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Assessment Task 3b: Argumentative Essay Paragraph
This is an individual assessment. It is worth 20% of your final grade weighting. Word length: see below Electronic submission via BlackBoard SafeAssign in week 9 [see BlackBoard for exact dates and time]
Description
Being able to conduct academic research and integrate the results of this with your own ideas on issues is an essential skill at university. This task will develop your researching and academic writing skills through an argumentative essay paragraph and require you to use the Harvard Referencing style.
An argumentative essay should persuade the reader to a particular point of view on the strength of the reasons presented. It should show a clear line of reasoning based on sound academic evidence and support of the point of view expressed in the thesis statement.
Select an essay question from the range provided and write:
• a thesis statement identifying your position on the chosen topic o your position may either be ‘for’ or ‘against’ the question • a body paragraph supporting your thesis statement o three academic reference sources [2 x journal articles and 1 x book/eBook] are required to support your position and develop your arguments o the paragraph should contain one direct quotation and a minimum of two paraphrases from the research materials, in-text referenced in the Harvard style • a reference list written in the Harvard style o all sources cited in the reference list must be used at least once as an in-text reference in the body paragraph
Follow the step by step guidelines in the TPP101 TASK 3 – TOOLKIT under the Task 3 Assessment tab on BlackBoard to assist you in completing this assessment.
Essay Questions
Question 1: Peer review and feedback of course material is a valuable tool for enhancing academic outcomes for students in higher education.
Question 2: Class attendance is a major contributor to successful academic outcomes for students in higher education.
Question 3: Used within higher education lecture and tutorial sessions, technology-based equipment such as laptops and mobile phones have a negative impact on students’ ability to maintain focus and assimilate the course content into long term memory.
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Formatting
Use this as checklist to ensure that you have completed this assessment according to the task requirements:
Word count: • Thesis Statement: one sentence [no word count] • Essay Paragraph: 250 words +/- 10% [includes in-text referencing] • Reference List [no word count] Font: Arial or Tahoma 12 point Line spacing: • 1.5 Thesis Statement and Essay Paragraph • 1.0 Reference List [one clear line between each entry] Written in complete sentences and in an academic style. Header: Top left: TPP101 Top centred: Essay Paragraph Top right: Task 3b Footers: Bottom left: student name Bottom centred: student ID number Bottom right: Page number All parts in one document: • Thesis Statement [followed by one clear line], then • Essay Paragraph • Reference List [new page] No numbering, bullet points, tables or figures. Handwritten work is not accepted. File name must comply with USC conventions: • family name_first name_student number_Task 3b_TPP101 • file type must be: .doc, .docx or .pdf Refer to Marking Rubric [attached] for additional assessment criteria
Referencing
Harvard style Reference list has 1.0 line spacing [one clear line between entries] An essay with less than three appropriate reference sources will not qualify for a pass grade. .com, .edu, .org or other similar commercial [web]sites are not acceptable as reference sources in this task, and if used, will result in a fail grade. Please use the USC Library and/or Google Scholar for your academic sourcing.
Due date and submission
Electronic upload to BlackBoard as a Microsoft Word or .pdf file. Refer to TPP101 on Blackboard Assessment tab, Task 3b for due date and time. Emailed assessments are not acceptable. Refer to the University’s Student Academic Misconduct - Academic Policy [link in the Course Outline] for information on student academic integrity and plagiarism.
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Task 3b rubric
TPP101 TASK 3b Marking Rubric: Argumentative Essay Paragraph Marks / 20 Name HD 100-85% DN 84-75% CR 74-65% PS 64-50% FL <50% Thesis Statement 10% The thesis statement is meticulously structured and clearly articulates the author’s position on the topic. The thesis statement is well structured and articulates the author’s position on the topic. The thesis statement evidences some structure and states author’s position on the topic. The thesis statement indicates the author’s position on the topic. The thesis statement does not fulfil its function.
Essay Paragraph 50%
Clear evidence of critical analysis in selection of research, and seamless integration into comprehensive and convincing arguments.
Research is clearly linked to the topic[s] presented and used to develop credible arguments.
Research is relevant to the topic[s] presented though needs further integration to develop clear arguments.
Research is evident and on topic, but may tend to be descriptive in nature and/or requires synthesis with author’s voice.
Research is insufficient to support the topic[s]. Arguments tend to be generalised or off topic.
Harvard Referencing 25%
There are very few or no in-text or reference list errors.
There are a few intext or reference list errors.
There are some intext or reference list errors.
There are a number of in-text or reference list errors.
Referencing is missing or flawed to an unacceptable level.
Communication 10%
Academic language and style fully observed.
Academic language and style mostly observed.
Academic language and style evident though not consistent.
Some evidence of academic language and style.
Language and style is mostly nonacademic.
There are very few or no grammatical, punctuation, spelling or vocabulary errors.
There are a few grammatical, punctuation, spelling or vocabulary errors.
There are some grammatical, punctuation, spelling or vocabulary errors.
There are a number of grammatical, punctuation, spelling or vocabulary errors.
There are many grammatical, punctuation, spelling or vocabulary errors.
Formatting 5% Incl: Layout, headers and footers, font, line spacing, word count, file naming convention.
There are very few formatting and presentation errors.
There are a few formatting and presentation errors.
There are some formatting and presentation errors.
There are a number of formatting and presentation errors.
There are many formatting errors.
FL <50% FL <50% FL <50% FL <50% Fail grade due to: Less than three credible referencing sources. Essay paragraph is considerably under/over word length. Grammar, spelling or vocabulary issues impact on credibility and/or understanding of the work. Essay paragraph is mostly off topic. Note: One or more of the rubric criteria have not been shaded. Please see your tutor for feedback on these criteria.
Graduate qualities Quality: Empowered An empowered person works from a sound knowledge base that affords them a sense of competency, control and confidence in their discipline. They use theory and discipline methods to create, design, model and perform authentic skills and field practices. Empowerment directly connects classrooms to the real world. Creative and Critical Thinkers Creative and critical thinking is a process that generates new ideas. It is based on the ability to reason logically, to assimilate, synthesise, analyse, appraise and evaluate evidence and arguments. New ideas and concepts are formed by recognising opportunities to combine ideas, objects, processes, methods, and systems to advance intellectual understanding
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Graduate skills Information Literacy The information literate person uses a range of skills to make sense of information and to construct new understandings. Having identified the need for information, its form and extent, the information literate person locates relevant information effectively and efficiently using a diverse range of appropriate sources and methods.
Skill: Communication Communication is the sharing of knowledge and understanding. It is a complex skill due to the variety of modes and media available for its delivery and the level of expertise that different communicators employ. To be an effective communicator requires the use of a range of techniques and strategies, some of which relate specifically to particular methods.