2.4.2 Essay
Weight: 40% Type of Collaboration: Individual Due: Friday May 10th at 5pm Submission: Turnitin Electronic Submission Format: Length: 2,000 words Curriculum Mode: Essay
Aims/Objectives It aims to develop students’ ability to respond to a question about an urban problem; to search and review relevant literature; to discuss key concepts in relation to historical and contemporary examples; and to undertake critical scholarly writing. Assessment Description Students will choose one from a list of questions to be supplied early in semester. In 2000 words they must answer this question using their own independent research and analysis. Assessment Requirements Provide a clear answer to their chosen question. Write concisely and clearly with sound grammar, syntax, punctuation and spelling. At least six academic sources will be used as references. At least four of these must come from outside the set tutorial readings. All ideas, quotations and other information will be correctly referenced. The writing here will not be purely descriptive. Students will undertake critical analysis. Assessment Criteria Students will provide a clear response that demonstrates an understanding of the essay question they have chosen. Students will make correct use of concepts from the course. Students will make use of examples and evidence to support their arguments Students will undertake independent searches for/ reading of academic sources and correctly reference these sources Students will write clearly and concisely.
Marking Criteria: Clear written expression – (Failure to achieve a satisfactory level in this criterion will result in a fail.) Expectations: Formal academic English used without spelling and grammar errors and the paper should be correctly structured into paragraphs.
Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent Large numbers of Spelling and/or Some errors of expression Negligible grammar or Paper is free of grammar grammatical and/or grammatical errors impact but in general correct spelling errors. and spelling errors. The spelling errors. Lack of on the clarity of the grammar and spelling. Well-structured and clearly writing is clear and structure and writing but it is still easily Proper paragraphs and written paragraphs and well-structured. The paper paragraphing. understandable. Some sentences but with areas sentences. A logical flow is structured in a way that problems with sentence for improvement in to the paper. helps to highlight key and paragraph structure. structure. arguments and themes.
Response to the Question Expectations: You should give a clear response to the question that demonstrates an understanding of what is being asked of you.
Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent The question is not There is a clear attempt The paper gives a response The paper gives a clear As with very good, but the directly addressed or there made to address the to the question which and well-structured answer demonstrates a is a fundamental question, even if it is not engages with the key terms response to the question particularly high level of misunderstanding of what always successful. and concepts. There may that demonstrates a high originality or clarity and is being asked. be minor issues with focus and clarity. level of engagement with the key terms and concepts. It maintains a focus on the question throughout. focus.
Critical Analysis Expectations: Your essay should be focused on your own analysis, not on merely describing your examples or on
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