How has rhetoric been used in arguments
WRIT1001 – Assessment Overview
(Short Writing Tasks and Final Essay)
In WRIT1001 you submit four short writing tasks corresponding to different aspects of the writing process. These tasks will be submitted throughout the semester as you build toward the completion of an argumentative academic essay. The final essay will conduct a rhetorical analysis of a topic that is relevant to you and where methods of analysis from the field of rhetoric and writing studies can help build an original argument about communication on the topic. In a sense, all essays in WRIT1001 answer the same question: how has rhetoric been used in arguments about the topic you have chosen? To produce a high quality response to this topic, the short writing tasks guide you through the writing process so that, in total, you:
- identify various scholarly and/or non-scholarly viewpoints on your topic and analyse those opinions using rhetorical concepts and terms
- refer to (and accurately cite) academic sources related to your topic AND related to rhetoric
- create your own argument that is supported by a rhetorical analysis of the topic
- use academic sources (both related to your topic AND to rhetoric) to support your claims and define key terms
- write and present your argument in a style (formality, tone, complexity, layout, etc) that is suitable for an academic reader with general knowledge about your topic and a special interest in the study of rhetoric
Because the Short Writing Tasks build to the Final Essay, within WRIT1001 you can re-use research and writing submitted for the Short Writing Tasks. You cannot re-use writing you have completed for any other course in WRIT1001. Equally, you cannot re-use writing completed in WRIT1001 for any other course.
Following academic conventions, for all assessments submitted in WRIT1001 you should reference and cite all sources you refer to in your submission. Students should follow APA or MLA style guidelines for citation, referencing, and formatting. See: https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476096 (Library’s APA guide)
or
https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476342 (Library’s MLA guide.
Detailed information on both APA and MLA referencing can also be found via the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
Marking is de-identified – please ensure that you do not include your name in your submission or in the file name of your submission.
If you have any difficulties completing or submitting an assessment, reach out to your tutor or the coordinator for help. In Summer School, you can apply by email directly to your tutor for a Simple Extension of two working days. You can also use the Special Consideration system to apply for longer extensions or special arrangements: https://sydney.edu.au/students/special-consideration.html
The remainder of this document contains detailed instructions and marking criteria for the four Short Writing Tasks (SWTs) and the Final Essay. The final page of the document includes grade descriptors (ie, typical features of work at each grade level).
Short Writing Task 2: Research Task
DUE (online via Canvas): due Thursday 9 April, 09:59pm (WEEK 7);
WEIGHTING: marked out of 10, worth 10% of your overall grade for the unit
LATE WORK: late work is penalised 5% (0.5/10) per calendar day and will not be assessed if submitted more than 10 working days after the due date
LENGTH: 500 words, excerpts and reference list not included
The goal of this task is to engage with research relevant to your topic AND to the study of rhetoric. You will find two scholarly sources: one academic source on your topic and one academic source about rhetoric. For each of your academic sources you must:
- under the subheading ‘Excerpt’, include and reference an excerpt that is 4-5 sentences long
- under the subheading ‘Summary’, summarise and cite the excerpt
- under the subheading ‘Paraphrase’, paraphrase and cite the excerpt
- under the heading ‘Direct Quotation’, use a signal phrase to introduce a short quote from the excerpt, cite the quote, and follow the quote with one or two sentences that describe how the content of the quote might be used in your final essay
On a separate page at the end of your submission for SWT2 you must include a Reference list or Works Cited list. You should follow APA or MLA style requirements. You can use any academic sources you used in SWT1 for SWT2.
MARKING CRITERIA
This unit uses standards-based assessment for award of assessment marks. Your assessments will be evaluated solely on the basis of your individual performance. See the Appendix for information on the Interpretation of Grades.
| Criteria |
| Overall: communicate competently and confidently in writing across a range of modalities and contexts |
| Depth of disciplinary experience – identifying a source from rhetoric and writing studies; establishing the relevance of research to readers in the discipline of rhetoric and writing |
| Interdisciplinary effectiveness – connecting an issue or debate to the field of rhetoric and writing studies |
| Overall: understand more about essay writing conventions in academic contexts |
| Broader skills: critical thinking … communication – engaging with scholarly research; demonstrating an awareness of referencing and citation practices; responding to research |
RELEVANCE
This task develops research methods and different ways of responding to the ideas of other people. As such, you will use skills that are important to future study or professional work. A hallmark of academic research is an engagement with other people’s ideas. This task helps you practice three methods for incorporating ideas or research into your writing. In professional settings you will have to refer to other people’s ideas – maybe not academic ideas, but you will refer to customer feedback, industry reports, company documents, and so on. This task develops your ability to summarise, paraphrase or quote from such sources.
