Essay Planning

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Essay Planning Writing Workshop

• How to write better essays and assignments.
• ? ? ? ? ??

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Welcome to the workshop

• Speaker Jonny Wells
• ELSSA centre

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ELSSA Centre

• Provide workshops in faculties throughout the
  semester
• Provide 1 to 1 appointments
• Support students with academic skill building
• Website www.elssa.uts.edu.au
• Phone [phone]

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Please make notes today

• Presentation is not available may be on the
  ELSSA website in the near future.
• Please do not copy word for word there isnt
  time.
• Use good note taking skills
• Use bullet points to get the main issues
• Please feel free to ask questions as we go along!

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Todays program

• Discussion / Ice breaker
• How to plan your essay effectively
• How to structure well so the essay writes
  itself!
• What an intro conclusion should do
• How to be more academic in your writing
• Importance of good editing.
• Questions to ask your lecturer before hand-in!

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Discussion Questions

• Ask your partner these questions
• What problems do you have with your essay
  writing?
• What feedback are you receiving from lecturers
  and tutors on your written work?
• What do you most want to learn about essay
  writing in todays workshop?
• How do you proofread your essays? What are some
  important things to look out for?

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Remember to analyse the set Question first

• By fully analysing the question you will be sure
  to
• Give relevant info in your writing
• Give good supporting arguments
• Provide relevant references and examples
• ANSWER THE QUESTION that has been set!

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Next..you need a plan!

• Why is planning BEFORE you write so vitally
  important?

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Intro to Essay Planning

• Need to make a structural framework for your
  essay/ report before you start writing!
• Just as you put up timber framing scaffolding
  before you build a house!

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Remember.

• Organise your work as you go along
• Make lists/charts/flow diagrams
• Use planning diagrams to help you (see later in
  this slideshow)
• Check you are making progress
• Ensure you have an organised plan for your
  writing/assignment

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To help you plan

• To help you plan we need to look at the structure
  of writing.
• Lets look at the structure of an essay paragraph.

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Paragraph structure

• Q What is the structure of an effective
  paragraph?

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An effective paragraph should contain (in its
most basic form)

• Topic sentence
• Support sentences
• Support sentences
• Concluding sentence.

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Effective paragraph structure

• What is a topic sentence?
• What should be in the support sentences?
• What does a concluding sentence do?

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Effective paragraph structure

• If your paragraphs are well structured
• Your arguments will be well presented.
• Your arguments will be effectively structured.
• Your writing will be logical.
• Your writing will be clearer.
• It will make your writing easier to read.

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What lecturers say

• A Sydney University Professor has stated that
• It is essential that students are really clear
  about the structure of their essays before they
  start writing their first drafts. If they are
  not, their writing and thinking often appears
  muddled and logical arguments are not made
• (McGill, 2009).
• ( Source UNSW.edu.au)

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Paragraph writing

• Plan a short structured body paragraph on this
  question.
• Q What are the benefits of a university
  education?

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Benefits of University Education - Paragraph

• Topic sentence? (main idea /opinion/fact)
• Support sentence 1?
• Support sentence 2?
• Support sentence 3?
• Concluding sentence?

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Essay Introductions

• What should an essay introduction do (in its
  simplest form)?
• Give general opening statements
• Re-state the set question
• Provide thesis statement
• Mention what will be included

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Essay conclusions

• What should an essay conclusion do?
• Re-state the question
• Re-state the thesis statement
• Summarise main arguments/ideas briefly
• Make final comments/recommendations

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Now you have the basics of essay structure
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Academic writing

• Discuss
• Q What are some features of academic writing at
  university level?

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Academic writing

• Formal register / NOT chatty!
• No contractions
• Highly structured
• Avoids vague imprecise language
• Research based
• Impersonal emotionally neutral
• Not opinion based writing usually
• Shows range of academic vocabulary
• Lack of personal pronouns
• Greater use of the passive voice
• High levels of accurate grammar, spelling and
  punctuation needed

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Academic writing also

• Uses expert source materials to support
  arguments
• Compares and contrasts popular theories or
  academic concepts
• Shows critical thinking and critical evaluation
• Shows an awareness of the complexities of the
  issue(s)
• Follows a logical and reasonable argument or line
  of reasoning
• Follows a set logical structure

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Grammar Review

• Increased use of the Passive Tense.
• Practice
• A. The lecturer taught the workshop.
• B. I will describe the effects of climate change.
• C. I feel that the current government are not
  doing enough to provide adequate levels of
  healthcare, education and sustainable living to
  the Australian population.

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Editing and Proofing

• How many drafts of your assignment do you do
  before you hand-in your work?
• What are the minimum number of drafts you should
  do, before hand-in?

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Re-drafting

• The art of writing is in the craft of
  re-drafting!
• Professional writers redraft many, many times
  before they are happy with their written work.
  You cannot write straight out of your head and
  then hand it in!

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Editing checklist

• What questions do you need to ask yourself when
  proofing and editing your work?

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Editing checklist

• Have I answered the question?
• Are my arguments supported correctly?
• Is my writing logical and well structured?
• Have I plagiarised anywhere intentionally/unintent
  ionally?
• Have I remained within the set word limit?
• Have I spell checked and grammar checked
  thoroughly?
• Does my writing match/meet the marking criteria?

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Editing Proofing Skills

• What techniques can help you edit your work
  better?

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Good Editing techniques

• Leave text for 24 hours!
• Always print a hard copy
• Dont edit on screen
• Ask your peers/friends to read it
• Spell check but dont rely on it
• Check punctuation, spelling and grammar you can
  be sure your lecturer will!!!

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What gets weak marks?

• The lowest marks fails are awarded to students
  who
• Have weak structure
• Have shown little research, thought or reflection
• Have work which is mostly descriptive and not
  analytical nor argumentative
• Considers one point of view
• Is sloppy, badly worded, muddled and/or not
  logical

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What gets better marks?

• Work that shows.
• Evidence of background learning and research
• Shows understanding of the key theories and
  concepts
• Meets the set criteria
• Answers the set question
• Develops a logical and structured argument
• Draws conclusions
• Reveals and shows thought and reflection
• Organises relevant info into a structure
• Gives and shows relevant and supporting arguments
• Is well presented at University standard.

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Good writers dowhat?

• Start early and finish early.
• Read around the subject thoroughly.
• Plan well (often over a day or two).
• Structure essays logically.
• Reference so that they support arguments fully
  /dont overuse!
• Have high levels of accuracy in their work.
• Pay close attention to correct grammar,
  punctuation and spelling.
• Hand their work in on time within deadlines.
• Ask for help if they need it.

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Things to ask your lecturer

• How many references are wanted?
• Is there anything you particularly require in
  assignments / indenting/ double spacing-1.5
  spacing/single spaced?
• Are there any things that you dont want students
  to do in their essays?
• What should I do if I cant hand my essay in
  personally?
• Can I submit my assignment electronically?
• Can I submit my assignment by faculty
  mailbox/pigeonhole?
• Dont be afraid to ask questions of your lecturer
  
• if you dont ask.you dont get!

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Further resources / help

• Internet
• Books / Bookshop
• Lecturer/ Faculty staff
• ELSSA centre
• Your Peers

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Good Resources

• Academic Writing Handbook by Stephen Bailey
• Study Skills Handbook by Prof Cottrell

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Essay Writing Cycle

• Start early!
• Analyse the question fully.
• Plan effectively and take your time doing it .
• (your essay will write itself!).
• Write / edit / re-draft.
• Write / edit / re-draft for a 2nd time.
• Write / edit / re-draft for a 3rd time minimum.
• Do your best work.
• Hand-in on time.

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Any questions?

• Do you have any questions about todays workshop?

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Thanks for your time

• Good luck with your studies!