A18 EAPB3017 E-Portfolio: Argumentative Essay on NHS Privatization

This EAP2 portfolio assignment requires students to develop and demonstrate academic skills through various tasks culminating in an argumentative essay on the privatization of the NHS. The portfolio begins with a self-assessment of academic skills, followed by a personal development plan outlining goals for improvement. Students then engage in source analysis, evaluating the reliability of sources and creating an essay outline based on research. The assignment progresses to paraphrasing, summarizing, and combining source information to construct body paragraphs. The final task involves writing a 900-word argumentative essay, demonstrating the ability to synthesize information, construct arguments, and support claims with evidence. The portfolio emphasizes skills such as critical thinking, research, writing, and organization. This document showcases the student's work and is available on Desklib, a platform offering AI-powered study tools and resources for students to aid their learning and academic success. The portfolio includes the student's reflections on their strengths and weaknesses, plans for improvement, and the development of their essay on the NHS privatization debate.

A18
English for Academic Purposes 2 (EAPB3017)
Name:
Student Number:
Tutor name:
This is your English for Academic Purposes 2 e-portfolio which you must submit on Thursday 26th April 2018 by
2pm via the Student Portal. This should be completed throughout the course and you must make sure you
save your work regularly (e.g. on your computer, on a USB stick, on email or on the Cloud drive). Please refer
to suggested word counts for each task included within this portfolio.
Assessed Learning Outcomes:
1. Produce elements of a cohesive and coherent researched essay
2. Listen to an academic lecture whilst taking coherent notes
3. Read, compare and summarise a number of written academic texts.
1

Week Table of Contents Page Learning
Outcome
Completed?
(
)
Portfolio Tasks
(These tasks should be developed throughout the term but completed by
Thursday 26th April 2018 by 2pm)
1 Where are you now? 2 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
1 Personal Development Plan
[suggested word count: 100 - 150] 3 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
2 – 9 Organising your ideas
[suggested word count: varies per task] 4 LO 1 & 3 ☐
6 Making notes with confidence
(200 words) 6 LO 2 ☐
3 – 8 Developing your arguments
[suggested word count: varies per task] 8 LO 1, 2 & 3 ☐
6 – 9 Writing your argumentative essay
(900 words) 10 LO 1 & 3 ☐
10 Getting a First! 11 LO 1 & 3 ☐
Total word limit:
Final task: Argumentative essay (900 words) (+/- 10%)
Track your progress by ticking off each task as you complete it, in the final column
2

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 1: Where are you now?
Below is a list of the skills you will need when working on extended pieces of writing during your university
career. Using the list from EAP 1, put a cross (X) in the same boxes for each skill in the first column, and tick
() the appropriate box for each skill in the second column, according to how well you think you can do this
now.
You should refer to the checklist throughout the course and decide whether you have made any progress with
these skills.
Skill This is new for
me
I need to
develop this
skill
I can improve
this skill
I can do this
well
Looking for information
Identify which book / journals/ websites
to use ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Select relevant parts of a text ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Using sources
Acknowledge sources of information ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write a reference list correctly ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Avoid plagiarism ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Planning/Writing
Brainstorm ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Plan written work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Link ideas effectively ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Paraphrase & summarise ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write an introduction ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write a conclusion ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Personal Study
Work independently ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Manage my time ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Oral Presentation
Brainstorm ideas with peers ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Discuss written work in a tutorial ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
IT
Access the internet ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Use search engines ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Create word documents ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Use PowerPoint ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
2

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 1: Personal Development Plan (PDP): Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Timescale [SMART]
You are required to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP), which includes goals for the development of your academic skills after the completion of the
module. This should include skills we cover on this module. To help you, write down the strengths and weaknesses you listed in EAP 1 in the box below, which can
also be from your feedback. Use complete sentences.
Strengths
 Capability of composing a huge variety of the academic compositions. The academic compositions tend to display the various qualities
of the good quality assignments.
 The display of the various quick learning skills that are needed for the completion of the assignments that are allocated. I generally do
not find it necessary to attend a number of lecture sessions in order to understand the given topic.
 Capability of completing the assignments within the given deadline.
 Collaborative nature of work while working within a team or a group.
Weaknesses
 The organisational skills need to be improvised.
 Demonstration of obsession with certain tasks at times.
 Demonstration of the highest levels of perfection in solving certain assignments which might result in the heated discussions with the
other team members.
 Demonstration of a dominating attitude at certain points of time during the completion of the given assignments and desiring to do the
assignment all by myself.
Now think about what you would like to improve. Be specific when describing your goals and how you will achieve and measure them. (100 – 150 words)
Target Goal Action Success Criteria Completed by?
e.g. To have clear paragraphs To produce an outline before writing The reader can identify the topic/ideas of
those paragraphs
February 2018
1 To put forth the organisational abilities
in the assignments that involve the
presentation of the reports on the
assigned topic.
The preparation and the maintenance of the
important checklists that are needed for the
tasks that have been completed or have
been undertaken.
The sharpening of the skills needed for the
organisation of the facts that are presented
in the assessment.
February 2018
2 To demonstrate the attentiveness to
the viewpoints of the members of the
team.
The enlistment of the strengths of the other
members of the team.
The better ability of comprehending the
opinions and the notions shared by the
various members of the team.
February 2018
3 To depict the ability of handling the
criticism towards the work that has
To have a clear understanding of own
limitations and thus not depict the craving
The understanding of the fact that a huge
amount of practice is needed for attaining
February 2018
3

been shared by the concerned
educators and assessors
for the perfection in the concerned matter. the perfection in the concerned subject.
3

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 3: Organising your ideas: Are my sources reliable?
Look at the table below. Using the sources you have found (not from GSM Learn or the reading list), answer
the questions below to determine if they are reliable. Make notes.
Source 1 Source 2
Who wrote/said it? The Independent Smith and Peedle
Are they qualified to speak on this
topic?
Yes Yes
Do they have a personal interest in
that issue?
No No
What type of source is it? News Article Journal Article
Has it been verified in any way? Can it
be proved?
Yes Yes
Is there evidence to support this
claim?
Yes Yes
Was the source created to persuade,
sell, entertain, inform or for another
purpose?
The article was composed to
reveal the conditions at the
NHS after the privatisation of
the health services.
The article compares the various
arguments based on the
privatisation of the NHS and the
treatment of the health services
as another commodity.
Is the content relevant to your
research?
Yes Yes
When was it published/last updated? September 30, 2017 September 30, 2014
Does this impact its relevance or
objectivity?
Yes Yes
Give the full references of both your sources here in Harvard Style:
To format the text, highlight the word(s) or line of text you want to change and select the required formatting
option (colour change, bold, italics etc.).
Johnston, I. 2018. Scale of private treatment at NHS hospitals revealed. [online] The Independent. Available
at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-privatisation-health-service-exposed-private-
cancer-patients-hospitals-treatment-work-government-a7974096.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2018].
Smith, R. and Peedell, C., 2014. Is the private sector a good thing for the NHS?. BMJ, 349, p.g5865.
4

5

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 4-9: Organising your ideas: Noting down the main points
In the space below, create an outline for your essay by making notes about any information you find from class
or reading list sources and from the two sources you found. Use bullet points and not full sentences. Include
in-text citations where necessary. You should add to this throughout the course. (150 – 200 words)
Essay Question:
Should the NHS be privatised?
Arguments in Favour (Yes) Arguments against (No)
Economic
 Improvement in the instruments
that are required for the numerous
healthcare activities.
 Ensuring the low amounts of tax
that need to be paid by the
concerned taxpayer.
 Increase in the funding that is
necessary for the proper
functioning of the NHS.
 Decrease in the economic burdens
of the government of the country.
 The healthcare services are rendered
unaffordable by the greater number
of the residents of the country.
 Increase in the healthcare costs that
are incurred by the general people of
the country.
 The increase on the amount of
expenditure for the concerned
customer.
 Increase in the budget of the
concerned person.
Social
 Motivation for the younger
generation of the country.
 Increase in the number of the
healthcare centres that are
accessible by the general people.
 The increase in the sustenance of
NHS.
 Reduction in the political
interference.
 Improvement in the quality of the
treatment that is meted out to the
patients.
 Might bring about a shift in the
central focus of the service.
 Laying more stress on the economic
factors while neglecting the various
ethical issues involved in the
healthcare services.
 Discarding the various issues that are
related to the equality of the people
who are being served by the concern.
 Treatment of the health care services
as a commodity.
PORTFOLIO TASK
Developing your arguments: Paraphrasing/Summarising
6

Choose one aspect (e.g. Economic or Social) and summarise and/or paraphrase the main points you noted in
the outline on page 5. Use complete sentences and include in-text citations where necessary. (150 - 200
words).
Arguments in favour (Yes):
On the economic front various experts are of the opinion that the
government of the country might experience a significant amount of relief
in situations where the health care is sponsored by private organisations.
This helps the government in focussing on other sever issues such as
defence, education or immigration.
Handing over the control of public organisation like NHS to a private front is
likely to increase the costs incurred by the various charges included in the
healthcare business. The patients who fall under the economically
backward class would experience high difficulty in availing these healthcare
facilities. Published in the year 2014, the Commonwealth report suggests
that among all the health care organisation operating in the country the
NHS is the cheapest so far. This goes against the privatisation of NHS thus
confirming it to be a wrong decision. In addition to this the latest
information from the largest insurance-based policies of the UK, ascertain
the fact that privatisation of the NHS is unlikely to strengthen the faith and
trust of the people of the country in all matters regarding health care.
Arguments against (No):
On the contrary privatising NHS might proceed to an increase in the
employment rate of the country as a whole in various health care fields
owing to the fact that the youth of the country are more interested towards
employing themselves in jobs that cater to the serving of people. Experts
have also ascertained that privatisation of NHS have paved the way for
increase in competition in the quality of health care provided to the
patients.
7

PORTFOLIO TASK
Week 5: Developing your arguments: Combining sources
Using the summaries you wrote in the previous task, combine them below to create the first body paragraph
of your essay. Use the guide below to help you and highlight each part with the same colour. (250 – 300
words)
Body paragraph 1
Say why this is a key issue (e.g. Economic/Social)
(this is your topic sentence)
What is the counter-argument of this issue?
(this is the opinion you do not agree with)
What is the main argument if this issue?
(this is your opinion)
Why is your argument stronger than the counter-argument?
What evidence/examples do you have to support this?
What can you conclude from this? What are the implications?
You should use at least 2 sources in this paragraph.
On the economic front various experts are of the opinion that the
government of the country might experience a significant amount of relief
in situations where the health care is sponsored by private organisations.
This helps the government in focussing on other sever issues such as
defence, education or immigration.
Handing over the control of public organisation like NHS to a private front is
likely to increase the costs incurred by the various charges included in the
healthcare business. The patients who fall under the economically
backward class would experience high difficulty in availing these healthcare
facilities. Published in the year 2014, the Commonwealth report suggests
8

that among all the health care organisation operating in the country the
NHS is the cheapest so far. This goes against the privatisation of NHS thus
confirming it to be a wrong decision. In addition to this the latest
information from the largest insurance-based policies of the UK, ascertain
the fact that privatisation of the NHS is unlikely to strengthen the faith and
trust of the people of the country in all matters regarding health care.
On the contrary privatising NHS might proceed to an increase in the
employment rate of the country as a whole in various health care fields
owing to the fact that the youth of the country are more interested towards
employing themselves in jobs that cater to the serving of people. Experts
have also ascertained that privatisation of NHS have paved the way for
increase in competition in the quality of health care provided to the
patients.
Well known for providing free health care to UK residents, NHS is the most
sort-after organisation in terms of health necessities. But privatisation of
NHS would mean no more cheap or free services to the patients of the
country. Hence non-privatisation of health care service should be focussed
on in order to help the needy patients of the non-creamy layer or poor
strata of the country.
9

PORTFOLIO TASK
Making notes with confidence
This is an in-class activity. Please upload a photo of your notes here.
10