1. Communicating about Business
Recognise the conventions of
academic writing
Apply online learning to evaluate
and correct examples of academic
writing
Structure effective paragraphs for
academic writing
2. Using, In pairs correct and assess the student’s work,
using track changes. Use what you already know
about academic writing
3. So, what does academic writing look like and
why is it important?
4. So, what does academic writing look like and
why is it important?
Your writing at university
• is one way you
communicate your
knowledge,
understanding and ideas
with your tutors
• needs to show that you
are using good sources of
information: all academic
work needs evidence
It needs to be
• Clear
• Accurate
• Formal
• Logical
• Supported
5. Avoid slang:
This theory is dead hard.
= This theory is difficult to understand.
No rhetorical questions:
How can this problem be addressed without the
appropriate support?
Avoid overly complicated language:
A multipronged tool was utilized to process a starch resource.
= A fork was used to eat a potato.
Making sure you have the basics
Use the third person, unless you are
writing about your reflections:
In my project I will discuss…
= This project will discuss
Avoid contractions:
wouldn’t = would not
Keep some distance and some caution:
These results prove that it is absolutely terrible
that people do not recycle.
= The results suggest that the lack of recycling is a
concern.
No exclamation marks, unless it is your blog:
This was an incredible result!
= This was a positive result.
6. Spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Look at any corrections to your use of spelling,
grammar and punctuation that your tutors make:
identify and learn the correct versions of any
mistakes you make frequently (for example,
there/their).
What errors did you not pick up earlier?
Could they be some to start learning?
• Correct use of English adds polish to your
academic writing and contributes to its clarity.
• If you are unsure about some aspects of spelling,
grammar and punctuation, this is a useful
website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zr9d7ty
7. Once you are using academic language, you
can start to think about structure.
Good academic language
needs a structure to hold it.
Structure helps with clarity
and communication.
The paragraph is the
foundation of good
academic structure.
8. Using WEED to plan paragraphs and develop your
voice
What is your paragraph about?
Explanation: what do you mean? Offer some
explanation, maybe from your reading.
Examples: make sure that you illustrate your
point with examples from your evidence.
Do: What do I do with this information? How is
it relevant? Keep asking questions’
9. Despite the pitfall of email monitoring, transparent and reasonable monitoring by
employers could overcome many of the disadvantages. By allowing a small
percentage of work time to be used for appropriate private purposes, employers can
more inclusively address the much reported low productivity of ‘cyberloafing’ (Kiser
et al., 2010; Wheelwright, 2002; Robbins et al., 2012). Gilbert (2012) argues that a
total prohibition of personal use of email is unreasonable. For example, personal use
of email to inform family members or child care workers of unexpected overtime is
acceptable. Kiser et al (2010) concedes that the majority of employers accept some
personal use of workplace computers. Trust can be maintained by communicating
clear policies for email use and employees are more likely to trust the process of
email monitoring and feel that their privacy is respected of policies are transparent
and well-constructed (Kiser et al., 2010). However, employees need to be mindful
that any personal or private email is communicated electronically through company
systems and any private email can potential become public.
What
Explanation
Examples
Doing
10. Paragraph jigsaws
In your groups, you have got a
What part of a paragraph from the
essay on monitoring employee
emails.
You need to find the E, E and D for
that paragraph from the selection
around the room.
Explanations are in green
Examples/evidence are in blue
Doing sections are in pink
11. Online Learning this week: get up to date and start
adding in some images, media and so on.
12. Homework
1. Find another article/podcast on a Business
related topic and bring a summary with you
next week.
2. Formative assignment (not graded):
Use everything you have learnt about
summarising information and writing
academically, to write a paragraphs
summarising either your choice of article from
last week’s homework or the one you are using
for this week.
Submit on Canvas by midnight Thursday 24th
October.
This is a chance to get some advice on your
writing before you submit an assignment that
gets graded.
Notes de l'éditeur
NB – this class is on the basic conventions – there is a later class on writing to build an argument: structure (using but going beyond previous work on effective paragraphs), use of language (transitioning, signposting, reporting verbs and evaluative vocabulary). START OFF WITH ASKING 2-3 OF THEM TO GIVE US THEIR ORAL SUMMARIES OF THEIR HOMEWORK TASK AGAIN – SHOW THEM HOW IT IS BECOMING A REGULAR THING
20 mins – the document is on Canvas for week 4 – they open it up and work in pairs on assessing it. Show them how to sue track changes first (another useful digital skill!). Once they have worked on it, they can go to the version (also on Canvas) with my comments in track changes. They can then have their comments version on one screen and their partner can have the tutor version on their screen, so that they then compare their comments with the tutor’s and assess how close they were to identifying all the issues and correcting them. They shouldn't worry if they didn’t get many – this is part of the learning process. They are intended to use their learning rom the online quiz to do this first of all, and then the idea is that they learn more after comparing their comments with mine. They could note down which problems they missed as that could be where they should focus their own attention in their writing.
10 mins including specific reference to the activity. Just get their ideas based on their assessment of the sample paragraph and their self-evaluation after looking at the tutor version. Their comments could be added to this slide as they speak to reinforce and recognise their contributions while (probably) not having a white board.
5 mins To validate and extend previous discussion. The point about one way of communication allows us to emphasise that they also communicate their knowledge etc in classes, through conversations and discussions (as well as formal presentations). So, while they can be conversations, this isn’t, which is why there needs to be a less formal tone and style. The point could also be made that when giving formal conversations, they also need to use an academic style and tone when speaking, and on their presentation slides. It could also be worth reminding them that the clarity, formality and accuracy is also important when they are writing outside university for, e.g., job applications.
5 mins Go through each to explain the basics, which hopefully they will have elucidated anyway. It’s worth having the key points as a reminder for them, and it is a chance to remind them of why these features of academic writing are the most important to get to grips with at this stage – we will be going further in a few weeks! It is really the focus on clarity, formality and avoiding hyperbole.
2 -3 mins
2-3 mins Explain these points as we go through them.
Go through this with as a useful model for paragraph writing. They can play around with the order of the EEs and there can be D at various places but they should always start with a W and try to end on a D. To start with though, W E E (EE in any order or blended) D is a good place to start.
This is to show them how WEED can look. This is the ‘proper’ version of the paragraphs they were working on at the start, to aid consistency of information/material, but also so that they could go back themselves and see how the same basic ideas and information have been turned in to a clearer, more formal, accurate and supported piece of writing.
20 minutes – you can show them the completed paragraphs from the word document you have of them. Keep encouraging them to think about what their ‘What’ section is saying and to try out a few different versions of their paragraph to see what works. In the feedback, push fro explanations of why the correct versions are correct. You will have these sections in packs mto distribute around the room (get them up and moving) – there are enough of each section from each paragraph that all of the groups could choose the same, but only one would be correct, to make it a bit trickier.
This is all they have online this week to give them a chance to develop what they have already – could comment on those you have seen. Also because they do have a formative assignment to do too.
Explain what we mean by formative and emphasise how useful this formative work is. Show them how to submit it (there will be a submission box on Canvas by then!).