1. Understanding Assignments Student Learning Advisory Service Gina May

2. What is the point of an assignment? • Revisit elements of the module Main themes Pull elements together • Extend and develop understanding • Present an ‘informed opinion’ – (heuristic process)

3. Showcase your Skills • Work within ‘constraints’ • Commitment to view point • Present and express concepts and ideas • Create an intellectual ‘debate

4. Basic Beginnings • Don’t put it off • Ask for clarification • Look at the question for the ‘overview’

5. Basic Beginnings • Pay attention • Style requirement • Check format requirements • Check deadlines

6. Understanding the Assignment • Why has this question been set? • When is it due? • What is the challenge? • Learning experience? • What is the purpose of the essay?

7. Key Words • Active verbs and information words • Define • Explain • Illustrate • Summarise • Trace • Research

8. Relation Words • To demonstrate how things are connected • Compare • Contrast • Apply • Cause • Relate

9. Interpretation Words • Remember examples from class and research Assess prove/justify evaluate/respond support synthesize analyse argue

10. Analyse the Key Concepts • Do the narrators of Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations speak with the same kind of irony? • What is bribery and can it be justified as an acceptable business practice? • Authority amounts to no more than the possession of power.

11. Analysing a concept – e.g. • Freedom, ideology, equality, authority, power • Tragedy, comedy, irony, satire • Abuse, care, dignity • Globalisation, diversification • Dimensions, strings, dark matter • Vectors, chromosomes

12. Open and Closed Concepts • Open – • Shaped by experience • Closed • Unchanging, unambiguous meaning ANALYSE THE CONCEPT BEWARE PRECONCEPTIONS

13. More Clues • Keep your module in mind: Reading list: Background? Theoretical? Argues different points of view? • How do the readings, lectures, seminars work together?

14. Analysing Concepts • “Advertisers seek only to ensure consumers make informed choices.” Discuss • Discuss = Investigate or examine by argument.

15. Who is the audience? • Tutor • Informed reader • Clear, ‘academic’ explanation • Demonstrate your understanding • Informs your tone

16. The ‘tone’ of an essay • Formal • Objective • NOT condescending • NOT pretentious • Convince your audience • Build the argument/thesis/claim • Work towards a conclusion • Closure

17. What evidence will I need? • Scholarship • Cases • Facts • Examples

18. What kind of writing style? • Formal or informal? • First or third person? • The passive? Look at: Handbook guidance Seminar readings conventions for your discipline Ask the seminar leader

19. Technical Details • The rules: • Word count • Font size • Margin size • Due date • Percentage weighting

20. Tricks that don’t work! • Fancy cover sheets • Wide margins • Large font • Re-hash material • Waffle • Being over creative • Colloquial • Over friendly!