Academic Conventions and Skills for Higher Education: Source Report

This source report discusses the academic conventions and skills needed for higher education. It includes a list of relevant sources, source evaluation, and key conclusions drawn from the reading. The report highlights the importance of academic knowledge, writing skills, academic language, academic conventions, and referencing in higher education. It also sheds light on the growing trend of valuing skills over degrees in the education sector. The report emphasizes the role of teachers in promoting skill building in students and the importance of competencies such as presentation skills, critical thinking, and problem solving in higher education and career paths.

Academic English Skills Coursework 1 Assessment: Source Report
Name: Class: Date:
Essay title or question:
Title: Academic conventions and skills needed for higher education
Plan for overall structure of essay:
Plan for overall structure
Introduction – context and position:
Thesis statement:
Topic 1. Academic knowledge and skills for higher education
Topic 2. Writing skills in higher education
Topic 3. Academic language and skills in higher education
Topic 4. Academic conventions in higher education
Topic 5. Academic referencing in higher education
Conclusion
Use the following referencing format for your sources:
Books / chapters of books:
Surname, I. and Surname, I. (Year) Title of the book Place of Publication: Publisher
Surname, I. (Year) ‘Chapter of the book’ In: I. Surname & I. Surname (Eds) Title of the book Place of Publication:
Publisher pp.1 – 18
Journal articles (print/ online)
Surname, I. (Year) ‘The Title of the Article’ The Name of the Journal 1 (1), pp. 1- 18
Reports / articles online
Surname, I. (Year) ‘The Title of the Article or Report’ [Online] The Name of the Organisation or website. Available at: url [Last Accessed DD.MM.YY]
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Part 1: List of relevant sources
List 5 sources which will be useful in answering your essay question, and are suitable for academic use.
Make sure you use the referencing format provided on page 1. Outline how you found your sources, including where you found the source and how you found it. For three of
your sources, note why it is relevant to your essay.
Reference Type of source: I found this source by… This source is relevant to my essay
because…
1 Kuteeva, M. and Mauranen, A., 2018. Digital
academic discourse: Texts and contexts:
Introduction. Discourse, Context & Media, 24,
pp.1-7.
☒ Academic journal article
☐ Book
☐ Online report / article
☐ Other (state which)
Searching the topic of academic
conventions on the internet
It sheds light on new forms of learning
and provides an outlook on digital
technologies and academic education
2 Herrington, A.J., 2020. Writing in academic
settings: A study of the contexts for writing in two
college chemical engineering courses. Bazerman
and Russell, pp.97-124.
☒ Academic journal article
☐ Book
☐ Online report / article
☐ Other (state which)
Researching about ways of
professional writing in advanced
academic courses
It showcases the importance of writing
skills in advanced courses and career
pathways
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3 Mezzadri, M., 2018. Testing academic language
proficiency. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
☒ Academic journal article
☐ Book
☐ Online report / article
☐ Other (state which)
Searching for articles about
importance of language skills in
academic settings
Allows the project to include academic
language proficiency and ways to
measure student performance
4 5 academic skills to prepare your students for
higher education, 2021 [online] available through
https://www.english.com/blog/academic-skills-
for-higher-education/
☐ Academic journal article
☐ Book
☒ Online report / article
☐ Other (state which)
Looking up for secondary data
sources on need for academic
skill development
Gives a set of lists regarding skills which
are in demand nowadays in higher
education
5 Skills, experience more important than academic
qualifications, degrees: Survey, 2022 [online]
available through
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/skills-
experience-more-important-than-academic-
☐ Academic journal article
☐ Book
☒ Online report / article
☐ Other (state which)
Internet research on the growing
impact of skill-sets in higher
education and career paths
Makes a strong and convincing argument
about focusing on skills for higher studies
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qualifications-degrees-survey/articleshow/
90560322.cms
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Part 2: Source Evaluation and Use of Sources
Complete the source evaluation and overview of useful points from the text for the two sources you did not discuss the relevance of in part 1. Summarise and paraphrase
key information in the text in order to demonstrate that you have understood the sources. You may use bullet points. You are not marked for your language accuracy, but
you will be penalised for copying text from the source.
Reference
5 academic skills to prepare your students for higher education, 2021 [online] available through https://www.english.com/blog/academic-skills-for-higher-education/
I have identified this source is reliable and appropriate for academic use because…
Criteria Tick all statements which apply and provide an example or evidence where required
Currency
The
timeliness of
the
information
☐The article is current
☐Research in the area has not been updated
☒My essay requires reference to older research
REASON: The domains and field of education might change with time but the core skills which must be inculcate by students remain the same, the
research includes skills which are important enough to stay relevant for the past 4 years.
Authority
The source
of the
information
☒The authors have the appropriate level of expertise in the field
EVIDENCE: The author has written numerous holistic and academic articles on multiple subjects such as spoken English skills, sustainable education and
special needs education.
Accuracy
The
reliability
and
correctness
of the
information
☐The information has been peer-reviewed
☐The source uses academic conventions throughout
☒The arguments are supported by sound evidence
EVIDENCE: The article has thorough references and backlinks to official TedTalks, English course links and is academic in nature. The suggestions
mentioned are also generic
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Purpose
The reason
the
information
exists
☐This source has not been commissioned by a company or organisation
☒The purpose of this source is to inform / educate
☐The information contained in this source is presented without bias
EVIDENCE: The article has been written to inform students, teachers and parents alike about the necessary skills needed for proper higher education
needs
Use of source Note three points from the source which will be useful for your essay and how you will use them
Relevant key point from the text Supporting evidence / example/ data for the key
point
Which topic from your outline does this point relate
to and in what way?
Academic skills encourage students to become more
efficient learners. They give students the confidence to
participate fully in English-speaking courses and are
invaluable outside of the classroom and after they
graduate.
Showcase the importance of academic skills for
higher education as being fluent in English has
proven to get people into better colleges and jobs
This point directly relates to the need for
specialized skills in higher education
Academic Discourse – skills for communicating effectively
in debates, discussions and presentations
All the activities mentioned make up an important
part of higher studies curriculum in all reputed
schools and colleges
Directly relates to the specific skills which should be
present in students for higher learning
Many teachers ask their students to practice
presentations in class and this is a great skill to have.
However, it’s very easy to overlook the students who
aren’t speaking.
Highlights the importance of presentation skills and
highlights the role that teachers play in skill
building for future
Presents a different point of view on the skills
needed in higher studies. Presentation skills are
needed for effective career as well making it an
important point
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Reference
Skills, experience more important than academic qualifications, degrees: Survey, 2022 [online] available through https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/skills-
experience-more-important-than-academic-qualifications-degrees-survey/articleshow/90560322.cms
I have identified this source is reliable and appropriate for academic use because…
Criteria Tick all statements which apply and provide an example or evidence where required
Currency
The
timeliness of
the
information
☒The article is current
☐Research in the area has not been updated
☐My essay requires reference to older research
REASON: The article informs about the most current happenings in the higher education and job market
Authority
The source
of the
information
☒The authors have the appropriate level of expertise in the field
EVIDENCE: The author is a reputed journalist who has written multiple articles about education, human resources and has a keen outlook on employable
skills
Accuracy
The
reliability
and
correctness
of the
information
☒The information has been peer-reviewed
☐The source uses academic conventions throughout
☒The arguments are supported by sound evidence
EVIDENCE: Economic times is one of the most well reputed news portals and all written matter is supported by relevant data
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Purpose
The reason
the
information
exists
☐This source has not been commissioned by a company or organisation
☒The purpose of this source is to inform / educate
☐The information contained in this source is presented without bias
EVIDENCE: The article has been made to inform students about the growing importance of developing skill-sets at a young age
Use of source Note three points from the source which will be useful for your essay and how you will use them
Relevant key point from the text Supporting evidence / example/ data for the key
point
Which topic from your outline does this point relate
to and in what way?
recruiters today emphasise skills and experience more
than the background and educational qualifications of
the potential candidates, finds new data
The written point is supported by statistical data as
67% of the recruiters have been highlighted
This topic relates to the growing need of academic
skills in the lives of students
The shelf life of the existing employee skill sets are
shortening by the day. In this new environment of pivot
or perish, upskilling and reskilling is the only way to
bridge this gap.
The article backs up this key point by shedding light
on current recruitment practices and data studied
on recent market happenings
This point directly relates to the fact that skills can
get outdated quickly and students must build a
diverse portfolio for good carers
Organisations today are looking for people with holistic
job skills that include creative problem-solving skills, a
collaborative mind-set
The points have been supported by data studies
and researches conducted to highlight certain skills
valued in society currently
Adds weight to the argument that most skill-sets
that make people’s professional lives better are
learned during their schooling years academically
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Conclusions drawn from your reading
The reading which was done comprehensively for the purpose of conducting detailed research on the topic of academic conventions and skill building for higher
education needs revealed interesting topics which are highlighted below.
 It was found that apart from students and parents, teachers played a very big role in academic settings to promote skill building in students and most of the
important skills needed in higher education and profession careers starts from the basics of classrooms instead
 It was also discovered that competencies such as presentation skills, critical thinking and problem solving are not only valued in higher education settings, but
also play a great role in grabbing great jobs
 There is a growing trend in the education sector where degrees and institutions are falling out in favour of skills inculcated during beginner and higher
education of individuals.
Part 3 Bullet point key conclusions you have drawn from your reading of the five sources.
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