Remember Possum?

A little while ago, we asked for your votes on best marks for the possum writing examples. Not surprisingly (clever people!) you awarded Example B the highest grade. There are a number of reasons why Example B is better than A as far as academic writing goes.

Firstly, the writer of example B uses a reference. It's not just any old reference, either - it's a recent reference - cutting edge, perhaps. 'A's writer, on the other hand, gives merely their own unsupported opinion.

Despite the formality of example 'B', the writer does show a position. Often the position statement (or thesis statement) is evident in the very first sentence of a paragraph. The position statement may be derived from:

• the writers' own personal stance on a particular matter


• observations from real life


• readings and/or lectures.

Once the writer makes the position statement, he or she then has to come in quickly with a reference to back this up. This is a bit like a goal keeper in a soccer match.

Secondly, the writer of 'B' uses data (evidence) to support the statement. The data gives the statement about possums 'validity' in a way that 'A' does not.

Thirdly, the tone of the writing (as PMac pointed out in the comments from the previous post) is formal. In other words, B does not use the first person 'I', but distances the writer from the points being made.

Sometimes, though, the use of 'I' might be acceptable - such as in the case of writing a journal. Students on a work placement or prac teaching placement might be required to do this for assessment.

However, most types of academic writing require an objective tone. Some academic writing requires a tentative tone to 'suggest' a trend or outcome rather than make a bold statement.

Finally, the writer of 'B' interprets this data to 'round off' the paragraph. This shows the writer's ability to be critical. Again, here's where we see the writer's voice.

Some signals for the Writers' voice are:

• This indicates
  
• An example of this is...
  
• This means...
  
• This is important because...
  
• This is significant because...
  
• This has limitations because...
  
• This links to...(so and so's view (date, page) )

Academic writing can be daunting at first, but there are simple conventions which are valuable and simple to apply.

Happy writing!

Andrea Duff

Learning Adviser

Post your academic writing questions and comments by clicking on 'comments'. (You can do this anonymously or use nickname).

Giving credit where credit is due

And get a distinction!
This post from special guest Liz Smith - Sustainable Engineering Practice Course Coordinator.

There's a good deal of anxiety attached to referencing when you do it for the first time. Students often ask questions like:

• How can I put it in my own words?


• How do I reference when there doesn't seem to be a date/author/page number?


• What if I plagiarise?

Before we get to the 'P' word, let's have a look at the first couple of questions.

Firstly, it's a good idea to get away from notions of putting work in your 'own words'. It's much better to read the work and then summarise it in note form. Alternatively, ask yourself 'what does this mean' or 'what is the author actually saying'? Once you've done this, ask if it is similar or different to what other authors have said and integrate these into your work. For example:

According to Engineers Australia (2000) the role of the Engineer is to... This links to recent work by Jones (2005, p. 7) who found...

Paraphrasing is the best way to go. Direct quotes are fine when used very sparingly and with plenty of interpretation.

Secondly, some references are downright quirky in terms of how you go about citing them in text and at the end of text.

Where there is no date, it is useful to use something like this:

(Jones, n.d.)

Where there is no apparent author, see if there is a publisher (such as Commonwealth of Australia; Engineers Australia) or write:

(Author Unknown)

No page number is not so significant - especially if it is a website (online materials often don't have page numbers). Also, if you are citing from a large body of work in an overall sense, you don't need a page number. This is usually required where you have taken specific information from a specific page or pages.

The good news is that Learning Advisers (from Learning Connection) and librarians have written a Harvard Referencing Guide. If you go to the last few modules of this online resource you will find all sorts of common and quirky examples (such as how to reference a conference paper; thesis and so on).

Now to the 'P' word.

Of course, plagiarism does occur as a direct result of dishonesty. However, mostly it occurs because students lack the confidence to cite correctly and appropriately. This comes with practice and also by keeping notes (a reading log) of who said what when. Also, take note of other peoples' writing and how they use sources.

Make the best use of the resources available to you and pretty soon, you will find that referencing (and the art of paraphrasing) comes a whole easier to you. Writing always has its challenges, but by second and third year, it will become second nature.

Best of luck!

Liz Smith

Post your referencing queries and comments by clicking on 'comments' at the bottom of the blog posting. (You can do this anonymously or with a nickname.)

Have you heard of the old fable the hare and the tortoise? One of the morals of this fable is "Slow and steady wins the race!"







As week 3 is drawing to its end (which means your first assignment is about to due soon), how much time are you currently spending on your study? And more importantly, how much time should you spend on each course (subject)?

Remember your study includes both contact hours (time spend on attending lecture/tutorial/practicum/workshop) and non-contact hours (time spend on readings; doing research in library for your assignments; writing; tidying your notes; weekly revision).

UniSA has a formula to determine how much time you should be spending on your own personal study. Each 4.5 unit course is equivalent to approximately 10 hours per week. This includes your contact and non contact hours at uni. For example, if you have 4 contact hours (2 hours lecture, 2 hours tutorial) per week, then it is expected that you will spend approximately 6 hours of personal study in the same week.

In order to help yourself manage your time and get organize, you can use the Study planner.

In addition, the counsellor can also help you manage the three "public enemies" in your study:

1) Procrastination

2) Perfectionism

3) Lack of motivation

Start now, be consistent, and you'll win the race!

The Counselling team of Mawson Lakes Learning Connection

Down to formalities, Possums! Assignment writing at Uni

Figure 1 - Made up Possum example by Duff and Johnston (2007)

Week 3 is crunch time as far as first assignments go. As students grapple with new ways of referencing and different types of writing, there are some pretty important things to come to grips with.

This post is about the 'tone' of academic writing - but we're not going to give you all the answers.

One of the examples above gets the distinction and the other doesn't. Cast your vote on the poll and post some suggestions to the discussion (by clicking on 'comments' beneath the post). Also, we have posted some resources to the side navigation bar (just under the poll) to give you some clues and help you achieve your personal best in this early piece of writing.

The Birthday Blog - 330 subscribers and growing strong

It's week 2 and by now you've realised that you 'hit the ground running' when you start at uni. As we glance around from our offices in Learning Connection, we can see students tapping away at the computers in the library - escaping the blistering and unseasonably hot day outside.

This humble blog has been chosen by (now) 330 subscribers as a way to supplement their studies through accessing the tips, events and resources we post twice a week.

Now that Learning Connection @ Mawson Lakes has passed its first birthday (as of last week), its a good idea to reflect on the purpose of the blog as it links to Learning Connection and UniSA at Mawson Lakes.

This blog grew from a recognition that students have busy lives. It takes time to wade through the 100s of online resources which are available to supplement your studies. Resources such as Writing essays; Writing the research proposal or Study Planners will definitely enhance your work but where do you find them and when do you use them?

The blog is also a way in which we create community - linking you to events on campus, services and links to the community. We encourage you to post questions, comments and ideas about posts you'd like to see; study tips and experiences (you can do this anonymously or use a nickname).

So - three cheers for the Mawson Lakes Blog and here's a list of the all time top ten resources for 2007 - one year on.

1. How to remember what you've learned (great for summarising lecture notes)

2. Finding the motivation to study (very popular around exam time)

3. Online at UniSA (PowerPoint presentation)

4. English language proficiency (Do you have English as an additional language?)

5. Writing essays (Very important right now!)

6. Michael speaks with Angela (About succeeding in first year as a mature-aged student)

7. The first six weeks in ITEE

8. Writing the research proposal (a must for postgraduate engineering students)

9. Prof Pat's notemaking lecture (PowerPoint by esteemed NBE Head of School)

10. Succeeding in Exams (everyone wants to know how to do this!)

So, on behalf of the Learning Connection @ Mawson Lakes blogging team, welcome to the community and best of luck with your studies.

The blogging team - Learning Connection @ Mawson Lakes

From near and far - studying at Uni from a distance

So you’ve decided to study at UniSA as an off-campus (external) student. What a great decision!

UniSA has been teaching off-campus students successfully for many years.

One of the big advantages of studying off-campus is being able to manage your academic work alongside the rest of your life. You’re fully in charge, and this can suit you very well when you’re managing a busy life.

We can offer a couple of helpful tips at this early stage:

• Remember to check out the online resources right now - your course homepage and website. They will help you understand the requirements of your study and enable you to adjust your personal schedule to meet workload requirements and deadlines.
  
• Keep in touch. If you find managing your life and study gets tricky, contact your teaching staff and others who will be only too willing to offer practical advice and support.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Ask Learning Connection



• First few weeks for off-campus students



• Ask the Library
  


• Managing references

Welcome to UniSA and enjoy!

Helen Johnston

Lecturer: Learning Advice

Where is Room 'TBA'?

A funny thing happened on the way to a class this morning. We bumped into a student who was looking for Room 'TBA'. How curious, we thought. Does Mawson Lakes have a room called 'TBA'?

The first few weeks at Uni can seem a bit daunting, especially when you have to find the location of all of your tutes, lectures and pracs for the very first time. For this student, a quick trip to Campus Central helped to identify the room for his first lecture. 'TBA' is otherwise known as 'To Be Advised.'

So, if you have any questions about where any of your classes is being held please contact the Campus Central staff who will be only too willing to help. You might like to also keep a copy of the Campus Map on hand, just until you know your way around campus. And, if in doubt, just ask!

Best wishes for your first week of Uni.

Cheers,

The Learning Connection Team