Hi, glad to be back again. Last blog, we discussed what it means when you get back an AGC form telling you that your assignment is too descriptive and how you can fix this.
Today, I'd like to discuss how to score points with tutors and getting better grades. So, this blog will cover the basics of how to deal with an assignment. By the way, when you get into very specific issues, for example a problem with definitions in a financial assignment, you really should be following module discussions on Blackboard and communicating with your module tutor and classmates. You would be surprised how many helpful hints you can find there. So, let's talk about assignments.
The first problem many students have is "talking around the question". A large number of students think that they need to give the tutor a lot of general information on the subject before they actually get down to answering the question. This is a mistake. The marker/tutor is looking for you to answer the question clearly and concisely. They don't need a mini-history of "organizational behaviour" before you begin writing. In fact, when you do this you force the tutor to go searching through your assignment for the actual answer to the question. This annoys and irritates markers. You don't want to do this.
Sometimes, the student will embed the answer deep inside a long and convoluted introductory paragraph of the type I describe above. This makes it hard for the marker to find the actual topic of your assignment. The student may then go on to put their supporting details and information into more long paragraphs, or perhaps the same paragraph, making it still harder to find the information that the frustrated marker is seeking.
Keep in mind, the marker is on your side. They, and I, have marked many assignments and want to give you the marks you deserve. You should learn to write your assignments using a clear introductory paragraph with your thesis statement. This needs to answer the assignment question directly. You might even use a teaser/attention-grabber in the first sentence, in the form of an interesting quotation, a question or controversial argument. After you have clearly outlined the topic or thesis in the first (hopefully no more than 4 sentence) paragraph, you should be ready to score points by displaying your knowledge in the body of your assignment.
Here, you use the academic articles that you have read on your assignment topic. The pattern of the paragraphs is:
1. Topic sentence that introduces the main point.
2. The next sentence that brings in supporting evidence.
3. The third and possibly fourth sentences that analyse and describe why this supporting evidence backs up your arguments.
4. The last sentence that anticipates the next point.
The purpose of all of this is to answer the assignment question. Sometimes, this format may not work because the assignment is clearly meant to be question and answer. I would reiterate here that if that is the assignment, don't tax the marker by beating around the bush, just answer the questions in the sequence that they have been given. The marker will not thank you for trying to find question 1 in the place where question 10 should be. Clearly, the demands of the assignment dictate whether you can use the first approach I have suggested.
What is never in debate, however, is that you must use and show that you have used good academic articles on the topic to answer the assignment. This "supporting data" shows that you have done your work for your assignment. Label and number points: "first, second, third, next, last" not "firstly, secondly, thirdly and lastly". This keeps your arguments in order and lets the marker see that you have made your points.
Next week, we'll discuss another problem with academic papers reflected on AGC forms...poor scholarship. Until then, have a good week.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Reviewing commentaries on AGC forms : Part 1
Hi, I took a little more time in getting back to you but I'm back. As a very brief word of explanation, I'd like to mention that I had an operation but am now recuperating. In fact, I'm sure to feel much better as I heal. My timing could have been better. I'd just moved back to Canada and there were lots of things to take care of as part of that move. I now live in a geographic region of Canada known as the 'boreal forest'. In practical terms, the boreal forest is a band of forest with a mixture of deciduous trees, many small animals and even some larger ones. My father once sighted a wild lynx on the way to an archaeological dig by the side of the road; and there are also some packs of wolves in parks like Algonquin. However, in more poetic terms this area is famed for its large percentage of maple trees, the symbol of Canada. Very soon now, Ontarians like to take their long fall drive through small Ontario valleys where they will find the maples ablaze not simply with gold and green leaves, but many shades of red and golden-orange that are the pride of this region. If you are lucky enough to get maple syrup from an Ontario erabliere or sugar bush, you will know that Ontario's maple syrup is excellent. Try it on waffles, ice cream, Scottish pancakes - I think you will find it less sweet than hot golden syrup with butter and an interesting taste change.
In practical terms, my move will mean very little change for most of you. I will not be physically near Leicester but my phone line will always be open to those who need it and we can still see one another via webcam if you want a face-to-face appointment. Really, nothing will change, I'm just physically in a different place. I still hope to see all of you who didn't make it this year at next year's summer school.
Now, down to business. Today, we're going to discuss what a marker/tutor means when they tell you that your assignment is "too descriptive." This is a commentary many, many students receive on their AGC forms. What does this mean? After all, the student often reasons, what is wrong with describing things, isn't that supposed to be the job of their assignment?
In an earlier blog, I discussed the importance of answering the question that you were asked and understanding it. A student who has handed in an assignment that is too descriptive has probably provided the tutor with lots of definitions related to the assignment question. Although these definitions fill out the word requirements of the module tutor, who has perhaps asked you for an assignment of 2,500-3,500 words, they have failed to deal with the substance of the question that was assigned. Other space fillers include lots of headings, summaries of the assignment and often repeated attempts to dissect the terminology of the question. I usually tell students that there is nothing wrong with headings if they are used to guide you through the assignment. After all, you can remove them later if they are unnecessary in terms of the assignment. Summaries are another story. In such a small assignment, a summary eats up unnecessary space that you should be using for making your points.
At the University of Leicester, in fact throughout university education, learning is more than simply reciting back facts and memorizing them. It is important to place facts in their context. Therefore, if an assignment has asked you to discuss Porter's Five Forces, you should spend no more than a sentence or two providing the necessary definition to do the assignment. The rest of the assignment should be devoted to finding examples of which force you are discussing, providing an application and probably a paraphrase or quotation about this example. Critical thinking, which is something we emphasize at University of Leicester, requires you to take your quotations and examples (which you have cited using Harvard style or using Refworks to help you with your bibliography) and explain or analyze them. Why are they a good or bad example of the force you are discussing? What is important about this force in terms of the example you have provided? You should also attempt to use the example to evaluate the weaknesses or strengths of the theory about which you are writing. You may even see parallels with another idea and try and combine the ideas to synthesize a new concept.
I don't want to go into too much detail here. It is enough for you to understand that learning has a hierarchy. This learning hierarchy is called Bloom's Taxonomy. If you want to read more about Bloom and his taxonomy, I would refer you to Dalhousie University's teaching tips at:
http://learningandteaching.dal.ca/bloom.html
This will provide you with more information on the taxonomy. What you need to know is that analysis, synthesis and evaluation are higher functions of learning that go beyond simple memorization and understanding. Professors at University of Leicester say that a work is descriptive when they mean that it lacks analysis, synthesis or evaluation. It is not enough to learn a theory, for example Porter's Five Forces, it is important to understand its strengths and weaknesses. When you evaluate and analyse theories, you place them in a historical context along with other theories of business strategy. Placing ideas in context also makes them easier to remember for your exams or to use in your business practices. This means that you can use the ideas you learn at University of Leicester to become a better business leader and hopefully to make your businesses more successful.
Next time, we will discuss some of the other problems you may encounter in your AGC forms and what they mean.
KB
In practical terms, my move will mean very little change for most of you. I will not be physically near Leicester but my phone line will always be open to those who need it and we can still see one another via webcam if you want a face-to-face appointment. Really, nothing will change, I'm just physically in a different place. I still hope to see all of you who didn't make it this year at next year's summer school.
Now, down to business. Today, we're going to discuss what a marker/tutor means when they tell you that your assignment is "too descriptive." This is a commentary many, many students receive on their AGC forms. What does this mean? After all, the student often reasons, what is wrong with describing things, isn't that supposed to be the job of their assignment?
In an earlier blog, I discussed the importance of answering the question that you were asked and understanding it. A student who has handed in an assignment that is too descriptive has probably provided the tutor with lots of definitions related to the assignment question. Although these definitions fill out the word requirements of the module tutor, who has perhaps asked you for an assignment of 2,500-3,500 words, they have failed to deal with the substance of the question that was assigned. Other space fillers include lots of headings, summaries of the assignment and often repeated attempts to dissect the terminology of the question. I usually tell students that there is nothing wrong with headings if they are used to guide you through the assignment. After all, you can remove them later if they are unnecessary in terms of the assignment. Summaries are another story. In such a small assignment, a summary eats up unnecessary space that you should be using for making your points.
At the University of Leicester, in fact throughout university education, learning is more than simply reciting back facts and memorizing them. It is important to place facts in their context. Therefore, if an assignment has asked you to discuss Porter's Five Forces, you should spend no more than a sentence or two providing the necessary definition to do the assignment. The rest of the assignment should be devoted to finding examples of which force you are discussing, providing an application and probably a paraphrase or quotation about this example. Critical thinking, which is something we emphasize at University of Leicester, requires you to take your quotations and examples (which you have cited using Harvard style or using Refworks to help you with your bibliography) and explain or analyze them. Why are they a good or bad example of the force you are discussing? What is important about this force in terms of the example you have provided? You should also attempt to use the example to evaluate the weaknesses or strengths of the theory about which you are writing. You may even see parallels with another idea and try and combine the ideas to synthesize a new concept.
I don't want to go into too much detail here. It is enough for you to understand that learning has a hierarchy. This learning hierarchy is called Bloom's Taxonomy. If you want to read more about Bloom and his taxonomy, I would refer you to Dalhousie University's teaching tips at:
http://learningandteaching.dal.ca/bloom.html
This will provide you with more information on the taxonomy. What you need to know is that analysis, synthesis and evaluation are higher functions of learning that go beyond simple memorization and understanding. Professors at University of Leicester say that a work is descriptive when they mean that it lacks analysis, synthesis or evaluation. It is not enough to learn a theory, for example Porter's Five Forces, it is important to understand its strengths and weaknesses. When you evaluate and analyse theories, you place them in a historical context along with other theories of business strategy. Placing ideas in context also makes them easier to remember for your exams or to use in your business practices. This means that you can use the ideas you learn at University of Leicester to become a better business leader and hopefully to make your businesses more successful.
Next time, we will discuss some of the other problems you may encounter in your AGC forms and what they mean.
KB
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