HW0101 Introduction to Critical Writing

Lessons:
1 hr lecture + 2 hr tutorials per week

Assessment:
Class Participation + Writing Tasks 20%
Assignment 1 (Critique) 35%
Assignment 2 (Position Paper) 45%
(Not sure if the school will change the format or not)

Description:

GER-Core module for some HSS students. Similar to JC GP.

You should attend lectures because there will be clicker activities, and you may be required to fill in the blanks on the lecture slides. Lecturer will also brief you regarding the assignments.
Tutorials are a MUST, because you will need the class participation marks. No tutorial homework as tutorial exercises will be done in class.
You need to purchase the textbook because it will be used in tutorial lessons.

NO FINAL EXAMS. Assignments are essays based on a certain topic and prescribed readings given.

Assignment 1 Critique is basically a 500-word essay to critic about an assigned article. You will need to know fallacies well in order to be able to find flaws in the article and critic on it. Thus, do pay extra attention during the lecture on Fallacies! The textbook also provide a good coverage on this topic so do read up. The critique samples and question examples given in the textbook were useful for me as well.

Assignment 2 Position Paper is a 1000-word essay, requiring you to argue for a stand, based on the assigned article. This essay requires you to find a lot of statistics/evidence, so it is important to cite properly. The textbook provides examples on citations, so do take a look at it.

In both assignments, it is important for you to phrase your answers PERSUASIVELY. Having strong points are important, but you will need to be persuasive when elaborating your points. Also, do not overwrite as there is a limited word count (which is really an obstacle for me as I tend to write nonstop). Be prepared to bring out your summary skills you learnt in secondary school or JC. In addition, the lecturer will advise you on the format of the paragraphs, etc. Make sure you follow them as the format is part of the criteria in the marking scheme.

Do not undermine the power of tutorial participation marks as it can really make a difference. Do attend and PARTICIPATE during tutorials.