Theology Associate Tutors Conference 2013

THEOLOGY |

FOUNDATION DEGREE

SUPPORTING ACADEMIC

WRITING & CRITICAL

SKILLS

J. Vincent | York St John University | 2013

Barriers to successful essay writing

Solutions to successful essay writing

Importance of understanding the question

Structuring answers

Critical reading and writing strategies

Reviewing written work

WHAT WE WILL COVER:


WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS SUCCESSFUL

ESSAY WRITING?


Solutions to barriers

PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO WRITING

Describe the barriers to successful FD writing


Tiredness – balancing priorities

Transition to „theological‟ writing

Critical thinking / engaging

Lack of confidence

How to structure it

Gap since last learning experience

Faith perspective vs critical understanding

Cathartic rather than theological

Time

Inefficiency


MAIN BARRIERS

PLANNING AND

READING


WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL ESSAY?

Understand the question first

Consider what you want to say and write an initial plan

Find the relevant books/journals on the topic that fit with your

thinking and plan

Separate your thinking into logical points that work to answer

the question and meet the criteria

Select the literature/evidence that helps support your points

In your writing, develop each main point into a

paragraph, supported by evidence that leads to a convincing

conclusionReview your work to ensure it makes sense and follows the

faculty format regulations

E

s

s

a

y

j

o

u

r

n

e

y

Break it down into its composite parts:

“Identify a particular pastoral situation in the placement context.

Using the Pastoral Cycle, write a case study of the key issues

arising from the situation and reflect theologically on them.”

2. The action or instruction – what are you doing with the

information?

1. The focus – the main subject of the essay

UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION

3. What links exist between the different parts of the question?

4. Are there any debatable or contentious terms in the question

that might need to be defined?

STRUCTURING YOUR

WRITING


Over-arching theory, idea, approach

Specific conclusions about how theory-practice can/should relate

How the themes/ideas relate to your question, experience, or best practice

Theory broken down into key ideas or themes

Ex Ex Ex Ex

Intr

oM

ain

Co

ncl

CRITICAL ANALYSIS


BLOOM‟S TAXONOMY

KEY SKILLS

Difficulty

Break a theory down into its composite parts by

asking critical questions

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

„Breaking down‟ and „building up‟ concepts

Locate the main idea

Examine and identify groupings/themes

Develop abstract or technical terms as heading that best describes groups of ideas

Consider the order that ideas should be presented

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Over-arching theory

Theory broken down into key ideas or themes

Factors related to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension:

• Educate patient about hypertension

• Confirmation of hypertension

• Evaluation of newly diagnosed patient re their medical history

• Weight reduction

• Screening

• Increase physical activity

• Classification of hypertension

• Address patients concerns and questions

• Address barriers to treatment, eg lifestyle

• Reduction of sodium intake

• Quitting smoking

Identify groupings

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Factors related to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension:



• Evaluation of newly diagnosed patient re their medical history


• Screening

• Increase physical activity


• Address patients concerns and questions

• Address barriers to treatment, eg lifestyle

• Reduction of sodium intake

• Quitting smoking

Lifestyle modification


• Increase physical

activity

• Reduction of sodium

intake

• Quitting Smoking

CRITICAL ANALYSIS





activity


• intake

• Screening



• Evaluation of newly diagnosed

patient re their medical history


• Address patients concerns and

questions

• Address barriers to treatment, eg

lifestyle

Education

Diagnosis

What is the most

logical order of

ideas/groupings?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS





activity


intake

• Screening



• Evaluation of newly

diagnosed patient re their

medical history

• Educate patient about

hypertension

• Address patients

concerns and questions

• Address barriers to

treatment, eg lifestyle

Education

Diagnosis

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

GROUP WORK: CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Read through the sheet „What is

theology?‟

In pairs:

1. Put the information in themed groups

2. Decide on what you might call the

groups

3. Decide in what order to approach them

VISUAL AND ACTIVE TECHNIQUES

This Education

Studies FD student

analysed

information for an

essay using Post-It

notes which could

then be moved

about to construct

greater meaning.


WRITING |

PARAGRAPHS

WRITING PARAGRAPHS

Be clear what points you want to make

Consider the order you want to present your

points/paragraphs

Limit yourself to one main point per

paragraph

Link your points/paragraphs together to

build towards an argument

Adapted from: http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/studyskills/helpyourself/

MAKE YOUR PARAGRAPHS COUNT

Topic Sentence (My point)

Developing sentences (Moreover, my point…)

- Defining, classifying, expanding

- Give reasons, effects or examples

- Contrasting, describing, explaining

- Refuting counter arguments

Closing or transition sentence

(Therefore…/in contrast…)

Adapted from: http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/studyskills/helpyourself/

EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH

An economic system is defined by Dixon as the system of

“production, distribution and consumption of goods and services”

(1981, p12). More abstractly, it is the set of principles and techniques by

which problems of economics are addressed such as the problem of

scarcity through allocation of finite productive resources (Castro, 1994). It

is composed of both people and institutions, including their relationships

to productive resources, such as through owning and exploiting property.

Examples of contemporary economic systems include capitalist

systems, socialist systems and mixed economies. Cuba, for instance, is

said to be socialist which refers to its domination by a

political, bureaucratic class attached to one single communist party. This

party follows Marxist doctrines and claims to represent the

proletariat, though in a non-democratic fashion. It is clear that “economic

systems” in the sense defined can be viewed broadly and is often driven by

the culture in which it is situated.

Topic sentence |Development (classifying/examples) | Closing/transition

EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH

An economic system is defined by Dixon as the system of

“production, distribution and consumption of goods and services”

(1981, p12). More abstractly, it is the set of principles and techniques by

which problems of economics are addressed such as the problem of

scarcity through allocation of finite productive resources (Castro, 1994). It

is composed of both people and institutions, including their relationships

to productive resources, such as through owning and exploiting property.

Examples of contemporary economic systems include capitalist

systems, socialist systems and mixed economies. Cuba, for instance, is

said to be socialist which refers to its domination by a

political, bureaucratic class attached to one single communist party. This

party follows Marxist doctrines and claims to represent the

proletariat, though in a non-democratic fashion. It is clear that “economic

systems” in the sense defined can be viewed broadly and is often driven by

the culture in which it is situated.

Topic sentence |Development (classifying/examples) | Closing/transition

REVIEW: BACKWARDS PLANNING

Look for main point

Consider logical order of points• Read the paragraph you have written

• Write in 10 words on a post-it note what your main point is

• If you are struggling…this indicates that:

(a) You don‟t have a point

(b) Your point is not clear enough

!! Delete/consider revising paragraph

GROUP WORK: CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Read through the following extracts

from FD Theology essays

In pairs:

1. What is their main point?

2. What feedback could you provide for

them to improve their writing?

Solutions to barriers

SOLUTIONS TO WRITING

Describe the barriers to successful FD writing


Q&A


http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/study -skills/a-

z.html

http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/han

douts/

http://writing.colo

http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/studyskills/state.edu/guides/


A FEW ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/study-skills/a-z.html






http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/handouts/



http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/





Study

Development _______________

To make an

appointment or

attend a

workshop, contact

the Student Advice

Desk in Phoenix or

email:

studydevelopment

@yorksj.ac.uk