Signature Assignment Infographic

Designing a Signature Assignment

Signature assignments can come in many forms. To help you think about what a signature assignment in your course may look like, consider the following sorts of questions:

1. What do you, or professionals in the field, do that students should be able to do upon successful completion of the course?
2. What is the most important level of learning in your course? Or the most important thing for students to be able to do upon completion of your course?
3. What sort of thing could students do upon successful completion of your course that would show them the value of what they learned?
4. What core competencies must your course focus on and how can a signature assignment be used to make achievement of that competency or those competencies visible to students, you, and program assessors?
5. What sort of reflection or self-assessment can students do, related to the signature assignment, to deepen their learning?

Structuring a Signature Assignment

Just as there are many different forms a signature assignment can take, so too can its structure vary significantly. But, to ensure the signature assignment achieves its broad goals within the Inquiry Core Curriculum program, be sure to do the following:

• Make explicit which core competency learning outcomes the signature assignment will develop and assess. Each signature assignment should assess at least one, but may assess as many as makes sense for the assignment.
• Include an activity or assignment that requires students to engage with ideas or apply knowledge from the course. This need not be a substantial activity, in terms of work for students or contribution to the course grade. But, the activity should be a meaningful one for students in the context of the course.
• Include a reflection activity. The reflection need not be done in writing, but must be in some form that can be used for program assessment. Additionally, the reflection activity should be structured and meaningful to students. Do not simply ask them to engage with a reflection prompt. Instead, frame the purpose of the reflection, and potentially provide structure for the reflection. You may also provide students different options for reflection.
  • The Designing for Reflection page includes guidance on effective reflection activities.
  • The Reflection page of Salt Lake City Community College’s Faculty ePortfolio resource site includes additional resources, including example prompts

Examples and Resources

What might signature assignments look like? Nearly any assignment can work, if accompanied by a meaningful reflection. Some options include:^[1]

• Essays, response papers, lab reports or research papers all tap discipline-specific knowledge and effective communication, as well as possibly quantitative literacy, intercultural knowledge and competence, critical thinking, and more (depending on specifics).
• Solution to a realistic Math problem that asks students to write about the process of solving the problem, the relevance of the problem, and/or the application of the problem-solving skill to other issues or areas of life. The problem addresses quantitative literacy and critical thinking.
• Photos, graphics, or three-dimensional artwork likely address discipline knowledge and the creative aspects of critical thinking.
• Powerpoints, spreadsheets, databases, and webpages can all be used to address several core competencies.
• Poetry, fiction, pamphlets, posters, and other forms of writing address discipline knowledge and the creative aspects of critical thinking.
• Products of group projects can be excellent signature assignments, allowing students to demonstrate collaboration and other core competencies.

The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment maintains an assignment database. Many of the assignments in that database could function as signature assignments, perhaps with slight modification. Do note that not all materials in that database would be fitting for signature assignments.