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Communicating with the Academy (SP1202)

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This module is designed for Science undergraduate students with the aim of helping them develop thinking, reading and writing skills relevant for undergraduate scientific texts; write better academic science texts; and to develop critical and analytical skills.

The curriculum is organized along three main interrelated areas:

  • Social development of scientific writing
  • General description of formal, objective style of writing
  • Argumentation in the academic / journal article

Objectives

The aims of the module are to help students write better organised academic science texts and to enable them to develop critical and analytical skills in assessing others’ ideas. To achieve these aims, the curriculum will focus on aspects like:

  • General background on how knowledge is constructed and disseminated in the scientific community
  • Language features that characterise the objective academic style
  • Construction and logical development of scientifically sound arguments relevant to undergraduate written communication
  • Writing practices consistent with scientific conventions in written communication.

Course Format and Assessment

Classes will emphasise students' interaction with and critical analysis of academic texts. Students will be assessed on what they have learnt through short quizzes, a 3000-word academic paper on a science topic, and a final oral presentation. Writing conferences with the lecturer will be a regular and necessary feature and input/feedback from content specialists will be provided where necessary. The grading system consists of 70% Continual Assessment and 30% Final Examination.

Prerequisites

Students must first complete ES1000 Basic English and/or ES1301 English for Academic Purposes( unless granted exemption), before they are allowed to read this module.