• Analysing an essay question

    Date: 2009.10.08 | Category: Learning Skills Exercises, Unit SSK12 | Tags: ,

    Learning Skills Exercise
    Unit:     SSK12
    Week: 4 (in Week 6)
    Date: 08 October 2009
    Exercise: Exercise 24 – Analysing an essay question

    Activity 1: The essay writing process
    Your approach to essay questions
    I have learnt in the unit so far that the steps I should take when analysing an essay topic is to establish the directive words, call out the key concepts, and define those concepts.
    My first step is to writing out the essay topic on a piece of paper. Then I go through the process detailed above. I circle the directive words, underline the key concepts, and shade the required sources. After I have followed those steps, I define the key concepts using a dictionary.

    Your approach to essay writing
    The pattern that is set out in the exercise to examine and define the question or topic, research it, draw up a plan, write a draft and write a final copy before submitting is exactly how I have been attacking my essays. Unfortunately, sometimes the time between draft and final copy is far too short for my likely. That is poor time management, not a reflection of the strategy set out. It is my personal opinion that this strategy is an effective one, and at this point in time I have no reason to find out if there is a better way.

    Activity 2: Selecting a question
    Essay 1 topic
    Using the concept of a ‘world view’, identify some of the beliefs and attitudes, particularly to education and learning, that you bring to your learning now. Reflect critically on how your world view has been shaped by factors such as your gender, age or community. In your answer refer to Hobson (1996) and Samovar and Porter (2004) from the SSK12 Reader, and Chapter 1 in A Guide to Learning Independently (Marshall and Rowland, 2006, 1-18).

    Activity 3: Analysing a question
    Content Questions
    What is the question about?
    The question is about my beliefs and attitudes particularly to education and learning that I bring to my learning now and how my worldview affects and supports those beliefs and attitudes. Secondly, it asks me to reflect on what influences have helped to create my worldview.

    What do I already know about the question?
    I believe I have a reasonable handle on the concept of worldviews and obviously I know my own views on education and learning. It might be difficult for me to articulate my personal views. Additionally, I have researched the basic definitions of education and learning, as well as more in depth definitions of belief and attitude to establish their differences.

    What are the possible main points?
    My own context
    My own views on education and learning
    How my worldview affects my views on education and learning
    The importance of worldviews in shaping our understanding of the world
    How beliefs and values change our view of education and learning

    Argument questions
    What might my thesis or theme be?
    In my response to this topic I will argue that worldviews are important to how we understand the world and therefore frame how we understand and value education and learning.

    Questions on approach
    How might I structure my answer to the question?
    I am to identify my beliefs and attitudes to education and learning
    I am reflect critically on how my worldview has been shaped by my surroundings

    What role might my personal opinion play in this assignment?
    How will you acknowledge and examine you subjectivity?
    The essence of this essay is to detail my own beliefs and attitudes, as well as my own worldview. The role of my personal opinion within this essay is an essential component.

    How much breadth or depth can this essay have?
    The essay has a 1000 word limit and so it will need to be fairly limited in its breadth and depth. It will be particularly difficult for me to make a credible argument for the importance of worldviews on understanding how they affect our views on education and learning in the space of 1000 words.

    Activity 4: Initial analysis of the question
    Write out your analysis
    Identify your beliefs and attitudes

    Activity 5: Revised analysis of the question
    For this question I didn’t feel much change was necessary, but I had a lot of preparation outside of this exercise. I can see that if I used this exercise to analyse an essay topic that the analysis might change from start to the finish.

    Reflection
    I found this exercise very helpful for understanding a essay topic and planning out my response to the topic. Completing an exercise like this is very time consuming and illustrates why preparation and appropriate time management is very important.