Exam Logistics:

Logistics:

• online, invigilated exam

• 2 hours, on campus, in a computer room, on blackboard, invigilated, paper will also be provided

• typing rather than writing

• given a password, log into computer, lockdown browser, screen to type into

• can edit settings:

  • can increase text

  • can shrink lines

  • can toggle browser to full screen 4 arrow square

  • can use basic spellcheck- ABC tick tool- invigilators will should tell you about this (there is no autocorrect)

• more guidance:

  

• do the practice course!

Exam:

• choice of three questions, answer one, are essay questions, one from each lecturer

• starts with a statement and ask you to discuss an aspect of this, another part asks to give an opinion, prioritise particular conservation actions, critically evaluate the evidence

• draw in info from multiple lectures, need to use info from further reading

• there are examples on doc on blackboard!

• e.g.

  

  • scope to broaden out into more general strategies for marine conservation

• answering the question:

  • write down the question number and title

  • introduction→ wordier version of the question, what am i being asked about and what am i writing about- at the end use ‘in this essay i will answer the question by doing the following’

  • background to issue- mention things in lecture/extended reading

  • extent of the problem, how much, where, how prevalent, evidence

  • other pressures- pick and choose most important issues

  • policy vs impacts

  • how to properly deal with this issue

  • discuss explicitly whether this will work- answer the question

  • conclusion- sum up answer in 2-3 sentences, ‘i answered the question by doing this’

• further reading:

  • include relevant examples/concepts from reading

  • content is the most important thing- can recognise external reading

  • references:

    • lecture material→ no reference needed

    • paper mentioned in lecture but haven’t gone into details (new example/idea not covered in lecture)→ reference author and year if remembered

    • external reading→ reference author and year if remembered

    • no reference list is needed

    • can get a good grade without putting references in, will not be downgraded for using the wrong reference

    • can put that it is external reading in brackets

• marking criteria:

  • writing style, organisation, presentation, figures

    • clear structure- walking through question in a logical order, intro, conclusion, narrative

    • clear writing style- understanding what you mean

    • presentation- paragraphs, possible subheadings

    • figures- would have to be paper figures but are rare for them to add any value- will not lose marks for not including figures

    • spag is only an issue when the essay is unreadable- proofread if you have time

  • scientific understanding and relevance

    • thorough and extensive understanding of issues asked about

    • covering everything asked to cover in the question

    • going into detail on aspects you want to, including examples, integrated in answer

    • general point, illustrating with 1-2 relevant examples from lecture/external reading, next point

    • focus on question→ students often fall down on this aspect, answer question only

  • synthesis and critical evaluation

    • synthesis of material into a coherent answer, using what you know but turning it into an argument rather than what things showed e.g. ‘in general, across 3 papers’ rather than ‘paper 1 said, paper 2 said’

    • critical analysis is required- have thought of issues, have critically analysed things in and out of the lecture, made evidence based conclusions

  • use of literature

    • appropriate source material, used to advance answer beyond what is said in the lecture

  • get a single mark across whole performance

• exam guidance is in the google doc

• there is no word count- just answer the question

• discussion forum- q and a, put questions on there