These presentations were prepared for new students at Massey University, New Zealand, as part of their orientation.

1. Analysing and Planning Assignments
Centre for Teaching and Learning
Massey University, New Zealand
ctlalb@massey.ac.nz 094418143
See these slides again at:
http://tinyurl.com/masseyassignments
Martin McMorrow
Note taking at University
Dr Lilia Sevillano

2. What is an assignment?

3.  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

4. 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

5. Where can you find out
about assignments?

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

7. Find out more in
lectures and
tutorials
Ask questions and
look for updates in
the news & discussion
forums on Stream

8. How can you plan for
successful assignments?

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

10. Question analysis
•topic
•focus
•task
What is this about?
Which aspects of the
topic or example(s)?
What to do with it?

11. Sample Question: Discuss how Auckland
is planning for growth. (1200 words)

12. Topic: (urban) growth
Focus: Auckland’s future planning
Task: discuss
Step 1: Analyse
the question
sub-topics: types of growth? short vs long-
term? strategies?

13. word limit for this essay = 1200
1200 words = about 8 paragraphs
average words per paragraph = about 150
Step 2: Estimate
number of paragraphs

14. Step 3: Allocate paragraphs to
subtopics
2 & 3: future housing needs & plans
4 & 5: future economic needs & plans
6 & 7: future transport needs & plans
1: intro
8: conclusion

15. Further steps …
Note-taking
Writing
Referencing
Research
Feedback
Next workshop
Study Up
Study Up + OWLL
Library: How do I find?
Pre-Reading & Consultation
Look under ‘Academic Support’ in
Stream

16. Best of luck with your assignments!
See these slides again at:
http://tinyurl.com/masseyassignments

17. Note-taking at University

18. Early Demonology
Before the age of scientific inquiry, all good and bad manifestations of power beyond human control –
eclipses, earthquakes, storms, fire, diseases, the changing seasons – were regarded as supernatural.
Behaviour seemingly outside individual control was also ascribed to supernatural causes. Many early
philosophers, and physicians who studied the troubled mind, believed that disturbed behaviour reflected
the displeasure of the gods or possession by demons.
The doctrine that an evil being or spirit can dwell within a person and control his or her mind and body is
called demonology. Examples of demonological thinking are found in the records of the early Chinese,
Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. Among the Hebrews, odd behaviour was attributed to possession of
the person by bad spirits, after God in his wrath had withdrawn protection. The New Testament includes
the story of Christ curing a man with an unclean spirit by casting out the devils from within him and
hurling them onto a herd of swine (Mark 5:8-13).
The belief that odd behaviour was caused by possession led to treating it by exorcism, the ritualistic
casting out of evil spirits. Exorcism typically took the form of elaborate rites of prayer, noise-making,
forcing the afflicted to drink terrible-tasting brews, and on occasion more extreme measures, such as
flogging and starvation, to render the body uninhabitable to devils.

19. Early Demonology
• Before the age of scientific inquiry, all good and bad manifestations of power beyond human control
– eclipses, earthquakes, storms, fire, diseases, the changing seasons – were regarded as supernatural.
• Behaviour seemingly outside individual control was also ascribed to supernatural causes. Many early
philosophers, and physicians who studied the troubled mind, believed that disturbed behaviour
reflected the displeasure of the gods or possession by demons.
• The doctrine that an evil being or spirit can dwell within a person and control his or her mind and
body is called demonology. Examples of demonological thinking are found in the records of the
early Chinese, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. Among the Hebrews, odd behaviour was
attributed to possession of the person by bad spirits, after God in his wrath had withdrawn
protection.
• The belief that odd behaviour was caused by possession led to treating it by exorcism, the ritualistic
casting out of evil spirits. Exorcism typically took the form of elaborate rites of prayer, noise-
making, forcing the afflicted to drink terrible-tasting brews, and on occasion more extreme
measures, such as flogging and starvation, to render the body uninhabitable to devils.

20. Overview
 What are notes?
 Encoding information
 Note-taking methods
 Web Notes

21. What are notes?
 A summary of your study material – in your
own words
 Ensures understanding of the main ideas in the
text

22. Taking effective notes…
 Saves time
 Helps avoid plagiarism
 Allows encoding of information

23. Encoding
information
Know what information should be encoded!
 Identifying the Key Concept
Example:
Your essay is due on Monday. No extensions will be given. This
assignment will count 25% towards your final mark.

24. Identify the key
concepts
1. Regular study is necessary to pass your exams.
2. Storms destroyed homes, bridges, and roads as they swept through
Auckland
3. The Fourth of July is a special day in the USA, because on this day
the nation celebrates Independence Day.
4. Concentration is required as you read these sentences if you want
to find key concepts.

25. Reduce a key concept to one key word
Example: essay due on Monday
essay

26. Reduce key concepts to one key word
1. Regular study pass exams.
2. Storms destroyed Auckland.
3. Fourth of July USA Independence Day.
4. Concentration required find key words.

27. Read the passage on “Rocks” and
underline what you think is the
important information in the paragraph.

28. ROCKS
Igneous rocks are formed from magma, the molten matter deep within
the earth. There are two types of igneous rock. If magma rises towards
the surface, it slowly cools and sometime solidifies underground. The
result is intrusive igneous rock. If magma reaches the earth’s surface,
it emerges from volcanoes or fissures (cracks) as lava. Lava cools
rapidly above ground, solidifying into extrusive igneous rock. Intrusive
igneous rock, such as granite, can be identified by its large, clearly
visible mineral grains (crystals). Because extrusive rock solidifies more
quickly than intrusive igneous rock, it is characterised by tiny crystals.
Basalt, with its fine texture, high density and dark colour, is the most
common extrusive igneous rock, lying beneath the vast ocean floor.
Pumice, another common extrusive igneous rock used in some
abrasives, acquires its rough porous texture from the explosive release
of gas that often accompanies volcanic eruptions.

29.  Linear hierarchy method
 Column method
 Mind mapping
Note-taking methods

30. Linear Hierarchy
Method
Use headings and sub-headings
- Number or bullet point
- Finer details

31. Rocks – formed from minerals (except coal)
- 3 types
Igneous rocks – 1) intrusive, underground, magma (molten matter), cools slowly, large grains
(granite)
2) extrusive, above ground, lava (fissures/volcanoes), cools quickly, small
crystals (pumice, basalt)
Sedimentary rock – sediments (particles) that form strata (layers)
1) broken by erosion/weathering, later cement or
compact and harden (shale from mud/clay; sandstone)
2) remains
(a) animal: (dissolved, decomposed shells/skeletons of marine life) (limestone)
(b) plant: (dissolved, decayed in swamps) (coal)
Jacobs, H. (2001). Basic geomorphology.
New York: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 22-23)

32. Column Method
Use columns for key concepts, and finer details

33. ROCKS
INFORMATION ABOUT KEY
CONCEPTS
EXTRA INFO
KEY CONCEPTS
Formed from
minerals
Igneous
Sedimentary
3 types:
- igneous
- metamorphic
- sedimentary
1. Intrusive – formed underground
Made from magma (molten matter)
2. Extrusive – formed above ground
Made from lava (fissure & volcano)
Sediments (particles) that form strata
1. Rocks broken by
compact & harden
2. Remains
- animal (decomposed
shells/skeletons of marine life)
Coal not formed from
minerals
Cools slowly
Large mineral grains
(Granite)
Cools quickly
Small crystals
(pumice/basalt)
Shale from mud/clay;
sandstone
limestone
underwater
Source
Jacobs,H.(2001).Basicgeomorphology.
NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress.
(pp.22-23)

34. Mind maps
A diagram used to visually organize information

35. ROCKS
From minerals
Not coal
Formation
Igneous
Intrusive
Underground
Magma
(Molten matter)
Cools
slowly
Large grains
(granite)
Extrusive
Cools quickly
Above
ground
Small crystals
Lava
Volcanoes
& Fissures
pumice basalt
Sedimentary
Broken
Rocks
Remains
Metamorphic
1 o’clock position
Jacobs, H. (2001). Basic geomorphology.
New York: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 22-23)

36. Web notes
 Powerpoint lectures/notes provided by the
lecturer
 Not meant to replace classroom note-taking
and textbook reading
 Can be a great note-taking aid: active
processing of information still needed

37. Effective use of web
notes: with laptop
 Load notes onto laptop
 Follow along with slides (in class) while
taking notes in the ‘notes’ window (bottom
of your screen)
 After class: print out slides in ‘notes view’
 Can already be used as your review notes

38. Effective use of web
notes: with laptop
 Print and read before coming to class
 Place notes in a binder facing a blank notebook
page
 During the powerpoint lecture : take notes that
‘parallel’ the web notes  add/elaborate from
lecture
 After class, write any further notes and
summaries

39. Slide
#
1
2
3
- Notes are necessary for learning
- Note-taking is necessary when
reading and during lectures
- Notes summarize all the
information: heard and read
- Understanding is more important
than memorizing
- Review time – no need to reread
everything, just the notes
- Explaining in my own words – no
chance of plagiarism
- Write notes in a system that suits
me
Lecturer’s
Notes
Your Notes

40. Summary
 What are notes?
 Encoding information
 Note-taking methods
 Web Notes