How to Communicate Clear Expectations

By: Amanda Campbell, MA
University of West Georgia


A Clearly Written and Well-Organized Assignment

A clearly written and well-organized assignment sets students up for success. When instructors explicitly state the purpose of the assignment in relation to the course objectives and inform students of the assessment method, students will approach the assignment with a sense of purpose and increased confidence. In an article about a teaching intervention that increases student success, Winkelmes et al. (2016) explain, “Increases in college students’ academic confidence and sense of belonging are directly correlated with higher GPAs and persistence and retention rates, especially for underserved students. Furthermore, they have demonstrated that these increases could be achieved through teaching/learning interventions” (p. 32). In other words, when students believe they are capable of being successful college students, they perform better in their classes. Generally speaking, students who are enrolled in college classes want to do well; however, it’s no secret that students often find that they are ill-prepared for the rigor of college. Furthermore, students in online classes can easily become overwhelmed with content or confused. A few low grades can discourage students and enhance their sense that they do not belong in college. However, prioritizing the need to clearly communicate the purpose of an assignment and your expectations can lead to increased student success on that particular assignment. That success will snowball into other successes and will increase the chances that the student is successful throughout college. Hankins (2016) says, “Do not assume students will be able to read between the lines, rather provide students with every detail to complete the assignment, participate in discussions, navigate the course, etc.”


How Do We Ensure That Our Assignments Are Clear?

The Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education project (TILT Higher Ed) “helps faculty to implement a transparent teaching framework that promotes college students’ success.”

One major aspect of transparent teaching is designing transparent assignments. The other is allowing students opportunities to ask questions.

Designing Transparent Assignments: The TILT Transparent Assignment Template

Let us take a closer look at the elements of the TILT template:

  • Purpose of assignment: What skills will students gain? How will they serve them? What content knowledge does the assignment help them learn? How does the assignment align with the course objectives? How does it align with the module objectives?

  • Task: What are the specific instructions that outline what the students will do? This might include a section on how students should approach the assignment (steps to follow as well as potential missteps to avoid). Don’t forget to include your expectations for how the document should be formatted (style guide; spacing; font type and size; PDF or .docx). This can be tedious, but it will save you time in the long run. Instead of answering questions regarding aspects of the assignment that don’t necessarily relate to the content, you can focus on helping students develop content knowledge and other skills. Also, include instructions about how the assignment should be submitted.

  • Criteria for success: Include a checklist or a rubric in the assignment. Rottman & Rabidoux (2017) explain, “rubrics posted with each assignment also foster open communication and clear expectations. Students easily can read the assignment narrative and still not comprehend what is expected; rubrics provide additional clarity. Students are more successful in assignments when they know exactly what will be expected for assignment grading.”

  • Another way instructors can help students understand what they need to do to be successful is to provide annotated examples of what excellence looks like. Instructors often fear that students will merely imitate the example. However, showing students what a final product could look like builds their confidence and they often will take a more unique and creative approach to the work.

Link: TILT Transparent Assignment Template


Allowing Students Opportunities to Ask Questions

Consider hosting a virtual meeting to review the expectations of the assignments. Allow students to ask questions. These kinds of questions can help us further clarify our expectations. Hankins (2016) says, “Consider the possible questions students may ask about the materials and answer them before students have an opportunity to ask. Provide these answers within the course instructions and course announcements.” In addition to virtual meetings, encourage students to contact you with questions by email or phone. You might also create a FAQ discussion board for individual assignments. Writing assignments should be thought of as an iterative process: design, implement, and evaluate the assignment. Student feedback can help us improve the assignment for the next time it will be implemented.

Sample TILT Assignments

References

Krane, D. (2018). What students see in rubrics. Inside Higher. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/guest-post-what-students-see-rubrics

Rabidoux, S. & Rottman, A. ( 2017). How to provide meaningful feedback online. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/views/2017/09/06/how-provide-meaningfUl-feedback-online-course

Rabidoux, S. & Rottman, A. ( 2017). 4 expert strategies for designing an online course. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/views/2017/09/06/how-provide-meaningfUl-feedback-online-course

TILT Project: https://www.unlv.edu/provost/teachingandlearning

Winkelmes, M.-A., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., & Weavil, K. H. (2016). A teaching intervention that increases underserved college students’ success. Peer Review, 18(1/2), 31-36. TILT Project: https://www.unlv.edu/provost/teachingandlearning