One instructor I work with said this recently:

I like that idea! So then students can start their project early on, get some classmates’ comments, and submit their final version”

This response came after we spent some time discussing the challenge that comes with a term project that gets submitted as a one-time assignment at the end of the term.

Some instructors express interest and concerns about developing a term project and how to implement it in an asynchronous course. A project can be a great opportunity for engaging students with the content, learning from and with peers, and applying the concepts they learn in more practical and hands-on activities; and for it to be clear and well-implemented, it needs structure. However, it is not always clear for some instructors how the project could be spread out through the term in ways that allow students to move steadily and how to support them in each step of the project. Concerns about the implementation also relate about how to allow space for students to learn from one another through feedback that is effective. This blog describes how to structure and scaffold an individual project to offer students options to connect topics to their own interest and engage in peer feedback.

Project Overview and Goals

When I collaborate with instructors in developing this kind of assignment, we spend quite some time reviewing the project goal and details, brainstorming ideas for the milestones students will need to accomplish, the timeline, and the delivery of the final product.

The structure of the term may not always be evident from the start. A few questions that can guide the development of a term project that I ask instructors include:

• What is the overall goal of the project?
• Is this an individual or a collaborative activity?
• What will students need to create at the end of the term (e.g., report, presentation, collage)?
• How do students get started with it?
• What are the opportunities through the term to seek feedback?
• Are there resources needed to support this kind of activity?
• How many stages does the project include?

The last question in the list above sometimes puzzles some instructors. The term project may not have been conceived as a set of multiple stages; instead, it is often a one-time, final assignment students need to turn in during finals week. Students may not get feedback or if they do, it won’t be actionable since there is no opportunity to revise and resubmit the project after they submit it.

In contrast, a multi-stage assignment may help students get the work done more steadily, in small portions, potentially helping them to manage the course load more effectively, and creating a project that shows how students apply what they learn. To respond to the need to reenvision the term project as a robust and structured activity that allows students to build their knowledge and skills step-by-step, instructors can resort the Transparent Assignment Design Framework< (TAD) and adapt it to design a term project. This framework is helpful in designing activities to promote student success and equity.

Adapted TAD for Term Projects

An adapted version of the TAD framework involves considerations such as structure (the core of TAD), scaffolding, resources, and evaluation. These considerations are described in the following sections.

Structure

Structure provides the connection and organization among all the elements of the project, from the goal to its deliverable. A clear project structure provides students with a better understanding of the value that the project brings to their learning, the stages it involves, the expectations to meet, the time and planning, and the resources needed to complete it. For setting up the structure of a project, you will need to perform two types of thinking:

1. “think backwards” and determine how will students arrive to the final product and what resources or smaller tasks they will need to complete for that purpose. This design strategy can help you identify the number of parts or stages the project will need to include.
2. “think laterally” and determine what content and activities in the term can support a particular stage or part of the project. This design strategy can help you balance the work for students (and for you as well when grading!) in each weekly module, align the project with the learning outcomes, and identify scaffolding mechanisms.

For example, the structure for a term project about theories of learning may include:

1. Topic proposal
2. Outline<
3. Annotated bibliography
4. Major scholarly works in conversations
5. S*** First Draft (it comes from the work of Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
6. Peer review
7. Revised draft/final revised version

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is the support and guidance that students received along the project tasks or stages. This mechanism allows students to complete more manageable pieces without getting confused or overwhelmed. Scaffolding can be provided through a set of tasks, from simple to more complex, sequencing them more cohesively. Through scaffolding, students may feel confident of their learning process and eventually complete tasks more independently. In the example above, the scaffolding for the proposal (step 1) and the annotated bibliography (step 3) could include the following guidance and support:

• Step 1: Topic proposal:
  • Provide students with a list of broader ideas to get started or a list of topics that meet the expectations and are aligned with the outcomes
  • In addition, offer students an option where they select a topic on their own and seek instructor feedback/approval.
• Step 3: Annotated bibliography
  • Provide guidance on the scholarly sources, format, and citation style
  • In addition, give students an example as a point of reference

Additionally, consider the content and other course activities that can support the project (lateral thinking). For example, ask yourself:

• What are other activities/assignments in the week/module?
• Do any of these activities relate closely to a project stage? If so, how that activity could provide students with a thinking exercise that allows them to connect the concepts in the project? (e.g., a discussion activity could engage students in exploring multiple perspectives, resource sharing, or idea exploration that they can incorporate in the outline or first draft of the project)
• Do any of the course activities overlap with a project stage? If so, can they be merged and deepened to help students meet the intended outcomes?

Evaluation

With any kind of graded activity, it is also important to provide students with clear information about how their project and its stages will be evaluated. The criteria for evaluating the project will help students understand more clearly the expectations and their level of quality. These criteria can be provided at each stage of the project, if each stage will be evaluated or graded separately. For the example above, the evaluation can include:

• Checklist for expectations
• Example of a good quality project
• Grading criteria (a rubric or guidelines that describe performance levels)

In short, when implementing a project in your course, think about it as a pleasant, fun journey rather than a challenging odyssey filled with hardships where students struggle trying to figure out what to do next.

Oh…you may be wondering about the instructor and their project idea that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog? Well, the project is well-structured with several small, manageable tasks (e.g., discussions, individual assignments, peer review) each week that help students build the project, one step at a time. The instructor is satisfied with the project structure and is eager to get that implemented in the course next term!

Do you have a project idea for your course? How are you thinking about its structure and deliverables? What kinds of guidance are you considering including? I would love to hear what ideas you have!

AI disclosure: No AI tool was used for the planning, drafting, or revisions of this blog.