Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- plan and produce grammatically correct texts
- write an article or an essay that fulfils the criteria of a scientific text related to their own field of studies
- perform actively in professional group communication situations
- retrieve information from a variety of sources and evaluate it critically

Implementation and methods of teaching

Contact lessons (lectures), classroom discussions, homework/written assignments, individual work, online work, integrated coursework (Project Management. Teacher: Taina Orpana)

Timing and attendance

-According to the timetable
-No substitute work. Missing homework may affect the final course grade.

Learning material and recommended literature

Materials provided by the lecturer.
Some recommended readings:
1) https://tinyurl.com/thesis-writing-instructions3
2) College Success (chapter 8). The book is available online: http://open.lib.umn.edu/collegesuccess
3) Writing for Success (instructed in class). The book is available online: http://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess
4) Essay writing (Expository essays): https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/expository_essays.html
5) Guide to information retrieval: http://libguides.lamk.fi/informationretrieval/home

Alternative completion methods

No substitute work. Missing homework may affect the final course grade.

Exam retakes

-A final exam on the Reppu learning platform during the final lesson.
-An information literacy test (1 ECTS) on the Reppu learning platform during the course.
-A short written final assignment.
-A retake offered if needed.

Learning environment

Campus, Moodle (Reppu).

Student time use and work load

The estimated workload is approximately 100 hours. This consists of attending lectures, reading the required materials, and doing homework and course assignments.
-Contact lessons: 16-20 hrs.
-A compulsory information literacy test: 2-4 hrs.
-Homework, assignments, reading: 70-80 hrs.

Contents

Professional and academic writing in English. Report and essay writing and referencing. Writing clear, concise, easy-to-read English. The use of basic writing tools (e.g. proofreading tools and readability analysis tools). Defining professional concepts and terms in academic/professional writing. Information retrieval/literacy and finding reliable sources.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

Intermediate to upper-intermediate level skills in English (e.g. CEFR B1-B2 / IELTS 6-6.5). The course does not review basic English grammar. It is expected that the students enrolled in the course have good intermediate-level skills in English (esp. reading, writing, listening).

Assessment criteria

Active participation, a compulsory information literacy test, and a compulsory final assignment and exam.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

The student did not achieve the learning objectives.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student is able to
-produce a short, grammatically acceptable and logically progressing text
-identify key concepts/terms
-find, use and cite sources

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student is able to
-produce a well-structured, grammatically good text that includes a well-thought thesis statement
-identify and define key concepts/terms
-find, use and cite sources and assess their credibility

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student is able to
-produce a well-structured, easy to read, and grammatically flawless text that includes a well-thought thesis statement
-identify and define key concepts/terms
-use and cite sources, assess their credibility, and criticize and compare sources