The 3 credit mini-module on thesis-writing will focus on structural, rhetorical, and strategic issues. The thesis as a point of order is examined, as is how order in sections and subsections either interrupt or serve to unify the overall logical flow of the text. Academic rigour and stylistic appropriacy are examined in terms of their social and rhetorical contexts. Analyses of arguments invite the categorisation and classification of its components. Evaluation of an arguments' defence of its claims and underlying assumptions encourages the formulation of tenable criteria for measurement. An examination by the individual of his or her own writing process and an evaluation of the strategies employed along the way, leads to judgements of the effectiveness of the process and the need for strategy development for the sake of improved productivity.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: Establish a claim that can be defended in the space and time available. Evaluate the context into which they write and make decisions about the appropriateness of their research, organisational, and stylistic choices. They can also evaluate the degree to which they need to be academically rigorous. Organise ideas logically and justify the logical order chosen in terms of the rhetorical effect desired and the social conventions into which they write. Identify and analyze the components of an argument, compare and contrast various academic stances and categorise, classify, and synthesise that information in a summary of the discourse on that issue. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses within an argumentative discourse and defend their own stance in terms those strengths and weaknesses or in terms of some other defendable criteria of the writer's making. Assess the writing process that they follow from the time that the assignment is given unto the date the dissertation is submitted. Identify and assess the strategies they employ as they work toward their product's completion. They can evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies and determine if there is need for adjustment.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: Explore their emotional responses to academic writing and to a variety of writing situations in an attempt to foster a more positive attitude toward academic and professional writing. Explore social support in the form of peer support in order to expand their strategies.

N/A

Through a series of lectures and small-group workshops and labs delivered by experts in writing, students will develop the analytical and evaluative skills necessary for the production of an academic dissertation that meets the academic expectations for this level. Students will exercise their ability to categorise and classify information, methodically analyze it, synthesise it, develop and use criteria for measuring the value of that information and then logically report on its significance. Students will also explore their writing process and reflect on and talk about the strategies they use to achieve certain writing ends. These strategies include cognitive, metacognitive, affective and social strategies for learning, for achieving writing goals and completing writing tasks. These strategies will be evaluated for their efficiency and their utility. New strategies will be developed when required. Students will also learn how to evaluate their writing context in a way that will allow them to better address their current writing situation and to better assess both future academic and professional writing situations. Equipped with such skills, the overall learning experience of students will be enhanced.