3 anguage iteracies earning
2015

3 anguage iteracies earning
• Assignment types
• Successful assignments
• Analysing questions
• Evaluating & choosing appropriate sources for your assignments
• Planning & structuring your assignment

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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 3 earning anguage iteracies
What type of assignments are there at Uni?
Essays Reports
Case studies
Reflective writing
Learning plans
Article reviews
Portfolio items
Quizzes, tests, exams
Plans of care
Literature reviews

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
• 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

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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?

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
2. Check any unknown words (understand them in the context of your assignment question) http://resource.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=2
3885
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?)

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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)

3 earning anguage iteracies
3 anguage iteracies earning
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

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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

© Deakin University 2012

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
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?

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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?

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
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?

Key word(s)/
Main Idea(s)
Sprained ankle
Treatment
Elderly
Synonym 1
Therapy
Aged
OR Synonym 2
OR
OR
OR
AND
Rehabilitation
AND
Older Adult*
OR
OR
OR
OR
Synonym 3

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
• 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)

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
• 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

Key word(s)/
Main Idea(s)
Sprained ankle
Treatment
Elderly
Synonym 1
Therapy
Aged
OR Synonym 2
OR
OR
OR
AND
Rehabilitation
AND
Older Adult*
OR
OR
OR
OR
Synonym 3

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
• 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

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
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.

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
• You will need to learn the importance of referencing correctly and paraphrasing sources
Resources for referencing include:
• The Harvard Guide
UniSA

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
www.unisa.edu.au/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

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
Use L3 online resources to help with study www.unisa.edu.au/L3
-> click on Health Sciences for related resources

L 3 L anguag e L iteracies L earning
For the Division of Health Sciences
• 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

3 3 earning anguage iteracies
• 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