2.3.1 How well did the course contain clear assignment objectives and expectations?

Why this teaching practice matters:

• Research has shown a strong, positive relationship between student success and clear assignment objectives and expectations. [1, 11, 17]
• Clear assignment objectives and expectations help students focus their effort on the most important learning goals. When instructions, grading criteria, and feedback are aligned, students are better able to plan their work, understand how it will be evaluated, and use feedback to improve. Unclear or inconsistent expectations can shift student attention away from learning toward guesswork, frustration, or unnecessary rework.

Student examples of this principle in action:

• “I had an assignment where I sent a rough draft…and received full marks and no critiques. When it came time to submit the final draft…, I sent the same as the rough draft…and was marked down…. I don't know why I would have to change it if it was graded originally with a perfect score.”
• “The instruction would often contradict itself more than once or contain circular language. In class we'd often find the expectations were actually different again than the instructions in Canvas, or the instructions would change throughout the week as we worked on it.”
• “Sometimes the rubric…said to look at the instructions for how it was to be graded or vise versa but there was no explanation.”

Ways to triangulate your data:

• Invite a peer instructor, a SCOT, or a curriculum designer to review your assignment instructions and rubrics.
• Identify assignments in Canvas that have a lower average grade. These may pinpoint unclear expectations or objectives. Student comments in the End of Course Survey may also help provide additional details.

Ideas for improvement:

• Review assignments from a student perspective. Consider whether assignment instructions clearly communicate the purpose of the task, what successful work looks like, and how it will be evaluated.
• Check alignment between instructions, rubrics, and feedback. Inconsistencies between written instructions, grading criteria, and comments can create confusion, even when each element is clear on its own.
• Other instructors who teach the course or curriculum designers can help review assignment design for clarity, consistency, and alignment with learning outcomes.