Writing with pictures, voice AND words

An academic by the name of Erica McWilliam (2007) recently suggested something radical. That is, in the new internet age (commonly referred to as Web 2.0), pictures and sound are just as important as words in communicating.

Some first year students in Electrical and Energy Systems here at Mawson Lakes are showing that learning is a fluid and dynamic process. The production of e-clips required the writing up of storyboards and uses the written word for feedback and introductions. The product, though, is visual. Thanks, James, for this one:



The concept of using e-clips at Mawson Lakes was engineered by Diana Quinn from the Learning and Teaching Unit and Course Coordinator, Zorica Nedic.

The students were asked to take a key concept in their course and produce a 3 minute YouTube video which would, in turn, teach other students. Diana said 'the clips were to represent the students personal take on the topic and they were encouraged to put their personalities into the e-clip'.

Now - that's thinking outside the square! AND aren't our students CLEVER! You can see more e-clips here.

Kicking goals with referencing

One of the best ways to attract high marks is to demonstrate your skill, creativity and understanding when it comes to using references.

A favorite starting point for a lecturer who marks your work is often your reference list. If you can show breadth of reading (evidence), use quality sources and show you know how to use the literature critically and constructively, your chances of scoring goals (or marks) will be higher. It's as simple as that.

In all cases, you can regard the literature as the chief defender of your point of view or position on a particular subject. Without good supporting references, properly presented (with a recognised referencing system), your chances of scoring goals are significantly diminished.

Learning advisers have produced some 'must have' resources for referencing:

Harvard Referencing Guide

Paraphrasing

Reading Log

Avoiding plagiarism

The subjectivity/objectivity scale

Andrea's 'Kicking Goals' PowerPoint

Best of luck with your writing adventures.

Andrea

Is your future in research?

The Living Research Book Library starts this week!

Book now for your opportunity to meet a famous researcher and ask for advice on your research career.

Map your way through the 'thought' jungle

From this:

(Zimmer, n.d.)

To this:

(Hayes, G n.d. )

Writing in the Sciences devotees were recently treated to Susanna Carter's popular Mind Mapping workshop where she explored the work of Mind Mapping Guru, Tony Buzan.

Mind Mapping is definitely the buzz in planning work and synthesising knowledge at the moment. Susanna described it as 'enjoyable' and 'highly effective because it uses many parts of the brain'. She also explained how Mind Mapping cuts down on words, paper, superfluous notes and wasted time as concepts are chrystalised and simplified into colourful diagrams.

Here are some links from Susanna's homepage:

Tony Buzan's website

Mind map exchange website

Mind Brain Education

Lumosity - games to speed up your brain!

Neuroscience and cognition - an excellent blog

Thanks, Susanna!

Andrea

The 7 C's of highly effective oral presentations for engineering students

A recent workshop with some Advanced Mechanical Engineering students from Singapore (hi guys!) reminded me of the famous 5 C's which I encountered when I used to teach there a few years back.

C= Credit Card C= Condominium C= Cash C= Car C= Career

When I asked the students to come up with some attributes of what they thought were the hallmarks of effective oral presentations, the C's came to the fore again. Here's what they came up with:

Be Concise and Compress what you need to say:

Nobody wants to sit through a boring speech. Eliminate waffle through rehearsal and careful planning.

Think structure in the same way you would for a piece of written work. Rehearsal will enable you to give your presentation to time.

Sometimes it helps to start with a little anecdote or survey the audience with a quick poll to get them involved. The introduction should address each small section of your presentation in the order in which it comes in your presentation. In the summary, it is good to look to the future: what needs to be done next? What does the future hold? What are some of the implications of what you found.

Clarify:

Explain technical terms well - don't make assumptions of your listener. Use everyday anecdotes and examples to show how what you are doing is linked to industry and 'real life' so that it becomes meaningful for your audience. 'Academese' (dense terminology and convoluted language) bores the listener. Simplifying complex terms and applications shows how clever you really are!

Contrast:

Use a mixture of styles. Sometimes it helps to move from PowerPoint slides to overhead transparencies to little stories which move the audience attention from wall to wall to speaker.

Also, make sure you use plenty of modulation in your voice when you speak. Pause for emphasis and avoid the monotone. This can be achieved by not relying on your PowerPoint slides or transparencies too much.

Courtesy:

A smile is worth a great deal in a presentation. Connect with your audience so that they feel you value them. Create a respectful environment by dressing for the occasion. (Do avoid leaning on the wall/tables etc - I have seen this. It is NOT a good look! :) ) Also, look as though you are actually enjoying yourself!

Criticism:

One of the most often rewarded aspects of academic writing is where the student can point out limitations, weaknesses or areas where the experiment or project could have been 'done better'.

What worked? What was good? What was surprising? What were the limitations or constraints? What needs to be done for the future? What did you learn about yourself or the project as a researcher?

These questions are the stuff of higher order thinking and lecturers are pleased when they crop up.

Conviction:

Once again - avoid the monotone. One way you can convince an audience of your passion for a project is to make eye contact with the audience. Perhaps the most enduring piece of advice I have ever read about oral presentations is to make eye contact with individuals (not walls!)

In conclusion, nerves befuddle even the best public speakers. The first time I ever had to speak in front of a large group of students (around 250 at City West) I was perfectly composed from the waist up. However, I was grateful for the lectern as my legs shook uncontrollably - thankfully out of view of the students!

I think my best tip is for you to prepare well and rehearse. That way you can be quite CONFIDENT that you will do very well.

Do you have any oral presentation stories or tips for other students? You can post anonymously; use your name or log on as a Google Blogger.

Andrea Duff

Wynton's waxings on Wikipedia

Wynton Heading, (soon-to-be-retired) Manager of Academic Library Services at UniSA, launched this year's Writing in the Sciences series with a somewhat scathing attack on Wikipedia - the collaborative 'free encyclopedia that anyone can edit'.

'The problem with Wikipedia is the 'anyone' aspect', says Wynton. This has led to lots of discussion about whether it should be used in the University context.

Wynton used an example of the Wikipedia entry on climate change, to highlight the subjectivity involved in the use of Wikipedia:

The excerpt here is clearly full of biases which do not add to the serious debate or body of evidence around climate change.

Wynton readily acknowledges Wikipedia is a useful source for background reading and even praises the mega-website for pointing out parts where 'citation' is needed. However, Wynton points to the more scholarly sources of the UniSA library databases * as being the best way to go for an academic piece of writing.

Here are but a few:

• Web of Science (a five star database, according to Wynton)
• Scopus
• Inspec
• Compendex
• IEEEXplore
• Academic Search Premier

He also mentioned Google Scholar as an 'invaluable' tool because it can trawl through most of what is on the UniSA library web.

Best of luck with your retirement, Wynton!

Andrea

* Apologies to our Writing in the Science visitors who are unable to get into password protected resources at UniSA

Writing in the Sciences - Kicking goals, getting the high marks

This blog started out as an accompanying reflection on the Writing in the Sciences series which is usually run here at Mawson Lakes in SP5. As you can see, the reflections have rolled on beyond the purpose for which the blog was originally intended!

Now the face-to-face workshops have returned. Here are the first three offerings, with more to come:

Will I or won't I use Wikipedia?

What is a good source for writing in the sciences and engineering? Where do you find the best sources? Is there a place for Wikipedia and why the controversy? To Google or not to Google...

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a wonderful tool to organise your ideas and structure your work. Susanna Carter is the resident Learning Adviser mind mapping expert. Book early for this popular workshop.

Kicking goals with referencing

One of the best ways to attract good marks is to know how to use references purposefully, correctly and in ways which add authority to your writing. This workshop is a gold passport to moving your work up a grade!

Book early, avoid disappointment

The Writing in the Sciences team

Andrea, Helen, Susanna and Wynton

Grappling with grammar

Feeling tense about tense? Are you cool, calm and collected about collectives? Are you singular about getting plurals right?

So sorry for the puns - sometimes it's just irresistible!!

We have lots of resources to get your grammar in shape. Regardless of your sphere of writing (engineering, computer science, maths) nothing cheapens a sentence more than glaring grammar errors.

Here is a quick review of some grammar goodies (as you can see, this Learning Adviser is hooked on alliteration).

• Quick Clicks is a blog consisting of handy, printable 'quick' tips and tactics for grammar, writing and academic skills. What science writer would not be excited by Abstracts, Introductions and Conclusions; Punctuation marks: Colons and Semi-Colons or Presenting your own opinion without using 'I' ?
  
• Learning Connection's English Language Proficiency site is a pretty official-sounding name for some very cool resources around reading, writing, listening and speaking.
  
• Something we are really excited about (and hot off the press) is the Grammar Gang Blog - YOUR writing community. This a venture between our esteemed colleagues at Purdue University and the Learning Advisers at UniSA. It's early days for the Owls (Purdue) and Possums (UniSA), but we'd like you to vote on the poll, sign up and feel free to post your grammar questions (you can check anonymous or sign in with a Google account).

Andrea (on behalf of Helen)

Should I do a PhD?

A deviation from the standard

For those who are befuddled by stats:

Dr Helena Ward: Why scientists write!

Helena writes as an academic with a strong publication list. See her home page.

I found this quote a couple of years ago and I think it neatly summarises the importance of communication skills for scientists: “Science exists because scientists are writers and speakers” (Montgomery, 2003, The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science, University of Chicago Press, Chicago).

Science is not only about doing science, the practical aspects of research and experimentation, but also the communication of the process, the results and perhaps most importantly the failures. Scientists create and share knowledge and so need to develop the skills to reach the various audiences who will read their work. This can be a challenge as the use of specialised, technical language can act as a barrier to clear, concise communication.

One of the most important considerations is the audience: who is going to read your work?
There are a number of forms of scientific writing and the style and format you use will vary, depending on who is going to read the final product.

Practical Reports, which summarise scientific experiments, often have the general format of Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion. This provides a framework which follows the various stages of the scientific method and also reflects the format required by many scientific journals. Such reports are usually written in the “passive” voice, e.g. the bacteria were centrifuged, rather than the “active” voice, e.g. I centrifuged the bacteria.

Technical reports, which may require specific recommendations on future actions, may be intended for a scientific audience, such as a company. In some cases reports will be read by a variety of interested parties, including Government, research scientists and the public. This means you will need to carefully consider the type of language you use.

• Do you need to provide a list of scientific definitions and abbreviations?
• Can you use examples to clearly explain certain concepts?
• How will you use diagrams, tables, etc to illustrate your work?
  

Whatever type of scientific writing you do, first consider your audience and then the best way to get your message across. By developing your scientific writing skills, you will be able to communicate your scientific knowledge and take part in the wider scientific community.

I’ll finish with another quote about science, which I think summarises the challenge of scientific research. “Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” (Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, 1962).

Helen Ward

Senior Lecturer: Academic Development

Writing to impress!

No-one has more interest than students in writing to impress their readers.

Writing for assessment is your main way of demonstrating what you have learned. No matter how well you can perform technically, whether it’s designing or building equipment, or conducting experimental work, the quality of your writing can make or break you in assessment.
The person who reads your work is important to you so you need to think about that reader's needs. Make sure your readers finds reading your work interesting and enjoyable. This means attending to the quality not merely the content of your writing.

A few pointers:
To ensure that your work is credible you need to read and cite the best sources you can find in your professional field

• Ensure your search skills enable you to find those sources
  

Keep comprehensive records of your reading so that you can readily track the best ideas back to their source/s

• Use a Reading Log to develop a more analytical approach to reading
  

Make sure you understand the demands of the genre e.g. if you’re writing a report how do you organize the present your information in report form?

Learn to paraphrase well – see how others do it in the readings that impress you

• Use the recommended referencing system exactly
  

Allow yourself enough time to revise your work comprehensively.

If you know you do not write well in English you will need to allow extra revision time. Final papers that include spelling and grammatical errors make it very difficult for your reader/marker to understand what, if anything, you have learned. Avoid sabotaging yourself.

Tip: plan your writing schedule to allow for revision time. For example you may need at least one full day between the drafting and revising stages when writing a major paper. Taking a break between these stages allows you to see your draft more objectively.

I hope you find that any extra care you put into writing about your learning is worth every minute.

Helen

Helen Johnston

Lecturer: Learning Adviser

Learning Connection: Mawson Lakes

Visiting from Singapore

At present at Mawson Lakes campus we are hosting a group of senior Mechanical Engineering students who are here from Singapore for two weeks intensive study.

Welcome everyone! You've chosen a cold time of year to visit Adelaide. You will find life in and around Mawson Lakes very quiet after Singapore.

As you're expected to learn a lot about researching and writing you will find plenty of material on and linked to this blog to interest you. Check the link further down in the adjacent column to resources used in our classes last week.

There are several postings in this blog that are directly relevent to you as you write up your current work. See in particular the previous entry on writing a literature review and an earlier posting on paraphrasing. Both elaborate on points made in our class on

• the importance of writing to you as scientists
• the relevance of in-text citations and referencing to improving the credibility of your work.

All the best,

Helen

Literature reviews and button collections

Literature reviews are tricky to write and some are very boring to read. The most boring ones are those that list each item, one after the other, like entries in a book catalogue.

Before I throw out my old clothes, or turn them into cleaning rags, I cut off the buttons and put them in a jar. You never know when you’re going to need a spare button. After many years of doing this, I have quite a collection.

Writing a literature review is like describing my button collection. I could do that by picking up each of the hundred or so buttons in turn and describing them all individually. Bor-ing! Even if you lasted the distance, you probably wouldn’t remember too much of what I’d said.

Now, if I’d sorted them into some sort of pattern, that would be more interesting and more memorable. The biggest group are the tiny round plastic ones which have probably come from old shirts. This suggests that shirts are my most common article of discarded clothing. Similar in some ways to this group are the large round buttons which probably came from coats. The larger size may indicate the need to hold thicker fabric or that they were subject to larger forces. Another group again are the ornate buttons, some of which are made from a combination of materials and many of which have looped shanks on the back. And so on.

Image from Global b2b (2008) http://www.global-b2b-network.com/

In writing your literature review, think of ways you might organize the readings, rather than just reporting each one in turn. Has an issue been investigated from a range of theoretical positions? Using different methodologies? Considering different aspects? In a range of different contexts? What are the similarities and differences of these different approaches? What are their relative strengths and weaknesses? How do the approaches support or challenge each other?

As you organise your literature review, think of my button collection.

Kerry O'Regan


Learning Adviser



Kerry O'Regan is our special guest blogger for this month. Kerry has had a long history of working with engineering students - firstly at the Institute of Technology and then the University of South Australia and Adelaide University. Kerry mentioned in her recent presentation to Engineering Research Methods students that she completed a Masters Thesis looking at women in engineering. She also has a keen interest in online teaching and learning.

In praise of the paraphrase

Paraphrasing is a skill which is kind of tricky when you first start Uni. Often, students are under the misapprehension that paraphrasing means 'changing a few words' - swapping nouns and adjectives or shuffling things around.

Paraphrasing is, in fact, somewhat more complex than merely re-wording. It is about extracting the meaning of what has been said by reading the text, putting it aside and then asking (and noting) 'What does this really mean?'

It is important to highlight a couple of things:

• No two students' paraphrases will be the same


• Each student writer extracts the 'meaning' to suit the purpose - to support their own arguments or positions about a point-of-view


• It's ok to 'quote' a couple of colourful words in a paraphrase (see the examples below)


• Always attribute the paraphrase to a source

Example A: The text

Example B: The paraphrase

Example C: The paraphrase with interpretation

That's all for now. Best of luck!

Helen and Andrea

PS Post your questions about the art of paraphrasing by clicking 'comments'

For all students who speak English as second language

When
Monday 14th – Thursday 17th April 2008

Session Times
10.00am - 12:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Where
UniSA City West campus

Cost: Free

Content
English grammar, Academic speaking skills, Academic writing, Referencing, Academic reading, Online techniques for language learning and Mind mapping


Classes are held over 3 mornings and 4 afternoons for students who want to improve their English language and academic skills. You can attend any, or all of the sessions.

Please register online for the sessions you wish to attend:

http://unisanet-apppro.levels.unisa.edu.au/registerit/Students-WorkShops.asp?

(These workshops are listed under City West and designated by “AELDP” in the title)

A winning proposal

Few if any Masters students will leave their studies without having to write a research proposal for their research or minor thesis.

To write an excellent research proposal, it's best to start by thinking about the role of the proposal. The document is intended to persuade the reader that your research is worthwhile doing. In working life, this may translate into persuading a funding body or your boss to support your work. In life at university, it might mean the difference between receiving a high distinction or a credit or a grant or scholarship.

A good research proposal will have some or all of the following elements:

• A persuasive piece of writing which leaves the reader in no doubt as to the intent of and need for your research (Key sections: The significance of the problem and The literature review)
  


• A demonstration that the research proposed is do-able. While it would be impractical to solve world water shortages, you might be able to research a technology which will enable the saving of water under particular conditions in a particular location. (Key sections: The methodology and The problem or sub problems)
  


• Critical exploration of the current and key literature surrounding your topic. Critical is the most important word here. Simply providing accounts of what so-and-so said or found will not convince the reader of the need for research or the approach you are deciding to take. You must say why a finding or study was useful and examine its weaknesses, limitations and how it will be of use to your writing. (Key section: The literature review)

Finally, 'all roads must lead to your research'. This means that a research proposal must at its core, convince the reader of the need for your research.

Writing the Research Proposal is a useful read. Although written for students of Engineering Research Practice and Engineering Research Methods, it has some handy links and approaches for all research writing. A word of caution: check with your course coordinator about the headings they would like you to use. The approach suggested in this particular online resource has been taken from Leedy and Ormond (2005).

Best of luck with writing your persuasive and winning proposal.

Liz Horrocks, Andrea Duff and Helen Johnston

Learning Advisers City East and Mawson Lakes

A few summary points

The skill of summarising is such a handy one to have. The student or employee who is able to summarise a complex document for another reader is highly valued.

As we speak, students in Communication for Information Systems and Technology are busily trying to distill an entire article into 350 - 450 words. There are some simple guidelines to help with this seemingly tough task.

• First draw a concept map or picture of the main ideas. Your picture might look something like this:

• Secondly, when you begin to write, introduce the main ideas in the order in which they appear in the article.


• Thirdly, make good use of words which list such as firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on.


• Fourth, look for opposites and similarities...
  
  
  One view taken...however....on one hand...on the other...similarly...likewise...in contrast
  
• Finally, you should deal with one idea per paragraph.

Good summarising relies on sometimes ruthless editing skills. A useful device is to just refer to the actual article and author once (in the opening sentence where you might cite bibliographic details):

In the chapter 'Climate Change - an inevitable reality' (Thompson, 2002), the author underlines three main reasons why we should take heed of rising temperatures.

Firstly, as temperatures rise, sea levels will rise. This means....

Secondly,

Hone this important skill and reap the rewards!

Andrea on behalf of the Learning Advisers

The fundamentals of report writing

As many of our engineering and computer science students prepare their first reports, it is worth visiting some of the basic requirements of report writing. As we speak, we know that students in Sustainable Engineering Practice and Introduction to Information Technology Studies are busy contemplating their first reports or drafts.

The first thing to say is that there are 'reports' and there are 'reports'.

If you are reporting on an experiment, then you will produce what is known as a 'practical report'. If you are reporting on an issue under an investigation, then it is likely to be a 'technical report' . Reports are also produced for things like software specification.

Secondly, reports are tightly structured. They use:

• Section headings which are well understood (such as 'abstract' or 'executive summary'; 'introduction'; 'conclusion'; recommendations)


• Numbered headings and subheadings


• Cohesive 'linking' language - firstly, secondly, thirdly...therefore, in conclusion

Thirdly, they use an objective 'tone'. There is no place for the first person 'I' in report writing. Nor is there any place for:

• Vague and imprecise terms (various, numerous...)


• Flowery language with out support (excellent! wonderful! super!)


• Unsubstantiated claims without references.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice we can offer is to think of yourself as making the job easier for the reader. Reports are often read by busy people. Careful construction of sections combined with precise cohesive sentences will make for a more enjoyable and persuasive document.

There is no doubt that being able to construct a good report is highly valued by employers. If you can get it right, not only will your report attract great marks, but it will contribute to your success in the job market.

Best of luck with your first assignments.

Helen and Andrea

Your resident Mawson Lakes Learning Advisers and Bloggers.

Following the success of the Writing in the Sciences workshops at Mawson Lakes, City East Learning Connection is offering a new Writing in the Sciences series during Study Period 2, 2008.

Workshop topics include:

• Surviving at Uni
• Speed reading
• Mindmapping
• Assessments are they all the same?
• Finding your critical voice
• Self-editing
• Using sources strongly and wisely.

You are invited to book into the sessions and come to Learning Connection, City East to hear great speakers present interesting sessions! We would love to see Mawson Lakes students at City East.

Liz Horrocks and Susanna Carter

Lecturers: Learning Advice

Advanced project writing - being the best you can be

Early this week, I had the pleasure of meeting some Mechanical Engineering students who are here on a special visit from Singapore with the School of Advanced Mechanical Engineering.


Over a barbie* on Monday we chatted about numerous** things, such as the cricket at Adelaide oval; what do do when you're in Adelaide; the food; the merits of doing a day trip to Kangaroo Island and the Weather (a popular topic when it's 39 degrees).


Today the weather is cooler and I'm turning my attention to preparing for the the Technical and Advanced Writing Project workshop for our Singaporean guests over the next two days.


Most of the workshop materials are linked to the side navigation, but I just wanted to say a couple of things.


Firstly, to the Writing in the Sciences community, what is posted up here relates to universal principles of good technical and academic writing - and is not specific to any particular sub-discipline (Advanced Mechanical Engineers, in this case). In other words, all you see up here will be of some use to all writers.


Secondly, I would like to point you to the Academic Writing Triangle which encapsulates the approach Learning Advisers and other lecturers take when looking at work. There are a heirachy of elements and each one must be fulfilled. These are the building blocks of good academic writing - Scientific or not.


Thirdly, a very WARM welcome to our Singaporean students who are here for a taste of Mawson Lakes and South Australia. Please regard this as your techinical writing online 'home' and feel free to post any questions or observations. I (or others in this community) can respond in due course.

Do you have any writing questions?



* Barbie, of course, is a shortened form of barbeque. Aussies are fond of using 'ie' at the end of words. Breakie = breakfast; Pressie=present
** Numerous is a word which scientific writers should avoid. Try to use words which quantify such as 'Today we spoke about five things. These were...'








Andrea Duff