CQUniversity Unit Profile
LNGE40049 Essay Writing for University
Essay Writing for University
All details in this unit profile for LNGE40049 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will guide you through the process of writing an academic essay. You will be introduced to the culture of academic writing at university and the common features of academic essays. You will develop strategies to read, evaluate and summarise information, and then use that information to develop and support an academic argument. Throughout the unit, you will develop critical thinking, note-making, formal writing and referencing skills necessary for academic writing.

Details

Career Level: Non-award
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2022

Brisbane
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gladstone
Mackay
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Non-award unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Annotated bibliography
Weighting: 20%
2. Portfolio
Weighting: 30%
3. Essay
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Unit evaluation

Feedback

Students value the opportunity to cover the weekly content in the online lecture earlier in the week, rather than later.

Recommendation

Schedule the weekly ‘Zoom Lecture’ for online students earlier in the week and offer a new weekly ‘Zoom Q&A’ session.

Feedback from Teaching team

Feedback

Students value the assessment templates being clear and easy to understand.

Recommendation

Streamline Assessment 1 and Assessment 2 templates to make assessment requirements clearer for students.

Feedback from Teaching team, Unit evaluation

Feedback

Students value not feeling rushed between assessments.

Recommendation

Update assessment requirements to reduce the complexity of the tasks while ensuring the unit learning outcomes are still met.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Evaluate information for relevance, authority, objectivity and currency
  2. Paraphrase, quote and summarise information using appropriate referencing conventions
  3. Plan and write an academic essay that integrates sources to support a reasoned argument.


Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Annotated bibliography - 20%
2 - Portfolio - 30%
3 - Essay - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Self Management
2 - Communication
3 - Information Literacy
4 - Information Technology Competence
5 - Problem Solving
6 - Critical Thinking
7 - Cross-Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical Practice
9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 - Annotated bibliography - 20%
2 - Portfolio - 30%
3 - Essay - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Essay Writing for University

Edition: 10 (2021)
Authors: School of Access Educstion
CQUni Publishing Unit
Rockhampton Rockhampton , QLD , Australia
Binding: Spiral

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Dr Cody McCormack Unit Coordinator
c.mccormack@cqu.edu.au
Amanda Rooks Unit Coordinator
a.rooks@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 07 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Pen to paper

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 14 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Critical reading

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 21 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Referring to the ideas of others

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 28 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Citations and the reference list

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 04 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Finding information

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Annotated Bibliography Due: Week 5 Monday (4 Apr 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 11 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 18 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

The structure of effective essays

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 25 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

From plan to paragraph

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 02 May 2022

Module/Topic

Polishing paragraphs

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 09 May 2022

Module/Topic

Variations to paragraph structure

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Portfolio Due: Week 9 Monday (9 May 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Begin Date: 16 May 2022

Module/Topic

Introductions and conclusions

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 23 May 2022

Module/Topic

Editing and preparing your essay for submission

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 30 May 2022

Module/Topic

Submitting your essay and reflecting on your progress

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 06 Jun 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Essay Due: Review/Exam Week Monday (6 June 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Exam Week Begin Date: 13 Jun 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

Unit Coordinator: Dr Cody McCormack
Office location: Mackay Ooralea campus (Building 6, G.15)
Telephone: 07 49 407 887
Email: c.mccormack@cqu.edu.au

Assessment Tasks

1 Annotated bibliography

Assessment Title
Annotated Bibliography

Task Description

Task: Make notes on the two sources chosen from the e-reading list provided on the unit Moodle site and complete an annotated bibliography on these two sources.
Purpose: The assessments in this unit contribute towards the development of an essay due at the end of the term. The purpose of the annotated bibliography is for you to read, summarise and evaluate potential sources for your essay. By completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your summarising, paraphrasing and referencing skills as well as your ability to apply critical thinking to the evaluation of the sources related to the essay question.
Length: 500 words (approx. 250 words for each annotation). The Notes section of this assessment is not included in the word count.


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Monday (4 Apr 2022) 9:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 6 Tuesday (19 Apr 2022)

Within two weeks of the assessment due date (public holidays excepted) or, if the assessment is received after the due date, within two weeks of the submission date.


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

This assessment will be graded on the quality of the following criteria:
  1. Evaluating
  2. Summarising
  3. Language
  4. Referencing
  5. Notes


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate information for relevance, authority, objectivity and currency
  • Paraphrase, quote and summarise information using appropriate referencing conventions


Graduate Attributes
  • Information Literacy
  • Critical Thinking

2 Portfolio

Assessment Title
Portfolio

Task Description

Task: Using the topic you chose in Assessment 1, construct the body paragraph plans for your essay using the paragraph planner template. Write one polished body paragraph from your plans, and create a reference list.
Purpose: This task requires research to find at least five additional sources for your essay and begin the writing process. By completing this assessment, you will demonstrate that you have a clear direction for your essay. This assessment will provide feedback that will assist you to improve your final essay.
Length: There is no specified word count for the Essay Portfolio component. An example of the paragraph plans is provided on the unit Moodle site for an indication of the level of detail required. The polished paragraph should be 250-300 words. The reference list must contain a minimum of eight sources in total. (You are allowed to use the three sources from the e-reading list provided on the unit Moodle site.)


Assessment Due Date

Week 9 Monday (9 May 2022) 9:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 11 Monday (23 May 2022)

Within two weeks of the assessment due date (public holidays excepted) or, if the assessment is received after the due date, within two weeks of the submission date.


Weighting
30%

Assessment Criteria

The assessment will be graded on the quality of the following criteria:
  1. Content
  2. Integration of ideas
  3. Language
  4. Referencing


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Paraphrase, quote and summarise information using appropriate referencing conventions
  • Plan and write an academic essay that integrates sources to support a reasoned argument.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence
  • Critical Thinking
  • Ethical Practice

3 Essay

Assessment Title
Essay

Task Description

Task: Write an essay that addresses one of the essay topic options provided on the unit Moodle site. Your thesis should state your position on this topic and your argument/s must be supported with evidence.
Purpose: This task requires you to complete the process of finding, reading and critically evaluating information to develop a reasoned academic essay that is supported by evidence. By completing this assessment, you will develop your critical thinking, note-making, writing and referencing skills, and you will deepen your understanding of the research/writing process.
Length: 1500 words (+/- 10%). Note: the word count does NOT include the Reference list. The Reference list must contain a minimum of eight sources. (You are allowed to use the three sources from the e-reading list provided on the unit Moodle site.)


Assessment Due Date

Review/Exam Week Monday (6 June 2022) 9:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Results will be available prior to the Certification of Grades.


Weighting
50%

Minimum mark or grade
25/50

Assessment Criteria

The assessment will be graded on the quality of the following criteria:
  1. Content
  2. Integration of ideas
  3. Language
  4. Referencing


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Paraphrase, quote and summarise information using appropriate referencing conventions
  • Plan and write an academic essay that integrates sources to support a reasoned argument.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence
  • Critical Thinking
  • Ethical Practice

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?