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Assessments vs Assignments

What’s the Difference Between an Assessment and an Assignment?​

In Campfire, it’s important to distinguish between an assessment and an assignment, even if people often use the terms interchangeably, and that’s okay, too.

  • An assessment is the original, master version of the content. It includes the questions, tasks, and scoring rules—but it’s not yet assigned to students.
  • An assignment is what students actually receive and complete. When you take an assessment and assign it to a class, it becomes an assignment. This version has access settings, due dates, and classroom delivery options.

Think of it like this:

  • Build an assessment – This is the original version containing all questions and settings.
    • Assessment = the master copy (teacher-facing)
  • Assign the assessment – This creates an assignment, the student-facing copy tied to a classroom.
    • Assignment = the student-ready version (classroom-facing)
  • Deliver the assignment – Share it with students so they can complete it.
tip

When teaching, Sundays were for prep— gather everything students would need for the week. That’s what it’s like to build an assessment: you're preparing the content ahead of time.

Next, organize materials into labeled trays—one for each day—so students could easily access them. That’s like assigning the assessment: putting it in the right place for the right class.

Finally, when the time comes, direct students to pick up their work and begin. That’s delivering the assignment—putting it in students’ hands when it’s time to engage.