COMBINED ASSESMENT DLMBAEBECG01

COMBINED ASSESMENT

Guidelines for the Creation of a Combined Assessment

CONTENT

1. Objectives of Academic Writing...................................................................................................... 2
2. Structure of a Written Assignment.................................................................................................. 2
   
   

• Introduction......................................................................................................................... 2

• Main Body............................................................................................................................ 2

• Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 3

3. Formal Guidelines and Submission Requirements............................................................................ 3

• Components of the Written Assignment.................................................................................... 3

• Formalities........................................................................................................................... 4

• Evaluation............................................................................................................................ 5

Good academic writing does not simply take any result or theoretical position and assume it to be true. Instead, it seeks to prove or disprove the result or position by supporting or countering it with the use of reliable sources and facts.

1. OBJECTIVES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

A written assignment should demonstrate the academic writing capabilities of the student. In this assignment, students are expected to show that they are capable of selecting an academic topic, undertaking the relevant research, and using that research to support their own thoughts and insights.

2. STRUCTURE OF A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

The structure of the assignment should reflect a logical progression of main points and explanatory points. The text should be a coherent and cohesive whole and follow a linear structure. There should be a logical integration of the main and explanatory points across the various sections, with clear transitions between them. Referring to a key argument in a previous paragraph, for example, can create connections between the points. The main body of the assignment is composed of the core argument (around 70% of the assignment) and is preceded by an introduction (around 20%) and followed by a conclusion (around 10%).

2.1 Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of an assignment and should be created as an integral part of the text. The introduction should succinctly but clearly convey the following points, which will then be elaborated upon in the main body of the text:

• Rationale for subject selection according to recent studies on the chosen topic (Why is the topic relevant and what open questions, discussed in the body of the assignment, does it raise?) This is where you should refer to your chosen question.

• Aim of the assignment or the examination (What does the assignment aim to examine or prove?)

• Topic boundaries and necessary definitions (What is beyond the scope of the assignment? What is within range? What should be the scope of the intended outcomes?)

• Outline of the structure and the arguments within the assignment (What can the reader expect in the main body, and what structure does the assignment follow?)

The introduction should be thought about early in the planning process, even if it is written last. Thereby, the introduction helps to clearly cover the assignments key arguments and ensure a logical argumentation process within the assignment itself, resulting in a meaningful solution.

2.2 Main Body

This part of academic writing should peak, and maintain, interest through coherent and comprehensible argumentation. Consequently, assignment needs to provide a common thread that links each key point.

If something is not taken to be common knowledge, then it must be explained and backed up with the use of a theoretically or practically reasonable argument. These statements need to be proven with the use of appropriate literary resources. All assumptions, considerations, and arguments must be proven, discussed and confirmed by providing adequate reference sources. Each argument should be as clear and as well structured as possible.

Main points should always be positioned at the beginning of the paragraph, with supporting points clearly connected to it. The structure of individual paragraphs should loosely follow this framework:

• Identify main point(s)

• Explain, discuss and elaborate main point(s) by using supporting points

• Draw conclusion from the argument (leading to the next point)

2.3 Conclusion

The conclusion should give the reader a final, overall impression of the assignment. It should not be a repetition of what was written in the assignment (only sensible in longer texts such as master theses). Instead, the conclusion should draw the arguments to a close. It should summarize the key arguments within the assignment, seek to conclude the thesis or main claim and answer any questions that were raised. The conclusion can also include any follow-up questions or perspectives regarding the topic that could be further researched.

The conclusion should not include any new ideas or arguments, but rather should state the outcomes regarding the central claim or thesis.

3. FORMAL GUIDELINES AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Components of the Written Assignment

The written assignment consists of the following parts, listed in the table of contents (except for title page and table of contents):

• Title page

• Table of contents

• List of figures and/or tables (if necessary)

• Table of abbreviations (if necessary)

• Text part with introduction, main part, conclusion

• Bibliography

• List of appendices (if necessary)

• Appendices and materials (if necessary)

3.2 Formalities

3.3 Evaluation

The evaluation criteria and their corresponding weight are listed below.

Good luck with your written assignment!