five ways to smash your eca
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Five Ways to Smash your ECA
Hastings, 11th September
1Answer the question
Question Time
• What is the question?• Where are the boundaries?• What is out of scope?• What is relevant?• Where do you need to start?• What can you take as read?
Build a strong argument
Simple
Complex
Show that you a understand the course material
Critical ThinkingCritical thinking means not papering over the cracks.• Interrogate your sources• Find any contradictions• Explore any potential counter-arguments (which you may
or may not be able to refute)• Celebrate complexity – don't ignore it• Don't expect to provide resolution
2Structure your answer
The Plan
In a throng of ideas?
Going round in circles ?
Going round in circles?
Structurebeginning
middle
end
3Illustrate your points
Choose your examples with care
A 99 example?
• Is it the best example there is?• Does it make your point?• Does it fit with the big picture?• Have you interrogated it?• Have you analysed it fully?• Does it present any
contradictions?• Have you explored these?
4Reference your work
Reference:• Every time you quote• Every time you paraphrase• Whenever you have used ideas that did not originate in
your head.
How to reference: in text• (Author, date, page), e.g. (Brunton, 2008, p.34).• More than one page is pp. 34-36.• Get this right. • It isn’t hard. • If in doubt check the Assignment booklet • Do not guess.• It will not be OK.• It does really matter.• Don’t make it up.
How to reference: bibliography• Author of chapter, (date), ‘title of chapter’, in Name of
editor, Title of Book, place of publication, publisher, pages of whole chapter.
• Chant, C. (2008) ‘Technology and the Seaside: Blackpool and Benidorm’, in Brunton (ed.) Place and Leisure (AA100 Book 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp..
5Submission
Are you really there yet?
Acceptable Formats• .doc• .wri• .rtf• .txt• .wpd
Unacceptable formats• Everything that isn’t on the acceptable formats list.
Save as Word 97-2003
Your ECA is late after:
12 noon
1st October, 2010
Jennie Osborn
www.open.ac.uk