analysing assignment questions to improve your marks

Learning Skills Group

Analysing assignment questions to improve your marks

Workshop overview

•  The assignment writing process

•  Analysing and breaking down a question

•  Practice activity

Fact or fiction?

Failing to answer assignment questions is one of the main reasons for low marks at university.

✔Fact

Assignment writing process

understanding and planning

researching and reading

structuring your ideas and evidence (refining your plan)

writing the first draft

reviewing, editing, proofreading

•  analyse question •  collect all clues •  plan your time •  do background reading •  brainstorm ideas •  plan rough structure

COPYRIGHT © LEARNING & TEACHING CENTRE I LEARNING SKILLS GROUP 2015

Parts of a question

Topic

Focus

Limiting word(s)

Instruction

word(s)


Critically evaluate the long-term trends in economic inequality in Australia in terms of its social consequences.

Example


Topic = economic inequality Focus = long-term trends Limiting word(s) = in Australia, social consequences Instruction word(s) = critically evaluate

Discuss the influences of nature and nurture on the development of children’s ethical systems. Topic? nature and nurture

Focus? influences

Analyse this


Limiting word(s)? development of children’s ethical system

Instruction word(s)? discuss (what are the influences and which is more influential)

A question from an Early Childhood unit

Analysing longer assignment questions

Longer assignment questions often contain: Orientation to the topic When evaluating the prospect of entry to a market, a company may fear that engaging in head-to-head competition with the current market leaders may result in severe losses. Some companies manage to make a virtue out of staying small when entering markets dominated by large incumbents. A number of questions Why is it that entering small and remaining small can be an advantageous entry strategy? What is the role of commitment in adapting this strategy and what are the attributes of commitment? Discuss when you expect this strategy to work. In the second part of your essay, discuss a real-world case in which an entrant tried to commit to be small when entering a market. Explain how effective this strategy was. Could it have been made more effective?


EXAMPLE FROM ECONOMICS

Ques%on adapted from: UK Essays n.d. Economic essay ques%ons viewed 5 April 2015 hBp://www.ukessays.com/essay-‐ques%ons/economics/


Topic


ANALYSE THE QUESTION USING ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN

entering a market dominated by large incumbents

Focus

strategy of entering small and remaining small


Limiting words and instruction words •  why can this be advantageous? (discuss, give reasons)

•  what is the role of commitment in this strategy and the

attributes of commitment? (discuss, explain)

•  discuss when would the strategy be effective?

•  discuss a real-life example of company that did this (identify,

then discuss)

q  explain how effective this strategy was (analyse)

q  could it have been more effective? (analyse possibilities)


ANALYSE THE QUESTION USING ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN


Limiting words and instruction words •  why can this be advantageous? (discuss, give reasons)

•  what is the role of commitment in this strategy and the

attributes of commitment? (discuss, explain)

•  discuss when would the strategy be effective?

•  discuss a real-life example of company that did this

(identify, then discuss)

q  explain how effective this strategy was (analyse)

q  could it have been more effective? (analyse possibilities)


NOTICE HOW THE TOPIC/FOCUS UNDERLIES EACH TASK


Select two media artefacts which show families. Use these two artefacts to provoke an issue affecting families. How is the issue portrayed by the media? Provide a literature review of at least four academic journal articles on this issue. As an educator, how would you deal with this issue in the classroom? Q: What is the central topic? A: families Q: What is the focus? A: the issue that you identify through the media artefacts Q: What are the limiting words? 1. portrayal in the media 2. literature review 3. professional approach to issue in classroom situation


EARLY CHILDHOOD EXAMPLE (EXTRACT)


Select two media artefacts which show families. Use these two artefacts to provoke an issue affecting families. How is the issue portrayed by the media? Provide a literature review of at least four academic journal articles on this issue. As an educator, how would you deal with this issue in the classroom? Q: What are the instruction words? A: select…use these to provoke…How…Provide…how would you? Q: What would be the best way to begin your research? 1 or 2? 1.  Find media artefacts (videos, articles, websites) on families 2.  Choose an issue and then find media artefacts, then search for articles.


EARLY CHILDHOOD EXAMPLE (EXTRACT)


Suggested outline/approach I. Introduction

1.  The issue and its importance or prevalence or severity to families 2.  Outline or preview of paper

II. The media artefacts 1.  Description of two media artefacts selected and issue that is raised 2.  Explanation of how the media portrays the issue

III. Literature review 1.  Theme 1 2.  Theme 2

IV. A health professional’s response to the problem 1.  Strategy 1 2.  Strategy 2


Hierarchy of instruction words


create

cri%cally evaluate, judge

analyse, discuss, explore, argue, review, why

compare, contrast, outline

describe, define, recount, what Show your understanding

Distinguish key ideas and features

Use critical thinking

Create new theories, findings

Marking rubric

What is it?

Why should you use it when working on your assignments?


Practice activity

Questions on handout

Discuss the influences of nature and nurture on the development of children’s ethical systems.


Answers

Text 1 = Developing (Pass)

Text 2 = Advanced (High Distinction)

Text 3 = Proficient (Distinction)

Text 4 = Functional (Credit)


analysing assignment questions to improve your marks

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