58125WritingReportsLearning&Reflecting

7/31/2019 58125WritingReportsLearning&Reflecting

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Writing reports and evaluations

Understanding your assignment task

Writing genres

Report vs. essay

Purpose and audience

Report format

Report format details

Critical evaluation

Reflective writing


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Understanding your assignment task

How to analyze your assignment task

Step 1: Collect the information about the assignment Collect all given information about the assignment:

assignment task, FAQ sheet, and assessment criteria

Be clear about the purpose of the assignment:what skills, knowledge etc. you are being asked to demonstrate

Step 2: Work out the genre of the assignment Identify the genre and type of assignment required to write.

Step 3: Identify the key words in the assignment

Break the question down into components by highlighting key wordshelp with your interpretation and analysis.

Step 4: checklist make a checklist of deliverables to tick off before submission.

Guide to Writing Reports and Evaluations 2


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Writing genres

Common assignment writing genres:

Abstract and executive summary

Annotated bibliography

Case study

Critique

Essay

Reflective journal

Report

https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.html


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Report vs. essay

Report Essay

Function Presents information with aclear purpose to a specificaudience

a result of research and/oranalysis of data and/or issues.

Used to help make andevaluate decisions or accountfor actions

Often simulate industry reports

Presents a logicallystructured answer to aparticular question, orquestions, usuallypresented as an argument

Used to demonstrateknowledge, understandingand critical thinking as acohesive whole

Structure Specific sections usingnumbered headings and sub-headings

May use graphics (tables,graphs, i llustrations) May be followed by

recommendations and/orappendices

Continuous flow of textusing minimal sub-headings

Rarely uses graphics Rarely has

recommendations orappendices



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Purpose & audience

Before starting to write a report, two key questions need to be clarified: What is the purpose of the report?

Who is the audience for the report?

Purpose: ? Is it to: collect data and present the findings?

analyse a situation or activity?

review and evaluate existing literature on a topic and identify issues?

All of these reports are forms of a research report, but they fulfil different functions.

AudienceAlthough lecturers are the obvious audience for any assessment task, it is important to think of the task inmore objective terms, to see it as a 'real' task, e.g. as writing a report for a client or company. To helplocate a report in a more realistic context, think carefully about all the potential readers of a report, andask:

Who will read the report?

What are their needs, what do they need to see? How do you make your report user-friendly?

How will you structure and package the report?

How much detail needs to be included in the report?



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Generic report format

Title page

Contents

Part 1: overview

may include Introduction, rationale and summary of key findings

may be bullet point

Part 2: discussion

Critical evaluation

discussion

May combine subheadings, bullet point and narrative (essay style)

Part 3: conclusion

review, reflection

Usually narrative

Bibliography

Appendices



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Report format details

Overview

(less than 10% of the word length)

Provide basic details of the work being reviewed e.g. date it was created, the name of theauthor/creator.

Describe the main argument or purpose of the work.

Rationale: explain the context in which the work was created.

Briefly summarize the main points of discussion or findings.

Have a concluding sentence that signposts what your evaluation of the work will be. For instance, it mayindicate whether it is a positive, negative, or mixed evaluation.

Discussion (see next slide)

Conclusion

usually a very brief paragraph

A statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work

A summary of the key reasons, identified during the critical evaluation, why this evaluation was formed.

recommendations for improvement or future directions may be appropriate here.

Reference list

Include all resources, including images, cited in your critique.

Check with your lecturer/tutor for which referencing style to use.



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Discussion section

give a systematic and detailed assessment of the differentelements of the work

Sometimes you will be given a task-specific template or set ofguidelines for this

Do not simply describe or highlight pros and cons.

deconstruct the work methodically

Critically analyze: identify aims, assumptions, strengths and weaknesses

make connections to wider context, if possible

evaluate for effectiveness

provide evidence from the work itself, such as a quote or example

cite evidence from related academic sources. Explain how thisevidence supports your evaluation of the work.



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About learning

One must learn by doing the thing; though you think you know it, you have no certaintyuntil you try.

Sophocles, 495-406 BC

Other peoples knowledge is just information.

Teaching is helping people to turn information into knowledgeby getting them to do things with the information

P. Race, Assessment, Learning and TeachingVisiting Professor at the University of Plymouth

to learn something does not mean to receive knowledge or information, but thatthe relationship between person and world changes.

LouiseLimberg, 1999Senior Professor of Library and Information Science

University of Gothenburg



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What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing is: your response to experiences, thoughts, events ornew information

a way of thinking to explore your learning

an opportunity to gain self-knowledge

a way to achieve clarity and betterunderstanding of what you are learning a chance to develop and reinforce writing skills

a way of making meaning out of what you study

Reflective writing is not: just conveying information, instruction or argument

pure description, though there may be descriptive elements

straightforward decision or judgment (e.g. about whether something is right orwrong, good or bad)

simple problem-solving

a summary of course notes

a standard university essay



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Why are we asked to do reflective writing?

To make connections

builds on yourprior knowledge, whether it is formal (e.g. education) orinformal(e.g. gained through experience).

helps you develop and clarify the connections:

between what you already know and what you are learning

between theory and practice between what you are doing and how and why you do it.

To examine your learning processes

to consider and comment on your learning experiencesnot only WHAT you'velearned, but HOW you learned it.

to clarify what you are learning clarify what you have studied

integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge

identify the questions you have

identify what you have yet to learn.



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reflecting on mistakes and successes

A crucial part of your reflection

Identifies your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andbarriers to learning

helps you avoid repeating them.

helps identify successful principles to use again.

To become an active and aware learner

To become a reflective practitioner once you graduate andbegin your professional life



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Further readings

Reportwritinghttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.html

Reflective writinghttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.html

UTS Academic writing resourceshttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speaking

Other general resourceshttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/taskanal.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html

https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.htmlhttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/taskanal.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/taskanal.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/taskanal.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/taskanal.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.htmlhttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speakinghttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.htmlhttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.htmlhttps://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/reports_LL/types.html

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