ACC100 Communication in Everyday Life

There are three key components required when answering an academic question:

Define (all academic terminology you use);

Explain (how the theory/concept relates to your examples); and

Answer (your essay must create an argument that responds to the question posed).

You must construct a critical academic argument that connects what we have covered in the unit (theories and concepts) with your own observations (examples) about participatory media culture. This means that you will need to prove or argue your point(s) through the logical use of evidence (academic sources and examples) to rationally analyse the topic question.

You are to use academic conventions in terms of writing style, referencing, and the overall structure of a research essay. The essay will need an introduction, body and conclusion (you do not need to include subtitles for these), and each paragraph should have a topic sentence to help guide the reader. The writing should be clear, concise and persuasive.

Can I use the same academic theory/concept from my first assessment?

Yes, but you will need to go into much greater depth when using it in the essay.

Can I use a different academic theory/concept from the list given in the instructions?

If another topic from the unit has peaked your interest, we are open to you using a different theory/concept for your essay. However, please check the theory/concept with your tutor before commencing your work.

What types of examples should I use? And how many?

The choice of examples is up to you – pick an area that you are interested in. But, remember that the focus of the topic question is ‘participatory media culture’. The types of digital participatory practices we have explored in the unit include civic activism, gaming culture, and advertising influencers, but you are welcome to select a different type. You can also choose to focus on particular platforms/technologies (e.g. social media sites or smart phones) as your examples. Keep in mind that you need to be able to apply the theory/concept selected to your examples. If you are unsure whether your examples are suitable, confirm with your tutor before commencing your work.

It is better to use fewer examples in greater depth than it is to use too many and run out of space to properly discuss them. Two or three examples are all you need. Remember, if you are using specific examples you have found yourself, like social media posts, advertising or pieces of citizen journalism, you will need to cite them in Harvard style (both in-text and in the reference list). Note, these are not counted as academic sources. What is an academic source?

Academic sources are peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters or books. The ‘Finding Sources’ document in the general assessment folder provides advice on how to locate academic (and other) sources. Some easy ways to identify whether a source is an academic text include checking to see if the author(s) has a university affiliation and whether the text itself has a reference list.

Can I use academic articles from the weekly topics as references?

Yes, absolutely! Draw from the readings to develop and support your ideas, but you will also need to demonstrate that you are capable of independent research by including other relevant academic sources. DO NOT cite or reference the weekly study guides or slides (these are not considered academic sources as they have not been peer-reviewed) – use the study guides and slides to locate academic ideas and texts (tip: there is a reference list at the end of each week’s slides).

How strict is the word count?

You have a plus or minus 10% (160 words) leeway with the word count, which means your essay needs to fall between 1440 and 1760 words (excluding the reference list). An important part of academic writing is learning to concisely articulate your ideas within the limits of the task requirements. Marks will be deducted for any essay that is outside of the 10% leeway.

I’m not sure how to write an essay – can you help?

Yes, we will be providing advice on planning and structuring essays in seminars and on the cloud site. Deakin also has a range of study support services available to both campus and cloud students that can assist with developing academic writing. In particular, Language & Learning Advisers and Writing Mentors can help you to understand assessment tasks and provide feedback on drafts of your work.

The tutors will answer any questions you have about the assessment, but they cannot provide feedback on drafts of your work.

I need an extension, what do I do?

Read the ‘Extensions and Late Submissions’ document in the general assessment folder on the unit’s cloud site – you will need to complete an extension request form (available in the document) and email it with supporting documentation to the Unit Chair.

Extensions will only be granted with a genuine reason and documentation (medical certificate, police report, letter from a counsellor etc.). Requests on the basis of having multiple assessments due, being busy at work, computer / internet problems, or your dog ate your homework, will not be granted.Under University policy, late submissions incur a penalty of 5% of the available marks per day for up to five days late (after this time, assessments will not be accepted).

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