Students

LING291 – Writing in English

2017 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Administration
Margaret Wood
Convenor & Lecturer
Maria Herke
Contact via maria.herke@mq.edu.au
C5A506
Usually Wed 2-3pm but email for appointment
Tutor
Christine Joyce
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This is a general education unit for students of any discipline who are concerned about writing, especially writing for academic, professional and other functional purposes. It aims to provide insights into the English language as a communicative system, and to foster a critical and informed attitude to language use in various kinds of written texts. Both in lectures/workshops and tutorials we analyse various principles of linguistic choice and organisation that produce successful written communication. By developing an understanding of what makes for successful communication in the writing of others, writers can also learn to develop techniques for writing successfully themselves.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

General Assessment Information

The tutorials are mainly designed to prepare you for the next assignment due, by giving you the chance to practice in class content that has been delivered in the relevant lectures. All assignments are in essay format and submission of all 4 will be through Turnitin.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Synthesised summary task 10% No Week 4
Cohesion analysis 20% No Week 6
Writing to a Theme 10% No Week 9
Argumentative essay 30% No Week 12
Examination 30% No During exam period

Synthesised summary task

Due: Week 4
Weighting: 10%

For this task you will be given a text to summarise. Your summary should  present the same content and point of view or views as the original but more concisely and in your own words. It should not read as an external review or comment on the original. The text to summarise will be given to you week 2.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose

Cohesion analysis

Due: Week 6
Weighting: 20%

For this assignment you will be given a text to analyse for cohesion.  In a short essay, you will be asked to discuss the main cohesion systems used in the passage, and their importance for communicating the theme. The text and full details for the assignment will be given in week 4.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Construct and maintain an argument

Writing to a Theme

Due: Week 9
Weighting: 10%

This will be a piece of “free” writing, aimed at getting you to demonstrate your ability to set up and maintain a theme on a certain topic. Full details will be given in week 6.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure

Argumentative essay

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 30%

This essay assignment will require you to take a position in a debate. Details will be given after the semester break.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose

Examination

Due: During exam period
Weighting: 30%

The topic for the exam essay will be given to you in advance, giving you a chance to prepare your response before writing the essay under exam conditions. Details will be given in lectures and tutorials in week 12, and will also be uploaded to iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

Delivery and Resources

For LING291 there are two hours of lecture per week. The first lecture will be delivered face to face and thereafter video recorded vlogs will be made available on the units ilearn site. Tutorials are held weekly but do not begin until week 2 of semester. 

Although no mark is assigned for participation in this unit, attendance at tutorials is expected and class rolls will be taken. Please note that the information provided to you and the activities in which you will engage during tutorial classes are directly related to successful completion of all assessment tasks.

 

Teaching Staff:

Unit Convener: Dr Maria Herke C5A 506

Email (preferred method of contact): maria.herke@mq.edu.au

Lecturer: Dr Maria Herke

Tutors: Ms Christine Joyce : christine.joyce@mq.edu.au

 Unit Webpage 

There is a unit webpage on iLearn. All printed materials (including lecture notes etc) will be uploaded to this site. In addition we use the site to make any necessary announcements during the semester, so students should check the site regularly.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Late submission procedureAssignments that are submitted after the due date (without an extension) will attract a penalty of 5% for each day it is overdue (i.e. -5% for 1 day late; -10% for 2 days late; - 15% for 3 days late etc.). Work submitted after the return of marked assignments, and without an extension, will not be accepted.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

Assessment tasks

  • Cohesion analysis
  • Writing to a Theme
  • Argumentative essay
  • Examination

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

Assessment tasks

  • Cohesion analysis
  • Writing to a Theme
  • Argumentative essay
  • Examination

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

Assessment tasks

  • Synthesised summary task
  • Cohesion analysis
  • Writing to a Theme
  • Argumentative essay
  • Examination

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Construct and maintain an argument

Assessment task

  • Argumentative essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Select material, synthesise and summarise the main points
  • Plan a coherent structure for a piece of writing
  • Control detailed information in setting up a thematic discussion, including managing the topical focus through manipulation of sentence structure
  • Construct and maintain an argument
  • Understand and demonstrate the ways writers might need to modify writing style to suit a particular audience and/or purpose
  • Appreciate, explain and deconstruct interplay between form and function

Assessment tasks

  • Synthesised summary task
  • Cohesion analysis
  • Writing to a Theme
  • Argumentative essay
  • Examination

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Argumentative essay

Changes from Previous Offering

The number of assessments has been reduced from 5 assignments plus a formal exam in previous years to 4 assignments plus a final exam, with relative weightings adjusted. The reason for this change was to give staff more time to deliver useful formative feedback on each assessment task before students submit the next one, and for students to have more time to reflect on this feedback and use it to inform the way they compose the next piece of assessed writing.

These changes were approved by Faculty of Human Sciences FSQC.