These slides were prepared for an orientation session for new students at Massey University, New Zealand.

1. Skills for Success
Centre for Teaching and Learning
Library, Level 3
ctlalb@massey.ac.nz 09 212 7117
See these slides again at:
tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

2. CONTENTS
How can you plan for assignments?
What is an assignment?
How can you write in an academic style?
How can you research for assignments?
How can you make notes for assignments?
How can you develop your study and writing skills while
you are at Massey?
Where can you find out about assignments?
How much can you remember?!
What services does the Centre for Teaching and Learning offer?

3. CTL Support
• Find out about all of our support services on Stream

4. • Use our online resources at owll.massey.ac.nz

5. • Attend our online workshops
• See tinyurl.com/masseystudyup

6. • Attend our small and friendly workshops on
Thursdays in the library (Level 3 – Seminar Room)
TOPIC DATE TIME *
How I got an A July 20 4 pm
Make Auckland your Talkland July 27 4 pm
INZights August 3 4 pm
In other words August 10 4 pm
Firstly, secondly .. stop August 17 4 pm
Proofreading bingo August 24 4 pm

7. • Discuss your assignments etc with a learning
consultant at the CTL
• And use the pre-reading service to get detailed
feedback on your assignment drafts
Library – Level 3
Email: ctlalb@massey.ac.nz
Phone: (09) 212 7117

8. What is an assignment?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

9.  an original piece of work:
typically:
• an essay
• a report
• a presentation
• a project
100 level - 1000 –2000 words
200 level - 1500 –2500 words
300 level - 2000 –3000 words
individual, pairs or groups

10.  completed independently by
students in their own time
typically:
• several hours per week for a month
or so
• Use of 6 + books & articles – not just
lecture notes & course book

11. Where can you find out
about assignments?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

12. Find your course guide on Stream
It’ll look like this: or this:
And look up the section on Assessment

13. Find out more in
lectures and
tutorials
Ask questions and
look for updates in
the news & discussion
forums on Stream
See tinyurl.com/masseytimetable

14. How can you plan for
assignments?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

15. • Check the deadline
• Make your own timeline
• Divide up the time available
Time Management
now due1 432
revisewriteplan & research
Use the assignment calculator in OWLL

16. Tips for question analysis
Topic
Focus
Task
What academic topic is this about?
Which subtopics or context(s) do you need to
discuss?
What kind of writing is expected?

17. What is the TOPIC, FOCUS and TASK of this
example question?
“Compare and contrast ONE Western and
ONE non-Western approach to
Management or Leadership. To what extent
is either approach relevant in the modern
business context?”

18. Question analysis
•topic
•focus
•task
Management / Leadership
One Western and one
non-Western approach
Compare / contrast /
Discuss relevance

19. How can you research for
assignments?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

20. Normally, when you research a topic, you are looking for:
Facts & Figures Theories / Models
Definitions Examples

21. Learn to use the library for your research
See: tinyurl.com/masseylibraryworkshops

22. How can you make notes for
assignments?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

23. Step 1: highlight relevant information in your source
“Confucianism developed from Confucius’s life-long concern for a humanistic
government, and a political and social order that was built firmly on the rites, li,
developed and implemented in the Zhou dynasty (1122-771 BC). Li, in Chinese
means institutional rites and norms that define and regulate political and social
behavior. Confucius’ singular contribution to this tradition was to provide a
philosophical account of the true nature of li by invoking two quintessential
Confucian notions, ren, human benevolence and yi, moral fittingness, as its
foundation of legitimacy. These elements were then woven into a coherent moral
system that is the core of Confucianism” (de Bettignies, Ip, Bai, Habisch &
Lenssen, 2011, p. 625).

24. Step 2: Make very short notes of key ideas
C = philosophical view of social order
explains and justifies social norms
2 principles: ren = benevolence; yi = appropriate moral behaviour
Step 3: Close the original book, article or web page

25. Step 4: Expand your notes into linked sentences
Confucianism is a social philosophy which attempts to explain and
justify the norms which govern social behaviour. These norms are seen
as justified when they embody two underlying moral principles: ren,
which means ‘benevolence’ and yi, which can be translated as
‘fittingness’ or ‘appropriateness’.
Step 5: Add the reference to the source you used
.... ‘appropriateness’ (de Bettignies, Ip, Bai, Habisch, & Lenssen, 2011).

26. Confucianism
relationships
Self-
improvement
Shared rituals
Obedience -
benevolence
harmony
Mind-maps can be a good way to organise your ideas

27. How can you plan for an
assignment?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

28. Step 1: Estimate how many paragraphs you have
(based on the recommended word count given in
the question)
________________________________
• An average paragraph in an essay has 4 – 8
sentences, which adds up to 100-200 words.
• So, for 1000 words, you can plan for 6 – 8
paragraphs.

29. Using the same method, you can
convert any word count into paragraphs
________________________________
• 500 words: 3 – 5 paragraphs
• 800 words: 5 – 6 paragraphs
• 1000 words: 6 – 8 paragraphs
• 1500 words: 8 – 10 paragraphs
• 1800 words: 9 – 12 paragraphs
• 2000 words: 10 – 14 paragraphs
• 2500 words: 12 – 16 paragraphs

30. Step 2:Go back to your question analysis. How
many different parts can you identify?
________________________________________
1. Western Approach (Fayol)
2. Non-Western Approach (Confucianism)
3. Compare / Contrast
4. Relevance today?

31. Step 3: Distribute your paragraphs sensibly among
the different parts of the question
________________________________________
2. Western Approach (Fayol)
3. Non-Western Approach (Confucianism)
4. Compare / Contrast
5. Relevance today?
6. Conclusion
1. Introduction

32. How can you write in an
academic style?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

33. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841 and died in Paris in
1925. I decided to write about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called Administrative Principles
and one really interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato, management theory is in
large measure a reply to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales
in a book called Management through Organisation. I chose
Confucianism because it is incredibly important in China and
South-East Asia. They’re different in some ways but similar in lots
of others, both of them are relevant because leadership is the
process of influencing the activities of an organized group towards
goal achievement.
A badly-written introduction paragraph.

34. Five examples of ineffective writing in this
paragraph.
• a sentence fragment
• a run-on sentence
• a sudden change of topic
• inappropriate words and phrases
• plagiarism

35. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841
and died in Paris in 1925. I decided to write
about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called
Administrative Principles and one really
interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato,
management theory is in large measure a reply
to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales in a
book called Management through Organisation.
I chose Confucianism because it is incredibly
important in China and South-East Asia. They’re
different in some ways but similar in lots of
others, both of them are relevant because
leadership is the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group towards goal
achievement.
Mistake 1:
Sentence
Fragment

36. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841
and died in Paris in 1925. I decided to write
about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called
Administrative Principles and one really
interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato,
management theory is in large measure a reply
to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales in a
book called Management through Organisation.
I chose Confucianism because it is incredibly
important in China and South-East Asia. They’re
different in some ways but similar in lots of
others, both of them are relevant because
leadership is the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group towards goal
achievement.
Mistake 2:
Run-On
Sentence

37. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841
and died in Paris in 1925. I decided to write
about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called
Administrative Principles and one really
interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato,
management theory is in large measure a reply
to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales in a
book called Management through Organisation.
I chose Confucianism because it is incredibly
important in China and South-East Asia. They’re
different in some ways but similar in lots of
others, both of them are relevant because
leadership is the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group towards goal
achievement.
Mistake 3:
Sudden
change of
topic

38. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841
and died in Paris in 1925. I decided to write
about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called
Administrative Principles and one really
interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato,
management theory is in large measure a reply
to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales in a
book called Management through Organisation.
I chose Confucianism because it is incredibly
important in China and South-East Asia. They’re
different in some ways but similar in lots of
others, both of them are relevant because
leadership is the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group towards goal
achievement.
Problem 4:
Inappropriate
words and
phrases

39. Jules Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841
and died in Paris in 1925. I decided to write
about him, because he came up with an
important management approach called
Administrative Principles and one really
interesting quote I read about him was that if all
philosophy is a set of footnotes to Plato,
management theory is in large measure a reply
to Fayol’s original memo. According to Hales in a
book called Management through Organisation. I
chose Confucianism because it is incredibly
important in China and South-East Asia. They’re
different in some ways but similar in lots of
others, both of them are relevant because
leadership is the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group towards goal
achievement.
Problem 5:
Plagiarism

40. Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing the activities of
an organized group toward goal achievement” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, p.
46). Given its central importance within society, it is no surprise that
leadership has been a major focus of study and debate throughout history.
This essay compares two approaches to leadership from Western and
Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s century-old Administrative Principles
approach, considered to be one of the foundations of the study of
Management as a distinct discipline. Indeed, Management theory has been
described as “in large measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales,
1993, p. 3). The second approach is the much older and more culturally-
embedded set of beliefs known as Confucianism, which is said to continue to
guide leadership and management across China and much of South-East
Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, & Fu, 2004). It will be argued that, despite
their diverse origins, these two approaches share certain core values, and
an understanding of their potential and limitations continues to be a core
component of management expertise in the modern business environment.
An introduction paragraph in academic style

41. Examples of effective writing in this
paragraph.
• focus on the topic
• expert definition of the topic
• summary of relevant research
• logical structure
• academic vocabulary and style
• smooth flow of ideas

42. Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group toward goal achievement”
(Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46). Given its central importance
within society, it is no surprise that leadership has been a major
focus of study and debate throughout history. This essay
compares two approaches to leadership from Western and
Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s century-old Administrative
Principles approach, considered to be one of the foundations of
the study of Management as a distinct discipline. Indeed,
Management theory has been described as “in large measure, a
reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales, 1993, p. 3). The second
approach is the much older and more culturally-embedded set of
beliefs known as Confucianism, which is said to continue to guide
leadership and management across China and much of South-
East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, & Fu, 2004). It will be argued
that, despite their diverse origins, these two approaches share
certain core values, and an understanding of their potential and
limitations continues to be a core component of management
expertise in the modern business environment.
Strength 1:
Focus on
the main
topic of the
essay

43. Strength 2:
Expert
definition of
the topic
Leadership has been defined as “the process of
influencing the activities of an organized group
toward goal achievement” (Rauch & Behling,
1984, p. 46).

44. Strength 3:
Summary of
relevant
research
The second approach is the much older and
more culturally-embedded set of beliefs known
as Confucianism, which is said to continue to
guide leadership and management across China
and much of South-East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin,
Zhang, & Fu, 2004).

45. Strength 4:
logical
sequence of
elements
(definition +
context +
preview +
thesis
statement)
Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group toward goal achievement”
(Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46). Given its central importance
within society, it is no surprise that leadership has been a
major focus of study and debate throughout history. This essay
compares two approaches to leadership from Western and
Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s century-old
Administrative Principles approach, considered to be one of the
foundations of the study of Management as a distinct
discipline. Indeed, Management theory has been described as
“in large measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales,
1993, p. 3). The second approach is the much older and more
culturally-embedded set of beliefs known as Confucianism,
which is said to continue to guide leadership and management
across China and much of South-East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin,
Zhang, & Fu, 2004). It will be argued that, despite their diverse
origins, these two approaches share certain core values, and
an understanding of their potential and limitations continues to
be a core component of management expertise in the modern
business environment.

46. Strength 5:
Smooth flow
of ideas
Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing
the activities of an organized group toward goal
achievement” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46). Given its
central importance within society, it is no surprise that
leadership has been a major focus of study and debate
throughout history. This essay compares two approaches to
leadership from Western and Eastern traditions. The
first is Fayol’s century-old Administrative Principles
approach, considered to be one of the foundations of the
study of Management as a distinct discipline. Indeed,
Management theory has been described as “in large
measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales, 1993, p.
3). The second approach is ........... It will be argued
that, despite their diverse origins, these two
approaches .......

47. Strength 6:
Appropriate
words and
phrases
Leadership has been defined as xxxxxxx ......
xxxxxx, considered to be one of the foundations
of the study of Management as a distinct
discipline. Indeed, Management theory has been
described as xxxxxxxx (Hales, 1993, p. 3). The
second approach is the much older and more
culturally-embedded set of beliefs known as
Confucianism, which is said to xxxxxxxxxx It will
be argued that, despite their diverse origins,
these two approaches share certain core values,
and an understanding of their potential and
limitations continues to be a core component of
management expertise ..........

48. How can you develop your study
& writing skills at Massey?
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

49. Taking an elective paper in writing (e.g. 230.100; 192.102)
Using online resources at http://owll.massey.ac.nz
Sending your draft assignment to the pre-reading service
(details on Stream)
Making an appointment to discuss your draft assignment
at the CTL (Centre for Teaching and Learning)
Attending further CTL workshops

50. WORKSHOPS
Attend a library workshop: tinyurl.com/masseylibraryworkshops
Attend an online, ‘Study Up’ workshop: tinyurl.com/masseystudyup
CONSULTATIONS
See a learning (or writing) consultant: tinyurl.com/masseyconsultation
See a subject librarian (postgrad only): tinyurl.com/masseylibrarian
Book a library room for your group project: tinyurl.com/masseylibraryroom
Quick links to Massey resources

51. VIDEOS
APA Referencing: tinyurl.com/masseyapavideo
Essay writing: tinyurl.com/masseyessayvideo
Report writing: tinyurl.com/masseyreportvideo
Lit review writing: tinyurl.com/masseylitreviewvideo
Thesis writing: tinyurl.com/masseythesisvideo
Editing your work: tinyurl.com/masseyeditingvideo
WRITING, EXAMS AND REFERENCING TOOLS AND GUIDES
Check your class timetable: tinyurl.com/masseyclasstimetable
Check the examination timetable: tinyurl.com/masseyexamtimetable
Download an exam survival guide: tinyurl.com/masseyexamsurvival
Plan assignments: tinyurl.com/masseyassignmentplanner

52. Report writing: tinyurl.com/masseyreportwriting
Essay writing: tinyurl.com/masseyessaywriting
APA referencing: tinyurl.com/masseyapainteractive
Endnote : tinyurl.com/masseyendnote
See slides from Massey presentations: tinyurl.com/masseyslides
OTHER SERVICES
Services for Maori students: tinyurl.com/masseymaori
Services for Pasifika students: tinyurl.com/masseypasifika
Workshops and support to help you feel well: tinyurl.com/masseywellness
Apply for special consideration for examinations because of illness (this is
known as ‘aegrotat’): tinyurl.com/masseyillness
Services for students with a disability : tinyurl.com/masseydisability

53. Review Quiz
See these slides again at: tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess

54. You’ll see questions on the screen – e.g.
After a few seconds, you’ll be given four
possible answers – e.g.

55. You need to select the correct answer
by pressing the appropriate square on your
smartphone or tablet.
You’ll receive points not only for correct answers
but also according to the speed of your selection.

56. • Open kahoot.it
in your browser
• Enter the game pin
which I will show you
in a minute
• Enter your nickname
(and you will see it
appear on the public
screen)
To join the quiz you need to:

57. Thanks for coming – and see you around!
Centre for Teaching and Learning
Massey University, New Zealand
ctlalb@massey.ac.nz 09 212 7117
See these slides again at:
tinyurl.com/masseyskillsforsuccess