Writing at level 5
Mel Gill
Student Support & Guidance
Tutor – School of Education
Level 4 - Support
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Knowledge and Understanding –
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Knowledge – facts concepts
terminology
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Ethical issues - awareness
Cognitive and intellectual Skills –
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Analysis – using given principles with
guidance
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Synthesis – collecting ides in
predictable format
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Evaluation – reliability of data with
guidance
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Application – using given tools/methods
Transferable Skills –
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Group – meets obligations to others
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Resources – access range
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Self-evaluation – against external
criteria
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Managing information – simple research
tasks with guidance
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Communication - effective
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Problem-solving – using given
tools/methods
Practical Skills –
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Application- defined contexts
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Autonomy – limited within defined
guidelines as directed
Level 5 - Choice
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Knowledge and Understanding –
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Knowledge – variety of ideas contexts
frameworks detailed theories
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Ethical issues – wider social
implications debate
Cognitive and intellectual Skills –
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Analysis – compare alternative methods
with minimum guidance
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Synthesis – adapt format for purpose
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Evaluation – relevance and
significance of data
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Application – choose appropriate
tools/methods
Transferable Skills –
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Group – interaction modifying
responses
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Resources – manage
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Self-evaluation – develops own criteria
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Managing information – select
appropriate data
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Communication – variety of formats
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Problem-solving – choose appropriate
tools/methods
Practical Skills –
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Application- variety of contexts
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Autonomy – defined guidelines
minimum guidance
The 10% rule
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If you got 63% for a piece of work at level 4
and produce work of the same academic
level for a piece of work that should be at
level 5 you can expect to gain a mark of 53%.
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So you need to ‘raise your game’ by at least
10% just to maintain the same grade.
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You should be aiming for a ‘rising profile.’
Independent Critical Reflection
Observation and
experience
Theory
Context
Critical
Reflection
Practice
Reading
Academic keywords
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Analyse: Examine in very close detail; identify
important points and chief features.
Critically evaluate: Weigh arguments for and
against something, assessing the strength of
evidence on both sides. Use criteria to guide
your assessment of which opinions, theories or
models are preferable.
Describe: Give the main characteristics or
features of something, or outline main events.
Cottrell, S. (2013) The Study Skills Handbook Macmillan Press:
Basingstoke.
Showing thinking (referenced)
Indirect Reference
It has been said that writing makes unconscious thought evident to the
writer (Forster, 1927).
or Forster (1927) believed that writing makes unconscious thought evident
to the writer.
Direct Reference
The complex relationship between language and thought takes many
forms; “how can I know what I think until I see what I write?” (Forster, 1927, p10)
In reference list:
Books
Forster, E. M. (1927), Aspects of the Novel, London: Edward Arnold
Direct long quote
Children also showed different ways of making
sense of the reading process:
Children in the study convincingly demonstrated
that learning how to read bears the stamp of a person’s
individuality... Children in the study all exhibited
likenesses in their physical, emotional and intellectual
functioning.
(Bussis et al, 1985, pp.64-5)
Referencing electronic sources
Author or Editor or Corporate Author. (year), Title
(edition) [online], Place of publication: Publisher.
Available: <URL> [Access Date].
Eg:
Herring, J. (1996) Teaching Information Skills in
Schools [online], London: Library Association
Publishing. Available:
<URL:http://imdept.qmuc.ac.uk/imres/books/JHbook
1_a.htm> [Access date 20th November 2010].
Levels of Reflectiveness (1)
1.
Habitual action:
providing material without any sense of the
meaning.
2.
Understanding:
can demonstrate understanding but has
difficulty applying it because it remains a
theoretical concept and does not show how it
might be used in practice.
Levels of Reflectiveness (2)
3. Reflection:
can relate concepts and ideas to own
experience, and writing is illustrated with
examples from practice.
4. Critical reflection:
this implies a change or transformation of
perspective. Recognises own assumptions and
can critically review them.
Kember et al (2008)
Proof-reading
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Sentences
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Length
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Variety of construction
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Syntactical function
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Verbs (please vary - they do nice things for meaning)
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Subject-verb agreement (is/are)
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Appropriate use of pronouns
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Expectations of use or non-use of subjective phrases (I feel/I think/I believe)
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Accuracy of expression rather than literary eloquence
Punctuation
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The comma – a case of neglect
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The apostrophe – a victim of abuse
Words
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Mixing up homonyms (their/there)
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Non-Standard forms of English (“It could of…”/It could have…)
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Their iz no excuzes for submiting werk with incorect speling...
 Spell-checkers
 University support
Referencing – see handbook/studentcentral
The importance of proof
reading!
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat
ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can
be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it
wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the
huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter
by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
The importance of punctuation
Punctuate this sentence correctly:
A woman without her man is
nothing
An example
A
woman: without her, man is
nothing.
A
woman, without her man, is
nothing.
And another.....
He has lost interest in education, I feel
frustrated by this.
I ask him if he wants to give up smoking, his
reply was no.
Assignment Planner (2000 words)
Intro - 200 words
Set context
Explain intentions
Theme 1 – 500 words
Ideas/points (relate to
assessment criteria)
References (theory/policy)
Theme 2 – 500 words
Ideas/points (relate to
assessment criteria)
References (theory/policy)
Theme 3 – 500 words
Ideas/points (relate to
assessment criteria)
References (theory/policy)
Conclusion – 300 words
Sum up, evidence your
learning
Draw conclusions, make
recommendations
Grading criteria 60-69%
A good response to the task: all learning outcomes have been met
fully and many have been achieved at a good or very good
standard.
The work demonstrates all or most of the following characteristics in
relation to those expected at the given level of study:
 A standard and comprehensive approach to the devising and/or
execution of the work
 Very good understanding and exploration, some insight and/or
thorough research
 No significant inaccuracies or misunderstandings
 Some high quality analysis, synthesis, evaluation, critical appraisal
and/or performance
 The specifications for the assessment task, including word limit,
have been adhered to. The work is well organised and the standard
of presentation* is good.
Grading criteria 40-49%
An adequate, but weak, response to the task: all learning outcomes
have been met but at least some barely exceed the threshold
standard to pass the module.
The work may display some strengths (such as those indicated in the
characteristics of higher grades) but the grade is brought down by some
weak features, such as:
Very
basic and/or poorly thought out approach to the devising and/or
execution of the work
Adequate but limited understanding and/or exploration of major ideas
with very little insight and/or minimal research
Some minor inaccuracies and/or misunderstandings
The work is too descriptive, insufficiently analytical and/or poorly
performed in relation to the expectations for the given level of study
Some minor aberrations from the specifications for the assessment task
Poor standard of presentation*
What next?
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Check the grading criteria, level descriptors
and referencing guidelines.
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Check the support available in the
Studentcentral SSGT folder, access study
support sessions, don’t leave writing until the
last minute!
Mel’s SC folder
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Go to ‘my school: education’
Scroll down pink box and click on ‘SoE
Student Support & Guidance’
Open the folder called, ‘Useful information for
successful assignment writing.’
Also check out the new Aspire Study Skills
reading list.