The tutorial mark will be based on your demonstrating that you have read and thought about the assigned readings for the week. You need to do three things:
- Read the reading for the week
- Compose three (3) "questions" about it
- Come to Tutorial in person and hand it in
For two of the 13 readings, you need to turn those three "questions" into a short, 2-page essay. Basically all we ask is that you write in clear, correct prose, with introductory sentences, a brief summary of the reading (not more than 1/3 the total length of your essay), and your thoughts and considerations of it. One thing you should not do is write a precis, that is, a short description or summary of what the author actually said. Your tutors have already read the reading, and they don't need you to describe it for them. They want to see what you got out of it. You may quote parts of the text (don't forget quotation marks and page numbers in parentheses) to make a point, e.g. point out a contradiction in the author's argument, but make sure these quotations are appropriate.
NOTE: we will not accept papers from people who are not physically there, so don't bother having a friend turn it in for you.
The grading will be 1 mark each for the ten 3-question assignements for a total of 10 points. The other 5 points in the tutorial grade will be for the two 2-page essays.
What are the "Questions"?
These "questions" need to simply deomnstrate that you have read and thought about the reading at more than a superficial level. Questions whould not be as simple as "Who invented relativity?" (Einstein, in case you forgot!). Instead the should try to push beyond the reading and ask broader questions that might generate short essays on a test. So, for example, on the first reading, "Space and Time" by Stephen Hawking, you might have written, "What was 'believable' or 'unbelievable' about Aristotle's conception of absolute rest?" or "Why weren't the ancient Greeks crazy for considering rest that 'natural state' for bodies?" As the weeks go by, you will see the sorts of questions that you or others ask as we discuss them in tutorial. Since there is no "grade" assigned to the quality of your questions (only that you did them), we encourage you to write about your experiences or how the reading might relate to your other classes or whatever. Be creative, and above all, inquisitive!
Your questions will serve as handy and concise review material that will save you time when studying for examinations. Having worked through a reading, thought about it, and put your ideas on paper, the process of recapitulation will be a lot easier and faster than it would be in the absence of written work.
Having to write about what you read obliges you to read more effectively. On going through a reading, you may think that you have grasped it, but very often, when required to write about what you read and what you thought you understood, you find that you were wrong. Vague feelings, useless generalizations, and poor logic start to stink when you put them on paper. You will gradually get into the habit of avoiding that by reading more intelligently. If you will sometimes miss the flaws in your written work - and in your reading - your readers probably won't, and you will get useful feedback from your tutors.
Getting into the habit of regular writing is a skill that is valuable almost everywhere, not just in a particular course or even for university work generally. In business and industry today, clear communication is in terribly great demand and awfully short supply. The ability to communicate is not just desirable but vital for engineers This is one of the few chances you have to start acquiring it. Don't count on your calculus course to do the trick.
Some general tips when reading and writing
In this course, the process of writing starts with reading Before you settle into careful reading, skim the reading quickly from beginning to end to get an idea of what it's all about and a feel for the more difficult and more important passages Then return and read carefully Avoid distractions and concentrate. There are some who say they can watch the game on TV and read at the same time, but I don't believe it. (Unless you're reading Marvel comics or Hansard.) Don't bother reading if you're falling asleep. Just sleep - and read when you wake up. Jot down notes as you read. If, and only if, you have your own photocopy of the reading, make light marks in the margins at the most important passages.
Approach the reading with a set of questions in mind. Here are the more important ones:
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