You start by looking for a good question to explore. Have a look at essay questions you have had previously. Consider what would be a helpful practical application of your study in that area. Make sure that your question will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your critical awareness of contemporary scholarship. Crucially, look at the Learning Outcomes for that unit and make sure that each of those five LOs are met by at least one of your assessment items.

Some students used something like this for their first assignment:

• Outline the overall approach and key texts that will be used for the major assignment, with appropriate evaluation and analysis of those texts
• For 10 or 20%
• Due after week 3 or 4 is helpful.
• Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3

That approach allows you good feedback and progress towards the final essay.

This list of words can help you see what are appropriate assessment questions at Bachelor and Postgraduate level:

Bachelor (focus on analysis of information and application) Why (do we do, did it happen, should it be done, etc.)

• How (can we do, can we avoid, can we ensure, would this work on your context, etc.)
• Relate (system, principles, philosophy, to a context)
• Compare and contrast (different ways of operating, courses of action, systems, approaches, interpretations, range of views in general)

Postgraduate (focus on evaluation and synthesis)

• Which is better (of alternative views, approaches, systems, etc.) and why?
• Who contributed most (to a movement, a system, an outcome)?
• How could (a different outcome) have been achieved Construct (a case, argument, portfolio, creative series)?
• Develop (a philosophy for a context, a structure for practical use, a set of lessons, etc.).