Coursework Definition from Dictionaries and College Guidelines

Being accustomed to writing essays and making presentations at school, students often find themselves at a loss when facing a coursework assignment. What is a coursework and how is it different from other tasks students are usually burdened with? What is the difference between an essay and a coursework, and why is students’ competence evaluated this way rather than through the usual exam system? Let’s try to define coursework and answer all these questions.

Various dictionaries provide this coursework definition: a type of work assigned to students with the aim of assessing their knowledge within a certain educational course. Oxford University Guide extends the coursework definition, explaining that this work is focused on developing students’ reading and thinking skills while encouraging independent learning. Also, we can add that this type of assignment is regularly set during the course of study and may come in different variations — from conducting literature research to experimenting with natural sciences.

Coursework Meaning in Different Contexts

However, this meaning of coursework is specific to the UK educational system, while in the United States term papers or final papers play the same role. So, what does coursework mean in another context? In US colleges and universities, coursework refers to curriculum or academic programs, thus covering a set of courses and assignments students have to complete in order to obtain their desired majors. However, they virtually perform the same, though differently named, coursework assignment.

What Is the Purpose of Coursework from both Students’ and Teachers’ Viewpoints

Some students believe that this type of paper is a needless burden invented by teachers in addition to various other tasks they have to carry out. They don’t understand the purpose of coursework and thus tend to perceive the assignment as annoying and useless. However, if these students tried to take it as an exciting challenge they need to grapple with, they could end up getting so much useful experience and practical skills, not to mention good marks, in the process. So, what is the purpose of coursework, and how can it help students in their after-college life?

Coursework is the final step in mastering a discipline, module, or topic. When doing their coursework, students get to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom while identifying and filling in the gaps by doing independent research on a certain theme. From the teachers’ standpoint, this helps assess both the students’ knowledge of the subject and their skills in acquiring new knowledge unaided. Besides, this is a good way of checking the students’ academic writing skills, since they need to follow certain rules regarding word count, structure, argument, formatting, and grammar.

Thus, coursework combines your theoretical knowledge and practical skills, knowledge gained in the classroom and information obtained independently, certain creativity in conducting research, and strict rules of academic writing. You cannot but agree that this challenging task can be really inspiring, especially when the topic of your coursework is related to your sphere of interests. Still, you need to understand that besides being exciting, the task is also useful, since it allows you to pick up the skills that might come in handy in your future career building. So, what are those skills? Let’s mention some of them:

• You can learn to identify a problem and set specific goals aimed at cracking it. You determine which question to ask and how to find various approaches to the problem-solving, including creative ones.
• This is a great way to learn how to search for the necessary information using multiple sources and how to assess the reliability of the sources to receive the most relevant and up-to-date information.
• When collecting data and choosing materials for your paper, you need to analyze and systematize the facts you've discovered, which is also a helpful skill, applicable to many fields.
• You learn how to form your own viewpoint on various problems, as well as how to explain and defend it based on convincing arguments. This is a great start for developing leadership skills and influencing other people.
• Also, you learn how to present information using different visual aids, such as tables, diagrams, illustrations, infographics, etc. By including some kind of visual presentation in your coursework, you can keep abreast of the modern technology and find visually compelling and convincing ways of delivering information to any audience.
• Writing a coursework requires careful planning and self-discipline, something any person who wants to succeed in life really needs. Despite having to comply with certain requirements and standards, students may still benefit from the creativity and fresh thinking this work allows for. This has the potential of helping them become multifaceted and versatile personalities in the future.

Surely, there can be even more benefits to writing your coursework, but also those listed above show that this type of assignment really differs from the exam format and has many positive outcomes. So, consider this work not only as one of the ways for your teachers to assess your college performance but also as an avenue towards your own personal and professional advancement.