Workshops

You can also earn GLP Experiential Credit by attending Writing Centre workshops. The Global Leadership Program is a co-curricular program that can be undertaken alongside any course at Macquarie. The Writing Centre's workshops can be claimed under:

GLP Credit
Undergraduate: GL X30A – 1 of 2 Careers Events (minimum 1 hour each), GL X30B – 1 of 2 Careers Events (minimum 1 hour each). Check your Experiential Credit Guide for evidence requirements. 
Postgraduate: Not applicable.

Exam strategies

AGLC4: Referencing in Law

In this workshop, Faculty Librarians will explain about citing legal references using the Australian Guide to Legal Citation - the referencing style used for almost all your assessments in Law.

APA 7 referencing

APA is one of the most common referencing styles at university. In this nuts-and-bolts-workshop, co-presented by Learning Advisers and Faculty Librarians, you'll learn how to:

• use in-text referencing (citation) in APA style
• construct an accurate reference list in APA style.

Avoiding common plagiarism errors

Plagiarism in your assignments can result in lower marks and academic penalties. Come to this workshop to find out:

• what plagiarism is
• the most common types
• how to acknowledge sources correctly to avoid plagiarism.

Essential Library tools and resources

Meet the three key Library tools you'll need for your studies at MQ. In this session, Librarians will get you started with Leganto, MultiSearch, and Library Subject & Research Guides for finding and using quality information resources.

Paraphrasing effectively

What is paraphrasing and how do you use it in your writing? Through examples and practice activities, this workshop will:

• demonstrate the difference between quoting, summarising and paraphrasing
• cover key strategies for paraphrasing
• show how to distinguish between your 'voice' and sources you've paraphrased in your academic writing.

Referencing essentials

Has it been a long time since you've had to reference? Or is it your first time to do referencing? Join Learning Advisers and Faculty Librarians to learn key principles that will enable you to cite effectively and create an accurate reference list. Practice activities are included.

Selecting and evaluating academic sources

any assignments require you to find and use information beyond your class readings. But how do you identify good quality resources that are best for your purpose?  Faculty Librarians will explain:

• strategies for finding and choosing relevant and authoritative sources
• how to evaluate academic (and some non-academic) sources
• techniques for managing the useful sources that you find

Analysing assignment questions for better marks

A common problem at university is understanding assignment questions. Don't lose marks because you don’t fully understand what you have to do! This workshop covers how to:

• analyse assignment questions
• understand different kinds of assignment questions
• produce appropriate responses to get better marks.

Developing your essay argument

Have you received marker’s feedback saying that your essay does not have an argument? This workshop will cover:

• what is an argument?
• how do I formulate an argument?
• what makes an argument strong?

English for studying and working in Australia

English-speaking muscles getting a bit rusty after lockdowns? Forgot how to talk to people after being stuck in isolation? The Writing Centre is introducing a new way to get your English language proficiency into shape: a 6-week English-speaking bootcamp, “English for studying and working in Australia”. In these one-hour sessions facilitated by language and literacies experts, you will learn and practise Australian English for academic and professional contexts with fellow Macquarie students. These sessions are informal but informative—come and flex your language muscles with us!

Essay structure

Your essay needs a solid structure to showcase your arguments. This workshop will cover:

• steps in essay writing
• basic essay structure
• how to present your ideas in an organised, logical way.

Getting started with academic writing

If you are new to writing at the university level, this introductory workshop will give you an overview of the features and requirements of academic writing. You’ll learn about:

• the different types of academic writing
• academic style
• the structure of academic texts
• what it means to write critically.

Making the most of feedback

Have you received feedback on an assignment, but not been sure what to do with it? This workshop will cover:

• understanding what the feedback means
• planning future improvements using feedback
• ways to collect feedback from tools like Turnitin and Word
• strategies for being open to feedback.

Writing effective paragraphs

Have you ever received the feedback that your ideas are not clear? Express your ideas more effectively with well-organised paragraphs. This practical workshop will cover:

• common problems with student paragraph writing
• strategies to effectively highlight your main ideas
• strategies to relate your supporting sentences to your main ideas.

Writing critically

From your first week at uni you'll be told how important it is to think critically. How do you demonstrate this in your writing? This workshop will:

• show examples of descriptive vs critical writing
• provide important strategies for writing critically
• give you practice at identifying critical analysis in written texts.

Writing with clarity

Do you get feedback that your sentences are confusing or unclear? This activity-based workshop will review five strategies you can use to make your writing more readable.

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