Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course is for (post)graduate students who are undertaking written research assessments, projects and theses. It is open to domestic and international students.
The course seeks to develop a basic understanding of academic study skills in English at the (post)graduate level. Students will explore a range of academic writing skills, such as the development of critical thinking skills, knowledge of genre and register, academic tone and language, editing and proofreading, finding and evaluating sources of information, and planning and structuring academic writing. Students will review articles relevant to their disciplinary area (e.g. Arts, Sciences) in order to understand the writing conventions of their own discipline and that of others.
The main forms of assessment are completion of online activities prior to tutorials, and the completion of a final written assessment (essay, research report or case study) that requires a reflection on what has been learning during the course and how this knowledge has been applied to the final written assessment.
Online course content is complemented by the weekly tutorial sessions through small group activities, class discussions, and short presentations with a small peer feedback component.
This course is for (post)graduate students who use English as a second language. It is open to domestic and international students as long as they are not native speakers of English.
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice. Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
· Full name,
· Student ID, and
· the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
This course seeks to assist speakers of English as a second language in gaining competency in academic writing and study skills in English. The course teaches you to:
- develop an understanding of the general principles of academic writing and study skills
- develop critical reading and writing skills
- improve your understanding of the conventions of structure and expression specific to your discipline
- structure an extended piece of academic writing on the topic of your choice and in the genre of your choice
- argue a written position objectively, drawing on a range of evidence
- reflect on knowledge gained and transferᅠthis knowledge to future writing across your degree studies.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the nature of overarching issues in academic writing which often cause problems for students who use English as a second language.
LO2.
Demonstrate the ability to convey ideas and information clearly and fluently in written form through written assessment.
LO3.
Demonstrate the ability to collect, analyse and organise information in order to be able to present it in the form of written assignments.
LO4.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills: the ability to identify issues in written forms of assessment.
LO5.
Demonstrate knowledge of ethics and ethical standards in academic writing, especially as they pertain to conducting research.
LO6.
Demonstrate the acquisition of scholarly research skills which enable students to make their own contribution to knowledge.
LO7.
Demonstrate the ability to interact effectively with others in order to work towards a common outcome.
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Participation/ Student contribution, Portfolio |
Completion of WRIT6001 EdX online content
|
15% Flexible according to % online activity completion rate |
22/07/2024 - 25/10/2024
All Extend content must be completed by 4pm Friday Week 13. |
Essay/ Critique, Reflection |
Comparative Article Review
|
30% |
6/09/2024 4:00 pm |
Presentation |
Video Presentation
|
20% |
25/10/2024 4:00 pm
Friday of Week 13 |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Reflection |
Mini Research Paper and video reflection
|
35% |
8/11/2024 4:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Completion of WRIT6001 EdX online content
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Portfolio
- Weight
- 15% Flexible according to % online activity completion rate
- Due date
22/07/2024 - 25/10/2024
All Extend content must be completed by 4pm Friday Week 13.
Task description
This course is built around an online course hosted on UQ's Extend online learning platform. This online course contains a wide range of activities that will help you to learn about (and improve) your academic writing. These activities are available via WEEKLY MODULES.
IMPORTANT:
- There are a total of 13 weekly online modules available for completion from the beginning of semester. Students are advised to complete each module in sequence, on the corresponding week of the teaching semester, e.g.: Module 1 in Week 1, Module 2 in Week 2, etc.
- Each weekly online module can take between 2-4 hours to complete, depending on the week and content covered.
- Participation tracking will begin from Week 1 and end at 4:00pm on Friday of Week 13. Activities completed after this time will not count towards your online participation score.
- Students will be able to track their online activity completion rate through the 'progress' tab in the Extend course (instructions will be provided online and in Week 1's workshop).
Criteria & Marking: Here is how the
grading works for the online component:
- To be awarded full participation marks, students must complete ALL online activities (except where an activity is specific as OPTIONAL). An online activity completion rate of between 90%-100% will result in you receiving 15% of the grade for the whole course as 'online participation’.
- An online activity completion rate of between 80%-90% will result in you receiving 10% of the grade for the whole course as 'online participation'.
- An online activity completion rate of between 70%-80% will result in you receiving 5% of the grade for the whole course as 'online participation'.
- Please note that in order to PASS WRIT1001, you must complete at least 70% of all online activities.
- An online activity completion rate of <70% will result in a FAIL grade for the course.
- This participation score does NOT include face to face workshops - attendance for these is OPTIONAL and will NOT affect your online participation grade (although you are strongly encouraged to attend).
Your completion of these activities is tracked by the course coordinator, and your score will reflect the extent of your completion of the following activity types:
- PROBLEM QUESTIONS (Multiple choice, dropdown menu, checkboxes, etc.).
- COMPLETION OF VIDEOS (entire video must be watched).
- DISCUSSION FORUMS (following all accompanying instructions).
- PEER INSTRUCTION QUESTION (including meeting minimum character count for replies).
- DRAG AND DROP activities.
- CIRRUS ANNOTATION TASKS (see online modules for instructions).
IMPORTANT: You do not have to get all activities CORRECT - you only have to COMPLETE the activities (it is OK to provide incorrect answers, although you will have the opportunity to revise your answers upon receiving feedback).
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
You must complete 70% of all online activities on Extend to pass WRIT1001. An online activity completion rate of <70% will result in a FAIL grade for the course.Submission guidelines
All content must be completed on EXTEND - Track your participation using the 'progress' tab.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Online modules are available for completion throughout the 13-week teaching period. While students are expected to complete these modules on a weekly basis, there are no individual weekly submission deadlines. Student completion rate is monitored throughout the semester and final check is completed at 4pm, Friday WEEK 13.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Comparative Article Review
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
6/09/2024 4:00 pm
Task description
Select two papers that are examples of excellent and important work in your discipline / research area. You may ask your advisor or another expert for recommendations. Choose journal articles (not books).
Then, select one paper that is clearly outside of your discipline / research area. For example, if you are in Arts & Humanities, select 2 A&H papers and 1 Physical Science paper. If you are in the Physical Sciences, choose 2 PS papers and 1 Social Sciences paper, etc.
Then, complete BOTH A) AND B) BELOW:
A) Individual reviews of research papers (500 words for each paper = 1500 words total)
- Give the full reference of the work in the style typically used in your discipline
- Write a short paragraph outlining the key points/findings of the paper (no more than 100 words).
- For the two papers from your discipline - Explain what you can learn about writing in your discipline by reading these papers. Questions you need to ask yourself are:
- How do I know these are papers from my disciplinary area?
- What is special about the structure and language features of these papers that tell you that these papers are from your disciplinary area (and not another area)
- What referencing style is used?
- Do they make particular use of quotes, data, charts, statistics, etc.?
- What is the general tone (academic/general), level of formality (formal/informal), use of author intrusion (e.g. self-mention) as well as reader engagement (e.g. attitude markers)?
- What kind of claims do the authors make, and how do they make them? Are they generally strong claims? Do they tend to make more cautious claims?
- For the paper from outside of your discipline - Explain what you can learn about writing in that discipline by reading this paper. Questions you need to ask yourself are:
- How do I know this is not a paper from my disciplinary area?
- What is special about the structure and language features of the paper? Can you describe them?
- What referencing style is used?
- Does it make particular use of quotes, data, charts, statistics, etc.?
- What is the general tone (academic/general), level of formality (formal/informal), use of author intrusion (e.g. self-mention) as well as reader engagement (e.g. attitude markers)?
- What kind of claims do the authors make, and how do they make them? Are they generally strong claims? Do they tend to make more cautious claims?
B) Comparative essay
Essay of between 750–1000 words that does the following:
- Summarise how the writing in the two papers from your discipline is different from the writing in the paper outside of your discipline. You need to demonstrate that as a result of reading these papers and analysing them, that you are fully aware of disciplinary writing practices. Don't just repeat the information from A) above.
- Reflect on how your new knowledge of disciplinary writing practices has changed the way you think about writing for your discipline in the future. You should explain:
- Was there something you were doing in your writing before that was not appropriate for writing in your discipline?
- What is the most important thing you are going to change for your writing in the future as a result of doing this assessment?
Submit to the Turnitin link in the Assessment folder on Blackboard. Submit A and B in the SAME FILE.
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin
Check similarity report well before deadline
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum extension length allows assessors to give timely feedback before subsequent tasks are due.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Video Presentation
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
25/10/2024 4:00 pm
Friday of Week 13
Task description
Students will video-record a presentation based on what they intend to write for their final mini-research paper (the topic for the two assessments should ideally be the same, and tutors' approval must be sought where it is quite different).
The presentations will be recorded either as a PPT with voiceover, or full video. Either is fine and you may use any video recording software you wish as long as you have access to the original video file for upload.
These videos must be uploaded to TURNITIN - a link to upload will be provided in the relevant 'assessment' folder in Blackboard, and instructions will be provided in that folder and by your tutor prior to the deadline.
Videos should be recorded in Zoom ('record to your computer') using low quality settings - file sizes of over 100mb will be rejected.
You should add citations to your presentation where required, as well as produce a reference list in the final slide.
Videos can be uploaded until Friday in Week 13, 4pm.
This assessment is worth 20 marks.
- At the START of the video, you must talk to the camera (ie NOT a photograph) and introduce yourself clearly showing your UQ ID card on FULL SCREEN. If you do not have a UQ ID card, please use a passport or valid Australian driver’s license with your name in English. If the marker cannot see your ID clearly, your video will be considered not submitted.
- Presentations must be under 5 minutes - submissions significantly longer will have marks deducted.
- ALWAYS check your UQ email before and after submission of assessments, as this is the only way we have to contact you if there is a problem.
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Turnitin
100mb filesize maximum
Record in Zoom ('record to my computer') and upload file to Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum extension length allows assessors to give timely feedback before subsequent tasks are due.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Mini Research Paper and video reflection
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Reflection
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
8/11/2024 4:00 pm
Task description
Drawing on the knowledge you have gained from the WRIT6001 course content, you will produce a mini-research paper of 1500 words.
The paper will be in the IMRD format - Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion
The mini-research paper is on a topic of your choice, although it should be a real academic topic, and should be from your own discipline. It should match (as closely as possible) the topic you did for your video presentation assessment.
You do not have to collect data or find participants - you can make up/pretend you have the participants for your methods section, and the data for your results section.
You must include appropriate citations and references for your 'paper'.
Referencing format should the the one primarily used in your discipline - e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA, Harvard - you will need to check with your disciplinary tutors about which format is used in your discipline.
References do not count as part of the word count.
Upload this document via Turnitin using the link in the relevant 'assessment' folder.
Your written assessment must be new work that you have written this semester. Do not submit previously completed work.
This part of the assessment is worth 28 marks (out of 35).
-------------------------
In addition:
You must produce a Video Reflection explaining how you drew upon the knowledge gained from the WRIT6001 course content to construct and complete your written mini research paper, and how you will transfer and apply this knowledge to your writing in the future.
You must upload this video to TURNITIN - a link to upload your video will be provided in the relevant 'assessment' folder. Instructions are also provided by your tutor prior to the deadline.
- At the START of the video, you must talk to the camera (ie NOT a photograph) and introduce yourself clearly showing your UQ ID card on FULL SCREEN. If you do not have a UQ ID card, please use a passport or valid Australian driver’s license with your name in English. If the marker cannot see your ID clearly, your video will be considered not submitted.
- Presentations must be under 5 minutes - submissions significantly longer will have marks deducted.
- ALWAYS check your UQ email before and after submission of assessments, as this is the only way we have to contact you if there is a problem.
This part of the assessment is worth 7 marks (out of 35). However, students who do not upload a video will automatically FAIL this assessment.
----------------
DETAILED UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS:
- Submit Word or PDF file of research paper to Turnitin link on Blackboard.
- Upload video reflection in separate Turnitin Link on Blackboard.
- Video must be no more than 100mb - record using Zoom ('record to my computer') on low quality settings. Upload the file to Turnitin directly.
Generative AI & MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin Check similarity report well before deadline
Video component is uploaded to Turnitin. Students who do not upload a video will automatically FAIL this assessment.
100mb filesize maximum
Record video in Zoom ('record to my computer') and upload file directly to Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
---|---|---|
1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student has not submitted any work of substance. Student has not participated satisfactorily in seminar activities. |
2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates very sketchy knowledge of concepts covered in the course, with large gaps evident. Student's work does not follow the guidelines correctly or meet the criteria. Not all assessment items completed. Lacks analytic skills. Student has not participated satisfactorily in seminar activities. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates some grasp of concepts covered in the course, but exhibits knowledge gaps in some key areas. Work is by and large descriptive, without critical analysis. Work contains many factual errors and grammatical inaccuracies. Student has participated satisfactorily in class activities. Little evidence of careful essay planning. |
5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates an excellent grasp and application of some concepts covered in the course, but exhibits knowledge gaps in a few key areas. S/he demonstrates the ability to represent some differing ideas on a theme. There is some attempt at critical analysis, albeit with incoherencies and little depth in argument. Work is rarely innovative. Work contains some factual errors and grammatical inaccuracies. Student has participated satisfactorily in seminar activities. |
6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates an excellent grasp and application of most concepts covered in the course, with some minor knowledge gaps in specific areas. S/he demonstrates the ability to comprehensively discuss the important works written on a theme. There is some critical analysis and moderate depth in argument, albeit with some incoherencies. Work is sound and somewhat innovative. Work contains rare factual errors, and few grammatical inaccuracies. Student has actively participated in seminar activities. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates an excellent grasp and application of concepts covered in the course. S/he demonstrates the ability to comprehensively and critically analyse works written on a topic. Arguments are well formulated and presented coherently. Structure is sound. Work is original and well presented, with no factual errors and few grammatical inaccuracies. Student has actively participated in all seminar activities. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
All reading materials and resources will now be sourced at the online EDX accompaniment to WRIT6001, which are to completed before each tutorial.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Tutorial |
Week One: Course introduction Becoming an Academic Writer - What to write about, writing formats, and preparing to write |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week Two What is different about academic writing? Arguments, stance and the academy |
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week Three Planning your writing: Getting ideas, finding information, and building structures |
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week Four Week 4: The language of academic writing: Tone and metadiscourse |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week Five Starting to write: Introductions, paragraphs and conclusions |
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week Six Academic genres across the university |
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week Seven IMRD |
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week Eight Academic integrity and you: Plagiarism, misconduct and why it is important |
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week Nine Referencing and citation practices: What is it, why bother? |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week Ten Module 10: Critical thinking: How to evaluate arguments and research sources |
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week Eleven Language reference resources: Corpora vs. dictionaries and translation websites |
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week Twelve Style, editing, proofreading and dealing with common errors |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week 13: Wrap up, final assessment check |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.