ANALYSING ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

• Centre for Teaching and Learning Services

• Analysing questions

• Building a paragraph framework

This presentation can be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/192018workshop2014

Centre for Teaching and Learning Services

Online resources

http://owll.massey.ac.nz Videos, APA tool, Examples

http://tinyurl.com/6xy9hy Academic English Podcast

Open Mon – Fri 8.30 – 17.00

Library – Level 3

Email: slc-alb@massey.ac.nz

Phone: (09) 441 8143

3 crucial questions to ask about any assignment

What is it about?

What do I include?

What do I have to do?

Topic

Focus

Task

fight the question in your

These questions are your weapons as you _

Example question analysis

Choose ONE environmental issue and examine what the national government of ONE country is doing to improve the situation. Evaluate the extent to which the government has been successful and justify your argument with evidence and examples.

Topic

Focus

Task

One environmental issue

What ONE national government is doing to improve the situation

Evaluate (success) & Justify (your argument)

Use the TOPIC as the key search term in your research AND use it throughout the essay itself to make sure you are answering the question

Globalisation has led to the accidental or deliberate introduction of species into ecologies where they had previously been absent. These invasive species can cause not only ecological damage (for instance, in forcing native plants into extinction), but economic hardship (by damaging agricultural production and the tourism industry). In the US alone, it has been estimated that invasive species caused nearly $100bn in economic damage between 1906 and 1991 (Cook, Thomas, Cunningham, Anderson & De Barro, 2007). Countries like New Zealand, whose ecology has been isolated for millions of years, are especially vulnerable to invasive species.

Opening sentences from an introduction paragraph (introducing the topic, putting it into context and showing why it’s important)

Use the FOCUS as a secondary search term in your research, to choose relevant examples AND use the TASK words to help you structure the essay into different parts.

Preview sentence from an introduction paragraph

The New Zealand Government aims to reduce the damage caused by invasive species in three ways: Biosecurity, control and elimination. This essay evaluates the success of each approach in relation to three different invasive species.

Identify

Investigate / Examine

Consider

Discuss

Evaluate

Give a clear definition and explanation of an issue or concept

Present relevant facts and figures about the causes and effects of something

Present evidence for and against a proposal

First, define a topic or concept and refer to a range of opinions on it, giving the evidence or arguments for each opinion.

Identify the purpose(s) of X, describe the actual outcome and describe how far X achieved its purpose(s)

Common Task Words

Question analysis practice

International migration is increasing at a dramatic rate as people seek new opportunities for themselves and their families abroad. Some migrants try hard to maintain their culture, language and identity in their new host country, while others believe it is better to embrace the host country’s culture and language.Examine the reasons why people decide to leave their home countries for another country and how they can maintain their own culture and language in a new country. Evaluate whether it is better for migrants to assimilate the culture of their new country.

Topic

FocusTask

Migration

Culture – maintenance or assimilation?

Examine (reasons for migration; why they leave and how they can maintain language and culture)Evaluate (assimilation of new country’s culture)

Environmental research is increasingly prompting politicians to incorporate eco-friendly alternative energy sources into political agendas in an effort to reduce the damaging effects that fossil fuels are having on the planet. However, opponents argue that eco-friendly alternatives will not meet humankind’s ever increasing energy needs. Investigate the impacts that burning fossil fuels have on the environment. Choose an eco-friendly alternative energy source to fossil fuels and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this energy source. Examine whether your chosen energy source is a sustainable option to meet the world’s energy needs.

TopicFocus

Task

Eco-friendly fuels

Advantages / Disadvantages

Investigate (impacts of fossil fuels)Discuss (+/- of one eco-fuel)Examine (how well it meets world’s needs)

Innovative technologies have created new ways for people to make friendships and build relationships. However, it is often the case that people reveal too much information about themselves online and many experts contend that these technologies can blur the boundaries between private and public lives. Investigate how social networking sites or mobile phone technologies can build relationships. Outline how the information shared through these media could have detrimental effects on people’s lives and suggest some possible strategies to enable safe use of these technologies.

Topic

Focus

Task

mobile or online social networking

benefits and risks

Investigate (how they can build relationships)Outline (risks)Suggest (strategies to reduce risks)

Multi-media branding and marketing are frequently used by businesses in an effort to maximise their profits. Investigate how branding and marketing experts target certain members of the public via multi-media and identify the strategies used. Select a specific sector of the public (e.g. female shoppers, young children, on-line gamers, housewives, older people) and assess how successful these strategies are. Outline the possible advantages and disadvantages of making branding and marketing strategies more transparent to the public.

Topic

Focus

Task

Branding and Marketing Strategies

One specific sector of the public

Investigate (how branding & marketing targets people) & identify (strategies used)Assess (success of strategies for one sector)Outline (+/- of more transparency)

First … Use your question analysis to identify the different parts you’ll need in your essay

Approach 1 (biosecurity): What is it? How successful has it been

Approach 2 (control): What is it? How successful has it been

Approach 3 (elimination): What is it? How successful has it been

…. for example, different ways NZ has tried to deal with the problem of invasive species

Building a paragraph framework

Then … Decide how many paragraphs to use for each part and add on your intro and conclusion

You’ll have to choose between writing 3 body paragraphs (one long paragraph for each part of the question) …

… or writing 6 body paragraphs (breaking down each part into two paragraphs)

Discuss this with your tutors

Key Points

• Analyse the question: topic, focus, task

• Divide the question into parts and use 1, 2 or 3 paragraphs for each part

• Use each paragraph to focus on one part of the question

• Come along to our Weds workshops and use our online resources

This presentation can be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/192018workshop2014