For Faculty

Ten Steps to Providing Clear Instructions

By Tricia Pal, Instructional Designer 

We've all been there – having a course you are so excited to teach and then getting bogged down answering seemingly endless questions about the process of learning instead of the content of learning. Instructions in learning, particularly online learning, are critical to student success as well as allowing faculty to focus on engaging students in dialogue about the subject matter by shifting the time demands away from explaining how to take the course.

When thinking about giving instructions, it is important to be clear, concise and consistent to give students the tools that they need to succeed. Here are 10 steps to consider in providing students with clear instructions in online courses:

1. Describe the purpose of the assignment. By creating a clear link between the assignment and what students are learning in the module or course, it may help students to see the big picture of the assignment. This will help students to understand what they should be getting out of the assignment.
2. Aim for the 3 Cs: clear, concise, consistent. It is easy for instructions to become overwhelming if there are a lot of details, steps, and information. Try to approach writing instructions in a way that focuses on clarity (e.g., Is it clear how you want students to approach the assignment? What they should submit?), concision (e.g., Is there extra information included that doesn't really need to be there? Can you provide more simple instructions? Are there any parts that are repetitive?), and consistency (e.g., Do you use the same format for instructions throughout the course? Are expectations consistent throughout?).
3. Use bulleted or numbered lists. Using bullet points or numbered lists may help students to break down what they need to do in the assignment. This also might be a way to help you accomplish the 3 Cs described above. Consider using numbered lists if there is a specific process or order you want students to follow or bullet points to remind students what their final product should contain.
4. Emphasize important details. There may be important details that you want to make sure students don't overlook – such as due dates, specific assignment components, or submission instructions. Don't be afraid to emphasize these points to students. A good way to do this is to use bold, italics, or underlining.
5. Link helpful content or resources. Does the assignment ask students to use external resources or refer back to something they looked at previously in the course? If so, you can link to that content to allow students to easily find it. (Just remember to use descriptive text that is hyperlinked to make it accessible.)
6. Consider providing examples. If an assignment is complicated or has multiple components, consider providing exemplars from past submissions (with the consent of the original author). This will allow students to visualize what a final product should look like and may answer some questions that have to do with basic components of the assignment.
7. Break bigger assignments into manageable chunks when appropriate. You may find it helpful to scaffold larger assignments such as projects or papers that students work on throughout the semester. Instead of taking everything in one assignment, you can break it down into chunks for them to submit for feedback throughout. Then, for the final assignment, they can utilize the feedback and compile the chunks together with any final components into a completed product. For instance, you might ask students to turn in a project proposal, outline, and literature review for feedback before submitting a final project. Another benefit of scaffolding larger assignments is that it gives you an opportunity to intervene early on if a student is not understanding what they are supposed to do or the content, allowing for a more meaningful learning opportunity.
8. Provide assessment details. Will you be using a rubric for the assignment? Or points-based? Make sure your students understand how they will be assessed. Understanding how they will be assessed is another tool students can use in ensuring they understand what they are supposed to do.
9. Keep accessibility in mind. It is important for your assignments to be accessible to all students—so as you are creating assignments and writing instructions, keep accessibility in mind. A couple of things to consider regarding accessibility for your assignments:
   • Any videos referenced should be properly captioned.
   • Images need to have alternate text.
   • Word, PowerPoint, or PDF documents need to be made accessible.
   • Bulleted or numbered lists should use the list styles from the text editor bar in Blackboard.
   • Use a heading structure (in both the Blackboard assignment item and any other documents that are included).
   • Make sure any tables are created using a simple format with specified rows/headers rows that repeat across pages.
10. Don't be afraid to show excitement! Enthusiasm goes a long way in engaging students in an assignment or task. Don't be afraid to tell your students that you are excited to see their final products.

For more information and resources on accessibility, visit the TTU eLearning Accessibility website.

These steps are a great way to start thinking through clear, concise, and consistent instructions to help strengthen the learning experience for your students. If you'd like help as you work through writing assignments for your course or with any other design needs, email elearning.id@ttu.edu to schedule an appointment with an instructional designer. For more resources, visit the TTU eLearning Faculty Services website.