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Overview

Course Prescription

Teaches students the skills necessary to write essays of exposition and argument for university purposes. It includes brainstorming, writing an outline, structuring an essay, integrating quotations, summaries and referencing.

Course Overview

This course can help you improve your academic writing needed in other subjects, in particular, planning and writing essays. The course guides you through the process of writing academic expository and argument essays.

It begins with planning using brainstorming including freewriting, mind mapping, listing and outlining. It then moves on to the structure of an essay, developing an introduction with a strong thesis statement, paragraphs including topic sentences with logically developed supporting sentences and conclusions. Linking expressions and cohesive devices develop fluency.

Learning how to use the library to find appropriate academic sources and then integrating and referencing them accurately in essays through summarising and quoting helps you avoid plagiarism. The features of argument academic essays are practised: argument, counterargument and refutation.

This course also focuses on academic style and examines the key characteristics of academic writing, the kind of writing that is required at University.

ACADENG 101 is also an approved course for students who have not met the Academic English Language Requirement (AELR). The course is available as an AELR course to students from all faculties except Business.

NOTE: This course is available only to students who speak English as an additional language.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in. For this course, you can expect 48 hours of combined lectures, tutorials and blended online materials, 24 hours of reading and thinking about the content, 24 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation, plus additional study during the study breaks.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Restriction

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City
City
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable. The course is delivered through 2 sessions per week totalling 3 hours of tutorials on campus, blended with an online component comprising one recorded lecture and quiz for individual online learning. 70% attendance is required to pass the course. Classroom sessions will not be recorded. This course runs to the University semester timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Each week students access one online lecture, are encouraged to take notes and are required to complete a short quiz based on the lecture content. Lecture content will feed into two tutorials (1x1 hr and 1x 2hr). The tutorials are communicative skill-based practice sessions, in which students are expected to be interactive and join in productive activities (small group discussions, short written tasks, feedback and review).

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Students will be provided with the relevant course materials and access to an electronic copy of the course book on Canvas. The course book, ACADENG 101: Academic English Writing can be purchased from the bookshop on campus, Student Commons Building, 2 Alfred Street.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes. Attendance is recorded. Students must attend at least 70% of all classes to pass the course, not including excused absences for medical reasons or equivalent. Failure to meet this attendance requirement may result in a final grade of DNC (Did Not Complete) which is a fail grade. Failure to attend the Final Exam will result in a DNS grade (Did Not Sit) – also a fail grade.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Tutorial PPT slides now posted weekly on Canvas, as well as lecture PPTs.Exam instructions have been modified and are more thorough.The above changes have been made in response to student feedback.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.