1. ESSAY WRITING SKILLS
How to improve them

2. What is academic writing? What’s expected?
Who is the audience?
What format is required – essay or report or reflection on experience?
Academic styles of writing– writing in a logical and `objective’ way vs writing from personal experience
Academic conventions – referencing and plagiarism

3. Stages in assignment writing
Preparation and planning
Drafting
Re-drafting and polishing
Editing and proofreading
Reflecting on feedback

4. What makes a good essay?
Good structure: clear introduction, well crafted middle, clear and appropriate conclusion
Clear argument: progression through ideas with clear signposting
Well supported by relevant evidence

5. What makes a good essay?
Well written: grammatical; correct spelling and punctuation; good sentence structure, paragraphing and use of linking words and phrases
Fully referenced using Harvard system

6. Activity 1 Writing a draft essay from a plan
In pairs:
Using the mind map as an aid, write an introductory paragraph, a 2 or 3 paragraph main body, and a concluding paragraph.

7. Adapted from Open University Student Toolkit on essay planning
ADVANTAGES: PERSONAL
Life experience
Transferable skills
Financial issues
Motivation
INTRODUCTION
Aims of essay
Definition of mature students
Context: wider factors
MATURE STUDENTS – DO THE ADVANTAGES OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES?
DISADVANTAGES
Past experience
Family problems
Ageism
Financial issues
Lack of support
ADVANTAGES:
WIDER CONTEXT
Lifelong learning
Growing nos of
mature students
Diversity
CONCLUSIONS
Summing up the
arguments on both sides
Adapted from Open University Student Toolkit on essay planning

8. Assessing your work against an example essay.
Read essay and comment critically on the structure and organisation. In pairs, identify strengths and weaknesses.
Is there a clear introduction to guide the reader?
Are key concepts clearly communicated?
Does the writing progress/have a sense of direction?
Is there a clear and appropriate conclusion?

9. DOS & DONTS DOS Prepare well in advance
Write a first draft, leave and come back to it later
Keep your focus on the question
Edit carefully for sense, spelling, grammar and punctuation
DONTS
Write all you know about a topic
Leave till the last minute