Designed with an explicit focus on developing students writing capabilities (especially in relation to professional and/or vocational genres), this assessment sees students produce weekly written pieces of varying genres for which they receive qualitative feedback. Students must then choose 4 of these written pieces for revision and inclusion in a summative online portfolioportfolio.

In this skills-oriented assessment, students are asked to identify a contemporary policy issue and make a clear and succinct case for policy change in the form of a short (2 page) ministerial policy recommendation or brief. Students also provide an additional list of (scholarly) sources consulted in preparing their recommendation.

This authentic assessment sees students work both individually and in small groups to produce a governmental policy submission. This scaffolded assessment includes a number of progressive tasks due throughout the semester, including a brief oral presentation, a draft policy proposal, a background and issues document, and the final policy submission.

Following a larger essay assessment, students construct a 1000 word article on the same topic of their major assessment piece) intended for publication on the online platform The Conversation. This exercise introduces students to the challenge of writing for a specific audience, and communicating complex concepts with clarity and concision.