Understanding your assignment task - University of South ... · PDF file•Assignment types...

Understanding your assignment task

2015

3 anguage iteracies earning

• Assignment types

• Successful assignments

• Analysing questions

• Evaluating & choosing appropriate sources for your assignments

• Planning & structuring your assignment

Outline


Discuss the following in pairs / small groups:

• What type of assignments do you have to do or have you done at Uni?

• What are the challenges for you when doing assignments?

3 earning anguage iteracies

Your first assignment 3 anguage iteracies earning

What type of assignments are there at Uni?


Essays Case studies Reflective writing Learning plans Article reviews

Reports Portfolio items Quizzes, tests, exams Plans of care Literature reviews

Assignment Types


• answer the question

– Understand and analyse the question carefully and thoroughly BEFORE reading

– Read and understand the requirements outlined in the ‘Feedback/Marking criteria’

• are based on academic reading

– Reading is the first step –> your ideas are formulated from what you have read

• are written in academic & formal style

• follow conventions of Harvard (UniSA) referencing style

– Use the guide and check CAREFULLY all in-text and reference list entries


Successful assignments 3 anguage iteracies earning

1. Read your assignment guidelines carefully

• What is required/expected? (e.g. content, length, layout, presentation, sections)

• How does each section link to the question?

• What is the structure / layout and style of the assignment?

• What information do you need to research?


Analysing the question 3 anguage iteracies earning

2. Check any unknown words (understand them in the context of your assignment question) http://resource.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=23885

3. Find the task word(s) in each part What do you have to DO? (e.g. compare, discuss, explain)

4. Find the content/information words (Task word + what? Eg. Discuss what?)



http://resource.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=23885


4. Find the limits of the assignment: – Time to produce assignment

– Length

– Particular instructions about the resources

– Limiting words like 'in Australia' or 'in the hospital sector' or 'in the last 5 years'?

– Check limits that you think are obvious e.g. ‘for the Registered Nurse’ (don’t write about for people in general or even for health professionals in general)



5. Make a 'guesstimate plan' using the word limit: E.g. 1000 words Introduction = 10% Body = 80% - only need about 800 words from your

readings - don’t spend unnecessary time searching for sources to read!

Conclusion= 10% How long for each stage of the assignment? Check the University of Kent link: http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/ask/index.php


Word count & time frame


http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/ask/index.php

6. Do a brief brainstorm based on current knowledge – What do you already know about the topic?

• Write down everything you can think of about the topic (you can delete irrelevant ideas later)

• Make connections between related ideas

• Make a visual plan if it works for you (list, concept map, sections, diagrams)

• Include how you might structure the assignment


Pre-reading brainstorm 3 anguage iteracies earning

Keep your assignment question & structure in mind when searching for sources

• Search efficiently (keywords, refer to reference lists, skim abstracts)

• Peer-reviewed articles

• Recommended sources from lecturers

• Remember word limit and requirements


Researching for Assignments 3 anguage iteracies earning

Discuss current approaches for the treatment of sprained

ankles among the elderly. (1200 words )

1. Analyse the question 2. What key words could you use for your searching? 3. What sort of information do you need? 4. Where could you find this information? 5. Can you suggest a range of sources that might be

promising? 6. What organisational websites might be useful?

Example essay question

L3 Language Literacies Learning

For the Division of Health Sciences



Example essay question

‘Discuss current approaches for the treatment of sprained ankles among the elderly.’ (1200 words)

1. What is the ‘task’ word? 2. What are the content/information words? 3. What limits are there?

1. Task word = Discuss

2. Task word + ‘what’? = current approaches

3. Content focus =

a) treating of sprained ankles

b) among the elderly.

1200 words

Body = 800 words

How many main ideas will you include?

Analysing the question



Key word(s)/

Main Idea(s)

Synonym 1

OR

Synonym 2

OR

Synonym 3

Sprained ankle

OR

OR

AND

Treatment

Therapy

OR

Rehabilitation

OR

AND

Elderly

Aged

OR

Older Adult*

OR

• My patients can easily locate and read this information for themselves

• Information is provided in very simple and superficial way

• The information/source is current

• The name of the author(s) is available

• This is ‘academic or scholarly’

• The affiliation of the author(s) is displayed

• The article includes data/evidence from research

• The sources of the article are acknowledged (list of references or other

citations)

Criteria for evaluating sources



• The content of the source is evidence based rather than opinion or

propaganda

• The information is thorough and academic

• The article has been peer reviewed

• Methodology is clearly described and provides:

• Sample size

• Inclusion exclusion criteria

• Randomisation

• Control group

• Acknowledges limitations of the research

Criteria for evaluating sources



Key word(s)/

Main Idea(s)

Synonym 1

OR

Synonym 2

OR

Synonym 3

Sprained ankle

OR

OR

AND

Treatment

Therapy

OR

Rehabilitation

OR

AND

Elderly

Aged

OR

Older Adult*

OR

• Note down referencing details at top of notes page

• Keep assignment question and purpose for reading in mind

• As you read go back to assignment question and ask yourself ‘How will this help me answer the question?’ ‘Why am I reading this?’

• Add any thoughts/ideas on your assignment plan

• Use your own words to help you paraphrase – add paraphrases & notes to sections of the assignment plan

• More info? http://resource.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=24912


Reading & Note-taking 3 anguage iteracies earning


Before writing your first draft read the question again

• Ask yourself: Have I researched ALL PARTS of the question?

• Check that your assignment plan/structure follows the requirements

• Ask yourself: Is there anything missing? Could the order of ideas be changed to make it easier to understand?

• Make any necessary changes to the structure before you start your first draft.


Review the Structure


Learning referencing L3 Language Literacies Learning


• You will need to learn the importance of referencing correctly and paraphrasing sources

Resources for referencing

include:

• The Harvard Guide UniSA

Learning referencing L3 Language Literacies Learning


Resources for referencing

include:

• Referencing Website

www.unisa.edu.au/Referencing

Roadmap to Referencing

Need help Referencing? Not sure what type of source you have?

Follow the Roadmap! The Roadmap to referencing site will help

you decide what your source is and show you how to reference it

according to Harvard-UniSA style.

roadmap.unisa.edu.au

roadmap.unisa.edu.au

Improving your academic skills L3 Language Literacies Learning


Use L3 online resources to help with study

www.unisa.edu.au/L3

-> click on Health Sciences for related resources

http://www.unisa.edu.au/L3

Further help L3 Language Literacies Learning


• L3 Student Hub

www.unisa.edu.au/L3

• Referencing website

www.unisa.edu.au/Referencing

• L3 HSC site

www.unisa.edu.au/L3HSC

• Library

www.library.unisa.edu.au


http://www.unisa.edu.au/Referencing

http://www.unisa.edu.au/L3HSC

http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/

• Course Outlines

• Assignment Help on learnonline course websites

• Lecturers e.g. tutorial discussions

• Online learning resources

www.unisa.edu.au/L3 -> go to L3: Division of Health Sciences

• LTU workshops

• The Library and electronic research sources

• Your fellow students: form study groups


Support for writing development



http://resource.unisa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=3633&topic=14

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