Office Automation & Intranets

1. Office Automation & Intranets BUSS 909 Tutorial 1 Writing in Commerce: Essays & Case Studies

2. Agenda 1 • Emergency Procedures • Introduction • Why Write? • Writing in a First Language • Writing in a Second or Third Language • Genre and its Implications • Genre Defined • Benefits of Genre for Students • Benefits of Genre for Teachers

3. Agenda 2 • Assistance at UOW • Lecturer • Michael Birt Library • Learning Resource Centre (19:G102) • Woodward-Kron (1996)

4. Agenda 3 • Academic Essays • Types of Essays • Explanatory & Evaluative Essays • For and Against Essays • Essay Genre • Case Study Reports • Case Study Report Genre

5. Emergency Evacuationhttp://www.uow.edu.au/admin/personnel/ohs/ohs.html

6. Emergency Evacuationhttp://www.uow.edu.au/admin/personnel/ohs/ohs.html • if you hear a continuous alarm bell or are requested, by a Building Warden, or a member of staff, to evacuate the building you must: • leave the building immediately by the nearest exit • proceed to the assembly area G shown on the following slide • remain in the assembly area until advised the emergency is over • do not re-enter the building until advised it is safe to do so by the Building Warden or Security staff

7. Emergency Evacuationhttp://www.uow.edu.au/admin/personnel/ohs/ohs.html

8. Introduction

9. IntroductionWhy Write? • you cannot avoid reading and writing in any academic discipline • you must write in most examinations and in many subjects you must provide written answers to assignments • students who are writing in their first language often intuitively know what is required in essay or case study writing

10. IntroductionWriting in a First Language • students writing in their first language have an advantage because writing in that language is very familiar to them (that is reduced to the level of habit) • despite this, many students writing in their first language may not have much experience in academic writing

11. IntroductionWriting in a Second or Third Language • writing can be hard work for people who are writing in a second or third language • regardless of whether you are using a first or subsequent language, all students must develop appropriate written communication skills

12. IntroductionGenre • any written and spoken language has a considerable amount of information and structure • linguists have identified a particular kind of structure responsible for the large scale organisation of entire texts • this type of structure is referred to as genre

13. IntroductionImplications of Genre • the conventional nature of genre assists readers in predicting the meanings of the text • understanding a particular genre assists writers in developing appropriate texts • several commercial written genres have been identified

14. IntroductionGenres Defined • genres consist of sequences of elements- each element serves a particular function within a particular type of written or spoken language • there are two major genres that often occur in commercial writing- Essays and Case Study Reports

15. IntroductionBenefits of Genre for Students • to be considered a professional in IS you must sound like one, and you must also write like one • at postgraduate level, you must be able to gather, evaluate, argue and interpret facts- your employers will expect you to perform at this level • by using an appropriate genre, student performance is improved

16. IntroductionBenefits of Genre for Teachers • lecturers will or should set assignments which require students to communicate using one of the typical structures (called genres) found in commerce • by using the appropriate genre, teachers get the benefit of being able to mark consistently • students will know the appropriate structure for the assignment

17. Assistance

18. Assistance • If you need help in writing you should first ask for help from your lecturer. It is the lecturers responsibility to help you or direct you to places where you can get help. • there are several places at UOW where you can get Assistance

19. Assistance • Michael Birt Library: run courses on using the library to help you research assignments. • these courses are short and very useful. Examples include: • Using the Computer System • Using the CD-ROM Abstract Services • Basic Library Skills

20. Assistance • Learning Resource Centre (19:G102): run a number of courses which are useful for students using English as a second or third language. Examples include Intensive Grammar, Advanced Grammar, Cohesive Writing, and Academic English (the courses range from 3-6 weeks).

21. Assistance • Woodward-Kron, R. (1996) Writing in Commerce: A guide to assist Commerce students with assignment writing Revised Edition Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT), Australia: University of Newcastle <$20

22. Academic EssaysSource: Woodward-Kron (1996, 7-8)

23. Academic EssaysTypes of Essays • Several types of essay genres exist • the differences between these types of essay are based on the degree of interpretation and evaluation required. • the degree of interpretation and evaluation depend not only on the wording of the question which forms the essay but also on the essay’s topic.

24. Academic EssaysExplanatory Essays & Evaluative Essays • Explanatory Essays: • essay questions ask what, how, and/or why • do not require a great deal of interpretation on your part • Evaluative Essays • essay questions ask you to evaluate, assess or to be critical • do require a great deal of interpretation on your part

25. Academic EssaysFor and Against Essays • some essay questions require the writer to structure the argument of the essay in terms of pro- and contra- arguments • examples: the advantages (pro) and disadvantages (contra), strengths and weaknesses, or adequacies and inadequacies of a concept, method or model • not common in this department!

27. Case Study ReportsSource: Woodward-Kron (1996, 25-29)