Writing up advice - communicating and the academic voice

Communicating what you have thought about on the course usually comes at the end of the module when you 'write up' that document and/or portfolio of work for assessment .

Sorry Peter could not be with us this week but please see a link to a previous presentations about writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nweh7Fi4zRI

The topic was going to be summing up, so here are a few pointers for everyone. 'Summing up' is when you write up how the ideas have come together in your mind - so anything you have read from experts (often called literature) and other practitioners to develop a consensus in you own mind about meaning. In an academic style - you use evidence and example to 'back up' what you are saying to convince your 'reader' that you have a particular slant or point of view (your argument) about your the topic you are speaking about.

Each module has specific writing up criteria that are in the handbook - but structuring the writing can be important. This writing is often more formal that the blogs because need to get across specific ideas in a limited amount of space. Remember writing can include diagrams and images! In digital writing you can put in hyperlinks.

Although we use the 'reportage' style (so report writing) the essay style is also a good source for writing because it structures your work. A basic structure is at least 3-5 sentences per paragraph with an introductory sentence, key points and concluding sentence. Don't have paragraphs that last too long. You are writing  in the first person for this style - but it is more neutral/balance in tone with examples and evidence.

An example of a paragraph:

As an academic I use social networking as a way of communicating and developing digital literacy. There is now a greater presence of digital scholarship (Weller, 2011) in the work of academics that in turn is monitored as evidence and is a part of our job for learning and teaching and/or research. This way of working should acknowledge the private/public ethical issues of learning in a Web 2.0 world and beyond. Devices such as institutional phones with Virtual Private Network (VPN) access (e.g. Cisco system) extend the campus-based facilities into virtual workspaces beyond the campus. To work this way I need to have the technical devices that allow me to work anywhere, in the office, commuting, and at home. The use of the ‘smart’ mobile phone and portable laptops mean that academic activities are no longer restricted to ‘nine to five’ connectivity.

A bibliography at the ending of the writing would look like this in Harvard Referencing:

Weller, Martin (2011) The Digital Scholar How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice, London: Bloomsbury. 

If I used a quote I would add the page number or online if it was from the web. 

You may take several drafts - then send one to your adviser for feedback. 

Here are links that might help you write up your work in this style. Please comment with any additional questions.

Skills for study resources on MyUniHub
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/studyskills/index.aspx

Online resources from the LDU
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/ldu/onlineresources/index.aspx

Referencing
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing

Referencing guide form the IWBL
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/Assets/IWBL.pdf

More

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/get-ahead-stay-ahead/writing

Response to effective writing day in a visual form

This is my response to some of my ideas form the writing day with Peter Thomas from the Learning Development unit that we had as a group on the 8th of March.

Explanation: Many years ago I was the executor of an estate and the profundity of this event is still there, wills are also a shorthand in my visual reference bank for sustaining human drive and motivation - human will. Other bits of writing, meta-language, include my voting registration, my office lists, and the writing we did in the workshop. The visual format is a collage of the thinking we did at the workshop and how it was personalised in my journal (which I keep for work and personal activities).

Link (added) about drawing for reflective practice http://paulanottingham.blogspot.com/2010/10/drawing-for-reflective-practice.html

Module 1 Reflective Writing

Reflective writing is used at university to add a personal voice to learning. It can also bring together learning form all aspects of one's life. The difference with reflection for professional practice is that you are thinking about yourself in a professional role (paid or unpaid) in ways that can lead to 1. different ways to tackle problems or find solutions and 2. observing your own role and the events and incidents that happen that can inform you about what you do.

There are some goo university sites that mention reflection BUT do keep in mind that you are not just 'in a placement' but in the workplace as a person doing the job. It might seem like a subtle difference for emerging rather that establishing professionals, but the difference can be crucial to your development as a professional.

You have both public and private places to reflect in - it is important that you are the person who can decide what is confidential and what is for public/BAPP network consumption about your work. I have discussed this issue with both Ahmet and Pauline - there is no right answer but your own. This module is about deciding how to address both your public and private professional selves and then sharing what is appropriate with others on the course and beyond. Private extracts that are submitted with your work are confidential, but there are many ways to talk about issues publicly. For example, I though of the film director Martin Scorsese - I hope Pauline appreciates his public http://www.myspace.com/martinscorsese where he says that he does not have an email and does not go on online and in an interview http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/9640/Martin_Scorsese_talks-Shutter_Island-.html

These are extras - remember you have the Reader Part 2 as your guide... 

http://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/flash/reflective/flash_reflective_textversion.htm

http://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/reflective.htm

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/fch/work-experience/reflective-writing-guidance.pdf

http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/resources/handouts/writtenassignments/filetodownload,73259,en.pdf

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/cms/resources/uploads/File/Reflective%20Writing.pdf

http://awertzberger.com/type2/images/WritingVisual.pdf  this is very long so you may only want to scan some of this - might be useful to Module 3 so will put up on separate blog.