Home - Structuring Your Assignment - LibGuides at Teesside University Skip to Main Content Teesside University Student & Library Services LibGuides Learning Hub Group Structuring Your Assignment Home Search this Guide Search Structuring Your Assignment Home Top Tips Getting started with academic writing: the Time model Information and videos on being targeted, being in-depth and bringing it all together Workshops Further Reading Next steps Feedback Using material on this page Top Tips Top tips for structuring your assignment (accessible version) Getting started with academic writing: the Time model TIME model Targeted In-depth Measured Evidence-based Bringing it all together Finally ... Time Model Writing an assignment takes time, more time than you may expect. Just because you find yourself spending many weeks on an assignment doesn’t mean that you’re approaching it in the wrong way. It also takes time to develop the skills to write well, so don’t be discouraged if your early marks aren’t what you’d hoped for. Use the feedback from your previous assignments to improve. Different types of assignments require different styles, so be prepared for the need to continue to develop your skills. We’ve broken down TIME into 4 key elements of academic writing: Targeted, In-depth, Measured and Evidence-based. What is an academic piece of work Targeted Your assignment needs to be targeted. It should: Be focused on the questions and criteria Make a decision Follow an argument How to be targeted Academic keywords or clue words In-Depth Your assignment needs to be in-depth. You should consider your questions and criteria thoroughly, thinking about all possible aspects, and including the argument both for and against different viewpoints. You should: Identify topic areas Research Plan your assignment Think about your introduction and conclusion How to be in-depth How to read quickly Measured An academic writing style is measured. By this, we mean that it’s: Cautious Emotionally neutral Formal – written in the third person and in full sentences How to be measured Evidence-based Your assignment needs to be evidence-based. You should: Reference all the ideas in your work Paraphrase your evidence Apply critical thinking to your evidence How to be evidence-based How to paraphrase Once you’ve found all your evidence, and have decided what to say in each section, you need to write it up as paragraphs. Each paragraph should be on a single topic, making a single point. A paragraph is usually around a third of a page. We find Godwin’s (2014) WEED model very helpful for constructing paragraphs. W is for What You should begin your paragraph with the topic or point that you’re making, so that it’s clear to your lecturer. Everything in the paragraph should fit in with this opening sentence. E is for Evidence The middle of your paragraph should be full of evidence – this is where all your references should be incorporated. Make sure that your evidence fits in with your topic. E is for Examples Sometimes it’s useful to expand on your evidence. If you’re talking about a case study, the example might be how your point relates to the particular scenario being discussed. D is for Do You should conclude your paragraph with the implications of your discussion. This gives you the opportunity to add your commentary, which is very important in assignments which require you to use critical analysis. So, in effect, each paragraph is like a mini-essay, with an introduction, main body and conclusion. Allow yourself some TIME to proofread your assignment. You’ll probably want to proofread it several times. You should read it through at least once for sense and structure, to see if your paragraphs flow. Check that your introduction matches the content of your assignment. You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve been concise in your writing style. You’ll then need to read it again to check for grammatical errors, typos and that your references are correct. It’s best if you can create some distance from your assignment by coming back to it after a few days. It’s also often easier to pick out mistakes if you read your work aloud. How to proofread Information and videos on being targeted, being in-depth and bringing it all together Identifying what the assessment criteria is asking you to do (being targeted/generating ideas) Planning your argument (being in-depth/organising ideas) Structuring paragraphs, conclusions and introductions (bringing it all together) The resources below are available in different formats to suit your learning style, including: a full visual and printable guide; bite-size printable guides; bite-size videos; and infographics. Full guide (visual and printable): Content includes: using the assessment criteria; planning your argument and structuring paragraphs, introductions and conclusions. (Link to example WEED paragraph used in the Sway) Visual guide (Sway) Printable guide (PowerPoint) Printable guide (PDF) Bite-size printable PowerPoints and PDFs: Assessment criteria (Power Point) Assessment criteria (PDF) Planning the structure (Power Point) Planning the structure (PDF) Paragraphs, introductions and conclusions (Power Point) Paragraphs, introductions and conclusions (PDF) Bite-size videos (Link to example WEED paragraph used in the videos): 1: Being Targeted 2: Being In-depth Part 1 Part 2 3: Bringing it all together Part 1 Part 2 Bite-size guide (visual and printable): Tips on how to: generate ideas; organise ideas; and structure paragraphs, introductions and conclusions. Visual resource (Infographic) Printable version (PDF) Printable version (Word) Workshops This session is aimed at undergraduates but is suitable for any level of study. You don't have to book, just join us on the date listed. (Please note there is a limit of 250 participants, on a first come first served basis). The sessions will run on: On campus: Thursday 3rd March 2022, 1-2pm - room T2.02. Please note: the activities for this workshop will require access to a mobile device. Registration is required. Book a place here Structuring your assignment (on campus) - Library Bookings - Teesside University (libcal.com).There are 36 seats available. Previous Session: Recording of the Structuring your assignment workshop (Recorded via Teams on 19 November 2020) If you need further information or any adjustments to fully access this session, please contact libraryhelp@tees.ac.uk in advance. Click on the image to see the programme of other webinars currently being offered. We are very interested to hear your views about any workshop you attend. Please complete the feedback form after you have attended. Structuring your assignment workshop: slides (PPT) Structuring your assignment workshop: slides (PDF) Structuring your assignment workshop: exercise text (PDF) Structuring your assignment workshop: exercise text (Word) Structuring your assignment: planning templates (PDF) Structuring your assignment workshop: planning templates (Word) Further Reading Online reading list of additional resources and further reading Next steps If you thought this information was useful you may want to look at some of the other Learning Hub guides aimed at helping students with their assessments: Feedback If you have any comments about this skills guide, we would love to know them. Using material on this page This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Last Updated: Feb 15, 2022 11:09 AM URL: https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/structure Print Page Login to LibApps Report a problem Subjects: Succeed@Tees Workshops, Writing
