Doing Assignments in Education

Academic Language and Literacy Development 2016 AUSTRALIA ► CHINA ► INDIA ► ITALY ► MALAYSIA ► SOUTH AFRICA

monash.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.

TEN TIPS FOR DOING ASSIGNMENTS IN EDUCATION ................................... 2

2.

COMPONENTS OF AN ASSIGNMENT ............................................................... 9

3.

SUPPORTING THE READER OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT .................................. 12

4.

MECHANICS OF REFERENCING ..................................................................... 15 4.1

In-text citations .......................................................................................... 15

4.2

Information-prominent and author-prominent in-text references ............... 17

4.3

Reporting Verbs ........................................................................................ 18

4.4

Referencing on-line resources .................................................................. 19

4.5

List of references ...................................................................................... 21

5.

STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY ............................................................................. 24

6.

WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT .......................... 26

7.

REFLECTIVE WRITING ..................................................................................... 28

8.

OTHER TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS IN EDUCATION ....................................... 30

9. 10.

8.1

Oral presentations..................................................................................... 30

8.2

Poster presentations ................................................................................. 31

8.3

Lesson plans and other class resources ................................................... 31

8.4

Portfolios ................................................................................................... 31

FINDING PEER-REVIEWED (ACADEMIC) ARTICLES ..................................... 32 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ........................................................................... 33

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1. TEN TIPS FOR DOING ASSIGNMENTS IN EDUCATION 1.1

Make sure that you understand the assessment description/ criteria and the rubric before you start reading and writing.

Lecturers spend a great deal of time creating these and therefore every word is important. You need to analyse the task description and rubric to identify key words. Consult your lecturer or peers if you do not understand. The following are some important terms (action verbs) that will help you understand what you are expected to do in your assignment: Analyse: Examine in detail and describe the relationship between the parts/viewpoints. Argue: Take one side of the argument and support it with examples and evidence (academic journals/research). When you argue, you are usually giving your opinion about a certain topic and supporting it by finding other academic writers who agree with your point of view. Discuss: Talk about both sides of the argument and support with examples and evidence (academic journals/research). You may come to a conclusion at the end and decide which side you agree with more. Respond: Provide your viewpoint on the topic and support it with relevant research/literature. Report: Describe what has happened. Reflect on: Examine your own experiences/practices and thinking and link it with theory (academic literature) (see ‘Reflective Writing’ section in this booklet). Discuss implications for practice: This usually comes at the end of an assignment. You are asked to discuss how the topic of your paper will influence how you teach/practise in the future.

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Critically respond/ discuss: Often, students just ‘report’ what others say instead of examining and evaluating what they are saying. However, any time the word ‘critically’ is added, you should examine the points of view given (most likely the academic literature that you have been discussing in the paper) and comment on whether these points of view are valid or significant and identify any disagreements within the literature.

1.2

Plan before you write.

After you have examined the assessment task, identify some possible headings in order to create an outline. For example:

Sample task: This assignment requires you to plan a small research project about one of the aspects covered in the unit. You need to choose a topic from the list given to you in class and identify a question related to that topic. You should design a method of investigating the question, conduct a review of the literature to discuss the issue and discuss why the question is significant to policy and practice in early childhood education.

Possible outline:  Introduction o background information on topic o your research question  Method - What are you trying to find out? How will you collect your data/information? How will you analyse it? Who will be part of your study and why?  Literature Review – thematic arrangement, e.g., o Theme/idea 1 o Theme/idea 2, etc. (for more see ‘Writing a Literature Review’ section in this booklet).  Significance – o relating to educational policies and teaching practices o importance of investigating this question  Conclusion - brief summary of what you have discussed in this paper and what might be done in the future to investigate this topic further. 3

1.3

Go to the library or find academic articles through the online resource library. Also see ‘Finding peer-reviewed (academic) articles’ section in this booklet.

Many students are tempted to search for articles through a search engine (such as Google), but most of the free articles available on the Internet are not ‘academic’1. However, if you are looking for teaching frameworks or government documents, you will find these on government agency websites on the Internet (e.g. Department of Education).

1.4

Read as many academic articles and book chapters as you can or as required and take notes

to see the recurring themes that relate to the topic of your paper. Once you have a clear idea of the different viewpoints represented in the literature, return to your original outline to modify and provide more detail. Also, make sure you are taking notes on the academic literature that you are reading (software is available for annotating electronic versions). It is important to document the author’s name, publishing date and page number instantly or you will find it difficult to track down this information later. Be systematic about recording your readings. All this bibliographic information is necessary when using literature as evidence and in writing the list of references at the end of your essay or report.

1.5

Start writing.

After you have an outline and have read the required amount of literature, you are ready to begin writing. Remember, it is best to start writing the body of the paper first and then return to the introduction and conclusion. In addition to the below, check out Section 5: Structure of an Essay. a. Introduction (looking forward): Provides some brief background information on the topic and outlines what you are going to discuss in the rest of the paper. The final

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A proper ‘academic’ article has to be peer-reviewed and published in a refereed journal.

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sentence or two of your introduction should act as an ‘advance organiser’ or ‘road map’, e.g. This paper will discuss [you may want to use some of those important terms that were given in the assessment criteria, e.g. the relationship I see between theories of observing and planning and theories of development in early childhood education] and provide some strategies to address these issues. b. Body: Start with this section (see ‘Components of an assignment’ section). This is the major part of the assignment and should address all the assessment criteria in the assignment description and the rubric. Use topic sentences as necessary. c. Conclusion (looking back): A conclusion briefly summarises what the paper was about, why it is important and where the writer stands on the subject. Sometimes lecturers want you to discuss how you will use what you learnt in the paper in your future teaching contexts. Also, remember that the conclusion is not the place to introduce new ideas or research. A conclusion brings things to a close. Avoid quotations (both direct and indirect) in the conclusion.

1.6

Check your referencing.

Make sure you are familiar with APA referencing (see ‘Mechanics of referencing’ section in this booklet) and that you are carefully documenting where you found each resource or you will find that you have to spend a lot of time later to find them again. Make sure you know how to cite references within the text (in-text citations, see section 4.1) and on the list of references (see section 4.5). Do not take this lightly as many lecturers, for good reason, are very strict about correct referencing! Also, try not to use too many direct quotes but rather incorporate the references into your assignment by selectively paraphrasing what they say and linking it with other writers’ ideas (see ‘Writing a Literature Review in your Assignment’ section).

1.7

Check your formatting.

In most cases, lecturers prefer:  Left text alignment  11 point font (Book Antiqua, Arial or Calibri) 5

 Two or 1.5-line spacing  Page numbers  Bold (not underlined) headings and subheadings (to clearly show the organisation of your paper)  Running header/footer with your name and assignment details, e.g. John Smith, EDF1234, Assignment 2

1.8

Read through your assignment several times after you have finished.

Some students finish writing and either hand it in or give it to the Academic Language and Literacy Development (ALLD) Advisors without looking over it. Remember, the ALLD advisors do not provide proofreading or editing services. You must learn to edit your work first! The Academic Language Feedback (ALF) guide below can be helpful in the writing and editing processes (see next page). Before anyone looks at your assignment, you need to make sure that you have looked at it at least twice to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes, clarity and organisation. Rereading your assignment also allows you to see connections and gaps you may have missed in the first draft; connections between the literature, between the literature and your experience, or areas that do not seem to have been addressed. Ask yourself the question ‘so what?’ as you re-read your work and this will help you achieve a higher level of critical thinking and analysis.

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This diagram outlines important aspects of the academic language use in the Faculty of Education. Please familiarise yourself with the Academic Language Feedback (ALF) elements and explore areas which you may find challenging or unclear.

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1.9 Note any difficulties you had with the writing process and ask yourself whether you have used all the academic language support resources available to students. There are academic workshops for coursework students and other sessions

which

you

may

find

useful.

Relevant

information

can

be

found

at

http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/learning-skills/ and http://www.monash.edu/education/currentstudents/academic-and-study-support/academic-language-and-literacy-development-unit. Section 10 of this booklet provides a list of useful resources for self-study.

1.10

Reflect on what you have learnt

through the writing process and begin preparing for your next assignment!

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2. COMPONENTS OF AN ASSIGNMENT Academic writing may take many different forms (essay, report, research proposal, thesis, policy document, guidelines, etc.). From genre to genre the components may vary. The following table presents a range of components, some of which may be appropriate for your writing task.

COMPONENT

FUNCTION 

Cover page

Table of Contents



(optional, normally used for longer  assignments)

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CHARACTERISTICS

identifies topic, course, faculty, lecturer, writer



lists all major divisions and subdivisions (and possibly the pages they appear on)



can be included in longer assignments (usually those longer than 3000 words)



title, course name and number, lecturer's name, faculty and institution's name, writer's name and student identification number2 headings and subheadings should follow a consistent hierarchy, which you may determine with the help of a style guide. If you’re using a word processor such as Microsoft Word, please use the built-in style to automatically create your TOC, rather than doing it manually.

A personalised coversheet will be automatically added when you submit your assignment on Moodle,

unless specified by your lecturer or tutor.

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

Introduction

Body



This can consist of various  sections with major headings (e.g. ‘Background’, ‘Critical discussion’, “Description of a learning episode’, etc.) Conclusion

serves as a roadmap for the reader, letting them know what will be discussed in the essay/assignment.

shows the reader/ examiner that you are familiar with issues and debates in the field (you need to explain these) leads the reader through a critical discussion of the field organised into sections you feel are important



presents a general description of the context of the topic



indicates why the topic or focus is significant/important (rationale)



presents the main argument of the topic or gives an indication of the writer's position



gives an indication of the main points of focus in the rest of the writing (advance organiser)



uses subheadings descriptive of the contents of each section



each section consists of wellarticulated paragraphs with a clear structure (e.g., TEEEL: topic sentence, explanation, evidence, example, link to the next idea)



discusses theory/sources which are directly relevant to the issues



provides evidence for main points



draws all arguments (and findings) together



summarises main argument / findings



reminds the reader of the significance of the topic



does not introduce new ideas

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References

Appendices

shows the reader which materials/texts you have used

provides a place for important information, which might distract the reader from the flow of the argument if it is placed in the main text (e.g. photos, questionnaires, lists, etc.)



follows specific conventions (usually APA)



should not include works you have not used or secondary references



an appendix is like an attachment at the end of your assignment



there may be one appendix or several appendices



appendices may be named, lettered or numbered

Note: you are very unlikely to write these components in the order in which they appear in the final version. The introduction is often written later, after you have written the entire paper.

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3. SUPPORTING THE READER OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT 3.1 Imagine your audience Your lecturer wants to see how well you understand the issues you have chosen to discuss. However, you should not be writing for your lecturer or tutor as you may assume they know what you are talking about because it was covered in the lectures and in the readings. It is always useful to imagine your audience as an intelligent person who, however, is not an expert in this particular area or field. You cannot assume that your reader always knows everything, nor should you feel that it is insulting to explain specialised concepts.

3.2 Outline and signpost It is a great help to your reader if you make a clearly signposted ‘map’ of your writing. You can do this by: 

Using subheadings which indicate what you will focus on in that part of your writing. Never underestimate the usefulness of headings in guiding your reader – make sure the meaning of each of your subheading is clear by being specific and remember that headings do not replace linking and transition sentences;



Stating explicitly the points you will focus on in the introduction of an essay or (for a longer piece) at the beginning of a major section; and



Repeating key words or further developing propositions from an earlier sentence in order to make clear the connection between the ideas discussed earlier and those discussed later.



Cross-referencing to statements made earlier or later in your assignment to consolidate your discussion (e.g. “As discussed in the previous section”, or “As the next section explains…”

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

Apply the TEEEL elements to paragraphs, where relevant. An appropriate academic topic sentence is very important and should be representative of your main argument in the paragraph. Other elements depend on the purpose of your paragraph –arguing your point, describing an event and so on.



Use discourse markers

The ways in which parts of your writing are related to other parts are made clearer by discourse markers, which can be grouped according to their function in the discourse. Be aware of overusing discourse markers as they often have strong contrasting meanings. Here are some groups of markers that might help you when you need a little variety3.

3

Adapted from Parrot, M. (2000). Grammar for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

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Ordering points or sequencing Firstly, …; Secondly, …; Finally,… Adding something Moreover, …; Furthermore,…; Further,…; In addition,…; additionally Comparing (similarity) Similarly,…; Likewise, ...; Equally, ... Comparing (difference – establishing contrast) However,…; In fact,…; On the other hand,…;

Rather,…; In contrast, …; ...

While/whilst …; Nevertheless,…; Nonetheless,…; Yet …; On the contrary, …. Introducing a cause As a result of …; Because of …; Because …; Owing to …; Due to … Introducing a result Consequently…; Therefore…; Hence,…; As a result,…; Thus,…; So …; Then… Exemplifying For example,…; For instance,…; Notably,… Re-stating In other words,…; That is,…; Namely,… Generalising In general, …; Generally,…; On the whole,… Summarising In summary,…; In conclusion,….

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4. MECHANICS OF REFERENCING Correct referencing is your ticket to success in academic writing: it will help add ‘weight’ to your arguments, it shows your lecturer the extent and depth of your research and helps you avoid accusations of plagiarism (whether intentional or unintentional). The latter usually comes about through not understanding the referencing conventions. You do not need to memorise all the little details but you need to make sure your reader will find any of your references if they need to. APA has been the default referencing style in the faculty and there are many on-line resources that can guide you through when you cite resources in text and at the end of your assignment, e.g. Monash Library APA guide (for more see Section 4.5.2).

4.1 

In-text citations When you use a source, provide the author’s name and date of publication in brackets, e.g. This approach is underpinned by the belief that communication facilitates learning (Holliday, 1994).



Provide double quotation marks and page numbers for direct citations, e.g. Jamieson, Jones, Kirsch, Mosenthal and Taylor (2000) claimed that discrete-point testing has “a negative impact on instruction” (p. 3). Note that the full-stop mark comes

Or

after the closing bracket.

Discrete-point testing is believed to have “a negative impact on instruction” (Jamieson et al., 2000, p. 3). 

When there are two authors: According to Hayes and Read (2004), … or It is stated in the literature that... (Hayes &4 Read, 2004).

4

The ‘&’ (ampersand) can be used only within brackets and in the list of references.

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

When you have a reference with more than two authors, use all the names the first time and then use the first author’s surname followed by ‘et al.’ when you use the same source again: McLachlan, Fleer and Edwards (2010) state that…, later in the assignment – …. McLachlan et al. (2010) also argue that....



When there are more than two works/sources supporting the same argument: Given that test preparation courses have been the focus of a number of washback studies to date (Green, 2007; Hayes & Read, 2004; Wall & Horak, 2006, 2008), this study allows for a broader perspective….



When there are more than two works/sources from the same author in the same year: (Podorova, 2015a, 2015b).



When you want to quote 40 or more words directly from the source, you need to display it as a block quote. See this example: This is what a block quote looks like. It would look like an indented block of text which starts on a new line. There are no quotation marks. Author details are in parentheses after the final punctuation mark as displayed here. (Name, year) Please remember to use block quotes only when absolutely necessary (e.g., when inserting chunks of a curriculum document). Paraphrasing or summarising are preferred ways of using literature as evidence in your assignments.



You can use a secondary resource (when the original source is cited by the author you are reading) but do so sparingly. See this example: The voluntary approach to participation in post-entry English language assessment has not always been successful (Dunworth, 2009, as cited in Read, 2015). Please note that your list of references will contain only the details of the source you actually read (in the example above, it would be Read, J. (2015). Assessing English proficiency for university study. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

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4.2

Information-prominent and author-prominent in-text references

Swales (1990, pp.149 and 153)5 shows how you can decide whether to focus on the source of an idea or on the idea itself in your writing. He provides two categories of referencing: author- prominent, where the author’s name appears in your sentence, or information prominent, where the author’s name appears only in brackets. An adaptation of his examples6 follows:

Author prominent

The Moon’s Brie (1988) cheesy showed that the composition Moon is made was established of cheese. by Brie (1988).

Previous research has Information established that the Moon is prominent made of cheese (Brie, 1988).

It has been shown that the Moon is made of cheese (Brie, 1988).

According to Brie (1988), the Moon is made of cheese.

Brie’s theory (1988) contends that the Moon is made of cheese.

It is currently argued that the Moon is made of cheese (Brie, 1988).

The Moon may be made of cheese (Brie, 1988, but cf. Rock, 1989).

It is important to be aware of the effect of your choice to use author- or information-prominent in-text referencing. If the focus is on the author, the reader can see ideas and discussion as clearly relating to that author’s thinking. The information-prominent way of citing may sound very authoritative and can sound like ‘truth-telling’. Try not to use categorical and generalising statements followed by a reference all the time.

5

Swales, J. (1990). Genre Analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press. 6

These are also examples of the different ways of paraphrasing someone else’s ideas.

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4.3

Reporting Verbs

Below are some verbs and their synonyms for you to draw on when you want to talk about someone else’s ideas or words. Note the differences in these verbs: your choice of word will reveal to your reader your stance toward the author you are reporting on. You can choose to use reporting verbs in either past or present tense but you must be consistent throughout your paper. 

Show:

demonstrate, establish



Persuade:

assure, convince, satisfy



Argue:

reason, discuss, debate, consider



Propose:

advance, propound, proffer, suggest (the view that…)



Advise:

suggest, recommend, advocate, exhort, encourage, urge,



Believe:

hold, profess (the view that…)



Emphasise:

accentuate, stress, underscore



Support:

uphold, underpin, advocate



State:

express, comment, remark, declare, articulate, describe, instruct, inform, report



Examine:

discuss, explore, investigate, scrutinise



Evaluate:

appraise, assess



Hypothesise:

speculate, postulate



Claim:

allege, assert, affirm, contend, maintain



Disagree:

dispute, refute, contradict, differ, object, dissent



Reject:

refute, repudiate, remonstrate (against), discard, dismiss, disclaim

An argument can be: founded on based on

underpinned by

embedded in

grounded in (a theory/view/set of data)

Neutral verbs of restatement add

inform (of, about)

remind (of, about)

clarify

present

report (on)

describe

remark

speak / write of

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Verbs of restatement apprise (someone of)

explain

indicate

argue (about)

express

observe

Verbs of opinion (this category is used to report the content of another writer’s opinion (or conclusion or suggestions). Positive opinions: affirm

agree (with)

applaud

concur (with, in)

praise

support

Reporting opinion (usually neutrally) assert

believe (in)

claim

point out

determine

expound (on)

maintain

think

Verbs of uncertainty (this category is used to report the content of another writer’s expression of doubt or uncertainty: challenge

dispute

question

disagree (with)

doubt

suspect (of)

dismiss

mistrust

wonder (at)

4.4

Referencing on-line resources

Remember that online resources are not different from printed books and other types of references. You will need to locate the author(s), date of publication and other relevant information in order to reference it properly. Please remember the basic rules: 1. Always check the information at the top and bottom of the web-page (e.g. the name of the page/last update or copyright date) – remember that one click of a mouse may take you far away from the page you started at.

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2. Always check that the link you copied from the URL subject bar works if you cut and paste it in a new window7.

3. Remember that your in-text citations should mirror your end-of-text list of references so they are easy to find, for example:

In text (rephrased): Several strategies, including secondary teachers’ and students’ visits to primary schools, “buddy systems” and primary school-like learning environments, are used to ease students’ transition from primary to secondary school (The State of Victoria Department of Education and Training, 2016). In the list of references: The State of Victoria Department of Education and Training. (2016). Starting secondary school. Retrieved from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/secondary/Pages/starting.aspx 4. Always remember that for direct in-text citations you need to indicate how to find the quoted sentence or phrase on the original web-page. If the document has no pages, use section sub-headings and ‘para.’ for a paragraph, e.g. “Secondary school provides opportunities to challenge your child and to develop the valuable skills they will take into adulthood” (The State of Victoria Department of Education and Training, “Starting Secondary School”, 2016, para 3). Webpage section sub-heading with

Author/resource name

double quotation marks

7

URLs from search engine results (such as Google) and electronic database search results often do

not point to the correct online source.

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5. If you are working with an online document such as a PDF file, there is usually a URL link that can be copied and pasted into your reference list: https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_ea rly_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf Check the document carefully to locate the information about authors and year of publication. The entry in the reference list may look like that: Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf Please remove the hyperlink in settings so that the

The first in-text citation will look like this:

hyperlink is transcribed (looks like a regular text).

"Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming" (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [AGDEEWR], 2009, p. 7). Or As suggested by the Australia Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (AGDEEWR) (2009), ... The following in-text citations will have an abbreviated version, e.g. …. (AGDEEWR, 2009).

4.5

List of references

A list of references is everything you have used in the assignment. It is not the same as a bibliography, which is everything you have read. There are some basic things to remember when compiling your list of references. The most important rule is that your in-text references match those in your list of references so please pay close attention to author names and dates. There is no need to remember everything – it is recommended that you check with the Monash Library APA Guide (http://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/apa). Make sure you match little things such as capital letters and italics with the APA examples.

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4.5.1

Sample List of References

*Please note the hanging indent!

An electronic version of a book/document

Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia. pdf A book by one author Edwards, S. (2009). Early childhood education and care: A socio-cultural approach. Castle Hill, NSW: Pademelon Press a chapter from a book with several authors Fleer, M., & Surman, L. (2006). A sociocultural approach to observing and assessing. In M. Fleer, S. Edwards, M. Hammer, A. Kennedy, A. Ridgway, J. Robbins, & L. Surman (Eds.), Early Childhood learning communities: Sociocultural research in practice (pp. 139-160). French Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Lecture presentation Podorova, A. I. (2015). Doing assignments in Education. [PowerPoint slides], EDF1234, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Retrieved from http://moodle.vle.monash.edu.au

an article in a journal with DOI

Robson, S. (2014). The Analysing Children’s Creative Thinking framework: Development of an observation-led approach to identifying and analyzing young children’s creative thinking. British Educational Reseach Journal, 40(1), 212-134. doi:10.1002/berj.3033 an article in an on-line journal if no DOI is available Wang, W., Lee, C., & Chu, Y. (2010). A brief review on developing creative thinking in young children by mind mapping. International Business Research, 3(3), 233-244. Retrieved from: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/6518/5134 paper presented at a conference Wattchow, B., Burke, G. & Cutter-MacKenzie, A. (2008, December). Environment, place and social ecology in educational practice. Paper presented at the AARE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.education.monash.edu.au/research/groups/ mec/docs/aare-mec-booklet.pdf

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4.5.2

Helpful online APA referencing tutorials and guides

 Monash University Library APA guide (bookmark the link): http://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/apa  Monash University Library citing tutorial: http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/apa.html  APA Style: http://www.apastyle.org/  OWL Purdue: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/  Edith Cowan University: http://www.ecu.edu.au/learning-anddevelopment/assets/files/downloads/refguide.pdf  University of Melbourne APA ‘Re:cite’ guide: http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/recite/citations/apa6/generalNotes.html?style=1

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5. STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY Consider the structure of the following essay in terms of the functional components (marked in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS in the annotation on the next page) it is made up of:

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6. WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT The following provides some clarification on what a literature review is and what it is not. A literature review: 1. Provides an overview of the literature a. How do the texts (articles, books, etc) on your topic relate to one another? (What are the main agreements & disagreements?) b. Why and how are these texts significant? What important issues do they raise? c. What are their limitations? What have they not addressed?

2. Establishes the importance of the topic 3. Demonstrates your understanding of the views and perspectives related to the topic (shows you have read widely) 4. Shows that you have not merely summarised the texts but have linked and evaluated the issues that have risen from these texts in a sustained and coherent manner. A literature review is not a summary of articles or an annotated bibliography (which summarises texts in turn, each paragraph describing and evaluating a text). Some helpful hints:  Organise your literature review into themes rather than by texts. Read several texts on your topic and then try to identify three or four main issues that arise. Use these issues as subheadings in your literature review.

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For example: My topic is Assessment in the Primary Years and after reading several texts I have come up with three main themes: 1. Formative vs. Summative Assessments 2. Self Assessment 3. Peer Assessment I will not only discuss what the texts I have read say about the topic but I will link authors who agree and disagree on certain issues.  Remember that your voice is important. While you want to provide an overview of the literature, you also want to show that you have evaluated the ideas in the texts. For example (extract from a second year Bed (Early Years) assignment, reproduced with permission): Sociocultural theorists such as Vygotsky and Rogoff profoundly influence my beliefs. Vygotskian theories believe children’s behaviour is influenced by their culture and family experiences and that children are best served when they are challenged within their zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Fleer & Richardson, 2004). Cutter-Mackenzie et al. (2006) also claim that gardens are an opportunity for rich and diverse learning experiences and an opportunity to scaffold children’s understanding about the world around them. Rogoff (1990) agrees and discusses the importance of guided participation in culturally significant activities. Furthermore, Rogoff (2003) argues that development is a cultural process and children develop with influences from both their community and culture. This is relevant to my research as the learning experiences of kitchen gardens, reflect/address current family/social concerns and provide opportunities for children to develop real life skills, relevant to their communities. Kitchen gardens also present a great opportunity to embody sociocultural practices and move away from traditional developmental perspectives.

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7. REFLECTIVE WRITING Reflective writing is a style of writing which is very common in Education courses. It is a product of reflective thinking and is often a personal/subjective response to experiences, thoughts, feelings and academic literature. Reflective writing requires students to: 1. Examine your experiences, practices and thinking. 2. Link practice (which is informed by our beliefs and experiences) with theory (academic literature). 3. Evaluate what you read, think or do by acknowledging a range of viewpoints and possibilities. In your Education course, you may be asked to do one of the following assignments: 1. Reflective journal/reflective response a. Writing about your own learning and teaching experiences (linking your experiences as a teacher or learner with theory about how we learn) b. Reading articles and then writing about how the themes that have come from the article link to your own experiences and/or what you know about teaching and learning. 2. ‘Critical reflection’ in an assignment Discussing a topic by looking at it from a variety of viewpoints. A critical reflection discusses a topic by drawing on your own experiences and theory (What do academic journals say about this topic? Are there different views about this topic? Which do you think is the most convincing? Why?). The key is not to simply copy down the ideas of

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others on the topic but evaluate their ideas (many students put large quotes in their papers but never discuss these views based on their own experiences and teaching context). Here are a few important components that you might want to include in your reflection: 1. Provide an overall reflection or opinion on the experience, academic text or activity 2. Explain and interpret the experience, academic text or activity 3. Provide justification for your interpretation by linking it to theory OR 1. Explain the theory that supports your overall opinion 2. Provide a personal example that supports the theory/your opinion The following is an example of reflective writing. It shows the potential components of a reflective writing piece:

Reflective journal entry (student work) Gives overall opinion

It was very fascinating to introduce the concept of clocks and time to Grade 1 using the nursery rhyme, ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’. Use of story books results in motivation and engagement of young children (Clarke, 2002). Incorporates theory

Describes activity

The questions that were used to check students’ understanding led them to higher-order thinking as they had to find the answers and then justify their answers as well. Such problem solving situations and questioning can pave a way for effective learning for students (Reys, Lindquist, Lambdin & Smith, 2004). When problem solving is introduced using literature books, it can provide a context and stimulate investigation among young children (Smith, 2010). Incorporates theory

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8. OTHER TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS IN EDUCATION There are many types or ‘genres’ of assignments that students work on in Education. These tasks include, but are not limited to, essays, reports, annotated lesson plans and bibliographies, group and individual presentations and so on. Your lecturers and tutors will endeavour to discuss the assignments with you in order to outline their expectations. Your unit guides usually have a detailed description of a task and assessment criteria which you must satisfy. However, some tasks may seem daunting and difficult to approach. Here are some basic guidelines which might be helpful in accomplishing several frequently used tasks:

8.1

Oral presentations

a. PowerPoint or Prezi programs can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Use them with caution – distracting visuals and lack of organisation may ruin your presentation. If you go ahead with sophisticated special effects, make sure you know your technology – there is nothing worse than losing a slide or not knowing what is coming next during your presentation. b. Reading from slides is a big ‘no-no’! Slides cannot (and must not) include everything you are going to talk about. c. Slides are there to support you and guide your audience so put only important headings, ideas, terms, names and dates on the slides but avoid overloading with text and images. Remember the minimum font size (usually 22). d. Rehearse at least once – mainly to time yourself. Doing a 3-minute presentation may be more challenging than having a 2-hour talk. e. Have back-up: your USB device may be incompatible with your class computer so e-mailing the latest copy of your presentation to yourself and/or saving it in virtual space (such as Google Drive or Dropbox) may be a good idea.

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8.2

Poster presentations

a. Good organisation of materials on your poster is crucial – focus on your message and make sure your poster makes your message clear. Use organisation cues (font size, arrows, etc.) where necessary. b. Use big text and visuals (photos, graphs, etc.) which are relevant to your theme. The amount of text, visuals and ‘white space’ should be balanced. c. Show your poster to someone before displaying it in class.

8.3

Lesson plans and other class resources

a. You can use numerous lesson plan formats separately or in combination. b. Ask your lecturer/tutor for a template if unsure. The library also has books with lesson plan templates. c. Remember that your lesson plan or any other class resource should be clear and easy to follow – imagine another teacher who will use it in your absence.

8.4

Portfolios

a. A portfolio in Education is often used as an assessment tool. It is an extended version of a poster – usually a combination of photos, graphs, possible questionnaire or interview results and reflective writing. b. It is important to identify the focus, purpose and audience for your portfolio first and then start collecting ‘artefacts’ (photos, audio recordings, graphs, journal entries, notes, mind maps, etc.). c. Before you submit, make sure your portfolio is a well-structured and coherent document and not just a collection of disconnected student samples and photos. A table of contents will make your portfolio more reader-friendly.

Less common assignment types/genres, such as strategic change plans or a learning story, can be discussed in class, with your lecturer or with an Academic Language and Literacy Advisor at the faculty.

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9. FINDING PEER-REVIEWED (ACADEMIC) ARTICLES In most cases you will need to find peer-reviewed or scholarly journals for your university assignments. While many students attempt to find articles by searching on Google, these articles are not always peer-reviewed. This means the information in these articles may not be credible or of the quality required for university assignments. Peer-reviewed articles have been reviewed by experts in the field to ensure that they are credible and of a standard quality. If you need to do a comprehensive search of the academic literature on your topic, you will need to search an Education database. There are excellent on-line tutorials that students find helpful: http://resources.lib.monash.edu.au/lear ning-objects/databases/informit/a-pluseducation/ http://www.monash.edu.au/library/skills /resources/tutorials/searching/ There is more information about these databases and some searching tips in the Education Library Guide (http://guides.lib.monash.edu/education). NOT FINDING WHAT YOU NEED? You can ask a Librarian for help http://www.monash.edu.au/library/skills/contacts/faceducation.html

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10. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Better academic writing and learning resources for all students: http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/better-writing Grellier, J. & Goerke, V. (2010). Communication skills toolkit: Unlocking the secrets of tertiary success. (2nd ed.) Australia: Cengage Learning Improving language skills for non-native speakers: Azar, B. S. & Hagen, S.A. (2009). Understanding and using English grammar (4th ed.). USA: Pearson Longman. Foley, M. & Hall, D. (2012). MyGrammarLab (Advanced). England: Pearson Hewings, M. (2012). Advanced grammar in use: a reference and practice book for advanced students of English (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Murphy, R. (2011). English Grammar in Use (Intermediate) (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. English Language Growth resource: http://www.elg.edu.au/index.html English-English Dictionaries – Oxford, WordWeb, etc.

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The Academic Language & Literacy Development Unit, Faculty of Education, Monash University, wishes to acknowledge staff who have contributed to producing this booklet:

Academic Language and Literacy Advisors:

Ms Rosemary Viete Dr Anna Podorova Dr Raqib Chowdhury Dr Melissa Barnes

Education Subject Librarian (Berwick & Peninsula):

Ms Kerry Bedford

Team Leader, teaching Technology Learning Centres, Faculty of Education:

Ms Bronwyn Dethick

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Further information Faculty of Education Academic Language & Literacy Development CLAYTON: 29 Ancora Imparo Way, Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 BERWICK: Building 902, 1st Floor Clyde Road, Berwick Victoria 3806 Australia PENINSULA: Building A McMahons Road, Frankston Victoria 3199 Australia

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