Essay and report writing skills - OpenLearn - The Open University

Can you see the advantages of using this type of approach to planning? Grouping the parts of your assignment together and making links helps to ensure that you avoid a disjointed response to the question. It can also show how balanced your answer is going to be: are there too many points on one side or does it appear to be balanced?

Activity 16

• Part 1 Now return to your most recent assignment and try to construct a similar map in order to reveal its underlying structure.

• Part 2 Having done this, make a note of what worked well and what you might do differently next time.

• Part 3 Try to apply this by making a plan for your next assignment.

Discussion

Try to use this activity as an opportunity to improve how you approach future assignments. Did you consider all parts of the question? Did you write yourself into a dead-end? Was the balance right? Was there a clear sense of direction? Take account of these points and see how you can make things better next time.