Begin with the final task
A course description tells you what will be discussed; an assessment brief tells you what you must be able to do. Start by listing each assessed task, its deadline and the criteria used to judge it. Separate an examination, a project, a presentation and a written argument rather than treating them as equivalent units of work. This map is a planning tool, not a substitute for the institution’s official assessment regulations. Where information is missing, ask the course team for the applicable document.
Trace each task backwards
For every task, identify the steps that must precede submission. A report may require a question, source selection, analysis, a draft and a revision. A practical project may require access to equipment and a supervised test. Put those dependencies on the calendar before estimating the total workload. A deadline looks manageable when viewed alone and becomes less manageable when three prerequisites must happen in the same week. Mark which steps you control and which depend on another person or facility.
Worked planning example
Consider an illustrative module with a short essay in week four and a group presentation in week six. The essay requires individual reading; the presentation requires agreement on roles and a rehearsal. Scheduling only the two submission dates hides the coordination work. Add a source-selection checkpoint for the essay and an early meeting for the group. These are hypothetical arrangements, not a description of an Aalborg Academy module. Use the example to interrogate the actual schedule you receive.
Look for feedback you can use
Ask when feedback arrives and whether another task gives you a chance to apply it. If comments on an early assignment arrive after the final submission, they may have a different role from feedback delivered during drafting. Neither arrangement can be judged from timing alone; clarify the intended purpose. Distinguish feedback, a mark and permission to resubmit. They are different provisions, and one should not be inferred from another. Record the answers beside your map so that expectations remain explicit.
Use the map to make a decision
Before enrolling, compare the assessment pattern with your available time, access needs and preferred ways of demonstrating knowledge. After enrolling, review the map whenever the institution publishes an authorised change. Your final checklist is simple: a named task, a verified date, a clear criterion, a sequence of preparation and a route for questions. If you cannot explain one of those elements, seek clarification before the pressure of submission makes it harder to act.
A practical exercise
Create a one-page assessment map for a course you are considering. Use only information you can trace to an official document, and mark missing information with a question rather than filling the gap with an assumption. Choose the busiest week and describe the preparation it depends on. Then write three questions to send through the provider’s published enquiry route: one about timing, one about criteria and one about support. Keep the map as a dated comparison record. If you later receive an offer, review it against the actual terms instead of assuming your initial notes remain current.
