ASSIGNMENT

OUMH1203
ENGLISH FOR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
SEPTEMBER 2022 SEMESTER

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

1. Answer in English.

2. Number of words: 2500 – 3000 words excluding references and outline.

3. Present your responses to the task in a SINGLE file (Word format). Adhere to the
following structure:

4. Submit your assignment ONLINE.

5. Submission date : 15 November2022.

6. This assignment accounts for 50 %of the total marks for the course.

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

Note: This assignment has TWO parts.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this assignment is to expose students to proper essay writing skills and
introduce them to the step-by-step guide to writing an essay.

PART I: ESSAY WRITING (40%)

Choose only ONE of the essay topics below for this assignment:
◘ ESSAY TOPIC 1
Education is recognized as vital to the future of any society in today's world. Governments
throughout the world should make formal education compulsory for all young children
between the ages of 4 and 6. Children should be taught a structured syllabus in pre-schools
endorsed by the government to result in equivalent education among children.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Plan an essay to argue the relevance of compulsory formal education endorsed by the
government for young children in your country.

◘ ESSAY TOPIC 2
“Ignorance is a blessing”.

Recently, several negative influencers (individuals who exert influence over others) have
become famous on social media. While some Malaysians believe that these influencers
should just be ignored, others feel that this problem has to be nipped in the bud.

To what extent do you agree or disagree that the negative influences spread by those
individuals should be ignored or dealt with?

Plan an essay to argue the statement above.

The planning and writing of your essay are divided into TWO (2) tasks:

TASK 1 – ESSAY OUTLINE (10%)

The first initial stage of writing an essay is the Pre-Writing stage, where you brainstorm, list
your ideas and prepare any type of drafts for the essay.

Prepare an outline for the essay.

Task Requirements:
1. Prepare an outline WITH a thesis statement. You can opt for the Sample Outline
Format below or prepare your own outline.
2. The outline should be written according to the format of an essay: introduction,
body and conclusion.
3. The outline must list the points that discuss the topic given. These points must be
arranged in a logical and coherent order to show a good flow of ideas.

SAMPLE OUTLINE FORMAT

Introduction
- Introduction to the topic
- *Thesis Statement
Body
I. Point 1
A. Supporting Detail
i. Example
a) Sub-example (if any)

II. Point 2
A. Supporting Detail
i. Example
a) Sub-example (if any)

*
(same structure for Point 3 and so on)
Conclusion
-The conclusion of the essay

*one or two sentences encapsulation of your essay's main point, main idea, or main

message.

(this outline is NOT included in the assignment’s word count of 3000 words)
 (10 marks)

TASK 2 - ESSAY (30%)

Write an essay (between 2,500 words and 3,000 words) EITHER:

1) to argue the relevance of compulsory formal education endorsed by the government

for young children in your country. OR

2) to agree or disagree that the negative influences spread by those individuals should
just be ignored or dealt with?

Task Requirements:

1. The content of your essay MUST resemble the essay outline in Task 1.
2. Refer to the assignment rubrics as a guide to achieving cohesion and coherence.
3. Avoid plagiarism. You MUST support your essay with AT LEAST TWO (2) pieces of
evidence from current and related literature (2017 – 2022). Use the APA format for in-text
citations and the reference list.
4. Remember to refer to Topics: 3, 4 and 5 of the OUMH 1203 Module.

(30 marks)

PART II: ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)

Discuss the following topic(s) in the forum and submit proof of your participation in the
online discussions:
1. Share your encounters with logical fallacies (Topic 4.5) in texts that you have found.
Why is it important for you to understand logical fallacies?

2. Discuss how you would write a business proposal to propose a new service or
product.

(10 marks)

[TOTAL PART I and II: 50 MARKS]

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT PROOF OF ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)
Do the following:
1. Select the best FIVE (5) your own postings from the forum discussion set up by your
tutor.
2. Do screenshots of the postings and include them as images in your assignment.
3. The screenshots should be in an image file (either in JPG or PNG format). Refer to the
sample of Screen Grab below.
4. The screenshots should contain: Name, Title of the discussion, Day, Date and Time.
 ATTACHMENT
ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC
OUMH1203 ENGLISH FOR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION / SEPTEMBER 2022 SEMESTER
Unsatisfactory
Excellent Good Fair Poor Or
Max
No response
CLO Criteria Weight Marks
QN
4 3 2 1 0

TASK 1 - ESSAY OUTLINE (10%)

1 1 Essay Outline Well-prepared outline Well-prepared outline A moderately-prepared

Format format with a format with a good thesis outline format with a
comprehensively written statement. thesis statement that
1.0 The outline format is No proper 4
thesis statement. requires further
poorly written. outline
understanding.
Wrong understanding of
a thesis statement.
.

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 2 Details in Outline Details are placed in a Details are placed in a Some details are not in a
logical order and the logical order, but the way logical or expected order,
way they are presented in which they are and this distracts the
1.5 6
effectively makes the presented sometimes organisation of the
Many details are not in a
outline very interesting makes the outline less outline.
logical or expected
interesting.
order. The outline is
unorganised.

TASK 2 - ESSAY (30%)

2 1 Introduction The introduction very
clearly states the thesis
statement and previews
1 The introduction clearly The introduction states There is no clear The 4
the structure of the
states the thesis the thesis statement but introduction of the main introduction
paper.
statement and previews does not adequately topic or structure of the presents no
the structure of the paper. preview the structure of paper. purpose.
the paper.

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 Fully addresses the Adequately addresses the Generally writes about There is little attempt to
stand for or against of stand for or against of the for or against of the write about for or
the chosen topic. chosen topic. chosen topic but with NO against of the chosen
1 Content: 3.0 A weak attempt 12
clear stand. topic but with NO clear
1) to argue the at addressing
Explanations and claims Some explanations and stand.
relevance of the written
are very comprehensive, claims may not be The development of
compulsory formal assignment.
coherent and organised arranged logically and explanations and claims is The organization of
education
logically. coherently. adequate. explanations and claims
endorsed by the
lack clarity and may lead
govt. for young
The arguments for and The arguments for and The arguments for and to confusion.
children in your
against are supported by against are supported by against are somewhat
country
authentic, clear and clear and appropriate supported by a few Lack of arguments for
appropriate examples in examples in the Malaysian examples in the and against in the
OR
the Malaysian context. context. Malaysian context. Malaysian context.

2) to agree or An excellent attempt to A good attempt to discuss A moderate attempt to

disagree that the discuss points all points throughout the discuss points.
negative influences throughout the paragraphs.
spread by those paragraphs.
individuals should
just be ignored or
dealt with?

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2 Conclusion 1 Conclusion skillfully The conclusion is The conclusion is The conclusion shows The conclusion 4
presents a neutral recognizable and neutral recognizable but does not bias either to pros or is out of topic /
approach of pros and in summarizing the pros sound neutral at some cons. unrecognisable.
cons and gives closure to and cons. points.
the essay.

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2 The sentence style fits Sentences are generally Sentence structures are Contains several Contains many
the paper’s purpose. clear, well structured, generally correct, but awkward or awkward
Sentences are varied, focused, though some sentences may be wordy ungrammatical sentences.
Language/ 1.5 6
yet clearly structured may be awkward or or repetitive. sentences. Sentence Displays general
Sentence Skills
and carefully focused. ineffective. structure is simple or inability in
Frequent errors in monotonous. writing
Language is excellent Language is satisfactory grammar, lexical choice grammatical/m
with hardly any errors in with some errors in and punctuation, may Very frequent errors in eaningful
grammar, lexical choice grammar, lexical choice impede understanding grammar, lexical choice sentences.
and punctuation. and punctuation, which do and clarity. and punctuation that
not seriously impede seriously impair Errors in
understanding and clarity. understanding and grammar,
clarity. lexical choice
and punctuation
are too
frequent and
severe, making
it highly difficult
to understand
the message.

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 A reference of more A reference of 2 relevant A reference of 2 articles, A reference of lesser No articles are
than 2 relevant articles. articles. but not necessarily than 2 articles, but not used as
relevant. necessarily relevant. references.
2 References 1 4
All the references are Most of the references are
effectively used, effectively used, correctly References are References are References are
correctly cited and cited and correctly listed sometimes not effectively inappropriately/unclearl not
correctly listed in the in the reference list used, and/or correctly y incorporated. incorporated or
reference list according according to APA style. cited and/or correctly incorporated
to APA style. listed in the reference list inappropriately.
according to APA style.

Total 12.5 30
*QN = Question Number

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 PART II: ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)
Max
Excellent Good Fair Poor Unsatisfactory
QN CLO Criteria Weightage marks
4 3 2 1 0
All five comments are Four of the comments are Two or three of the One post is submitted. Postings are
good, appropriate, good, appropriate, relevant, comments are somewhat OR All posts are done done past the
relevant, meaningful, and meaningful, and respectful. good, appropriate, in one day. assignment
respectful. Postings reflect meaningful and OR None of the timeline.
Postings reflect active participation within the respectful. comments is good and OR No postings
Quality of
participation within the assignment timeline. Postings show relatively relevant. given as proof of
1, 2 2 Postings 2.5 10
assignment timeline. short participation time. OR Comments are participation in
short responses that discussion
are not substantial or
meaningful. Minimum
effort (e.g. “I agree
with Tina”)

Total Marks 2.5 10

Note: This course also requires students to complete the Online Activity (10%) in MyInspire as part of the assignment total of 60%. The Online Activity is categorized under CLO
1.

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