Language and Discourse

An Introduction

Do you… • sometimes struggle with readings? • grapple with referencing? • panic about an assessment? • feel disappointed with the grade you

got on past assessments?Come to Deborah Nixon’s (and others!) workshops designed for Language and Discourse students to help you understand key readings and prepare for assessments.

WHAAAAT?????????

YAY I get it!!

Put these dates in your diary!Each workshops will focus on specific aspects of the requirements of the subject around the readings, vocabulary, concepts and writing for the assessment tasks

• Assessment 1 Workshop Thursday 13 August: 2-4pm @ CB03.05.10Fridays 14 August: 11-1pm @ CB06.03.22 • Assessment 2 Workshop Thursday 10th September: 2-4pm @ CB03.05.10Friday 11 September: 11-1pm @ CB06.03.22 • Assessment 3 Workshop Thursday 22 October: 2-4pm CB03.05.10Friday 23 October: 11-1pm @ CB06.03.22

U:PASSUTS Peer Assisted Study Success

“It was an hour of study that I would not necessarily do at home” 2014 student

U:PASS Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MocvKF9505k

Peer: The leaders are students who’ve achieved a high grade in the subject in a previous semester, so they can share with you their tips and help you help each other learn.

“U:PASS provided me with the confidence and knowledge to be able to understand content further and to input with appropriate feedback or further questions. It also provided direct questions for revision which has given me an understanding of what questions or content will be assessed in the exam. The informal discussion and collaboration assisted my learning needs.” Autumn 2015 Student

Assisted: It’s all about “assisted” learning: “Some knowledge I've reviewed in U:PASS I can remember them for a long term, because they are discussed in U: PASS and leave a deeper impression than lectures.” Autumn 2015 Student

U:PASS: UTS Peer Assisted Study Success

(*All feedback from students who attended U:PASS in 2013 & 2014)

Study: Form a study group with a senior student and other classmates so you can help each other learn.

“God bless her hard work and efforts in U:PASS. She was very out going and encouraged everyone in the session to participate in a fun way. She put in a lot of energy in U:PASS that was highly appreciated by everyone in the class and motivated us to do well.” Autumn 2015 Student

Success:

“Fantastic. This guy never gave up on us. He stuck with us till the end believing we could succeed. He was funny and easy to talk to.” Autumn 2015 Student

U:PASS: UTS Peer Assisted Study Success

Quick Stats

• Improve your confidence

• Help you study at university level

• Build your understanding of the material

• Meet some student leaders and other students0 1 - 4 5 - 7 8 - 10 11+

50

55

60

65

70

75

54.658.4

64.768.8

70.9

f(x) = 4.28743714072499 x + 50.6214680565791R² = 0.975520235907315

Average Mark Vs. Attendance Pattern

Attendance Pattern

Avera

ge M

ark

Additional Info• U:PASS doesn’t help directly with assessments

• U:PASS is about learning, not just memorising

• U:PASS is for ALL students, not just struggling students

• Voluntary – you choose to come

• It’s FUN!

Session times Alternative sign up: www.s15-upass-58102.eventbrite.com.

au

Sessions start in Week 2

• Tue 11:00-12:00 CB05C.01.13• Tue 15:00-16:00 CB05D.01.22• Wed 15:00-16:00 CB05D.01.31• Fri 14:00-15:00 CB05D.01.22• Thu 10:00-11:00 CB05C.01.11• Thu 13:00-14:00 CB11.03.204

More details?

http://tinyurl.com/upass2015

1.Pick the session that suits your

timetable

2.Come in prepared…!!!

upass@uts.edu.au

If you cannot attend the session you have

signed up for, email upass@uts.edu.au and

ask to be removed.

Other sources of help with study: HELPS Higher Education Language and Presentation Supporthttp://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/about-helps

WHERE:Building 1 (tower), level 3, room 8 (opposite the Careers Service).PHONE:9514-9733

Go to for all help with writing and presentation, ESL or other issues to do with completing assignments. They have 15-min drop in consultations and longer consultations on appointment

and for life:

• Student Services Unit (SSU)• City Campus, Level 6, (CB01.6)

Building 1,ph: 9514 1177

Go here for help with and from:Special ConsiderationCounselling HousingChildcareMedical Service

A Core Subject

• Introduction to key concepts in the study of communications and engagement with theories and histories of those concepts

• Work across majors to bring all students together to think critically and act creatively

• Introduction to basic production skills while awakening you to further possibilities in that area

• Subject descriptionThis subject introduces three key communication concepts, develops a thematic study and practices basic skills in the medium of sound. The concepts are Discourse, Genre and 'Multimodality'. Through multimodal analysis and practice, students understand communication as combinations of representations, cultural forms and specific communicative resources (verbal and non-verbal, visual and auditory, etc), assembling complex relations of thoughts and feelings. The thematic research explores the different ways in which important social and cultural issues are represented in a range of media. Students extend their learning by experimentation in multimodal writing in different genres, such as 'report', 'story', argument', 'appeal', etc, and they reach out for different audiences with sound practice. The subject equips students with the concepts and methods to reflect critically on their own experience of language phenomena through the issues systematically explored.

In summary?

• We will understand how meaning is made and communicated • We will ask you to learn particular critical skills and practice them through writing and sound exercises. • The subject slogan is: Always ask how the ‘normal’ has been produced• The subject habit is: Read everything and everyone

I would say that in the West, sexuality is not generally something about which

people are silent and that must be kept secret; it is

something one has to confess.

'...if you are not like everybody else, then you are abnormal, if you are abnormal , then you are sick. These three categories, not being like everybody else, not being normal and being sick are in fact very different but have been reduced to the same thing'

Subject Outline

• Note weekly topics, choose two or three favourites, note assessments. (Will talk about first assessment next week but note it is due in Week 4)

• Must attend lectures and tutorials. Must hand in a Tutorial Chit each week. Must let your tutor know if you cannot attend lecture or tutorial

• ASSESSMENT EXAMPLESWe have put up sample assessments online but very important to remember that the examples are NOT ideal models but contain sections that we have considered useful for you to consider. Use VERY carefully and in consultation with your tutor.• PLAGIARISM – some basic pointsDon’t copy other peoples workDon’t copy your own work from other subjectsDon’t use anyones elses words without acknowledgement (ie referencing them)Do reference correctly and identify quotes precisely

Your TutorsYour tutors are your first port of call for any query about the course, readings, attendance and marking. They will establish with you the best way of contacting them and when. Most issues should be sorted out in class and do be respectful of the times the tutors set up to communicate with you. If they undertake only to respond to your emails on a particular day in the week then do make sure you organise your lives around that. Who are they?

• Dr Meera Atkinson: Meera.Atkinson@uts.edu.au• Dr Elaine Kelly: Elaine.Kelly@uts.edu.au• Dr Michael Richardson: Michael.Richardson@uts.edu.au• Dr Maria Chisari: Maria.Chisari@uts.edu.au• Dr Luke Johnson: Luke.Johnson@uts.edu.au• Dr Brent Keogh: Brent.Keogh@uts.edu.au• Sam Sperring: Samantha.Sperring@uts.edu.au• Christopher Comerford: Christopher.Comerford@uts.edu.au

Don’t contact me unless you have spoken to your tutor first.

TUTORIAL CHITThis is an entry requirement to attend a tutorial – you must hand a completed one of these to your tutor each week to be understood to have attended the tutorial. The purpose of this preparation for the tutorial is to create a tutorial environment where well read, informed, students can extend their understating and appreciation of the concepts and issues raised in the lecture and readings through discussion with their peers and tutor. It will also introduce you to the pleasures of critical conversation, the jouissance of thinking and the satisfaction of knowing that you will be speaking with equally prepared friends and colleagues. NAME: Two things I learnt from today’s lecture are: 1. 2.

Three things I learnt from this week’s readings are: 1. 2. 3. Some questions I have from the lecture and/or the readings are:

Reading EXTENDORS

Extendor I had this one when I was a kid as well. When he was fully extended, he towered over all the master of the universe characters at twice their height. He was pretty impressive and was the beginning of all the silly characters. perhttp://darryl-blake.blogspot.com.au/2010_08_01_archive.html

What IS a Reading Extendor?You will be chosen usually as one of a group of three or four to be the week’s Reading Extendors. The class will have already have read the readings and have things to say so you role is to:

a) Find further examples and related materialb) Establish class activities which may extend the understanding of the readingsc) Convene discussions based on fellow students questions and/or set your own

questions(Your tutors will explain more in class)

NB: Extendors do NOT provide summaries of the basic readings. Instead they test, tease, pummel and push the class’s understanding of what they have already read.

Thank you. Welcome. See you next week

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