Assignment writing as a method of assessment is only a fairly recent academic activity. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, most higher education assessment was dominantly oral. At the turn of the century, academic research became a popular activity, thus creating a writing culture. Up to the mid 1960s, most essay writing for assessment was done under exam conditions and mainly in Arts subjects. Setting assignment tasks has been a feature of university coursework since the 1960s when the role of essays as assignments became recognised for its educational advantage