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Rewriting Your Assignments for Clarity (Without Losing Rigor)

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Rewriting Your Assignments for Clarity (Without Losing Rigor)

-Cookie Redding, CPAD Faculty

How many times have you given an assignment, only to hear a flood of questions that make you wonder if you explained it at all?

It happens to all of us. We put a lot of thought into the goals and expectations of a project, but when students read the prompt, they focus on a completely different part. Sometimes they miss what matters most. Other times, they are overwhelmed by all the instructions and have no idea where to begin. Assignment prompts that feel clear to us as instructors can be experienced as vague, confusing, or inconsistent by students.

That is where rewriting your assignments with clarity in mind can make a big difference. And no, this does not mean watering anything down. You can hold onto complexity, challenge, and rigor while making your assignments easier to understand and explore.

What Do We Mean by Clarity?

Clarity is not about simplification for its own sake. It is about alignment. Clear assignments help students understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how they can approach the work. Clarity gives them a way in.

When instructions are unclear, students may make guesses, follow surface-level steps, or give up before starting. This is especially true in creative, visual, or studio-based courses, where the goals may not be explicitly stated or the outcomes may feel open-ended.

Clarity does not mean lowering your standards. It means inviting students into the challenge with the support and information they need to succeed.

Why Assignment Clarity Matters in Creative Classrooms

Creative courses often emphasize exploration, experimentation, and iteration. That is part of what makes them so rich. But that same openness can create uncertainty for students, especially when expectations are not clearly communicated.

Clear assignments help students:

  • Spend less time trying to decode what you meant

  • Focus more energy on the work itself

  • Take greater creative risks because they understand the foundation

  • Reflect more effectively on their process and learning

Instructors also benefit from clearer project descriptions. You can give better feedback, assess work more fairly, and spend less time repeating the same clarifications across emails and critiques.

Strategies for Rewriting Assignments with Clarity

Here are some ways to revise your assignments while keeping them rigorous, challenging, and open to creative interpretation.

1. Focus on the Why

Start by explaining the purpose of the assignment. What is the point of this project? What skill, habit, or concept is it meant to develop?

Example:
Instead of saying “Create an abstract composition using three colors,”
try “This project explores how color relationships affect visual energy and tension. You will be using only three colors to push contrast, harmony, and compositional balance.”

Knowing the why helps students invest more fully in the what.

2. Break It into Parts

If an assignment has multiple layers, use visual spacing, bullets, or headings to separate them. Reading blocks of text with several different goals or constraints buried inside can be overwhelming.

Structure can help without over-scripting. For example, separate sections might be:

  • Project Overview

  • Goals and Learning Outcomes

  • Requirements

  • Format and Materials

  • Timeline

  • Questions to Consider

This kind of formatting supports both visual and neurodiverse learners who may need more structure to stay oriented.

3. Define Success Without Dictating Results

Rather than listing every detail, describe what success might look like in a range of ways. This leaves space for creativity while giving students direction.

Example:
“Successful projects will show thoughtful use of layering, a clear visual point of emphasis, and a connection to your chosen concept. Projects should reflect both intention and experimentation.”

You are not prescribing the outcome, but you are signaling what qualities will be valued.

4. Provide Examples and Non-Examples

Whenever possible, share past work (with permission) or mock examples. You do not need a full demo. Even two or three images can clarify the tone or approach you are inviting.

Better still, pair an example with a reflection on why it worked and what could be improved. This helps students move beyond copying and into understanding.

If you do not have visuals yet, walk through a hypothetical version in class. What decisions would you make if you were completing the prompt?

5. Check for Jargon or Vague Language

Terms like “engaging,” “strong,” or “successful” sound good, but mean very little without context. Where possible, replace abstract language with specific, observable criteria.

Try reading your prompt aloud or having a colleague read it. Ask them to tell you what they think the assignment is asking. If their takeaway does not match your intent, revise for clarity.

What Clarity Does Not Mean

It is important to note what this kind of rewriting is not.

Clarity is not about oversimplifying.
Clarity is not about doing the thinking for students.
Clarity is not about removing ambiguity entirely.

The goal is not to reduce complexity, but to reveal the structure that supports it. A well-written assignment prompt helps students understand where they are headed, even if the path includes moments of confusion, experimentation, or revision.

Sample Revision: Before and After

Here is a quick example to show how a few small changes can create more clarity without removing challenge.

Before:
Design a poster based on a current event. Use principles of design to create an effective composition. Your poster should reflect your personal style and communicate a message clearly.

After:
Create an 11 x 17 poster that responds to a current event of your choice. You will use principles of contrast, alignment, and hierarchy to guide your design decisions. The poster should balance strong visuals with a clear message. Choose a topic that matters to you and take a stand visually.

Goals: Explore how design communicates meaning and persuasion. Develop skills in layout, messaging, and visual storytelling.

Requirements:

  • Size: 11 x 17 inches, portrait orientation

  • Include a headline and at least one supporting visual

  • Use at least two of the following: type contrast, grid alignment, image-text layering

  • Prepare to share a brief rationale during critique

Final Thoughts

Clarity does not make a course easier. It makes it more effective. When students understand what they are being asked to do and why it matters, they are more likely to dig into the work in a meaningful way.

Creative learning thrives when students feel supported enough to take risks. Clear assignment materials are one of the easiest ways to give that support without compromising the depth or ambition of your course.

If it has been a while since you looked at how your assignments are written, this is a great time to revisit. A few small changes might unlock more confident and curious engagement from your students.

 

 

Backward Design in Creative Courses: Starting with the Outcome

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Backward Design in Creative Courses: Starting with the Outcome

-Cookie Redding, CPAD Faculty

 

What do you want your students to walk away with?

It is one of the simplest questions to ask, but also one of the hardest to answer when you’re designing a course that revolves around creativity, exploration, and process. In many art and design classrooms, course planning often begins with assignments or materials. A favorite project, a tool, a prompt that has worked well in the past. But inverting the process and starting with your intended outcome can help align your course more intentionally around growth, development, and student success. That approach is backward design.

 

What Is Backward Design?

Backward design is a planning model that begins with the end in mind. Rather than building a course around what you want to teach, you build around what you want students to learn and be able to do by the end of the course.

Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in Understanding by Design, the model follows three key steps:

  • Identify desired results
  • Determine acceptable evidence
  • Plan learning experiences and instruction

This framework is, of course, not new to educators. However, it is often underused in creative classrooms where outcomes can be flexible or open-ended. The backward approach can actually give more room for experimentation while making expectations clearer and feedback more focused.

 

Why Backward Design Works for Creative Disciplines

In visual art, design, dance, theatre, and architecture, learning is often nonlinear. Students cycle through idea development, material exploration, draft, critique/feedback, revision/iteration, and presentation. What makes backward design helpful is that it supports this natural rhythm.

It centers the process as an outcome.
If your goal is to help students develop an iterative practice, this approach lets you emphasize revision and reflection, not just the final product.

It helps clarify abstract goals.
Creative learning outcomes like developing a personal voice or engaging in conceptual thinking are easier to support when you identify how those goals will appear in student work.

It supports transparency.
When students understand what they are working toward and why it matters, they are more likely to take risks, ask meaningful questions, and reflect on their progress.

 

Step-by-Step: Backward Design for Your Creative Course

1. Start With the Big Picture
Ask yourself: What do I want students to be able to do, think, or create by the end of this course?

These goals can be broad or specific. What matters is that they reflect deep learning and the kind of creative growth you want to see.

Examples might include:

  • Use concept development methods to initiate original work
  • Reflect critically on personal process and growth
  • Apply design principles intentionally in both print and digital formats
  • Create a cohesive body of work for critique or performance

 

2. Define Evidence of Learning
Once you know your outcomes, decide how students will demonstrate them. Evidence does not have to mean a test or traditional assessment. In creative fields, evidence can include process journals, sketches, performances, prototypes, or finished portfolios.

Ask yourself: What will show me that students have achieved this outcome? How can they recognize their own progress?

Examples might include:

  • A portfolio with reflections that describe conceptual growth
  • A performance that incorporates feedback from earlier rehearsals
  • A case study of an iterative design process
  • A presentation analyzing artistic or design influences

 

3. Plan the Learning Experiences
Now that the goal and evidence are clear, map out the activities, prompts, and lessons that will help students get there.

Ask yourself: What skills, habits, or knowledge will students need to develop this outcome?

This step is not about locking in a rigid path. It is about setting up a structure that supports exploration and creativity within meaningful boundaries.

 

Backward Design Does Not Mean Linear Work

Some instructors worry that backward design feels too rigid or outcome-focused. But in a creative classroom, outcomes do not have to be singular or fixed. Backward design gives structure, not limits. You can think of it as a compass, not a map.

Some of the most flexible and generative courses use backward design to define what success might look like in different forms. Students still have creative freedom, but they understand the direction and purpose of their work.

Sample in Practice: A Graphic Design Course
Outcome: Students will be able to create a multi-page layout using a grid system that communicates clear visual hierarchy.

Evidence: A final two-page magazine spread with headline, subhead, imagery, and body text. This will be paired with a short written reflection explaining layout choices.

Scaffolded Activities:

Week 2: Introduction to grid systems through a cut-and-paste zine activity
Week 4: Peer critique of draft layouts using a shared feedback guide
Week 6: Workshop focused on typography hierarchy and visual alignment
Week 7: Final layout due along with process documentation

This sequence supports the learning outcome while still allowing students to bring their own concepts, themes, and visual voice into the project.

 

Final Thoughts

Starting with the outcome does not mean dictating the end result. It means making space for students to understand what they are learning and why it matters. It helps them reflect, assess their own work, and build habits they will use beyond your course.

In creative learning, where ambiguity and discovery are part of the process, backward design helps keep that openness rooted in purpose. It is not about removing flexibility. It is about designing with intention.

Event – Feb. 28 @ 1 PM – CPAD Discussion: Uploading Our Standards

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CPAD Discussion: Uploading Our Standards

Feb. 28 @ 1 PM

Ensuring the Future of General Arts Education

As our institution navigates new budget models and the increasing demand for large-scale general education courses, it’s more important than ever to define what makes a General Arts course meaningful. Join us for a discussion on preserving academic and creative integrity while adapting to institutional changes. Faculty, administrators, and educators are invited to share insights, challenges, and strategies for shaping the future of General Arts education.

 

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