Understanding assignment task sheets and criteria sheets
Get started by checking your Unit Blackboard site for the assignment task sheet and criteria sheets (or CRAs). These contain vital information about the type of assignment, the type of information sources, and the amount of information you need. Read through these carefully!
Assignment task sheets provide information about:
- the type of assignment
- word length
- (potentially) the number of sources required
- referencing style
- formatting.
Highlight or underline any important information, particularly if the task sheet is lengthy.
The Criteria sheet (or CRA) [glossary] will give you clues about your marker's expectations concerning:
- assignment content
- critical thinking
- structure
- presentation.
Determine your information requirements by checking the content (or research) component of the criteria sheet. The length, weight, and marks will inform your choices.
Example: Assignment criteria
| Criteria | 7 High distinction | 6 Distinction | 5 Credit | 4 Pass | 3 Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking: sources (10%) | Highly relevant and appropriate content. Well supported by a wide range of relevant, high quality academic sources | Relevant and appropriate content throughout. Well supported by a range of relevant, high quality academic sources | Content is appropriate. Supported by relevant, high quality academic sources | Content is largely appropriate. Adequately supported by relevant, high quality academic sources | Content is often not appropriate or relevant. Inadequately supported and/or sources are entirely irrelevant or are not high quality academic sources |
| Referencing (10%) | No errors in APA referencing | Few and minor errors in APA referencing (1 error) | Minor errors in APA referencing (less than 3 errors) | Consistent errors in APA referencing (3-5 errors) | Major errors in APA referencing |
For more detailed information about criteria sheets, it is best to contact your tutor or lecturer.
Quick tip: Some assignments will state the number of sources required, but many won't. The example above, being only a 1000-word essay, would need significantly less information than an assignment requiring a formal literature review. Note that the quality and range of the information is just as important as the number of sources.