Advanced Critical Writing (ACW)

Presentation:     Individual presentation (7 minutes)
Any special requirements:     All written work should be submitted on the Student Portal along with a Turnitin Report
Word Limit:     1,250 words (word count does not include the bibliography)
Deadline date for submission:    17 / 04 / 2015
Learning outcomes to be examined in this assessment     Essay:
1. Argument essay structure 2. Cohesion and coherence 3. Integration of secondary sources incl. paraphrasing and summarising techniques, in-text referencing skills and bibliographic accuracy 4. Grammatical range and accuracy 5. lexical range and accuracy

Presentation:
1. Content: detailed and analytical 2. Language: demonstrating organisational patterns and cohesive devices 3. Communicative effectiveness: use of visual aids,  effective body language and voice quality

Percentage of marks awarded for module:    60% (50% essay / 10% presentation)
Assessment criteria     Essay: clearly defined and detailed band descriptors for each of the five aspects being assessed.
Presentation: clearly defined band descriptors for the 3 aspects being assessed.
Format, referencing, bibliography     Harvard referencing system

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES:

•    This coursework requires you to write a 1,250 word extended argument essay on a topic which is connected to your intended degree course. For example, Oil and Gas Management; Business Management; Accounting and Finance; HR Management; Law etc.

•    You are responsible for choosing the topic and title for your essay which must be submitted to your lecturer along with a plan for your essay by: 09 /03 /2015  You should make sure you have a suitable argument essay title before proceeding, and you will be given support with this.

•    In order to write your essay you will need to do reading and research. You should familiarise yourself with the online library system and ‘MyAthens’ early on in the course, and start reading articles and researching into common themes within your degree subject. This will help you to find a title you are interested in, and you can begin to collect sources (e.g. journal articles) to integrate into your writing.

•    The coursework should follow the structural requirements of an argument essay.
This means you have to include the following:

Introduction (including a clear thesis statement which clearly identifies your position)

Body paragraphs (approximately 4-5 paragraphs)

Conclusion

•    Throughout your essay you need to show evidence that you have researched and evaluated other opinions on the subject. This is a key feature of an argument essay which helps to strengthen your position, for example:

“According to Smith (2014) ……” or “It is argued that ………………….. (Irving, 2012)”

•    In week 7, the deadline for 1st draft submission is: 27/ 03 / 2015. Your tutor will look at your draft and give guidance for the final draft.

•    All final drafts must be submitted by: 17 / 04 / 2015. Failure to do so will result in your grade being capped.

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

•    The presentation is linked to the same topic as your written assignment. In other words, your presentation can have the same title and include the same research as your essay, but you’ll need to think about how to adapt it into a presentation format.

•    A plan of what you intend to do (an outline) should be submitted to your lecturer by 27 / 03 / 2015 for approval before proceeding.

•    The presentation should last 5 minutes in total, with 2 minutes for questions afterwards

•    The presentation will be designed and presented INDIVIDUALLY.

•    The format of the presentation should be a PowerPoint slide presentation. You also need to bring a printed copy of your PPT with you to the presentation for your lecturer.

•    The structure of your presentation should include: title; contents; main body; conclusion; references

Reading/sources should be referred to in your presentation. For example, you might say: “According to Smith (2014) ……” or “It is argued that ………………….. (Irving, 2012)”

•    You will be assessed on the following:
Content (this should be analytical not descriptive) / gesture and body-language / audibility / clarity / intonation and pronunciation / cohesion (i.e. your presentation makes sense and links together) visual aids / research/ audience engagement.

Please note:
Preparation for both the essay and the presentation will start in class from week one. In order to receive guidance and support from your lecturer, it is VITAL that you attend all sessions. Failure to attend classes will result in you not having the necessary building blocks of information, advice and instruction to be able to complete these two tasks successfully.