Hello students.
In this ELC video we're going to look at Assessment one.
We're going to cover narrowing topics, formulating essay questions, planning your essay, and
finding reliable sources.
OK, some reminders.
Assessment one is a problem-solution essay; for draft one you have to write between 300
and 400 words, while for the final draft, assessment 2, you have to write around 900
to 1000 words.
Please check blackboard for the due date for the assessment or ask your teacher.
Remember you need to submit the assessments on blackboard via Turnitin.
OK, some details about assessment one.
In draft one you should include the narrowed essay title, an analysis to the problem in
2 to 3 paragraphs, at least two in text citations and a reference list.
Let's look at an example using the topic of public health.
So first you need to make sure you have an appropriate question.
The topic we're going to look at is alcohol. The first one, drinking alcohol, that's too
broad, we don't know what the question is about.
Number 2, alcohol causes problems … discuss, Possibly, but a little bit too narrow. We
need more in the question.
The third one, Discuss the health and social problems that alcohol causes and provide some
solutions to solve these issues. OK, this is appropriate.
Next, let's look in more detail about how many paragraphs you need to write.
So, we have a question at the top of the screen
Remember you need to write 2 to 3 paragraphs in draft one and then expand on that in the
final version of your essay.
Each body paragraph should have 1 main idea, so in total I think you'll need at least 4
main ideas in your essay: 2 main problems, which can be divided into causes and impacts
if needed, and corresponding solutions. I say 4 main ideas, but it is probably safer
to have one or two more.
OK, so step one, you need to make sure you can come up with enough ideas.
We have our title, discuss the health and social problems that alcohol causes and provide
some solutions to solve these issues.
Can you think of enough ideas - the causes, the effects, and the possible solutions for
this question? Pause the video and write down some ideas now.
OK, so here are some ideas I came up with.
Under problems, alcohol causes health problems, for example heart disease, and when people
drink alcohol it can lead to injuries, for example drunk driving leads to car accidents,
and it can lead to social problems, so for example husbands or wives who drink excessive
alcohol can become more violent and that can lead to social issues within the family,
Under solutions, alcohol can be limited, for example in Hong Kong you need to be over 18
to buy alcohol. Taxes can be increased on alcohol. It can be made more difficult for
a restaurant or bar to get an alcohol license.
Okay you can add to these points, it's good to have more points than you need, some can
be combined and some you might decide are not very good, and you won't use them in your
essay. So have many points, more than you need. That is step 1.
Step 2 you now need to find supporting evidence for your points, remember each main idea needs
supporting evidence
Your main sources should come from academic Journal articles and books.
You can also use newspaper articles, magazine articles, and government websites.
But remember your essay must include some academic journal articles or books as your
references; you cannot only use newspaper articles.
OK, so Step 2 I went online to the Poly library, and used one search and found this article
about the health benefits of moderate alcohol use.
So looking in the article in more detail, I can find out the highlights of the article,
it's a very user-friendly article, easy to read.
The third step, I need to get the details from the article.
The authors The date
The Journal name The title
And the Details, and some notes about the content, so for example moderate drinking
is associated with positive health outcomes among older adults and is generally better
for women than men.
Right, to sum up, you need to choose your topic, get an essay title, then come up with
some ideas, find supporting evidence, and then make some notes on these sources. Then
you can start writing. OK, that’s it from me. Continue working
on Assessment 1, and remember, have fun at university!