Effective writing via critical reading (ENGL1000)

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ENGL1000 – Academic English (2006)
Designer – Dr Susan Thomas
Unit co-ordinators – Dr Rebecca Johinke & Dr Susan Thomas


Contents

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What they do

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  1. Organise the unit around the main stages of producing an assignment essay. sound_icon.jpg *
  2. Get the library actively involved. Assignment tasks requiring library work are coordinated with library orientation sessions in flexible formats. sound_icon.jpg
  3. Give students a variety of argument models to choose from in developing their essay outline. Include examples from relevant academic disciplines but also non-academic examples of rhetorical strategy (e.g. feature film, recorded speech).
  4. Get some live social context into writing practice. Doing the article review task (2nd assignment) as an oral presentation gives student direct experience of the link between effective research and their ability to sound credible in front of a critical audience. sound_icon.jpg
  5. Get students to put themselves in the essay marker's shoes. The last task that students have to do before handing in their final essay is to mark an actual student essay from a previous semester. sound_icon.jpg
Related pattern: Marker's shoes

Student numbers = 150 - 250

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What they get

  • Students know what is meant by an academically credible source. Fewer inappropriate citations in student bibliographies.
  • Students get a better appreciation of library support services by seeing direct benefits. Library reports heavy use of advisory services from students in this course.
  • Students attempting GAMSET (Medicine/Dentistry entry test) report high scores.
  • Marking load for final essay is reduced by students being able to correct problems with essay structure and evidence sources before submitting.
  • Plagiarism becomes easier to detect through comparison of essay outlines and final essay submitted (though unfortunately not eradicated).


* Recorded from a discussion between Rebecca Johinke and Tim Lever of USyd eLearning in November, 2006.


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Cite as

Johinke, R. and Thomas, S. (2006) ENGL1000 - Academic English. Sydney:University of Sydney. http://wiki.arts.usyd.edu.au/elearning/index.php?title=Effective_writing_via_critical_reading_%28ENGL1000%29


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