4 ICT IN EDUCATION
Skills bank Developing ideas in a paragraph
Introducing the topic In a text, a new paragraph indicates the start of a new topic.
The topic is given in the topic sentence, which is at or near the beginning of the paragraph. The topic sentence gives the topic, and also makes a comment about the topic. Example:
By contrast, it was difficult to ignore the arrival of the Internet, which heralded a new phase in CAL.
The topic is the Internet. The comment is that this heralded a new phase in CAL. The sentences that follow then expand or explain the topic sentence.
Examples:
It has had a huge impact on education… The Internet provides an alternative to textbook learning … It offers students a way to communicate … Now CAL is more than a ‘bolt on’ to traditional teaching … It requires new skills …
Developing the topic
A paragraph is normally about the same basic topic (the ‘unity’ principle). However, within a paragraph, ideas often develop beyond the initial comment. This development is often
shown by ●
a discourse marker: but, however, etc. ● a stance marker: unfortunately, etc.
Examples: However, the 1980s saw the advent of the first graphical user interfaces (GUIs). These were much more user-friendly.
Slow links and download times characterized the early days of the Internet. Thankfully, however, broadband technology soon changed this.
Discourse markers generally make a connection between the previous information and what comes next. They mainly introduce contrasts or additional information.
Stance markers show the attitude of the writer to the information, i.e., whether he/she is surprised, pleased, unhappy, etc. about the information.
Recording and reporting findings
When you do your research, record information about the source. Refer to the source when you report your findings.
Examples: Tim Berners-Lee (2007) states that … As Aydin, Harmsen, van Slooten & Stegwee suggest in their 2005 article in The Journal of Database Management, … According to Brooks in his book The Mythical Man Month and Other Essays on Software Engineering (1995),… As the writer of the article on
www.computerweekly.com (March 29, 2009) says, …
You should give full information about the source in your reference list or bibliography. For more information about this, see Unit 10 Skills bank.
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