WRITING IN ACADEMIA
assignment
course
Discipline
DISCIPLINE
Characteristics
•Abstractive, logical, hypothetical reasoning, universal
deduction
•Empirical, data-driven, induction
• theory driven, normative
Conventions
•Detached? Engaged?
•Use of authorial comment? Authoritative: it is
certain that, it is clear that. Tentative: it would seem
that, it may be probable
•Use of evaluative comments or modals? Surprising,
concerning, ought, should
•Use of first person or not? Passive or active voice?
• What characterises the discourse in
your discipline? What are the
dominant modes of enquiry and
thinking? What types of evidence and
data are important?
• What are the fundamental
conventions of writing in your
discipline?
• What persona should students,
writing in your discipline, adopt?
Student writer
persona
•Social scientist
•Economist
•Auditor
•Journalist
•Problem solver
•Evaluator of other research
•Researcher
Writing in a specific course within a particular discipline:
academics’ expectations and students’ perceptions/
understandings
• Students switch between disciplines and courses.
Within each there may be different assumptions
about academic knowledge, learning and the
nature of writing. These assumptions impact on
the specific writing requirements for assignments
but are seldom made explicit.
• If the specific writing requirements are not made
explicit students end up confused or, they use the
explicit requirements from one course, sometimes
inappropriately, in another.
Designing writing assignments
thinking about goals
• Is the writing assignment linked to significant course
objectives? In designing the assignment work
backwards from the goals. What do you want your
students to do?
 Apply theory to a specific context/scenario
 Explore an aspect of the course material in more depth
 Think critically about/evaluate a model/practice
 Practise specific modes of thinking/research  provide
analysis and synthesis
 Respond to a contentious issue - develop an argument
Designing writing assignments
think about rhetorical elements
• What is the situation that gives rise to the
writing?
• Who is the writer in this situation? What kind
of ethos should he/she adopt?
• Who is the audience?
• What is the purpose?
• What is the genre or form of writing?
If situation, writer, audience is specified
• Is there congruence between these elements,
the purpose, topic and genre?
• Will students have the resources required to
assume the specified writer’s persona? (For
example, a journalist writing for a business
publication).
Incongruity
• Situation: writing for a
professional publication
• Writer: a professional
• Audience: fellow
professionals
• Genre: article
• Instructions re writing
requirements (abstract,
findings, discussion of
findings) are appropriate
to an academic article
which might appear in a
peer reviewed journal but
incongruous for an article
in a professional
publication (which is
more smart, casual than
tuxedo and tie).
Think about genre
What are the genres most
characteristic of your
discipline?
Which genre will work
best in terms of the:
 Goals
 Purpose
 Organisation
 Topic
of the writing assignment?
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•
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Essay [what is this?]
Report [what type?]
Article [what type?]
Case study
Proposal
Essay topics
•
•
Personal and professional ethics – should there be a difference.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF A CONVERGENCE BETWEEN IFRS AND US GAAP?
2011 is just a year away and we are expected to see a uniform set of global
accounting standards. Discuss the issues related to the convergence between IFRS
and US GAAP. Also indicate how the changes will impact the South African
accounting environment. Specifically identify which South African companies and
industries will be significantly impacted by the proposed convergence and which
will not feel the impact of the changes much and clearly indicate how they will be
impacted. Where possible illustrate your essay with relevant examples.
(Calculations are not required)
• What advice could you offer UCT contemplating the design and establishment of a
comprehensive EAP to ensure that the interventions are successful. In your
discussion address the following points, as a guide: [7 different points including
recommendation]
Essay topic
Read through the article provided and answer the following 2 questions concisely in 2 short
essays.
PART B:
Imagine you have just been hired to launch a brand new line of motor-cycles in South Africa.
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Put together a short strategy outlining the brand you would introduce, and your marketing decisions. A strong
strategy would cover each of the following aspects:
The name of your brand and short description of the bike and its features
The current environment in South Africa that affects your decision(s)
A description of who you would choose to aim the sales of your motorbike at
An explanation as to why you would choose this specific group of people
A description of how you would want them to perceive your brand
What your marketing message is & how you plan to communicate this
Be sure to use insights gained from reading the provided article. Feel free to reference any additional
articles or papers you feel added to your decisions.
You are encouraged to enhance the presentation of your assignments with relevant images, attractive front covers or
appendices where necessary.
{max 1000 words}
Instructions for writing essays
• The essay should be structured with separate
numbered sections, headings and numbered subsections.
• Write an essay based on the following questions. Begin
your report by briefly identifying and describing the...
a, b, c and d.
• There are no hard and fast rules about how a
philosophical essay should be structured, but the
following might be a helpful guide: Introduction,
arguments, conclusion
Think about the topic:
conceptualisation and expression
• Does the topic of the assignment fit the
purpose?
• Is the topic expressed clearly and
unambiguously?
• If quotations are used, do these serve a
meaningful purpose, i.e. provide a context,
springboard for thinking? Or are they
gratuitous, possibly misleading.
Think about the rubric – assessment
categories and criteria
• Rubric should be designed specifically for the
task.
• Categories and/or criteria must be linked both
to the goals which inform the assignment and
the assignment per se.
• Rubric must be useful to the writers and the
markers.
Criterion
Relevance and
depth of research
No indication of how this is to
be evaluated/measured
Topic required minimal
research: essentially a
comparison between prior
and current rules governing
the composition of a specific
body and some discussion of
the implications thereof
Criterion
Interest value
No indication of how this will be
measured. What characterises
exceptional interest value? What
characterises minimal interest value?
If topic is assigned and the
aspects to be addressed
are specified, surely this
predetermines, to a large
extent, the interest value?
What role , therefore, will
the writer play in creating
interest value?
Criterion 1
(20%)
Needs work
Competent
Substantial
Sophisticated
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description
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Marks awarded
/20
Criterion 2
(20%)
/20
Criterion 3
(30%)
/30
Criterion 4
(30%)
/30
Content
60%
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Structure
25%
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Language and
style
10%
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Referencing
5%
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Presentation
-
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Needs work
Competent
Substantial
Sophisticated
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description
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description
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description
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description
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Research /evidence
(20%)
Needs work
Competent
Substantial
Sophisticated
Information is taken from
sources without any
interpretation/evaluation.
Viewpoints of experts are
taken as fact, without
question.
Information is taken from
sources with some
interpretation/evaluation,
but not enough to develop
a coherent analysis or
synthesis. Viewpoints of
experts are taken as
mostly fact, with little
questioning
Information is taken from
sources with enough
interpretation/evaluation
to develop a coherent
analysis or synthesis.
Viewpoints of experts are
subject to questioning
Information is taken from
sources with enough
interpretation/evaluation to
develop a comprehensive
analysis or synthesis.
Viewpoints of experts are
questioned thoroughly
Rubric
Rhetorical
elements
specified
Writing
assignment
Topic clearly,
unambiguously
stated
Instructions re citation
convention,
layout/presentation
length