understanding of your learning. A reflective writing task requires more than a description or summary.  It requires you to analyse a situation, problem or experience, consider what you may have learnt and evaluate how this may impact your thinking and actions in the future. This requires critical thinking, analysis, and usually the application of good quality research, to demonstrate your understanding or learning from a situation. Essentially, reflective practice is the process of looking back on past experiences and engaging with them in a thoughtful way and drawing conclusions to inform future experiences. The reflection skills you develop at university will be vital in the workplace to assist you to use feedback for growth and continuous improvement. There are numerous models of reflective writing and you should refer to your subject guidelines for your expected format. If there is no specific framework, a simple model to help frame your thinking is What? So what? Now what?   (Rolfe et al., 2001).

Table 20.3 What? So What? Now What? Explained.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs’ Cycle of reflection encourages you to consider your feelings as part of the reflective process. There are six specific steps to work through. Following this model carefully and being clear of the requirements of each stage, will help you focus your thinking and reflect more deeply. This model is popular in Health.

The 4 R’s of reflective thinking

This model (Ryan and Ryan, 2013) was designed specifically for university students engaged in experiential learning.  Experiential learning includes any ‘real-world’ activities including practice led activities, placements and internships.  Experiential learning, and the use of reflective practice to heighten this learning, is common in Creative Arts, Health and Education.

Annotated Bibliography

What is it.

An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of appropriate sources (books, journals or websites) on a topic, accompanied by a brief summary, evaluation and sometimes an explanation or reflection on their usefulness or relevance to your topic. Its purpose is to teach you to research carefully, evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. An annotated bibliography may be one part of a larger assessment item or a stand-alone assessment piece. Check your task guidelines for the number of sources you are required to annotate and the word limit for each entry.

How do I know what to include?

When choosing sources for your annotated bibliography it is important to determine:

• The topic you are investigating and if there is a specific question to answer
• The type of sources on which you need to focus
• Whether they are reputable and of high quality

What do I say?

Important considerations include:

• Is the work current?
• Is the work relevant to your topic?
• Is the author credible/reliable?
• Is there any author bias?
• The strength and limitations (this may include an evaluation of research methodology).

Literature Reviews

It is easy to get confused by the terminology used for literature reviews. Some tasks may be described as a systematic literature review when actually the requirement is simpler; to review the literature on the topic but do it in a systematic way. There is a distinct difference (see Table 20.4 ). As a commencing undergraduate student, it is unlikely you would be expected to complete a systematic literature review as this is a complex and more advanced research task. It is important to check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure of the requirements.

Table 20.4 Comparison of Literature Reviews

Generally, you are required to establish the main ideas that have been written on your chosen topic. You may also be expected to identify gaps in the research. A literature review does not summarise and evaluate each resource you find (this is what you would do in an annotated bibliography). You are expected to analyse and synthesise or organise common ideas from multiple texts into key themes which are relevant to your topic (see Figure 20.10 ). Use a table or a spreadsheet, if you know how, to organise the information you find. Record the full reference details of the sources as this will save you time later when compiling your reference list (see Table 20.5 ).

Overall, this chapter has provided an introduction to the types of assignments you can expect to complete at university, as well as outlined some tips and strategies with examples and templates for completing them. First, the chapter investigated essay assignments, including analytical and argumentative essays. It then examined case study assignments, followed by a discussion of the report format. Reflective writing , popular in nursing, education and human services, was also considered. Finally, the chapter briefly addressed annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of your assignment writing skills.

• Not all assignments at university are the same. Understanding the requirements of different types of assignments will assist in meeting the criteria more effectively.
• There are many different types of assignments. Most will require an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• An essay should have a clear and logical structure and use formal but reader friendly language.
• Breaking your assignment into manageable chunks makes it easier to approach.
• Effective body paragraphs contain a topic sentence.
• A case study structure is similar to an essay, but you must remember to provide examples from the case or scenario to demonstrate your points.
• The type of report you may be required to write will depend on its purpose and audience. A report requires structured writing and uses headings.
• Reflective writing is popular in many disciplines and is used to explore feelings, experiences, opinions or events to discover what learning or understanding has occurred. Reflective writing requires more than description. You need to be analytical, consider what has been learnt and evaluate the impact of this on future actions.
• Annotated bibliographies teach you to research and evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. They may be part of a larger assignment.
• Literature reviews require you to look across the literature and analyse and synthesise the information you find into themes.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ryan, M. & Ryan, M. (2013). Theorising a model for teaching and assessing reflective learning in higher education.  Higher Education Research & Development , 32(2), 244-257. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2012.661704

Academic Success Copyright © 2021 by University of Southern Queensland is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Understanding the Different Types of Assignments in Detail

As students advance in their academics studies, their academic knowledge increases thus increasing the level of assignments issue by their lecturers. Students are given academic assignments to test their level of understanding in a particular topic or subject.

Are you a student struggling to understand the various types of assignments you encounter during your academic journey? Look no further! In this article, I will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the different assignment types commonly found in universities. By gaining a better understanding of these assignment categories , you will be better equipped to meet the requirements and excel in your academics.

Assignments come in different forms and serve different purposes. Some of the most common types of assignments you may encounter include essays, case study responses, reports, reflective writing assignments , annotated bibliographies , and literature reviews . Let’s explore each of these assignment types in detail!

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What You'll Learn

Essay Assignments

One of the most frequently assigned tasks in university is the essay. Essays require you to present your ideas and arguments in a formal and structured manner. They demand clear and logical thinking, as well as the use of credible academic sources to support your claims. Essays can be further categorized into analytical essays , where you thoroughly examine a topic, and argumentative essays , where you take a stance on an issue and provide supporting evidence.

How to Format Essay Assignments

The following is a general list of sections you should include in your essay assignment:

A good essay title tells people what your essay is about. It helps them know what to expect from your essay, especially if they’re reading it for their own research. If the essay title is interesting, it can also make people curious and want to read your essay.

How important a catchy title is depends on the type of essay you’re writing. If it’s for a class assignment and your teacher is the only one reading it, the title doesn’t have to be super exciting. But if you’re entering a contest, applying to college or grad school, or trying to get it published, a catchy title is crucial. This is because the title is the first thing the editor or admissions committee will see, and it might decide whether they read your essay or not.

In short, a strong essay title gives a clear idea of what your essay is about. It doesn’t have to reveal everything, but it should give a general sense of what to expect and make people want to keep reading.

• Introduction

Your introduction is like the hello of your paper. It’s the first thing your reader sees, and it gives them an idea of how your writing will be. It helps them know what to expect in terms of tone, voice, and style.

Think of it as a warm-up for your reader. It shares some important info about your paper, so your reader understands what you’re talking about and why it matters.

But the introduction is not just about facts. It’s also a chance to grab your reader’s interest. If you start with something cool or make them think, they’ll be more excited to read the rest.

Here’s what you should include in your introduction, no matter what kind of paper you’re writing:

• A hook to get attention : Something that makes your reader go, “Hmm, this is interesting!”
• Background information : The basics your reader needs to understand your paper.
• A clear main point or thesis statement : What your paper is all about in one sentence.

Think of paragraphs as small parts of a bigger piece of writing. Each paragraph is like a mini version of the whole thing, with its own introduction, body, and conclusion in the form of sentences.

Now, let’s break it down. A good paragraph has four important parts, and you might already know some of them from our guide:

• Transitions: These are just a few words at the start or end of a paragraph that link it to the others. They help the writing flow smoothly.
• Topic sentence: This is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It tells you what the whole paragraph is about.
• Supporting sentences: These sentences make up the main part of your paragraph. There are usually one to three of them, and they give more information or reasons to support the topic sentence.
• Conclusion (Summary): This is the last sentence of your paragraph. It sums up or repeats your main point in light of the evidence you provided.

Many people find writing conclusions in essays tough. But, they are super important because they make things clear and give you a better understanding of the topic.

To make a good ending for your essay, follow these steps:

Restate the thesis : A good ending reminds the reader about the main idea of your essay. But don’t just repeat it word for word. Say it in a different way while keeping the main point.

Repeat the important points : Besides talking again about your main idea, also go over the key points you made to support it. Instead of saying the same things you said before, summarize the main ideas.

Connect the beginning and ending statements : It’s helpful to go back to what you talked about at the start of your essay. This gives the reader a clear ending. You can do this by using similar ideas, going back to a story you started with, or using the same images.

Give some new thoughts Your ending should give the reader something to think about. It could be a solution, a new idea, questions for more thinking, or a call to do something. Explain why your ideas matter and why people should care. Answer these kinds of questions to leave your reader with something important to ponder.

• References.

You should include a list of sources (including module materials) that are mentioned in the essay. Find out more in the ACADEMIC STYLE GUIDE

Analytical Essays

Argumentative essays.

Essay assignment example: Applying the Concepts of Epidemiology and Nursing Research on Measles Nursing Paper Essay

Case Study Assignments

In certain fields like health or business, case study assignments are commonly assigned. These assignments require students to analyze a scenario in a particular field and respond to it guided by specific questions posed concerning the situation. In many cases, the scenario or case study involves a number of issues or problems that must be dealt with in a professional workplace.

To effectively respond to a case study, it is important to refer to the case itself, structure your analysis effectively, and use examples and data from the case as evidence to support your points.

Types of Case Studies

Illustrative case study: employed to provide a descriptive portrayal of a particular situation without aiming for generalizations. Often used for educational purposes, it offers readers a tangible example, fostering a clearer understanding of concepts.

Exploratory case studies: serve the purpose of exploring a subject or phenomenon, collecting preliminary insights before conducting a more extensive study. Ideal for gaining an understanding of the scope, scale, and potential variables associated with a problem, these studies help researchers refine their focus and approach.

Explanatory case studies : focus on establishing cause-and-effect relationships. They investigate why and how a specific situation occurred and explore its impact. This type is valuable when researchers seek to uncover underlying principles or factors contributing to a particular outcome, providing a deeper understanding of complex issues.

Critical instance case studies : concentrate on instances deemed uniquely interesting or significant. By delving into cases of exceptional relevance, researchers can extract insights that might be applicable to broader contexts. This type is particularly useful when studying rare or extreme cases that offer a distinctive perspective on an issue or challenge.

Prospective or longitudinal case studies: involve tracking the development of a situation over time. This approach necessitates repeated observations and data collection to analyze changes and patterns, making it well-suited for studying processes, developments, or changes in individuals, groups, or organizations over an extended period.

Steps to writing an answer to a case study assignment

• Carefully read the case study and questions
• Identify the issues being raised in the case study
• Link theory to practice
• Draft your answer
• Start writing your case study
• Proofread and edit

Analyzing Case Studies

When analyzing a case study, consider the following aspects:

• Context: Understand the background and setting of the case.
• Key Issues: Identify the main problems or challenges within the case.
• Analysis: Apply relevant theories or concepts to examine the case in depth.
• Recommendations: Offer practical solutions or suggestions for addressing the issues.

Example Case Study Analysis

“The case study presents a real-world scenario in the healthcare industry, focusing on the challenges faced by a hospital in improving patient satisfaction. Through a detailed analysis of patient feedback and hospital data, I identified the key issues contributing to low satisfaction scores, such as long wait times and inadequate communication. Based on this analysis, I recommended implementing strategies to streamline processes, enhance communication between staff and patients, and improve overall patient experience. This case study provided valuable insights into the complexities of healthcare management and the importance of patient-centered care.” – Student, Health Management Program

Case Study Structure

A well-structured case study analysis typically includes the following sections:

• Introduction: Provide a brief overview of the case and its importance.
• Background: Present relevant background information about the case.
• Analysis: Analyze the case, addressing the key issues identified.
• Findings: Summarize your findings based on the analysis.
• Conclusion: Provide a concise conclusion that ties everything together.

Related blog article: Case Study on Moral Status .

Report Assignments

Reports are a common form of assessment in various professions. They serve as a means of communicating information and analysis to a specific audience. Report assignments can take different structures and formats, depending on the professional requirements and the purpose of the report.

In general, a report consists of several sections that provide a comprehensive overview of the topic being discussed. This may include an executive summary, introduction, methodology, findings, analysis, and conclusion.

The specific sections of a report can vary depending on the field and purpose of the assignment. For example, a business report may include sections on market analysis, financial analysis, and recommendations, while a scientific research report may include sections on hypothesis, methodology, results, and discussion.

When working on a report assignment, it is important to carefully follow the given guidelines and structure the report in a logical and coherent manner. Each section should be clearly labeled and organized, making it easy for the reader to navigate and understand the content.

Additionally, reports often require the use of visual aids such as tables, charts, and graphs to present data and support findings. These visual elements should be properly formatted and referenced within the text.

Overall, report assignments require careful planning, research, and analysis to effectively present information and make informed recommendations. By understanding the structure and components of reports, you can ensure that your assignments meet the requirements and effectively convey your findings and insights to the intended audience.

Report assignment essay: Term-Long Project Nursing Paper Example

Reflective Writing, Annotated Bibliographies, and Literature Reviews

Reflective writing assignments , annotated bibliographies, and literature reviews are important types of assignments that you may encounter in your academic journey. They each serve a unique purpose and require specific approaches to effectively complete them. These assignments encourage self-reflection and exploration of personal experiences and thoughts on a particular topic.

Reflective Writing Assignments

Reflective writing assignments provide an opportunity for self-reflection and personal exploration. In fields such as nursing, education, and human services, these assignments encourage you to think critically about your experiences, thoughts, and emotions related to a particular topic. By analyzing your own reactions and considering the impact of these experiences, you can gain deeper insights and develop a greater understanding of the subject matter.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies are valuable resources that provide a comprehensive list of sources accompanied by brief descriptions and evaluations. These assignments require you to carefully select relevant sources and provide thoughtful annotations that summarize the key points, strengths, and weaknesses of each source. By creating an annotated bibliography, you demonstrate your ability to critically analyze and evaluate existing literature on a particular topic.

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews involve a thorough examination of existing literature on a specific subject. They aim to identify current trends, research gaps, and areas for further investigation. By conducting a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, books, and other relevant sources, you can contribute to the existing knowledge base and showcase your ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of assignments , you can confidently tackle any task that comes your way. Remember, at StudyingHq.com, you can find thousands of free essay examples, samples, guides, topics, and research papers to inspire your own work. And if you need writing assistance, our team of expert writers is ready to help you within 2-3 hours. Good luck with your assignments!

What are the different types of assignments in university?

Some common types of assignments include essays, case study responses, reports, reflective writing assignments, annotated bibliographies, and literature reviews.

What do essays require and how can they be categorized?

Essays require formal language, a clear and logical structure, and the use of credible academic sources. They can be categorized into  analytical essays , which involve examining a topic thoroughly, and  argumentative essays , which require taking a position on an issue and presenting arguments supported by evidence.

What are case study assignments and how should I respond to them?

Case study assignments  involve analyzing a specific situation, problem, or organization over a selected period of time. When responding to a case study, it is important to refer to the case, structure your paragraphs effectively, and use examples and data from the case as evidence to support your points.

What are the different types of report assignments?

Reports can take different structures, such as business reports or scientific and research reports. The structure of a report depends on professional requirements and the purpose of the report. It typically includes sections like an executive summary, introduction, process, findings, and conclusion.

What are reflective writing assignments, annotated bibliographies, and literature reviews?

Reflective writing assignments involve self-reflection and exploring personal experiences or thoughts on a particular topic. Annotated bibliographies are lists of sources with brief descriptions and evaluations. Literature reviews examine existing literature on a topic, highlighting current trends and identifying research gaps.

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Gen ed writes, writing across the disciplines at harvard college.

• Types of Assignments

Gen Ed courses transcend disciplinary boundaries in a variety of ways, so the types of writing assignments that they include also often venture outside the traditional discipline-specific essays. You may encounter a wide variety of assignment types in Gen Ed, but most can be categorized into four general types: 

• Traditional academic assignments include the short essays or research papers most commonly associated with college-level assignments. Generally speaking, these kinds of assignments are "expository" in nature, i.e., they ask you to engage with ideas through evidence-base argument, written in formal prose. The majority of essays in Expos courses fall into this category of writing assignment types.  
• Less traditional academic assignments include elements of engagement in academia not normally encountered by undergraduates. 
• Traditional non-academic assignments include types of written communication that students are likely to encounter in real world situations. 
• Less traditional non-academic assignments are those that push the boundaries of typical ‘writing’ assignments and are likely to include some kind of creative or artistic component.

Examples and Resources

Traditional academic.

For most of us, these are the most familiar types of college-level writing assignments. While they are perhaps less common in Gen Ed than in departmental courses, there are still numerous examples we could examine.

Two illustrations of common types include: 

Example 1: Short Essay  Professor Michael Sandel asks the students in his Gen Ed course on Tech Ethics to write several short essays over the course of the semester in which they make an argument in response to the course readings. Because many students will never have written a philosophy-style paper, Professor Sandel offers students a number of resources—from a guide on writing in philosophy, to sample graded essays, to a list of logical fallacies—to keep in mind. 

Example 2: Research Paper In Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares?, a Gen Ed course co-taught by multiple global health faculty members, students write a 12–15 page research paper on a biosocial analysis of a global health topic of their choosing for the final assignment. The assignment is broken up into two parts: (1) a proposal with annotated bibliography and (2) the final paper itself. The prompt clearly outlines the key qualities and features of a successful paper, which is especially useful for students who have not yet written a research paper in the sciences. 

Less Traditional Academic

In Gen Ed, sometimes assignments ask students to engage in academic work that, while familiar to faculty, is beyond the scope of the typical undergraduate experience. 

Here are a couple of examples from Gen Ed courses: 

Example 1: Design a conference  For the final project in her Gen Ed course, Global Feminisms, Professor Durba Mitra asks her students to imagine a dream conference  in the style of the feminist conferences they studied in class. Students are asked to imagine conference panels and events, potential speakers or exhibitions, and advertising materials. While conferences are a normal occurrence for graduate students and professors, undergraduates are much less likely to be familiar with this part of academic life, and this kind of assignment might require more specific background and instructions as part of the prompt. 

Example 2: Curate a museum exhibit In his Gen Ed class, Pyramid Schemes, Professor Peter Der Manuelian's final project offers students the option of designing a virtual museum exhibit . While exhibit curation can be a part of the academic life of an anthropologist or archaeologist, it's not often found in introductory undergraduate courses. In addition to selecting objects and creating a virtual exhibit layout, students also wrote an annotated bibliography as well as an exhibit introduction for potential visitors. 

Traditional Non-academic

One of the goals of Gen Ed is to encourage students to engage with the world around them. Sometimes writing assignments in Gen Ed directly mirror types of writing that students are likely to encounter in real-world, non-academic settings after they graduate.

The following are several examples of such assignments: 

Example 1: Policy memo In Power and Identity in the Middle East, Professor Melani Cammett assigns students a group policy memo evaluating "a major initiative aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)." The assignment prompt is actually structured as a memo, providing context for students who likely lack experience with the format. It also outlines the key characteristics of a good memo, and it provides extensive advice on the process—especially important when students are working in groups. 

Example 2: Letter In Loss, Professor Kathleen Coleman asks students to write a letter of condolence . The letter has an unusual audience: a mother elephant who lost her calf. Since students may not have encountered this type of writing before, Professor Coleman also provides students with advice on process, pointing to some course readings that might be a good place to start. She also suggests a list of outside resources to help students get into the mindframe of addressing an elephant. 

Example 3: Podcast  Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in Gen Ed classes, as they are in the real world. Though they're ultimately audio file outputs, they usually require writing and preparing a script ahead of time. For example, in Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding asks students to create a podcast in which they make an argument about a song studied in class. He usefully breaks up the assignments into two parts: (1) researching the song and preparing a script and (2) recording and making sonic choices about the presentation, offering students the opportunity to get feedback on the first part before moving onto the second. 

Less Traditional Non-academic

These are the types of assignments that perhaps are less obviously "writing" assignments. They usually involve an artistic or otherwise creative component, but they also often include some kind of written introduction or artist statement related to the work.

The following are several examples from recently offered Gen Ed courses: 

Example 1: Movie Professor Peter Der Manuelian offers students in his class, Pyramid Schemes, several options for the final project, one of which entails creating a 5–8 minute  iMovie making an argument about one of the themes of the course. Because relatively few students have prior experience making films, the teaching staff provide students with a written guide to making an iMovie as well as ample opportunities for tech support. In addition to preparing a script as part of the production, students also submit both an annotated bibliography and an artist’s statement. 

Example 2: Calligram In his course, Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies, Professor Ali Asani asks students to browse through a provided list of resources about calligrams, which are an important traditional Islamic art form. Then they are required to "choose a concept or symbol associated with God in the Islamic tradition and attempt to represent it through a calligraphic design using the word Allah," in any medium they wish. Students also write a short explanation to accompany the design itself. 

Example 3: Soundscape In Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding has students create a soundscape . The soundscape is an audio file which involves layering sounds from different sources to create a single piece responding to an assigned question (e.g. "What sounds are characteristic of your current geographical region?"). Early on, as part of the development of the soundscape, students submit an artist's statement that explains the plan for the soundscape, the significance of the sounds, and the intention of the work. 

• DIY Guides for Analytical Writing Assignments

• Unpacking the Elements of Writing Prompts
• Receiving Feedback

Assignment Decoder

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1-College Writing

Common Types of Writing Assignments

While much of the writing you did in high school may have been for an English or literature class, in college, writing is a common form of expression and scholarship in many fields and thus in many courses.

You may have to write essays, reflections, discussion board posts, or research papers in your history, biology, psychology, art history, or computer science classes.

Writing assignments in college vary in length, purpose, and the relationship between the writer (you) and the topic.  Sometimes you may be asked to gather information and write a report on your findings .  Sometimes you may be asked to compare opinions expressed by experts.  You might be asked to answer a question or state your position and defend it with evidence .  Some assignments require a mixture of several of these tasks.

When a writing assignment is mentioned in the syllabus of a course, make sure you understand the assignment long before you begin to do it.   The university’s Writing Center recommends that you note the vocabulary used in assignment descriptions and make sure you understand what actions certain words suggest or require.  You should also talk to peers in your class to compare understandings and expectations.

The university’s Writing Center consultants will help you with questions about an assignment and how to ask your instructor for more information if necessary. They will help you strengthen your writing, give you feedback on your ideas, and offer suggestions for organizing your content.  They can tell you if you are appropriately using sources.

The Writing Center is not only for students who have questions or are puzzled about assignments.  It offers support to experienced writers, too.  Faculty and graduate students routinely schedule sessions with Writing Center consultants.

Strong, experienced writers enjoy conversation about their writing decisions and find it helpful to have an outside reader for their work. 

Conferences with a writing consultant can be face-to-face or online.

If you are uneasy about talking with your instructor, make an appointment at the Writing Center:  https://cstw.osu.edu/writing-center

Common characteristics of writing in college: 

• Based on evidence
• Is written for a very or moderately knowledgeable audience rather than general public
• Style is formal, objective, often technical
• Uses conventional formatting
• Documents evidence using a professional citation style

                                                                                                                                                        (From:  Lunsford & Ruszkiewicz, p. 367)

An Introduction to Choosing & Using Sources Copyright © 2015 by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Types of Assignment

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No AI was involved in the creation process; only qualified experts contributed.

The information, facts, and sources presented in the text have been carefully checked and verified.

You are free to use it with proper referencing.

Essay (informative, analytical, persuasive)

Argumentative essay, comparison & contrast essay, scholarship essay, research paper, executive summary, literature review, research proposal/thesis proposal, dissertation/thesis, annotated bibliography, book report, article/book review.

• Literary Analysis

Article Critique

Movie review/critique, questions-answers (q-a), discussion board post, case study analysis, reflection paper, response/reaction paper, memorandum (memo), business report, motivation letter, personal statement, capstone project, article writing, white paper, business letter, grant proposal.

An Informative/Expository Essay aims at exposing a specific aspect of a subject to inform the reader. The author performs an accurate search for exhaustive information and produces a piece of writing that thoroughly describes and defines the topic, compares and contrasts different perspectives, and analyzes and explains causes and effects.

An Analytical Essay revolves around a specific idea or problem. An initial observation offers the starting point for critical investigation, analysis, and interpretation to define a thesis. Adequate examples and evidence support the assumption, and a conclusion reiterates the crucial concepts.

A Persuasive Essay is an academic paper aimed at persuading the reader that a given point of view is more desirable than any other. This kind of writing does not contrast or compare different positions; it is limited to the exposition of sound argumentation, supporting evidence, and strict logic. A Persuasive Essay uses ethos, pathos, and logos to convince the reader.

• Introduction : Include general background on the topic, an element to interest the reader, the context for the discussion, and a thesis statement.
• Topic sentence that supports the thesis statement.
• Evidence #1 supporting the claim (fact, example, statistics, quote, etc.) and comment on it.
• Evidence #2 supporting the claim and comment on it.
• Evidence # … supporting the claim and comment on it.
• Concluding sentence .
• Paragraph 2 with the same elements.
• Paragraph 3 with the same elements.
• Conclusion : Restatement of the thesis statement and a summary of the main points
• Active voice

In an Argumentative Essay , a writer analyzes both sides of a debated issue. Depending on the aim of the essay and on the position of the author, the piece of writing might be balanced or more supportive of one side. However, most argumentative essays present one side more meticulously to persuade readers to adopt a particular thesis/position rather than the opposite one.

• Introduction : General information about the topic, a reason for a reader to be interested, the context in which it is to be discussed, and a thesis statement.
• Arguments that the opponents might have.
• Explanation of their position.
• REFUTATION, i.e., proof that they are wrong.

Don’t miss our excellent compilation of free argumentative essay examples .

A Compare and Contrast Essay is an academic piece of writing that discusses how two subjects are similar and different. Comparison and contrast can relate to almost every topic, including ideas, locations, people, and jobs, among others. Similarities and differences should be relevant to provide the essay with adequate weight.

• Introduction : General information about the topic, a hook to grab a reader’s attention, and a thesis statement. The latter should indicate a writer’s position regarding the two subjects, where one is better than the other; both are great; both are poor.
• Body can be organized in either of two ways:
• Conclusion : Restatement of the thesis statement and a summary of the main points.

Check our the best compare and contrast essay examples on our blog !

• Active voice .

In most cases, applying for a scholarship includes writing a Scholarship Essay , where the applicant exposes personal motivations and experiences. The goal is to persuade an educational committee to assign the author a scholarship.

• Introduction : General information about the topic, a reason for a reader to be interested, explanation of choosing career or major, and a thesis statement.
• Life challenges and their overcoming.
• Major and present educational goals.
• Long-standing career goals/future plans.
• Volunteer work, hobbies, and other activities.
• The influence of education on a local community.
• Conclusion : Restatement of how a scholarship will help make a difference and a summary of the main points
• Can use “I”

The term Simple Research Paper refers to an academic text that searches, collects, and organizes information, data, and evidence on a particular topic. This kind of paper is limited to the research and reading of primary and secondary sources.

An Extended Research Paper is a comprehensive academic paper revolving around a relevant subject. According to the purposes of the research, the author makes a thesis statement, collects data, reviews the literature, and gives a personal perspective on the topic.

• Past tense (for work completed)
• Future tense for proposed work
• Present tense to describe current situation

An Outline is an essential tool to organize a piece of writing. Besides displaying the main points developed in the paper, it allows the writer to manage the research logically and efficiently, preventing roadblocks during the drafting of the text. Outlines can display the headings and subheadings of the paper or a series of short sentences for a more precise overview.

Simple outline

• Choose subheading (if needed)
• Include Level 3 subheading (if needed)

Extended outline

• Create a strong opening statement(s) for your paper that generates interest and engages the reader.
• The Thesis Statement (TS) will be the last 1–3 sentences of the introduction.
• Name of and information from source Supporting Evidence (full sentence)
• Name of and information from source #2 (if applicable) (full sentence)
• Explanation of source (full sentence)
• Explanation of source #2 (if applicable) (full sentence)
• So What? (What is significant or important about the ideas (topic sentence + evidence + explanation) in this paragraph? Remind your reader how all this information connects back to the TS.)
• (full sentence)
• So What? (full sentence)
• Supporting Evidence (full sentence)
• Explanation (full sentence)
• The TS should be rephrased, rather than repeated verbatim, in the first 1–3 sentences of the conclusion
• Avoid simply summarizing the main points in the conclusion: synthesize them. Then create closure for your paper.
• Logical flow
• Clear structure

A brief summary (150-250 words) of a research paper/proposal/thesis/dissertation that discloses the main points and results of the research. It should not be another introduction or a list of sections present in a research paper. It is a summary of the essence of a research, the findings.

It should be one paragraph that contains:

• Problem statement.
• Purpose of the research.
• Methods used.
• Results/Findings.
• Conclusion/Recommendation.
• Depends on the assignment .

A Brief Summary of an academic piece of writing (thesis, dissertation, paper, or proposal) is a short text of 150–250 words that offers a clear and concise description of the main facts, ideas, and findings of the research paper. A summary is not a mere list of the main points of the writing, and neither is it an introduction.

A Brief Summary of a business paper, such as a report or a business plan, is a short piece of writing of around 300 words that presents the main facts, recommendations, and points. The summary should be neither a repetition of the introduction nor a list of the parts of the paper. It should be a concise text that contains the core of the document.

• Background (1-2 opening sentences to place the paper in context)
• Purpose of the paper.
• Scope of the paper.
• Conclusions/Recommendations.

A Literature Review aims at discussing published information on the subject of research. It implies searching the sources within a set period, summarizing and offering a synthesis of the content. A literary review can provide hints on the scope of research, outline the progress in a specific field, link old research outcomes to more recent materials, and in some cases, evaluate the appropriateness of the sources. Depending on the purpose, a literary review can be argumentative, historical, integrative, methodological, systematic, or theoretical. It comprises a blueprint of an extended research paper.

• A problem under discussion.
• Purpose of the study.
• Explanation of the structure.
• Scope of the review/Explanation of what sources will be covered.
• Body : This indicates providing an overview of sources relevant to the topic under discussion. The sources should be organized into sections based on a theme, not just one by one.
• Summary of main points.
• Evaluation of the current state of literature in relation to the topic.
• Flaws or gaps in existing knowledge.
• Ideas for future study.
• Tentative opinions based on text

Research Proposal or Thesis Proposal is a piece of writing aimed at showing the interest in a specific problem, reasons why it should be studied, and methods, which a researcher is to adopt to approach the issue under consideration. In other words, it is a draft/plan of an extended research paper.

• Abstract (see Abstract)
• Significance/Gap in knowledge that is to be filled in.
• Research questions.
• Hypothesis.
• Objectives.
• Thesis presenting the structure of the paper.
• Literature Review : (See Literature Review).
• Research design.
• Sample/Population.
• Instruments/Materials.
• Method of analyzing the results.
• Limitations.
• Results (Rarely required): It implies explaining what findings are expected to be obtained, how they will be arranged and analyzed unless it is mentioned in the methodology part.
• Importance of the study.
• Potential implications of the study.
• Future tense

A Dissertation is a weighty academic paper on a particular subject, and it is usually done to obtain a doctorate. A dissertation is not a simple collection of sources and knowledge, but it is an original contribution to the specific topic. The writer uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect evidence supporting the assertion and the related debate. In addition to offering a new perspective on the subject, a dissertation shows the candidate’s mastery in handling scholarly methods.

• Abstract (See Abstract)
• Results : It implies telling about the most important findings of the research. No interpretation of the result should be provided. Figures and tables are advisable in this part.
• Findings in the context of what is already known about the topic.
• The importance of findings.
• Implication of the findings.
• Limitation of the research.
• Potential ways to continue research.

An Annotated Bibliography is a piece of writing that provides a brief summary and an evaluation of the sources. It can be part of an academic paper or a standalone document. Content, weight, credibility of the author, and links to other reliable sources are some aspects to highlight. An Annotated Bibliography adds depth to a paper and provides a solid base for further research.

• Reference of the source formatted in style requested by the customer (= not included in the word count).
• summarizes the main points of a book or article;
• evaluates the authority or background of the author;
• comments on the intended audience;
• discusses the relevance of the source to the research;
• compare or contrast this source with other sources, if applicable.

A Synopsis refers to an academic paper that provides a summarized version of a piece of writing. The original source can be a book, a chapter, an article, or another document. The writer reads the source and goes on to discuss the most crucial points.

• Present tense .

A descriptive/informative piece of writing. In it, a writer should tell about the plot, characters, main themes (fiction books) or main topics discussed, thesis, arguments, conclusions (non-fiction books). It is an objective piece of writing that does not require opinion or evaluation of the author’s ideas.

Book Report is both descriptive and informative piece of writing describing a text, which can be fiction or non-fiction. In the first case, the writing revolves around the plot, main characters, and central themes, while for non-fiction, the writer reports topics, theses, arguments, and counterarguments. The author is not supposed to take a judgmental position on the source but merely to describe the facts.

Descriptive

• Title and the author.
• A brief introduction of the article.
• Thesis statement with the stance outlined.
• Issue discussed in the article.
• Purpose of the article.
• Intended audience.
• The author’s thesis.
• Brief summary of methods, sample, and main findings.
• Credibility of the author/Background/Credentials.
• Is evidence properly employed?
• Is evidence adequate/accurate/convincing?
• Is the methods used are appropriate?
• Was something left out? Is any information missing?
• Is the structure/tone/organization of ideas appropriate?
• Is the author biased? Is language objective?
• If illustrations or charts are used, are they effective in presenting information?
• Is the author’s goal achieved? Why or why not?
• Recommendation for improvement.

Informative

• A brief introduction of the book.
• General topic of the book.
• Purpose of the book.
• Author’s principal claims and argument.
• Conclusions the author arrives at.
• Evidence the author employs.
• Methods of analysis the author uses.
• Contradiction with the alternative interpretations of the problem.
• Information that was left out.
• Is the author’s goal achieved? Was the thesis proved? Why/why not?
• Is the book convincing? Why/why not?
• Is the author biased? Why/why not?
• Is the usage of evidence adequate/accurate/convincing? Why/why not?
• Is there distortion, exaggeration, or diminishing evidence?
• Is the structure/tone/organization of ideas appropriate? Why/why not?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
• Should the book be read? If yes, who should read it?
• Present tense

Literary Analysis is a critical or evaluative discussion where the writer is required to develop a personal evaluation of a work of fiction, an article, a poem, or a non-fiction work. The author provides a brief and essential summary of the plot, the theme, or the topic, but the main task is to interpret the source, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, support the reasoning with adequate evidence, and take a position.

• A brief introduction of the literary work.
• Thesis statement about what the author is trying to say with this literary work.
• Topic sentence that contains a CLAIM supporting the thesis statement.
• Evidence supporting the claim #1 (fact, example, statistics, quote) and comments on it.
• Evidence supporting the claim #2 and comments on it.
• Evidence supporting the claim # … and comments on it.
• Paragraph … with the same elements.

An Article Critique interprets and evaluates positive and negative aspects of an article. The critique can be either positive or negative, and it is essential that it stems from clear evidence rather than from an emotional stance.

• Background of the article.
• The main idea/argument of the article.
• Is the argument convincing? Why/why not?
• Is this article applicable/useful? Why/why not?
• Comparison of the article with other current researches/theories.
• What is your assessment of the article?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the article?
• What issues does the article raise?
• What issues does the article avoid?
• Conclusion : Restatement of the thesis statement and re-emphasis of opinion.

A critical discussion of a movie is called a Review . As the adjective “critical” suggests, a review is not merely a summary of the plot but requires the use of analytical and critical skills to develop a personal and original opinion regarding the movie. A good critique offers some information about the plot but focuses on the aspects related to the development and the production of the film. In addition, it should entertain the readers and offer some suggestions on how the movie might have been more appealing.

Movie Review

• Name of the movie and the director.
• A brief introduction of the movie.
• Guleneral description of the movie.
• Purpose of the movie.
• The director’s thesis.
• Credibility of the director/Background/Credentials.
• Director’s principal claims and argument.
• Conclusions the director arrives at.
• Evidence the director employs.
• Methods of analysis the director uses.
• Is the director’s goal achieved? Was the thesis proved? Why/why not?
• Is the movie convincing? Why/why not?
• Is the movie entertaining or not? Why/why not?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the movie?
• Should the movie be watched? If yes, who should watch it?

Movie Critique

• General description of the movie.
• What could have been done in order to attract a wider audience?
• Conclusion : Restatement of the thesis statement and a summary of the main points. Offers a final appraisal of the movie.
• Not necessarily formal, but still clear (for critique)

Question-Answer writings are designed to answer questions provided by a customer or an educational authority. In these papers, there is no need to write an introduction or a conclusion. Answers are written as paragraphs, and their length depends on the instructions for the paper.

There is no need for an introduction or conclusion paragraph. Though a Q&A format is not an essay, each paragraph should still have topic and concluding sentences, with ideas supported by evidence from sources.

• Authoritative
• Easy to follow

Straight-to-the-point Discussion refers to a piece of writing that answers a given question directly. If the answer relates to a post of a peer student, it is called a Discussion Board Post (DBP) and stems from the discussion. The writer may oppose or agree with the ideas of other students, as long as he or she offers adequate argumentation. A DBP implies taking a personal stance in a debate.

Introduction and conclusion are not needed. Even though a DBP is not an essay, paragraphs in it still must have topic and concluding sentences while ideas should be supported with evidence from sources.

• Not necessarily formal, but still clear

A Case Study Assignment is a paper written about a specific case. According to the requirements, it can be developed following two different formats: answering a series of questions in a Q-A format or writing research on the case. The latter is similar to a typical research paper, but the focus is narrowed to the given case.

A Case Brief is a piece of writing that outlines a legal case and summarizes the legal opinion underpinning a judgment. A case brief is a formal methodology of taking notes to highlight the most crucial aspects of the judgment.

Usually, IRAC method is used to write a case brief. Other formats of case briefs are only slightly different. All the components mentioned below would have to be covered regardless of the format.

• Citation of the court case in Bluebook format.
• Facts of the case (if required)
• Issue in the form of a question.
• Rule of the court.
• Application.
• Conclusion.

A Case Study Analysis relates to a business or administrative subject, and it involves a thorough investigation of the case, the exploration of possible alternatives, and a proposition of the most desirable solution. A case study analysis requires the writer to apply theoretical knowledge to actual situations.

• Short presentation of a case.
• Key problems.
• Thesis statement representing the results of the analysis.
• Background information and relevant facts.
• The major problem of the case.
• Possible alternatives (not necessarily all of them).
• Feasibility of alternatives.
• Limitations of alternatives/Reasons for rejecting them.
• The presentation of one realistic solution.
• Reasons for choosing this solution.
• Support of the choice with evidence.
• Strategies to apply the solution.
• Recommendation for further actions.

A piece of writing that requires writing own thoughts on a specific idea, topic, situation, or experience. Reflection papers usually should be connected to the concepts learned in class. So, materials from the customer should be requested.

• What is reflected on (own experience, a situation, etc.).
• What course materials are relevant/contribute to the deeper understanding of experience/situation.
• Main lessons learned from/conclusion made about the experience/situation. = thesis.
• Body : Several body paragraphs each supporting a thesis and containing one CLAIM regarding the lessons learned/conclusions made. The claims are supported with evidence from the experience/articles. The connection with course materials should be clearly visible.
• Restatement of the thesis statement, i.e., lessons learned/conclusions made.
• The importance of the experience/situation, etc., within the context of learning.
• Reference to the future/opportunities to learn from the experiences/situations.

For a better understanding, have a closer look at reflective essay examples written by students.

A Reflection Paper is an academic piece of writing where the author offers his or her own thoughts on a specific topic. It requires the ability to look at the subject from several perspectives, applying critical thinking and an analytical approach. In academic settings, reflection papers involve knowledge and understanding of concepts developed in class.

A Response/Reaction Paper replies or reacts to one or more texts using analytical skills. Having read the sources, the writer evaluates if and how they attain the intended goals and highlights possible connections between them.

• The author, title, and source of the text.
• Brief presentation of the text.
• Thesis statement including own reaction/response to the text.
• Summary of the text (1-2 paragraphs max.; optional).
• How is the text related to problems in the present-day world?
• How is the text related to your life, experiences, feelings, and ideas?
• Did the text change your perspective/opinion regarding something?
• How important are the points discussed in the text?
• Does the text exhibit accuracy/completeness of ideas, appropriateness of tone/language?
• Were your views challenged anyhow?
• Do you agree/disagree with certain points of the text?
• Restatement of the thesis statement.
• Main points summarized.
• Recommendation to read/not read the text.

With these response essay examples , the writing process will become much easier.

A Journal is a written composition where the author offers personal reflections on a course. It entails reflecting on lessons, readings, discussions, and main topics. It should constitute separate entries, each characterized by a date. A journal is supposed to improve the ability to reflect on a subject and to provide a useful source in interacting with the class, for example, replying to peer students’ posts.

Since writing a journal is a semi-formal task, there are no specific format requirements. The only demand is to separate entries with dates. The questions that might be covered in a journal entry are:

• What are the insights gained from the experience/reading?
• What are the possible interpretations of the experience/reading?
• Are there any changes of perspectives/views on a specific subject?
• How does the experience/reading relate to other things that are already known?
• How will the insights gained be useful?
• Conversational
• Thinking aloud

A Memorandum or Memo refers to a short paper aimed at providing information about a particular subject to a person or a department within a company. A memo is written in an organized formal style and tries to persuade the reader diplomatically.

• Heading : TO: (reader’s names and job title) FROM: (writer’s name and job title) DATE: SUBJECT: (what the memo is about)
• Context of the problem (Why did it arise?)
• Task (What a writer does to solve the problem?)
• Purpose (Why the memo is being written?) = thesis statement.
• Summary of the Problem (optional; included in long memos only). Recap of all the issues discussed in the memo and key recommendations reached.
• Discussion : Presentation of the findings/recommendations concerning the problem in question from the least to the most important.
• Closing statement : A polite formal ending stating what action a reader should take, e.g., “Should you need more information about this recommendation, do not hesitate to contact me.

A Business Report is a clear and essential piece of writing that relates to a specific issue by providing an analysis of the matter and offering recommendations to solve it. A business report is most likely to be requested by a senior executive of the company. It should be formal and focused on the subject. It may be attached to a memo.

• Executive Summary (See Executive Summary).
• The problem and its context (Why did it arise?)
• Purpose (Why the report is being written?)
• Structure of the paper = thesis statement.
• Methodology (optional) . Explanation of the way the problem under consideration was investigated. The process of data collection should be described.
• Discussion/Findings : Structured presentation of the findings from the least to the most important. Characteristics, causes, and consequences of the problem might be discussed. The usage of descriptive headings is recommended.
• Conclusions : A summary of findings from the least to the most important in present tense. Bullet points might be used.
• Recommendations : A list of concise, clear, and realistic recommendations in future test. One recommendation should refer to one problem identified in the list of conclusions. The benefits of their implementation should be explained. Bullet points might be used.

A Motivation Letter is a piece of writing addressed to a scholarly authority to prove suitability for applying to an academic program. The letter should contain academic and professional backgrounds as well as other activities that are relevant to the program and the establishment.

• Name and short self-presentation of an applicant.
• Name of the program of interest.
• Name of the university offering the program.
• Thesis statement including reasons for applicant’s suitability.
• Knowledge and skills gathered previously in school/college/summer school, etc., that will be useful in this program.
• Knowledge and skills gathered in jobs/internships that will be useful in this program.
• Relevant experience gained as a member of some organization, for instance, students association, NGO, political party, or a volunteer service, etc.
• The way the applicant may contribute to the student community and university in general.
• Expression of the interest in the program.
• Restatement of reasons for the applicant’s suitability, i.e., thesis statement.
• Closing statements.

A Personal Statement is a paper where an applicant presents him/herself to a committee to be admitted to a program. Rather than mentioning academic qualifications and professional experiences, a personal statement narrows the focus to the personal traits of the applicant, showing their suitability for the institution and the program.

• Expression of interest in the subject.
• Explanation what this interest is grounded on.
• Thesis statement, including explanation how the applicant’s previous experiences have prepared them to study this subject..
• What are the details of the applicant’s life (personal or family problems, people or events) that have shaped his/her goals?
• When did the interest in the subject appear?
• How did the applicant learn more about the field/subject? Classes, reading, work, or conversation with people involved in the field?
• What personal traits and skills does the applicant possess? How can they be useful?
• How is the applicant better than others? How can he/she contribute to the university?
• Expression of the interest in the subject.
• Restatement of how previous experiences prepared the applicant for studying the subject, thesis statement.

A Lab Report is a paper related to a laboratory experiment. It describes and analyzes scientific hypotheses and outcomes. A literary review should also be included, and the details should be explained clearly to allow readers to replicate the experiment. Lab reports are a common practice in scientific and psychological settings.

• Abstract (See Abstract):
• Identify the experiment to be taken.
• What are the objectives of the experiment?
• The importance and overall background of the experiment (theoretical predictions of the possible results).
• Participants.
• Materials/Apparatus.
• Results and Discussion : Sometimes, “Results” and “Discussion” can appear as separate sections. A writer should analyze the results of the experiment/findings and discuss their implications. One should either support or disconfirm the hypothesis based on the results.
• Conclusions : (Optional) This section can appear in the longer laboratory reports. The section “Results and Discussions” covers the results individually. Here, the results should be considered in the context of the entire experiment. Was the hypothesis accepted or rejected? Why?
• Appendices This section includes graphs and figures.
• Step by step
• Passive voice

A Capstone Project is a complex academic experience representing the culmination and (usually) the final point of a learning path. Structurally, a capstone project is comparable to a thesis, but the research aims at producing a presentation, performance, or another practical outcome. Unlike a thesis, which focuses on broad subjects, capstone projects revolve around specific topics. Their length should be around 20–25 pages.

• Implication of the findings.Limitation of the research.

A Speech is a piece of writing intended to inform, instruct, entertain, persuade, or celebrate a special occasion. Written to be presented in front of an audience, a speech is tailored to the audience itself. Usually, it comprises an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

• Opening statements
• Thesis statement including the topic, stance and main points of a speech.
• Opening point – start with the strongest point to grab the listeners’ attention
• Subsequent points – make a new paragraph for each of your following points, which are usually weaker than the opening and the closing ones.
• Final point – come back with another strong point.
• Summary of the main points and ideas presented.
• Compelling remark or call to action.
• Use “I”

Article Writing refers to a piece of writing meant to be published in a magazine, newspaper, or academic journal, therefore targeted at reaching a wide audience. It might be intended to disseminate information or debate or discuss a theoretical analysis or the outcome of research. An article should be written to capture the attention of the readers.

An article employs a heading and subheadings, and usually follows a 5-paragraph essay structure.

A White Paper is a document issued by a company or non-profit organization to provide information about a specific policy or topic, highlighting main features, technical knowledge, problems, and possible solutions. In some countries, the term white paper refers to documents published by the government.

• Title Page : Title has to convey the purpose of the paper and grasp the audience’s attention.
• Table of Contents .
• List of Figures (if applicable).
• Abstract : Information on the purpose of the paper, including the problem being discussed and the solution.
• Introduction : General background information on a particular issue, including enough evidence; pose only those problems to which you can provide solutions.
• Discussion of the problem.
• Explanation of the problem’s importance.
• Explanation of the solution’s effect on the audience.
• Discussion of the solution/s.
• Description of the ways to implement solution/s.
• Information about the associated costs.
• Summary of the major findings.
• Recommended solution to the problem.

A Business Letter is a formal piece of writing between different subjects involved in business relationships: organizations, professionals, and customers. A business letter should be specific and professional, containing relevant information such as address, date, and recipient’s name and formatted following either the unblocked or the blocked style.

• Street address
• City, state, zip
• Use the month, day, year format.
• Addressee name
• Addressee title
• Company name
• Address a specific person instead of Sir/Madam and put a comma at the end of the name.
• Indicate the purpose of the letter.
• State relevant information depending on the task.
• Call to action.
• Use “I” when expressing own opinion
• Use “we” when formulating the organization’s policy.

A Grant Proposal is a formal paper addressed to public or private institutions to promote a project and obtain the funds necessary to implement it. It should be detailed and convincing, providing the purposes of the project, methodologies to be adopted, and intended development. A grant proposal should show that the proposed approach is the most suitable for a positive outcome.

• Research goals/objectives.
• Research significance.
• Thesis statement.
• Analysis of the problem using the data.
• Weaknesses and strengths.
• Theoretical framework/rationale . This section comprises professional experience and literature reviewed (See Literature Review), and states how the proposal addresses the needs mentioned in the previous section.
• Work plan . It specifies objectives, how they will be met, and who will perform each task. Tables and a graphic timeline are advisable in this part.
• Evaluation plan : This section demonstrates how goals will be measured and estimated. It may comprise introductory text but is usually presented in a table.
• Thesis restatement.
• Summary of the main points.
• Potential implications of the proposal.
• How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
• How to Develop a Research Problem/Question
• How to Write a Good Article
• How to Write an Article Critique Like a Pro
• How to Write a Book Report Like a Pro
• How to Write a Book Review Like an Expert
• How to Write a Business Letter Like a Pro

Types of Assignments

The University of Queensland Library

The University of Queensland

Types of Assignments Copyright © 2023 by The University of Queensland is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Module overview

1. essential steps, 2. written assignments, 4. audio and podcasts, 5. presentations, posters and infographics, 6. websites, blogs and wikis, 7. 3d models, 9. check your knowledge, 10. conclusion.

This module was developed with UQ student partners as part of a Student-Staff Partnership project.

Graduate attributes

Knowledge and skills you can gain from this module to contribute to your Graduate attributes :

This module is part of Digital Essentials , a series of online modules to help you quickly build your digital skills so you can succeed in study and work.

Return to UQ Library .

Aims and objectives

This module will:

• explore different assignment types examine resources and tools to help you produce your assignments.

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• use effective strategies to produce assignments in different mediums
• evaluate and select different tools to create videos, presentations, websites, online portfolios or a model or prototype.

Module sections

• Essential steps
• Written assignments
• Audio and podcasts
• Presentations, posters and infographics
• Websites, blogs and wikis
• Check your knowledge

Download versions  available on the homepage.

Before you start your assignment, read the instructions and the assignment marking criteria in detail. Check with your course lecturer or tutor if you are unsure about where to find this information.

Academic integrity

Maintain the highest standards of academic integrity in your work:

• Use correct referencing techniques to avoid plagiarism. Get information on different referencing styles and learn more about referencing in the Write, cite and submit module.
• Don’t breach copyright when using images, audio or any materials that have been created by other people. Our Find and use media module explains copyright and how to find Creative Commons resources for reuse.

• Are compulsory for all new to UQ students and new to a program students
• Will help you learn what academic integrity is, why it is so important, and how you can act with integrity in your studies
• Are in two parts and it will take about an hour to complete each of them.

Group assignments

Student Services has information to assist you when working in a group , including how to overcome problems associated with group work.

Get strategies and tools for working with a group online (from the Communicate and collaborate module), including:

• What messaging tool to use
• Collaborating online on a document
• Holding online meetings.

Find information and data

Learn about strategies and resources for finding scholarly information (from the Information essentials module).

Get information about finding or gathering data and strategies and tools to visualise data (in the Work with data and files module).

Backing up your assignments

It’s very important to back up your work as you do your assignments. The Working with files module has tips on how to manage your files and back up your work .

Submitting your assignments

As a UQ student you will be required to submit your assignments through your Learn.UQ (Blackboard) course site. Get tips on using Learn.UQ to submit different assignment types (in the Write, cite and submit module).

Writing and researching

Writing tools and techniques, editing and proofreading, grammar and spelling, audience, tone and purpose.

There are many different types of written assignments, including essays, reports and reviews.  Student Services  has resources to help you understand different types of written assignments and how to structure your work:

• Assignment types  — outlines the purpose, audience, tone of writing and structural features of some written assignment types, including research essays, reports, annotated bibliographies and reflective journals
• Steps for writing assignments  — breaks the assignment writing process into a series of manageable tasks
• During semester  Student Services offers workshops  to help improve your study and assignment writing skills.

Online tools and courses to improve your skills:

• The  Academic Phrasebank  — provides examples of phrases to use in academic writing, including writing introductions, describing methods, reporting results, discussing findings and writing conclusions
• Writing research papers (LinkedIn Learning course, 1h56m)  — a UQ login is required. This course covers understanding different types of research papers, researching the topic, brainstorming your focus, developing a thesis statement, writing topic sentences, composing a title, using a style guide and formatting your paper
• Improving writing through corpora (UQx free online course, 8h)   — this course aims to provide you with the tools, knowledge and skills to become a ‘language detective’, using special software to improve your academic writing. Boost your knowledge of academic words and phrases to improve your vocabulary and written fluency.

• Writing and referencing tools  has information on different tools and software to use for your written assignments
• Beginner to advanced  training in Microsoft Word  is available at the Library, including using styles, sections and tables. Knowing all the shortcuts and tricks can save you a lot of time when you are writing your document
• LinkedIn Learning has many Word tutorials. Choose one that covers the version of word you use. You may like to start with  Word Essential Training (Microsoft 365) (LinkedIn Learning, 2h 33m)  — a UQ login is required.

 Check your knowledge

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=34#h5p-2

Sometimes when we read aloud we say the words that should be there, even if they are not. A  text-to-speech tool  is a good way of checking the accuracy and flow of your assignment. The tool will only read what actually is written on the page.  Study hacks lists text-to-speech tools .

Student Support has information on  finding a proofreader .

You can use the spelling and grammar features in your word processing tool (e.g.  Microsoft Word  and  Google Docs ) to check what you have written. Some writing tools use generative artificial intelligence to make recommendations. Using AI tools in your studies includes information about what you should consider before using AI writing tools in assessment tasks.

Use the  Macquarie Dictionary and Thesaurus  if you are unsure about any words. It is regarded as the standard reference on Australian English.

To write effectively, you should think carefully about the intended audience and purpose of your assignment. Adjust your tone to suit your audience and the medium you are using.

The  Communication Learning in Practice for Scientists (CLIPS) website  outlines how the audience, context and purpose affects how you should communicate. The website was developed to help undergraduate science students develop their communication skills but is relevant for students in all fields.

Equipment for video and audio

Plan your video, using your mobile phone.

• Write a script

Screen recording

Video editing tools.

Essential or very useful equipment:

• Video camera or smartphone — newer smartphones can record high quality video
• Microphone/audio recorder — an external microphone is preferable to the built-in one on your device
• Tripod — to avoid shaky footage
• Lights — for videoing indoors.

Your school or faculty may have equipment you can borrow to produce your video assignment.

You will also need storage for your video and audio files. High definition (HD, 1080p or 4K) video requires a lot of storage. The  Work with data and files  module has information on how to manage files and storage .

Remember to check your assignment criteria first and think carefully about the intended audience and purpose of your assignment.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=44#oembed-2

Write a script

Write a script before you start recording so you:

• know what you want to say, and
• don’t forget to include important points.

If you improvise you might be too wordy, leave too many pauses and say too many “umms” and “ahhs” as you think about what to say next.

Script essentials

• Use a conversational tone
• Keep your sentences short and simple. Don’t use connecting phrases such as “so then…” or “ as previously mentioned…”
• Avoid repetition
• If you are doing a live recording, do a practice recording (or a few) before the real thing. Work on trying to sound natural
• Try to keep your video as short as possible. Viewers tend to be annoyed by lengthy introductions or interludes that just waste their time. Check the length requirements in your assignment instructions first.

The storyboard is used to plan the visual elements that will go with your script. Your video may include a combination of text, photos, graphics, audio and video.

The storyboard can be a simple document or drawing that maps out your video. You can use it to plan what video shots, text or images to show for each part of your script.

Use this  example Google Doc storyboard template .

Note: It’s important to keep track of any sources and include them in your video.

Other  storyboard templates  are available for download.

 Script tutorials

• Writing your script (YouTube, 4m38s)  looks at effective video script formats and the scripting process.
• Video script writing (LinkedIn Learning, 2h10m)  has more in-depth instructions on planning, formatting and writing a script — a UQ login is required.

When light comes from a single, direct source, such as the sun or an overhead light, it produces “hard light”. Hard light creates distinct shadows and can be harsh and unflattering. A “soft light”, produced by less direct sources of light, creates softer shadows and tends to be more flattering to your subject.

Outdoors , to have a soft light, it is best to video when the sun is not at it’s strongest:

• On a cloudy day
• An hour before sunset
• An hour after sunrise.

Indoors  it is best to record:

• In a room that has a lot of natural light
• Use extra light or lamps as demonstrated in  Lighting your video with available lights (YouTube, 1m50s) .

Choose a location that suits the theme of your video.

• Plan your shot carefully. Your audience is sure to notice something that appears in the background, that you didn’t intend to show
• Consider how noisy or windy it is, if you are recording audio while videoing
• Record in front of a green screen so that you can choose a different background and avoid a noisy environment. Find out how to  record a video with a virtual background  using Zoom software.

Video techniques

• Video in short takes. Then you can easily redo anything that doesn’t turn out quite right
• Video extra at the start and end, for easier editing
• Hold your camera horizontally while videoing to avoid having black spaces on the side, when you view it in wider formats
• Don’t video with strong light behind your subject. Preferably, video in a soft light or have the light behind the camera.

Avoid shaky video footage

If you can’t use a tripod, use a surface to balance your smartphone or video camera e.g. on a stack of books on a desk. If you have to hold your device:

• Use two hands
• Tuck your elbows in to your sides
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Breath slowly.

You can compose different types of shots to make your video more interesting, such as wide shots and close-ups. Visit how to frame different kinds of shots .

When framing a video for an interview don’t have too much space above the subject’s head. Don’t cut off the top of the head either.

Rule of thirds

The “rule of thirds” is a composition technique for getting well-balanced shots. Imagine the scene broken into a 3 by 3 grid. Frame your shot to place your subject where the lines intersect.

Video tutorials

These tutorials have more techniques for creating videos:

• 20 tips for shooting great videos
• Learning video production and editing (LinkedIn Learning, 19m25s)  — a UQ login required.
• Become a video editor (LinkedIn Learning, 1d8h)  — UQ login required. Do this LinkedIn Learning Path to get a solid foundation in story structure, editing techniques, video compression and colour correction.

For instructional videos you may want to record your computer screen.  Screen capture instructions and tools:

• Record your screen in PowerPoint
• How to record the screen on your Mac
• Screencastify  is an extension for your Chrome browser that can record your screen.

Get more information on  tools for working with video , including EchoVideo, Zoom and Adobe Spark.

Submitting your video assignment

• EchoVideo allows you to record video and audio. You can use it to submit video assignments for your courses.
• Record video or audio through EchoVideo has instructions on using Echo to submit video assignments.

Video hosting sites

After you have created your video, you can upload it to a video platform for others to view it.

Microphones

Where to record audio, audio settings, audio recording with smartphone apps, audio editing software.

If possible, use an  external microphone  or audio recorder rather than your smartphone or camera’s built-in microphone. Check if your course or school has microphones you can borrow to do your assignment. An external microphone will allow you to:

• get the microphone as close as possible to the sound source
• record the sound you want to pick up. The built-in microphone will pick up all the sound in the surrounding environment
• handle and adjust the controls on your video recorder without worrying about the noise you make.

A lavalier (lapel microphone) or a headset microphone, particularly with a noise cancelling feature to filter out background noise, will record clearer audio than a built-in microphone.

If you want to buy a microphone, the  Podcast Host  has some recommendations:

• Best podcast microphones
• Best USB microphones
• Choosing a digital recorder .

If you are videoing in a noisy environment, it would be better to record your audio in another location. You can use editing software to add the audio to the video later. Audio or video editing software can be used to  reduce background noise  but it will require a lot more effort.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=47#h5p-3

Microphone settings

• Place the recording device about 10 cm away from the person speaking
• If you have an external microphone, set it at an angle from the mouth (45 degrees) to avoid breathing straight onto it
• Record in stereo (two channels — left and right) to get a better sound
• Choose to record as a  WAV file , if possible. This is a high quality, uncompressed format. Keep it as a WAV file when you are editing. When you are finished, you can select to export the file as a lower quality, lossy compressed format, such as MP3 or ACC, for a smaller file size. Find out more about file types and compression in our  Work with data and files  module.

Sample rate and bit-depth

Set the  sample rate  and  bit depth  in the audio editing software on your computer or the app on your smartphone. If possible, choose a:

• Sample rate of  at least 41 KHz  (41000 Hz) — a higher sample rate will record a higher range of frequencies, which gives a better quality sound, but the file size can be very large
• 16-bit depth or sample format  — the bit depth affects the dynamic range of the recording. 16-bit is a good, general purpose, high quality setting. A 32-bit recording will give a better quality but the file size might be too large for exporting and uploading.

If you cannot use an external microphone, use a recording app on your smartphone, that lets you set it to  stereo  and  WAV  file. Read  how to make high quality recordings using your smartphone  for more tips. If you don’t have a recording app installed, try one of these apps from Google Play or the App Store:

• Voice Record Pro  (iOS)
• Rev  (iOS and Android)

You can use audio editing software on your computer to record and edit sound.

Get more information on  tools for working with sound , including Logic Pro X.

Use  Word for the web to transcribe audio recordings . You can:

• record in Word, or
• upload a file to Word. Transcribe supports .wav, .mp4, .m4a and .mp3 formats.

Instructions for  accessing Microsoft 365  to use Word for the web.

Having a transcript for audio content can help  make your content more accessible .

Submitting your audio assignments

You may be required to upload your audio file to  Kaltura on Learn.UQ (Blackboard) . Get  instructions on how to upload to Kaltura .

A podcast is a digital recording, usually audio, made available online for downloading. Often users can subscribe to the podcast program and are notified when new podcasts are published. Podcasts can be a monologue, an interview, a documentary and a range of other formats.

Prepare a podcast

Quick tips:

• Prepare your script or interview questions using everyday language and short sentences. Long sentences can confuse your listeners
• Practice reading your script. Try to vary your tone of voice. Avoid a monotone
• Use music to create the mood and engage your audience. The  Find and use media  module lists sources for music and sound effects.

Podcast tutorials

• How to start a podcast: Step by step  — includes planning, recording and publishing tips
• Get started with podcasts  and  Podcast authoring best practices  from Apple

LinkedIn Learning podcast courses

These courses require a UQ login:

• Garageband: Podcasting (LinkedIn Learning, 2h17m)
• Producing professional podcasts (LinkedIn Learning, 5h6m)

Podcast hosting

After you create your audio file for your podcast, you can upload it to a site for others to access it.

You can then submit your podcast to directories like:

• Spotify for podcasters

More audio tutorials

Do these tutorials if you would like to understand more about audio techniques:

• Introduction to audio
• Audio for video: Getting started (LinkedIn Learning, 35m41s)  — a UQ login is required

Presentations can be in person or online, live or recorded or a mixture of all of these. Check your assignment instructions or marking criteria first, so you know exactly what is required.

Techniques for keeping your audience engaged

Interactivity for online presentations, presentation slides, images and icons, infographics, types of presentations.

Consider the audience, purpose, context and format when planning your presentation.

• Will your presentation be  face-to-face, online, or both ? You might do your presentation to a “live” audience but have it recorded for others to watch later.
• What  format or medium  will you use? A visual presentation may take the form of slideshow, a poster or an infographic. An oral presentation could be with or without extra visual elements.
• An  interactive presentation or workshop  will involve you presenting your knowledge and ideas but should also provide opportunities for activities and interaction, including debate, questions or role play.

Regardless of the format, a  clear structure  and  compelling content  are essential to keep your audience interested.  Presentation skills  from Student Support gives an overview of things to be aware of when presenting, like using effective eye contact and gestures.

Practice your presentation — record yourself to check the timing. Are you speaking too fast or too slow? Are you changing your tone of voice? A monotone can be very boring. Practice again to improve your pace and tone.

Central Library has a Presentation room where you can practice your presentation with the same equipment  that you will use in your  lecture room . Feel confident using a data projector, interactive whiteboard, document camera and more, to be ready to present in your lecture.

Know your topic well  — if you barely understand what you are talking about it will be difficult to speak well. Find out as much as you can to inform your presentation. Think about how much your audience knows on the topic so you know what needs to be explained.  Examples or anecdotes  help make a presentation more interesting and relevant.

Use notes or an outline as a prompt  — when you are nervous it is easy to forget the brilliant things you had planned to say. Notes can act as a reminder of the  key points . However, if you have the whole speech written out, you will be tempted to read it as is and that can ruin the conversational tone or spontaneity of your presentation.

Use strategic pauses  — pause before and after important points to  provide   emphasis  and to grab your audience’s attention.

Ask questions   — this is a good way to keep your audience interested and involved. Prepare some questions to ask your audience. Questions about their  own experiences or thoughts  are easier and less scary for your audience to answer than questions that require a “correct” response.

Repeat audience questions  — if a participant asks a question it is always a good idea to repeat the question to ensure that  everyone hears it . This is crucial for online attendees who often can’t hear anything not spoken into the microphone.

Watch this video in the  How to make a great presentation  playlist for tips on how to make a lasting impression on your audience.

Tools for online presenting

Zoom is video conferencing software that can be used for presentations and meetings. UQ provides access to an  upgraded version of Zoom for students and staff. You can send a link to participants to join your presentation. The web browser client will download automatically when the participants join their first Zoom meeting, and is also available for manual download.  You can share your screen and record the session. Make sure you get your participants’ permission before you start recording.

These tools and features can help make your online presentation more interactive:

Chat — turn chat on so your audience can type their questions and respond to your questions. If possible, have a helper to monitor chat for you.

The ability to mute or unmute participants  — allow individuals in your audience to ask questions and respond without having the constant noise of the whole audience unmuted in the background. Establish some guidelines at the start of your session about how participants can indicate that they want to ask a question. Some tools allow participants to use a raised hand icon or they can send a message via the chat function.

Whiteboard tool  — the whiteboard will usually allow text, drawing, highlighting etc. You and your audience can share concepts and ideas.

Shared document  — this could be a Word document or spreadsheet on OneDrive or Google Drive. Set the access so others can comment or edit the shared document.  Writing and referencing tools  has information on accessing and using these tools.

Mind mapping and brainstorming tools  — tools like  Coggle  and  Bubbl.us  are good for thinking up ideas and mapping out complex concepts.  Padlet  allows posts, linking, uploads etc.  UQ has a licence for Padlet  with additional functionality compared to the free version. Visit Study tools  for more information about mind mapping and brainstorming tools.

Poll tool  — you can post a question or idea and your audience can vote on it or provide feedback or comments:

• Zoom has a poll tool. View  Host a poll  instructions on  Managing Zoom meetings .
• Slido  has a free basic plan that requires registration. Slido allows audience members to comment or ask questions during a presentation
• Tricider  is a free polling tool that doesn’t require registration, just a link to the question.

If your design skills aren’t great, follow these design tips to create appealing presentations:

• Be  consistent  with your headings, fonts, colours, layout, themes (shapes, symbols, icons etc)
• Only have  one idea or point  per slide
• Have no more than  six bullets  per slide
• Use  words as cues  rather than having complete sentences
• Only use  one chart or graphic  per slide. For information on how to  visualise your data , visit our Working with data and files module.

Slide and presentation tools

Find out about more  presentation tools .

• Fonts should be  easy to read
• Be  consistent  with your sizing for headings, subheadings and paragraphs
• Make your heading font  distinctive  from your paragraph font
• Use a maximum of  two or three  fonts
• Don’t go smaller than an  18 point  font for face-to-face presentations. It has to be large enough to be visible on the screen
• Same family  fonts look good together.

Get information and tips to help you  choose fonts .

• Use just two colours for a simple, clean design
• Grey is a good contrast colour or choose a lighter shade of the main colour.
• Try the Color Harmony   options, such as Analogous, Complementary and Shades
• Drag the circles on the wheel to spin to different colours
• Change the  RGB  (Red, Green, Blue) colour value codes that set the hue, saturation and lightness.
• You could also click the  Explore  option to search for different colour combinations

Copy the code values to set the same colours in your presentation.

Other colour tools

• w3schools.com has a  colour picker tool  to set different colour values
• Colorbrewer2.org  allows you to select a Colorblind safe option. It is designed for creating map colours but you can use the colour information in your presentations. You can change the number of colours and there are different export formats.

Using images or icons instead of text can make your presentation look more interesting. The  Find and use media module lists sources of images. Remember to check the Creative Commons licence type to see how you should credit the author. Public domain images do not require an attribution.

High resolution images are better for print formats. Images you download from the web are often low resolution to reduce the file size. If you are creating a print document, look for the full resolution option, if available.

Find  icons  for reuse:

• The Noun project  — has Creative Commons and public domain icons
• flaticon.com

Screenshots :

• Take a screenshot.org  — explains how to capture the full screen or a specific area on different devices
• Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder  — this Chrome extension lets you take a screenshot of the entire current page. It also has a screen recording function but it is limited in the free version. Other browsers should have similar tools.

Use  GIMP , free image editing software, to resize or edit images. Find out about  more tools for working with images .

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=49#oembed-2

Posters are often used at conferences or other events to share important research. You can use the same design tips for colour, fonts and themes for creating a research or abstract poster. Other design elements include:

• Use a 3 or 4  column  format
• Try to keep 40% of the poster as  white space , with no text or images. It helps organise the flow of information and prevents cluttering
• Keep a margin around the edge of the poster
• Use a large  heading  for your title across the top and  sub-headings  on your columns
• Title heading — 85 point font
• Subheadings — 36 point
• Body text — 24 point

The  CLIPS website  has information on what to put in a  science poster , a PowerPoint for posters video and PowerPoint templates, in different sizes, for download.

More PowerPoint instructions:

• Set the size of the slides  to the poster requirements before you start
• Convert your slide to a PDF  before you print it to keep the formatting as you intended.

Layout and Composition: Grids (LinkedIn Learning, 1h1m)  looks at how to use grids to create strong and consistent designs for posters. A UQ login is required.

Don’t forget to include references and attributions.

Print your poster

You can  print up to A3 size , using your UQ ID card or print/copy card in the Library.

Other  specialised printing services  are available for larger sizes and high quality colour, including from  UQ Print .

Infographics and presentation software are excellent ways to present information and data in a visually appealing format. Online infographics can include interactive elements. Infographic examples:

• Information is Beautiful
• Tableau Public Gallery
• Daily Infographic

Choose a tool that allows you to share a link to your infographic or presentation.

Get  more information about infographic tools .

Use web writing strategies for any content you write for websites, blogs or wikis. Remember to check your assignment criteria carefully before you start.

Writing for the web is different than writing print

Screens don’t hold your audience’s attention as easily as print. People tend to  scan and skim when reading online content . They scan the text and jump to headings, bulleted lists and links.

Grab your audience’s attention and convey your message by creating web content that is easy to:

• read  — use simple vocabulary and short sentences
• scan  — put the most important information at the top, use sub-headings, lists and short paragraphs
• find  — use the vocabulary that your audience would use, to make your content easier to find in search engines. Be clear and descriptive.

You can sign up to a website building platform to create your own website:

HTML, CSS and other web development languages

Website building platforms may not require you to know anything about HTML, CSS or other web development languages. Knowing a bit about HTML can be useful to identify and fix small glitches that can occur in the source code.

• w3schools  lets you try different coding languages in their platform to see how it works
• Learn  HTML and CSS to create a website .

Blogs are regularly updated websites, usually used to post reflections or ideas on a topic. You may be asked to  create a blog post or comment on other blog posts in Learn.UQ  for your course.

Get more tips on  how to communicate effectively online .

You can set up a blog on web building platforms like  WordPress .

Online discussions

You may be required to contribute to your course discussion board as part of your assessment.

Get tips on how to  use the Learn.UQ discussion board .

Wikis are collaborative webpages. Multiple people can edit the pages and keep track of any changes.

Learn  how to edit a wiki on Learn.UQ .

Wikipedia  is probably the most well-known wiki. Anyone can edit it, after creating an account.

Embed interesting elements on webpages

You can often embed different kinds of media into webpages. In Learn.UQ use the:

• Text editor  to embed hyperlinks, files, images and equations
• Mashup  option to embed videos and voice recordings.

When embedding  images  on webpages, it is a good idea to have a small file size to reduce the time it takes for your image to load on the page. Read more about  file formats  in the Working with Data and Files module.

Drop or upload a PNG or JPG file to  tiny.png , to see how much you can reduce the file size.

Other media you might like to embed on your websites:

• Videos — many video hosting sites have an embed code on their videos. Often the embed code is an  iframe
• Timeline tool  — if your presentation has a chronological narrative, you might like to use a timeline tool
• Juxtapose tool  — this tool is useful for comparing images and gifs. You can highlight changes over time or dramatic events
• A poll or survey tool —  Crowd Signal  lets you embed polls, surveys and quizzes into webpages. You can sign up for a free plan.

When you start creating 3D Models, you should be familiar with these terms:

• Part  – a single component or body that you are designing
• Dimension  – a constraint applied to edge length or surface size
• Assembly  – an arrangement of parts to form a construction
• CAD  – Computer Aided Design

Types of 3D models

There are two types of 3D models that you might like to design:

• Geometric models   — components made entirely from lines, shapes and extrusions
• Organic models  — involve using curves to sculpt a mesh to a desired form.

Geometric models are typically used for engineering and construction applications, while organic models are used in 3D animations and industrial design. A combination of both types is also possible.

Designing a 3D model for your assignment

Use this strategy to approach the design of a 3D model:

• Draw  a rough sketch of the part with pencil and paper
• Annotate  your sketch with dimensions, constraints or other key features
• Plan  steps to convert your drawing to a digital model (e.g. sketch, extrude, fillet, etc…)
• Apply  these steps in your 3D modelling software
• Refine  your model according to other details from your sketch
• Verify  that all dimensions and constraints were correctly applied.

Prepare your model for 3D printing

3D modelling software can export your model in a variety of formats. Depending on how or where you 3D print your model, these formats are typically used:

• A stereolithography file (.STL)
• A Wavefront 3D model file (.OBJ)

Steps for exporting your model in these formats are generally found in the help pages of the software you are using.

3D modelling software

Use of 3D modelling software largely depends on the model you are trying to create. If you are creating:

• a geometric engineering component, CAD software is usually the best option
• an organic model for 3D animation, then 3D modelling software is best.

Get more  information on 3D modelling tools .

3D Photogrammetry software

Photogrammetry software is a very useful tool for constructing 3D Models from photographs. This can be done with photos from a phone or digital camera, and then the software’s algorithms do all the work.  Visit 3D Photogrammetry tools for more information.

Ways to get 3D models

3D modelling can be used in a variety of ways. You can upload a 3D model for online interaction, 3D printing, animation or for use within VR/AR applications.

You can get a 3D model via:

• CAD or 3D Modelling software — 3D Models can be created from scratch using this software
• Photogrammetry — construct 3D models from photographs at the click of a button using specialised software
• MRI/CT Scan Conversion — extract a 3D model from any CT Scan or MRI data
• 3D Scanning — scanning an object with a 3D scanner
• Online Collections — download an online 3D model

Examples of 3D models you can create using photogrammetry. Press the play buttons to interact with each model:

Trilobite 3D model

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=53

Trilobite by Nick Wiggins on Sketchfab

Kangaroo Cranium 3D Model

Kangaroo Cranium by Nick Wiggins on Sketchfab

Model of sculpture ‘A student’s head’ 3D Model

Model of sculpture ‘A student’s head’ by The University of Queensland Library on Sketchfab

 Find existing 3D models

Find designs to download and use under a Creative Commons Licence from:

• Thingiverse  — a MakerBot website for sharing 3D models
• Yeggi  — 3D model search engine
• NIH 3D Print Exchange  — a collection biomedical 3D models that include, anatomy objects, proteins, cells and tissues

Museum collections

Some museums are now making parts of their collections available as scans for home 3D printing:

• British Museum Exhibits  on Sketchfab
• The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art  on Thingiverse
• Smithsonian

Learning programming languages

Strategies for programming assignments, citing code.

Coding assignments can range from simple programs to full-blown applications. It is important to know how to approach such assignments, so that you can complete them to the best of your ability. Some platforms you may be asked to develop for are:

• Web  — websites and web apps for browsers like Chrome or Firefox
• Mobile  — mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Desktop  — desktop applications or programs for Windows, macOS and Linux.

If you are starting a coding assignment in a programming language that you are not familiar with, there are tutorials you can take to understand the basics in a few hours:

• Learn a range of  programming language training and tutorials  from LinkedIn Learning (UQ login is required)
• Codecademy  has courses on web development, data science and computer science
• w3schools  has tutorials on web development languages — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python etc.

Get more information on  tools for web, software and mobile application development .

Universal strategies that can be applied to make your programming assignments easier:

• Start early  — this gives you more time to think about the task and how you might approach it, but also more time to get help, if needed
• Plan your program using pseudocode  —  pseudocode  is a great method for planning what you want to code in way that is easy for people to understand
• Create the HTML, CSS and JavaScript files
• Link the CSS and JavaScript files using the appropriate tags in your HTML file.
• Use comments  — all programming languages allow you to write comments that are lines which are ignored by the program. A great way to use comments is to type out the steps required for coding a piece of functionality. You can then follow these steps to code it line by line
• Take a break  — if you ever get stuck, it’s probably a good time to take a break. Breaks as short as 5 minutes can be enough to clear your mind
• Explain your problems to a rubber duck  —  Rubber duck debugging  is actually a legitimate way of solving programming related problems. It works simply by explaining your problems aloud, which can help you find what’s causing bugs in your code.

Students should confirm what is permitted for a specific assignment prior to commencing. Some assignments do not permit the use of external support and all code must be written by the individual. However, if you are allowed to use externally sourced code it must be referenced if it is not your own original work. Failure to reference externally sourced, non-original work can result in misconduct proceedings. An external source is code, including from anywhere on the internet or from a tutorial, taken or used to write your own code.

References should provide clear and accurate information for each source and should identify where they have been used in your work. A single URL is not a complete or accurate reference. URLs should link directly to the work cited, not just to the website it is hosted on. An example format for referencing online sources:

[where used] : [title of asset], [creator of asset]; retrieved from [website title] ([URL]), Last accessed [DD/MM/YYYY}

For code references, the [where used] should map to the position in the code e.g. in the code itself, create a comment to identify where in your code you have used an external source:

For code with no changes or adaptations

(How to comment) retrieved from Unity Answers : how to comment the lines? (http://answers.unity3d.com/answers/221574/view.html target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”) Last accessed 11/9/2017

Ensure you are using syntax specifically for the programming language being used.

For code that you have changed or adapted

You should describe how you adapted it.

(Output Loop) retrieved from Unity Answers : Writing a Loop (http://answers.unity3d.com/answers/221574/view.html target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”) Last accessed 9/9/2017

All the answers to the quiz questions can be found in this module.

Your response data will  not  be gathered if you answer the questions below.  Take a screenshot  of  Your result  at the end of the quiz if you are required to show you have completed it.

Types of assignments quiz

There are 7 questions to answer. After you answer a question, click the arrow to move to the next question.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-types-assignments/?p=57#h5p-1

If you are required to get a certificate with your name, take this version of the Types of Assignments quiz (requires a UQ login).

Note for Teaching staff : You can download and embed both the module and H5P quiz  in their courses.

Module summary

 essential tips.

• Maintain high standards of academic integrity in your assignments
• Links to resources for group assignments, finding information and backing up your files.

 Written assignments

• Links to resources on the purpose, audience, tone of writing and structural features of some written assignment types
• To be effective, think carefully about the intended audience and purpose of your assignment.

 Video

• Plan your video with a script and storyboard
• Use different techniques to make your video visually appealing.

 Audio and Podcasts

Good quality audio is essential to keep your audience listening Recording locations and settings can improve your audio quality.

 Presentations, posters and infographics

• Engage your audience using different techniques
• Use interactivity in your online presentations
• Make your presentations and posters visually appealing and interesting through good design.

 Websites, blogs and wikis

• Web content requires a different style of writing than print
• Embed different kinds of interesting media in your websites and blogs.

 3D models

• Use a strategic approach when designing a 3D model
• Links to resources for learning 3D modelling software.

 Coding

• Strategies to use for programming assignments
• Links to resources for learning programming languages.

You have completed the Types of Assignments module.

Tell us what you think

Use our  Digital Essentials feedback form  to give  anonymous  feedback on this module. You can provide your email if you would like us to reply to you.

Digital Essentials modules

Build your digital skills with Digital Essentials. Select modules from the 6 themes that match your interests and will help you succeed in study and work.

• Getting started at the UQ Library
• Printing at UQ .

Assignment essentials

• Find and use media
• Information essentials
• Write, cite and submit
• Types of assignments

Digital creation

• Accessibility
• Choose the right tool
• Intellectual Property

Digital security and safety

• Digital security
• Internet essentials
• Social media

Professional identity and skills

• Communicate and collaborate
• eProfessionalism

Work with information

• Artificial Intelligence
• Work with data and files
• Document your research data

Teaching staff – use the modules in courses

Teaching staff can embed or link the modules in courses to help build your students’ digital literacy.

• There are interactive elements throughout each module and a short H5P quiz at the end.
• The modules are also available for your students to download in EPUB, PDF and HTML format to make them more accessible.

Learn how to add the Pressbook module to your Learn.UQ (Blackboard) course.

Assess student learning

Most modules have a final short quiz created in H5P. You can download the H5P quiz from the module and embed it in your course if you would like to check your students’ completions or to allow for the results to be transferred to the Grade Centre in your course.

The H5P quiz content will not record any completion data unless you download and add the H5P quiz directly to your course. Students can screenshot the quiz if they are required to show completion.

Learn how to add the H5P content to your course.