Academic Skills Week Workshop 1: Essay Planning and Academic Writing Scottish University of the Year 2017 Academic Skills Week Workshop 1: Essay Planning and Academic Writing Michael Allardice Academic Skills Centre 9th October 2017

DUSA & CASTLE This is a partnership between DUSA and CASTLE and each workshop will have a member of the DUSA Exec involved.

To begin! Working with the people around you – groups of 3 or 4 people – develop a short list of questions you would like us to answer (if we can) in this session. Make the questions as short as you can, pass them to the front and we will group them together and respond

Workshop Plan What’s the problem with essays? Some basic issues - planning Structure Dealing with Feedback

https://www.123rf.com/photo_17320310_abstract-word-cloud-for-writing-process-with-related-tags-and-terms.html

How do you feel about essay writing? https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/sleep-issues/narcolepsy/

Does anyone recognise themselves? https://pteguru.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/pte-structure-of-essays/

Is this your definition of study? https://twitter.com/grammarly/status/608393505896079360

Maybe you are the studious type? https://www.featurepics.com/online/studying-hard-photo119279.aspx

Studious type 2! https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1920&bih=884&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Male+student+studying+&oq=Male+student+studying+&gs_l=psy-ab.12..0i7i30k1j0i30k1.124966.133853.0.137337.12.9.3.0.0.0.193.1277.0j9.9.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..2.9.1085...0j0i67k1j0i13k1j0i13i30k1j0i8i13i30k1.0.H13RGaNiqCY#imgrc=6LjY8YAKQgXzRM:&spf=1507536248749

Or just a little too smug! https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/student_studying.html

What are the major issues? Your Questions What are the major issues?

Don’t Procrastinate – Produce! Essay Writing Basics Have a Plan! Plan the research you want to do Plan the writing you aim to produce Plan the time you have available to do it in Don’t Procrastinate – Produce!

Planning: where do you begin? Start with the question: What are you actually being asked to do? Next: What do you already know? Brainstorm Look for the gaps in your knowledge – that’s a good place to begin your research. Finally: Work out what are the most important things you need to tell your reader? Prioritise

Introductions Main Bodies Conclusions Some Basics Introductions Main Bodies Conclusions

Introductions Begin with the context of the subject: What is the focus of this question? Don’t just re-write the question as the first line of your answer Why is this topic important? In other words: why should your reader bother reading it? How will you tackle the rest of the discussion? Structure & order of themes/issues/discussion

ARRRGHH! Avoid the following! “In this essay I will write …” Introductions (2) Avoid the following! “In this essay I will write …” ARRRGHH!

Main Body Where all the hard work gets done: Main arguments/discussion points/issues all included Evidence! Where is your evidence for the claims you make or the arguments you propose?

Topic Evidence Analysis Main Body (2) Paragraphs need to link and flow: Topic Evidence Analysis https://neilslorance.wordpress.com/tag/tea-cartoon/

“SO WHAT?” Main Body (3) Analysis – what is it? When you give your reader evidence, tell them why it is important. In other words: “SO WHAT?”

Conclusions Conclusions are for concluding: Summing up Bringing together Your opinion Return your reader to the context within which your question is set

Feedback: What is it good for? https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1920&bih=884&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=female+student+thinking+&oq=female+student+thinking+&gs_l=psy-ab.3...179078.179078.0.183439.1.1.0.0.0.0.117.117.0j1.1.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.lUtH4sV8fyE#imgdii=LWpOb4HEBXTmtM:&imgrc=g4MJafSbw128LM:&spf=1507537677993

Feedback Firstly, feedback is important! The grade you receive is only part of the story What the marker writes is probably more significant – that is where the learning takes place! The marker will have taken time to think about their feedback, you should take time to read it!

Feedback Secondly, feedback should really be thought of as “Feed Forward” In other words, how you might fix what went wrong last time out, the next time you produce an assignment You might also get a sense of what you did well and what you ought to replicate next time round

Feedback Finally, feedback gives you the opportunity to get a clearer idea of what the academic process is actually all about: debate discussion constructive criticism

Take time to read your feedback: don’t be an Ostrich! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2525602/Burying-head-sand-Youre-feeling-guilty.html

What are your questions? RLF Writing Fellows …And finally! What are your questions? RLF Writing Fellows

Contacts The Academic Skills Team can be contacted through: www.dundee.ac.uk/castle E-mail: castle@dundee.ac.uk For other issues go to: www.dundee.ac.uk/studentservices