It is important to ensure that assessment tasks are clear and understandable by students. The lack of clear instructions or guidelines on assessment tasks is the most common student feedback received from student evaluation forms at Monash.
Focus of the task
Students need to be clear on the purpose of the assessment task before they can start writing. Ensure that the following questions are answered in the assessment task brief:
- Why is the student completing this task?
- What is the assessment task about?
- Who is the student designing or writing the task for? (i.e., who is their audience?)
- What is the student trying to convey in the task?
Format of the task
While the content of an assessment task is vital, its format also influences the readability and clarity of the task. Designing an assessment that is laid out carefully, with a clear structure and subheadings to organise the information ensures the design helps clarify the task. Keep all relevant information to just one section; students should not have to flip between sections or pages to find information about, for example, submission processes. Ensure that the following questions are answered in the assessment task brief:
- What is the format of the submission?
- What genre of writing, or what type of other media is the student creating?
- What style of writing or design do students need to adopt?
Timing of the task
Using standard submission times helps ensure that students have a consistent experience when submitting assessments, which is an important aspect of providing a fair and equitable learning environment.
Monash standard assessment submission times are:
These times are specifically designed to help students manage their time effectively and have clear expectations of when assessments may be due. However, where necessary, the Chief Examiner can vary submission times if any of the following apply:
- Activities directly linked to scheduled classes and are required to be submitted at a specific time before, during or after class.
- In semester class tests that have a specific allocated time frame for submission.
- Activities that do not contribute to a student's final unit mark (non-assessed activities).
- Assessments that do not require online submission, such as presentations or performances (offline assessments).
The standard assessment submission times are already preconfigured in the Assignment activity type in Moodle. For other Moodle activities, the standard submission time will need to be applied in the activity settings.
Consider the audience
All assessment tasks should be written for the appropriate year level; first year tasks may look quite different to those at postgraduate level. You may need to be more instructive at earlier year levels as well to ensure students develop the appropriate skills of navigating assessment at university level. Ensure that the following questions are answered in the assessment task brief:
- What would concrete examples of this case or task look like?
- How would students find out what conventions or approaches are suitable?
Language and accessibility
Consider the language you are using to explain your assessment tasks; is it understandable to a wide range of learners? Does it contain jargon that only certain groups may understand? Further, avoid complexity in your assessment tasks to ensure they are accessible: multi-part assignments can often confuse learners, especially if the different parts have different requirements or due dates.
