ESSAY PREPARATION AND PLANNING

1. ESSAYPREPARATION AND PLANNING

2. AIMS OF WORKSHOP • To identify and explore different learning styles • To explore and try out some strategies for essay planning

3. INTRODUCTION • Writing for academic purposes: what’s expected? • Who is the audience? • What format is required – essay or report or reflection on experience? • Academic styles of writing– writing in a logical and `objective’ way vs writing from personal experience • Academic conventions – plagiarism and referencing

4. LEARNING STYLES A learning style is “a more or less consistent way in which a person perceives, conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information” (Ellis, 1985). 4 different learning styles • Visual: likes visual information e.g. wall displays, posters • Auditory: prefers verbal and spoken information • Kinesthetic: prefers learning by doing e.g. interactive learning. • Tactile: likes hands on learning activities e.g. writing and drawing; role plays.

5. Organising yourself • Plan ahead – make a schedule of work • Find source materials and read well in advance of writing • Talk to tutors if necessary • Make an essay plan

6. ESSAY PLANNING • Read and interpret the question • Understand the nature of the task: process words • Find an approach which suits you • Wordstorm the topic • Spider diagrams • Concept/mind maps

7. Process words often used in essay titles • Outline Sketch out • Describe Say what something is like, how it works. • Analyze Break down into parts and map out the relationship between them • Criticallyanalyze Weigh up the assumptions which underpin an account, how the argument is constructed and supported by evidence • Explain Explain WHY: give reasons for Explain HOW: describe a process clearly.

8. Process words (cont) • Compare Say in what ways two (or more) things resemble each other. • Contrast Say in what ways two or more things are different from each other. • Discuss Consider arguments for and against the topic to be explored. • Evaluate Decide the worth of something – how good/bad or worthwhile or relevant or important is it? • Apply Put something to use, show how something can be used in a particular situation.

9. Wordstorm example: Is intelligence innate or learned? Key words/concepts • nature/nurture • biology • genes • hormones • culture • social class • education • verbal skills • spatial skills • logical reasoning • emotional intelligence

10. Spidergram biology nature verbal skills logical reasoning INTELLIGENCE spatial skills nurture emotional intelligence culture environment

11. NATURE NURTURE BIOLOGY CULTURE genes hormones education Social class objectivity empathy understanding Verbal skills Spatial skills Mind map

12. Applying these techniques In pairs: • Wordstorm the essay title ‘The advantages of studying as a mature student outweigh the disadvantages’. Discuss’.

13. `The advantages of studying as a mature student outweigh the disadvantages’. Discuss • Life experience • Transferable skills • Past educational experience as possible barrier to confidence • Motivation • Support • Lifelong learning • Growing numbers of mature students • Family issues • Ageism • Financial issues • Social life

14. Developing an essay plan In pairs: • Begin to organise your key words and ideas into a plan around the essay title. • What clues does the question offer as to how to organise your ideas? • Consider the process word. Is it descriptive? Or evaluative?

15. Essay Plan ADVANTAGES: PERSONAL Life experience Transferable skills Financial issues Motivation INTRODUCTION Aims of essay Definition of mature students Context: wider factors MATURE STUDENTS – DO THE ADVANTAGES OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES? DISADVANTAGES Past experience Family problems Ageism Financial issues Lack of support ADVANTAGES: WIDER CONTEXT Lifelong learning Growing nos of mature students Diversity CONCLUSIONS Summing up the arguments on both sides Adapted from Open UniversityStudent Toolkit on essay planning