Revision: Keep it scientific!

Image via WikipediaSome of you will be finding your thoughts turning to revision. In getting ready to write essays in exam conditions, you might find it useful to look back at this earlier post on the topic. Otherwise, you could do no better than to have a look at an excellent blog post by Jon Simons, a researcher into the cognitive neuroscience of memory. Jon's post tells you how to use scientific findings from memory research to hone your revision skills. You can check it out here.

Those pesky learning outcomes

Last time we asked why the essay has become a perennial favourite as a way of assessing students' knowledge. Now that you know what the enemy is, the next thing to ask is what criteria you are being assessed on. This is where you go back to your module handbook and remind yourself of the learning outcomes for your course. Learning outcomes don't make for exciting reading (believe me, they're even more boring to write) but they are essential in showing what is expected from students taking a course. Lecturers keep them in mind when they are deciding what to teach, how to teach it, and how to assess what has been learned. If you want to impress your marker, show that you have taken this information on board.

For example, I'm teaching a course this year called The Science of Consciousness. Here are the learning outcomes for this module (stay awake at the back):

Subject-specific knowledge: Students passing this module should be able to explain the ways in which consciousness is studied scientifically, and describe models and empirical studies of consciousness in normal subjects and brain-damaged patients.

Subject-specific skills: Students passing this module should be able to locate, read and review a body of research evidence; adopt and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives and see the relationships between them; and interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work.

Now, these few lines of pedagogical mumbo-jumbo have just told you exactly what you have to do pass—nay, get an excellent mark on—this module. When we are marking the summative assignments (essays) for this course, my colleagues and I will be looking for evidence of the knowledge and skills described here. Your job in the essay, then, is to show this evidence.

This is not just about knowing how to please the people who are assessing you (although we like to be pleased, of course). An essay that demonstrates these kinds of knowledge and skills will be a good essay. It will be a scientific essay (explain the ways in which consciousness is studied scientifically) rather than an aimless ramble about things that have interested you. It will be based on scientific theory and findings (describe models and empirical studies of consciousness in normal subjects and brain-damaged patients) rather than just being about casual observations. It will show signs of diligent research (be able to locate, read and review a body of research evidence) as well as the ability to say whether the evidence described is any good or not (interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work). And it will recognise that science is unfinished business—that there are different points of view which deserve fair hearings, and which will be supported by some existing, and some yet-to-be-discovered, facts (adopt and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives and see the relationships between them).

Every course has its learning outcomes; they will not all be the same as these. (In other disciplines, they may look very different). But they are always there, and they are calling to you: Pay attention to me, and I will show you what you have to do. 

What is an essay and why has it come here to bother me?

You've been asked to write a 1500-word essay. You've panicked, moaned to your friends about the unfairness of it all, cried on the phone to your mum, and now it's time to do some work. What is expected of you?

An essay is an argument in words. The 'words' bit of this definition is easy to understand, but the 'argument' part is more slippery. When you are asked to write an essay at university level, you are not being asked simply to regurgitate some facts. You are being asked to organise those facts in making an argument. That means putting forward a point of view which is based on evidence. In the social sciences, that usually means some kind of empirical findings: the kinds of knowledge that come from people doing experiments, conducting surveys or carrying out observations. Your own point of view might well be an important part of your essay (as we'll see in a later post), but at some point in the process it has to be backed up by facts.

I'll be talking more about how to use evidence in making an argument in later posts. We'll also be talking about researching a topic, structuring an essay, working within word limits, considering points of view, and turning a stylish phrase. I'll end this post by asking you to ponder why this thing has been sent to bother you. Why do academics want to spend their time ploughing through reams of paragraphs when they could be finding out what you know through multiple-choice exams? The answer is that essays are not only a great way of finding out what you know, but also of testing how you can use that information in communicating your knowledge and creating new knowledge. A fact in isolation might raise a nod of appreciation; a fact in the service of an argument is a beautiful thing.

Durham students can find more useful information (including feedback sheets, sample essays, notes on referencing style) on duo at Psychology Undergraduate Information > Course Information > General Programme Information > Guidance on essay writing and referencing. 

There is also plenty of useful online information about essay-writing: see the links on the right. You may also want to try and track down the following books:

Smythe, R.T. (1996). Writing in psychology: A student guide. New York: Wiley.
Rosnow, R.L., &  Rosnow, M. (2001). Writing papers in psychology. London: Wadsworth.