If a word count limit is defined for an assignment, then the students cannot see that limit until they submitted a response that passes the limit.

The current solution is that the lecturers must include the word count into the description, too. This can be counter intuitive.

The word count might be easily missed because it might be disguised by a lecturer's unintentional phrasing or formatting.

UX Improvement: The word count limit is always visible to the students. 

The visibility of this aspect might be configurable.

Educational rationale:

The underpinning rationale is that students who enter an essay online are not always aware about the amount they are supposed to deliver and the amount they have at hand. Delivering too much is not good, but showing that a lecturer expects a certain number of words also indicates that an extremely concise response might also be insufficient.