Initial Task, due in Week 4, 500 words 

Pick one theme or issue covered in the topic or readings in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. In your critical reflection, explore why this particular theme or issue interests you. Use the corresponding weekly questions and prompts as a guide. Your response should aim to strike a balance between your personal perspective and the requirements of good academic practice and rigorous thinking. This means: 

• avoiding simple agree/disagree answers, 
• going beyond a summary or description of the course content or readings, 
• developing a coherent line of reasoning through good use of evidence or examples to illustrate your reflections, 
• demonstrating considerable effort to engage with course themes by drawing on specific points in readings or lecture and tutorial materials, 
• approaching readings and course material with an open mind and a willingness to explore ideas even if you think the ideas are odd or confusing or extreme. 

A strong critical reflection demonstrates that you have comprehensively explored the relationship between your own experience/practice and the course theme in question. 

Second Task, due in Week 11, 800 words 

Base this critical reflection on one or more 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) presentations that you attended. You may also want to reflect on the 3MT event as a whole. Draw out your analysis by making use of specific readings and course themes. What does the 3MT say about research communication in the 21st century? How does it relate to your understanding or experience of research culture? As with the initial task, your response should do more than describe the 3MT talks you attended. Emphasise the connections between some of the issues covered in the course and contemporary academic communication strategies/platforms.

There are two parts to this assignment.

Step 1

Imagine you need to explain your research interest to a panel of non-experts, and to convince them of its significance. This panel will consist of:

1. an academic from another faculty (e.g. if you are in biology imagine an ancient historian on your panel),
2. an interested member of the public,
3. a representative from a potential funding body (who is not an academic)
4. a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald

Give an overview of your area of research interest in language that is accessible to this diverse audience. Explain the idea, problem or question you are interested in, and highlight its significance. Aim for about 1000 words.

Step 2

Organise yourself into a pair (or a group of 3) with another student/s. You will have time to do this in your tutorial.

Bear in mind that while there are advantages to working with someone from your discipline or who knows your topic area well, there are also advantages in having input from someone outside your field. You may well be surprised by how useful it is to have a reader who isn’t from your discipline.

Once you have partnered or teamed up, you need to swap a current version of your draft (activity in Step 1) with each other. You will give feedback to your partner or group member on their piece of writing. You will also receive feedback from your partner or group member on your piece of writing. Remember, this is only a draft at this stage; the writing does not need to be polished.

Presentations will run in tutorials between Weeks 11 and 13. 

Prepare an oral or a poster presentation on a theory, concept or debate in your field. This can relate to your thesis topic but should not be a repetition of your research pitch (assignment 2). Your audience is your tutorial group. Remember that not all your classmates are from your discipline or faculty, so please prepare a presentation in language that is accessible to an intelligent but non-specialist audience. 

In your presentation, you will need to explain why you are interested in this theory, concept or debate, and draw out its broader significance. You have 5 minutes to give your presentation. Be prepared to answer questions about your talk from your tutor/classmates.

Participation in this unit is based on consistent tutorial attendance and participation, active and thoughtful engagement with readings, course content and online discussion forums on iLearn.