FAQ | EWRite - an open access platform for writers

What is the English Writing Requirement?

All PolyU students are required to complete one subject that includes a requirement for a substantial piece of writing in English among those taken within their CAR programme. In order to be eligible for "W" credit for the subject, students will be required to submit online one plan and assignment draft of a piece of extensive writing in order for ELC teachers to 1) provide feedback and 2) assess the plan to draft progress made by the student in the writing process as well as the quality of their work.

The grade assigned for these writing activities will account for 10% of the subject's final grade. The final paper will be graded by the subject teacher and will count for a substantial proportion of the subject grade (i.e., no less than 30% of the subject grade).

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What are the aims of the English Writing Requirement?

The purpose of the CAR (and also of the Writing Requirement) is to expand your intellectual capacity beyond your disciplinary domain, so that you will be enabled to tackle professional and global issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. This is done through pursuing a broader range of academic subjects that are significantly different from your major in terms of their paradigms, theoretical perspectives and methods of enquiry.

CAR subjects are designed to have characteristics and learning approaches that emphasize:
- Literacy (requiring extensive reading and substantive writing) through submitting one plan and assignment draft to the ELC and receiving feedback on developing writing based on the plan before the final draft is submitted.
- Higher order thinking (requiring students to exercise and demonstrate systematic, critical and creative thinking skills).
- Life-long learning (incorporating active enquiry and learning-to-learn activities).
With the support provided by the ELC for the English Writing Requirement in terms of feedback on the draft assignment, students can enhance their ability to:
- understand (read) different texts and respond to them critically through writing.
- plan and organise their writing effectively.
- write texts based on existing knowledge and readings. Texts can be interpreted and supplemented with the writer's own ideas to create, innovate and solve problems.
- hone their critical literacy.
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Why should I submit a draft plan?

A strong plan can lead to a better-organised assignment draft and final submission. A good way to achieve a strong plan is to get feedback on it from an ELC teacher.

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Why do I need to submit a plan with my draft assignment?

Good writing involves good planning. Starting your assignment early by thinking about your plan will help you to organize your ideas about your assignment topic and focus your reading and/or research on it. Creating an outline will also lead to clearer organization in your writing, and help you to see possible gaps in your arguments or ideas.

Submitting a thorough plan with your draft assignment provides evidence that you put thought into the ideas and organisation of your writing before you wrote your draft. This is an important habit to cultivate in your writing process at university and beyond.

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What happens if I don't submit a plan?

If you don’t submit a plan, you will receive zero marks for your ELC grade.

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Why do I need to submit a draft?

As part of the Writing Requirement, ELC teachers provide support for the language aspects of the genre that students are working on during the semester. The draft receives a 10% mark based on the extent that the draft assignment requirements have been fulfilled, the writing is clearly organised, and the draft has been proofread for basic errors before submission.

Writing is a recursive process that cultivates deeper thinking and learning. There is no good writing. There is good re-writing. Drafting and revising helps students develop into writers who are better able to meet the audience and genre expectations in response to the feedback comments they receive from ELC teachers.

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What happens if I do not submit a draft?

If you don’t submit a draft, you will receive zero marks for your ELC grade.

You will also miss the precious opportunity to get your ELC writing teacher's feedback on the draft that you fail to submit.

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What if I miss the submission deadline for Draft 1 or Draft 2?

You will receive a 0 score out of 10% allotted for the ELC component of the EWR grade. You will also miss out on the opportunity to receive written feedback on your draft. However, you are still welcome to book an EWR consultation with your ELC marking teacher to get feedback on your draft. Daily drop-in consultations without a booking are also available.

If you miss the Draft 1 or Draft 2 deadline due to a valid excuse, please contact the EWR team as soon as possible at elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk with an explanation and evidence, such as a doctor’s certificate.

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II. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT MARKING AND GRADES

How do I pass the Writing Requirement?

In order to pass the subject, students must pass the writing component assessment, i.e., attain a minimum grade D in the writing component.

To pass the Writing Requirement component, students are required to:
1. Submit the Writing Requirement drafts before each deadline, and
2. perform satisfactorily in those drafts.
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If I did not submit a plan and/or draft and scored 0 mark for the writing component, will I fail the subject ?

No, you won't fail the subject, but you will lose a score out of the 10% allotted for the writing component. Be aware that if you fail to get a passing mark for your final essay, you fail the course. And that is serious. For this reason, you should submit all the drafts, and you get a score!
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If I fail the writing assignment, will I fail the subject?

Yes
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How can I get a good grade?

In order to get a good grade both from the ELC and your subject teacher, do the following:
1. Read the assignment instructions carefully. Clarify any questions that you may have with your subject teacher BEFORE you start planning and writing.
2. Follow the plan guidelines/template to create a plan for your draft. Submit your plan for feedback and revise it if necessary.
3. Before you start writing your draft, refer to the checklist. Refer to the checklist again after you finish your draft. Do this a day or several hours before submission deadline so that you can (re)write parts that you may have omitted.
4. Proofread your draft before you submit it to check for basic errors, including citation/reference formatting, and correct them if necessary.
5. Read the Writing Requirement feedback report on your submitted drafts carefully. Revise accordingly. Following suggestions for improvement from your ELC teacher will help you improve issues that you were not able to address. Doing this will help you get a good grade from both the ELC and subject teacher.
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What are the marking criteria used by the ELC?

When assigning a mark for your assignment draft submission, we will be using these criteria: checklist fulfillment (50%), organization (30%), and accuracy (20%) (no basic errors in language, formatting, and referencing).

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Which errors are included in the Accuracy mark?

Here are examples of basic errors in language and formatting:
- Spelling, e.g. “They’re instructions were…”, “The study presents the popular malls were most local consumers shop…”
- Singular and plural nouns, e.g. many problem, a few water, such informations
- Pronouns, e.g. “The companies promote its products…”
- Simple subject-verb agreement, e.g. “The study show that…”, “Researchers was surprised that…”
- Simple verb tense forms, e.g. “The result is indicate that”, “Some people choosing the alternative…”, “They maked an assumption…”
- Simple verb tense use, e.g. present tense instead of past tense, or past tense instead of present tense
- Punctuation e.g. missing full stops, commas, capital letters
- Formatting, e.g. inconsistent font use, inconsistent spacing
You should also, if necessary, learn more about the designated referencing style of your assignment, and follow the style guidelines online for citation and reference list entries, if your assignment requires the use of sources.

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When and where do I receive my mark?

Your CAR teacher will receive your EWR mark from the ELC and will incorporate it into your final assignment grade. When that final assignment grade is released, you will then be able to see your EWR mark.
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III. ASSIGNMENT CHECKLISTS

Why do I need to use a checklist?

A checklist guides you in two ways. You can
- complete your assignment as required by your subject teacher; and
- include the genre-related aspects that you may not be familiar with.
Be sure to check the box of each of the checklist items that you have fulfilled, for you and your ELC marker’s reference.

You should also copy and paste draft assignment into the checklist document, save it, and submit it as a Word document to Turnitin before the deadline.

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Where can I find the checklist?

The checklist will become available under "Assignment Information" on the Writing Requirement blackboard site at least one week before the assignment draft is due.
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IV. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT FEEDBACK ON DRAFT

What is included in the feedback?

Feedback may vary as teachers have different styles and assignments/drafts differ from each other, but typical feedback includes an overall evaluation of your draft and, most importantly, specific comments advising on how to imporve your plan or draft.
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Who provides the feedback?

The ELC teacher assigned to read your draft will prepare the feedback.
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When is the feedback released?

In general, your feedback will be released online 7 days after the plan submission and 14 days after your draft submission deadline. For example, if the Draft 1 plan submission deadline is 1 Oct 23:59, the corresponding report will be released online on 8 Oct 23:59; while if the Draft 2 submission deadline is 1 Nov 23:59, the corresponding report will be released online on 15 Nov 23:59.
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Where can I find my feedback?

You access your feedback through Turnitin. First, click on your submission and then click on filename showed on the pop up “Feedback Studio”. There should be feedback comments within your draft in form of texts or bubbles (which you need to click on).
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Why do I need to read the feedback?

You are strongly encouraged to read the feedback because in it the ELC teacher will offer advice on what you can do to improve the draft further.
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What do I do with the feedback?
1. Read the feedback on Turnitin.
2. Make improvements to your draft plan or draft writing.
3. Revise the draft based on the comments.
4. Refer to the comments once again before you submit yur final draft to make sure you have addressed all suggestions in your revision.
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V. CONSULTATIONS

What are the objectives of the English Writing Consultation Sessions?

The objectives of the English Writing Consultation Sessions are
1. to help you understand the suggestions made in your Writing Requirement feedback
2. clarify any questions you may have related to revision of your plan or draft
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Who will be at my consultation session?

For the Draft 1 plan consultation, an ELC teacher will assist you in improving your plan.

For the Draft 2 consultation, the ELC marking teacher who provided the feedback on your draft will be at the session to answer your questions.

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Are consultation sessions compulsory?

No. Consultation sessions are voluntary and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. However, you need to attend if you book as other students may wish to book the same slot.
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When will the consultation sessions take place

There are two opportunities to attend consultations:
1. Weeks 6-7 (Option 1) or Weeks 7-8 (Option 2) for feedback on your draft plan.
Attention: Booking at https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/booking/main.php for the sessions is opened right after plan / draft submission is due.

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When can I book a consultation session?

For consultation on your plan / assignment draft, the consultations sessions are open for booking after the corresponding submission deadline.
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How can I sign up for a consultation session?

You will be notified via email when the booking system for consultations is open, together with the booking link (https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/booking/main.php).
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How will I know if I booked a consultation session successfully?

You will receive an email with the subject "English Writing Consultation Session Registration" from ELC EWR (elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk) about your successful consultation session registration.
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What should I prepare for (bring to) my consultation session?

For the Draft 1 plan consultation, bring a soft or hard copy of your plan.

For the Draft 2 consultation, you are advised to:
1. read through your online feedback before attending the session,
2. bring a soft or hard copy of your draft, and
3. prepare questions for your ELC marking teacher.
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How long is the consultation?

Each consultation is 15-30 minutes long.
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How many students can attend the same session?

Up to two students can attend the same face-to-face session, with each student booking the session separately. In other words, if you want to bring a friend, he or she will have to formally book the same session as you./p>
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How can I cancel a consultation session booking?

You can cancel your registered session at least one day prior to the consultation session before 6.00 pm via email. If a student is absent without cancellation, he/she will be counted as absent. Special reasons, such as a medical issue or family emergency, will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Send your on-the-day cancellation email to elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk if there is any urgent matters.
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What if I forget to attend a consultation session that I have booked?

You will be counted as absent and lose one of your chances of booking a consultation. You will be unable to book another session if you reached the limit of 2 consultations.
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What can I do if I cannot book a consultation?

You can book a WAP session if available at https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/booking/main.php.
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VI. WRITING REQUIREMENT EVALUATION

What is the aim of the online Writing Requirement evaluation?

We use this online evaluation survey to gather your feedback on how the English Writing Requirement is structured and implemented. We then use this feedback to continuously improve the programme.

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Why should I do the online Writing Requirement evaluation?

You will have a chance to tell us what works well when it comes to the Writing Requirement. You will also have a say in how the Writing Requirement could be done better.

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When should I do the online Writing Requirement evaluation?

We encourage you to do this at the end of the semester. The survey will become available only in the last 3 weeks of the semester with an email announcement.
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How long will it take?

It should take around 5-10 minutes of your time.
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VII. CONTACTING THE ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT TEAM

Whom should I contact if I have questions about the writing assignment?

We suggest that you contact your subject teacher when you have questions or concerns about your writing assignment.

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Whom should I contact if I have questions/concerns about the Writing Requirement?

If you have questions about the Writing Requirement -- its aims, deadlines and implementation model, please contact the English Writing Requirement Team. Click "Contact Us" on the Writing Requirement site on Learn@PolyU for contact details.
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Whom should I contact if I have questions about the feedback?

Please, feel free to e-mail your ELC teacher directly or contact the liaison of the English Writing Requirement Team working on your subject if you have questions about your feedback.

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Whom should I contact if I have questions about consultation sessions?

For any questions/concerns about the consultation sessions, please email elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk.
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VIII. USE OF DATA

Will my scripts be used for purposes other than receiving feedback from an ELC teacher?

Your writing may help us understand how students approach writing across various subjects at the university level, what challenges they may face and how we may be able to help them overcome these challenges. Your scripts, therefore, may be used for research and teaching purposes. To maintain your privacy, all the scripts, if used, will be anonymised prior to their use. If you do not wish your scripts to be used for research and teaching purposes, please, e-mail elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk.

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Will my reflections and completed surveys be used for purposes beyond this course?

Just like your scripts, your reflections and survey answers help us (1) understand students' writing practices and challenges and (2) improve our support tools. All the information, if used, will be anonymised, but if you do not wish your data to be used for research and teaching purposes, please, e-mail elc.ewr@polyu.edu.hk.
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IX. EWR WORKSHOPS

What are EWR workshops about? How are they different from EWR orientations?

EWR workshops are 60-minute-long sessions during which you will be offered support in analysing your EWR assignment task, understanding its specific expectations and language requirements, guiding on how to prepare a plan of your drafts, understanding your language teacher's feedback, and incorporating feedback into your revisions. These sessions are based on hands-on activities after completing which you should have a clear understanding of your assignment and a good plan for completing it.

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Should I prepare anything for EWR workshops if I am planning to attend them?

Yes, these workshops are based on hands-on activities, which means you will need to bring soft or hard copies of your plans/drafts with you. These texts are: the plan template for EWR Workshop 1 and ELC teacher's feedback on your plan and your draft (if any) for EWR Workshop 2.
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Do I need to sign up to attend a workshop?

Yes, you need to sign up for an EWR workshop at https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/booking/main.php, these workshops are popular, so you will need to be register promptly and be punctual. We use the principle of "First-come, first- served".
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X. EWR DROP-IN CONSULTATIONS

What are the EWR Drop-in Consultations?

EWR drop-in consultations are one-hour sessions during which you can get answers to your very specific questions from a writing teacher. So bring your Draft 1 plan and/or Draft 2 writing, prepare your questions and attend a EWR drop-in consultation..

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Who are EWR Drop-in Consultations for?

EWR Drop-in Consultations are for anyone taking a CAR subject with the English Writing Requirement. If you have questions about your assignment, if you don’t know where to start and what to do next, EWR Drop-in Consultations are a perfect place for you. Just check the schedule, choose the session that fits your personal schedule and get answers to your questions during the session.

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Should I prepare anything if I am planning to attend a EWR Drop-in Consultation session?

Yes, these sessions are aimed to be very practical, so bring your assignment instructions, your checklist/s, and/or your draft/s. Make sure you have an access to soft copies of your drafts as you may do some work on your drafts during the session. Do not forget to prepare your questions as well.

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Can I do some writing during the session?

Yes. One main aim of these sessions is to help you with your writing by engaging you in some actual writing.

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Do I need to sign up to attend a session?

No, you do not need to sign up for an EWR Drop-in Consultation session. Just drop in online !

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Do I need to attend the whole hour?

No, you can come at any time during the hour and leave any time.

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When do EWR Drop-in Consultation sessions start?

EWR Drop-in Consultation sessions start in Week 2.

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For Writing Teachers

For CAR Teachers

About this website

EWRite is an open access online literacy platform for PolyU community that has two major objectives:

to support PolyU students’ literacy development within and across the disciplines
to support subject and language teachers to implement system-level measures for integrating literacy-sensitive pedagogies across the university

This platform provides access to generic genre guides representing typical university assignments as well as links to subjects offered by faculties with specific disciplinary genres and relevant support materials.

The materials can be retrieved by students by choosing the genres that interest them on the landing page. Each set of materials includes a genre guide, genre video, and a genre checklist. The genre guide and video are to summarize the genres in two different ways (i.e. textual and dynamic) to fit different learning styles. The genre checklist is for students to self-regulate their writing process. The genre guide and checklist include links to various ELC resources that can provide further explanation to language items (e.g. hedging and academic vocabulary).

The platform also acts as a one-stop-shop for writing resources for students, language teachers and subject leaders. Information about the English Writing Requirement policy can also be found on this platform. There are training materials for new colleagues joining the EWR Liaison Team.

You are here

I. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT

II. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT MARKING AND GRADES

III. ASSIGNMENT CHECKLISTS

IV. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT FEEDBACK ON DRAFT

V. CONSULTATIONS

VI. WRITING REQUIREMENT EVALUATION

VII. CONTACTING THE ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT TEAM

VIII. USE OF DATA

IX. EWR WORKSHOPS

X. EWR DROP-IN CONSULTATIONS

I. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT

II. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT MARKING AND GRADES

III. ASSIGNMENT CHECKLISTS

IV. ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT FEEDBACK ON DRAFT

V. CONSULTATIONS

VI. WRITING REQUIREMENT EVALUATION

VII. CONTACTING THE ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT TEAM

VIII. USE OF DATA

IX. EWR WORKSHOPS

X. EWR DROP-IN CONSULTATIONS

For Writing Teachers

For CAR Teachers

About this website