I need help in writing my thesis.

Albert364

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I need help in writing my thesis. I have never been able to write coherently. I have ideas, I have gathered material, but I can't put it on paper. Who can help?
 

Steve

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It's the AI writing site that's been in the news recently. It does a pretty good job of writing basically anything you want. I wouldn't rely too much on the accuracy of the information yet, but it's pretty interesting. I've messed around with it some, and while the tech is not very mature yet, it's very promising. I asked it to write an essay on the cultural impact of Aztec and Mayan civilizations on the modern Mexican culture, and the result was pretty good... probably an A effort at about the 10th or 11th grade level.
 

Gyakuto

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I need help in writing my thesis. I have never been able to write coherently. I have ideas, I have gathered material, but I can't put it on paper. Who can help?
You need to understand your topic first. Think about the steps you’d need to tell someone about what you’re writing in a logical progression of ideas…a bit like explaining the plot of a good film. Write them down briefly in point form. Then read them to someone (a sympathetic friend…mum is a good person to use) who knows nothing about the topic. Then ask them if they can give you a synopsis of you topic. If they do this coherently, your brief notes are good and you can start expanding on them into a thesis.

When writing, avoid meaningless ‘padding‘ but be succinct and to the point. Use a thesaurus to expand your vocabulary and keep your writing tight. I once gave a one-side of paper exam essay a ‘first’ because it addressed the question exactly and just gave correct point after point!

Writing that first few paragraphs is the hardest so use your martial arts-derive resolve to grasp the nettle and start!

Or use ChatGPT 😑
 

Steve

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You need to understand your topic first. Think about the steps you’d need to tell someone about what you’re writing in a logical progression of ideas…a bit like explaining the plot of a good film. Write them down briefly in point form. Then read them to someone (a sympathetic friend…mum is a good person to use) who knows nothing about the topic. Then ask them if they can give you a synopsis of you topic. If they do this coherently, your brief notes are good and you can start expanding on them into a thesis.

When writing, avoid meaningless ‘padding‘ but be succinct and to the point. Use a thesaurus to expand your vocabulary and keep your writing tight. I once gave a one-side of paper exam essay a ‘first’ because it addressed the question exactly and just gave correct point after point!

Writing that first few paragraphs is the hardest so use your martial arts-derive resolve to grasp the nettle and start!

Or use ChatGPT 😑
My dear fellow, and peers, to expostulate
What good writing should be,
What day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time;
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Use Chat GPT.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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If I was a professor, I think for my next semester/year classes, I'd transition away from essays and only use tests, oral exams/conversations and presentations. Otherwise I wouldn't know if my students understand something, or are just having an AI try tricking me into thinking they know stuff (which, if it was anything other than an AI, would be considered cheating).
 

Gyakuto

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If I was a professor, I think for my next semester/year classes, I'd transition away from essays and only use tests, oral exams/conversations and presentations. Otherwise I wouldn't know if my students understand something, or are just having an AI try tricking me into thinking they know stuff (which, if it was anything other than an AI, would be considered cheating).
Yes, ChatGPT is considered plagiarism but can be hard to detect.

The types of assessment you mention are excellent means of discriminating between good, medium and poor students (which is what assessment is all about, after all) but the students hate them because they’re hard and complain bitterly about their use making module organisers and heads of departments quiver in fear in their boots and change the assessments types to essays and course work to appease fee-paying students.

I’m glad I’m out of it all!
 

Steve

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Yes, ChatGPT is considered plagiarism but can be hard to detect.

The types of assessment you mention are excellent means of discriminating between good, medium and poor students (which is what assessment is all about, after all) but the students hate them because they’re hard and complain bitterly about their use making module organisers and heads of departments quiver in fear in their boots and change the assessments types to essays and course work to appease fee-paying students.

I’m glad I’m out of it all!
If TAs aren't grading essay questions, what are they going to do with all their free time?
 

Gyakuto

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If TAs aren't grading essay questions, what are they going to do with all their free time?
Teaching assistants? Only academics marked essays in all the university departments I’ve ever worked in.
 

Gyakuto

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My impression is that grad students are routinely abused here in the States.
I suppose it can be seen as good training and if they have a comprehensive marking scheme…
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Yes, ChatGPT is considered plagiarism but can be hard to detect.

The types of assessment you mention are excellent means of discriminating between good, medium and poor students (which is what assessment is all about, after all) but the students hate them because they’re hard and complain bitterly about their use making module organisers and heads of departments quiver in fear in their boots and change the assessments types to essays and course work to appease fee-paying students.

I’m glad I’m out of it all!
They may hate them, which is why I wouldn't use them as much typically, but if that's the only way a prof can know people aren't just using AI, that's what's needed.
 

Gyakuto

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They may hate them, which is why I wouldn't use them as much typically, but if that's the only way a prof can know people aren't just using AI, that's what's needed.
Here in the U.K., universities are in such competition for students that they bend over backwards to cater to the whims of potential students. If a Uni dept said they use predominantly exam-style assessment, potential students will vote with their feet and go to course work-heavy degree programmes instead. A few years ago one department in my old Uni had a 70% first class degree classification 😂 It’s the reason degrees are now virtually worthless in the U.K. and students are pushed into masters programmes (which are also becoming less valuable) and even PhDs to make them stand out from the crowd.
 

_Simon_

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When writing, avoid meaningless ‘padding‘ but be succinct and to the point.
Ahhhh padding is the best part! 🤣 It's amazing how much repetitive gibberish one can extract out of one simple phrase or idea.

"The topic at hand, as it stands, suggests highly that it is of quite a topical nature. It persists of its own accord with how topical it can be, involving multiple populations and propagating rather robust and prolific discussions amongst said populations, it is well known and documented (and generally agreed upon), that the very nature and context in which it presents itself engenders a rather topical interest."

(Probably grammatical errors, but it's probably intentional for the extra padding!)
 

Gyakuto

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Ahhhh padding is the best part! 🤣 It's amazing how much repetitive gibberish one can extract out of one simple phrase or idea.

"The topic at hand, as it stands, suggests highly that it is of quite a topical nature. It persists of its own accord with how topical it can be, involving multiple populations and propagating rather robust and prolific discussions amongst said populations, it is well known and documented (and generally agreed upon), that the very nature and context in which it presents itself engenders a rather topical interest."

(Probably grammatical errors, but it's probably intentional for the extra padding!)
I quite liked padding too as I could skip that section and head closer to awarding the piece of work a low mark 😈
 

Gyakuto

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The one of best exam essay I ever submitted, and was replete with much padding, was ‘Describe the physiological mechanisms involved in riding a bicycle’.

Some students found it so difficult because they couldn’t identify the salient mechanisms and the depth they should go into in the 30 minutes they should have worked out they had to complete it. This ‘synoptic exam paper’ was eventually abandoned because the marks were so poor it was affecting the departments push for 70% first class degree classifications 🙄
 

Rich Parsons

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I need help in writing my thesis. I have never been able to write coherently. I have ideas, I have gathered material, but I can't put it on paper. Who can help?
I am assuming it is martial arts related.
Can you provide the art and any other critical content or topic that needs to be discussed?
Can you provide an example of what you have done or have an issue with?
 

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