Boise State Standard 5.5: Instructions help students complete activities successfully (Important)

Clear, detailed instructions are fundamental for helping students complete activities successfully in any educational setting. Well-crafted instructions serve as a guide, ensuring that students understand the tasks, know how to approach them and recognize the criteria for successful completion. Students are more likely to engage with and complete a task when they understand its purpose and requirements.

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General Suggestions

The purpose, task, and criteria for each activity are clearly stated.
Technical instructions are provided in external help resources (when appropriate).

Examples

Assignment: Analyze the role of symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Instructions:

Objective: Explore how Harper Lee uses symbolism to convey complex themes in To Kill a Mockingbird and enhance your analytical writing skills.
Requirements: Submit a 1500-word essay, formatted in MLA style, that discusses three key symbols used in the novel and their thematic significance.
Steps:
- Select three symbols from the novel.
- Find passages that illustrate these symbols and note their page numbers.
- Analyze how each symbol contributes to the novel’s themes.
Criteria for Success: Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, clarity of argument, use of evidence, and writing quality. Refer to the attached rubric for detailed criteria.
Deadline: Submit your final essay by MM/DD/YYYY at 11:59 PM via the course LMS.
Resources: For help with MLA formatting, visit [specific website]. For writing support, consider scheduling a meeting with the university writing center.

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