Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Academic and Research Vice-Rector

Activity Guide and Evaluation Rubric
Task 3 – Argumentative Essay

1. General Description of the Course

Faculty or Escuela de Ciencias de la Educación

Academic Unit
Academic Level Profesional

Academic Field Formación disciplinar

Course Name Colombian Education

Course Code 551035
Course Type Teórico Can be Yes ☒ No ☐
enabled
Number of Credits 2

2. Description of the Activity

Type of Number of
Individual ☒ Collaborative ☒ 6
Activity: Weeks
Evaluation Initial Intermediate
☐ ☒ Final ☐
Moment: Unit 2
Environment to Submit the
Total Score of the Activity:
Activity: Monitoring and Evaluation
175 points
Environment
Starting Date of the
Deadline of the Activity:
Activity:
July 27th, 2020
July 16th, 2020
Competences to Develop:
To familiarize with the concepts of bilingualism, bilingual education
and globalization by contrasting different authors’ perspectives to
reflect on their relevance to the language education system in
Colombia.
Topics to Develop:
Unit 2 - Bilingualism and Globalization in the Educational System
Steps, Phase or Stage of the Learning Strategy to Develop
In this activity students develop the following steps:
Step 1: Argumentative Essay
Step 2: Wiki
Step 3: Submission

Task-based learning strategy: The course uses the Task-Based

Language Learning as a methodological background offering
interactive and enjoyable activities for the students where the foreign
language is used with the aim of achieving a communicative outcome
(Willis, 1996). The tasks are organized in learning stages (steps),
where the students develop competencies through tasks and practical
activities.
Activities to Develop

Step 1 - Argumentative Essay: Read the contents of Unit 2 -

Bilingualism and Globalization in the Educational System.

Choose one of the following questions:

1) Question 1: When does a person reach a full understanding of a
foreign language?
2) Question 2: Many bilinguals are not bicultural, but some are.
What factors make a bilingual bicultural?
3) Question 3: Does foreign language education promote
bilingualism?
4) Question 4: How does foreign language learning contribute to
globalization?
5) Question 5: What are the differences and similarities between
foreign language education and bilingual education?

Share your choice in the forum, so no questions are repeated among

students.

Write an argumentative essay where you answer and reflect on the

question proposed. Argument essays seek to state a position on an
issue and give several reasons, supported by evidence, for agreeing
with that position. The argumentative essay must include an
introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. You must use at
least two references from the required bibliography and cite according
APA style.

 Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is one sentence in your introductory paragraph that
concisely summarizes your main point(s) and claim(s) and should
present your stance on the topic. It's worth spending some time
crafting a strong thesis statement since it lets the reader know what
the essay will be about and determine whether they want to read it.
There are three ways to write your thesis statement:
1. Question/Answer Format: The easiest way to write a thesis
statement is to turn the topic or prompt into a question and answering
that question. Your question often can be the title of your paper, or it
can be the first line of the introduction. Your answer to this question is
your thesis.
2. Refute Objections: Another way to craft a thesis statement is to
state one side of the argument and present a refuting statement.
3. Roadmap: An additional way to make a strong thesis is to do a
"Roadmap" which tells in just a few words the three or more main
points you will cover.

 Introduction
Your introductory paragraph should be crafted around your thesis
statement, providing background information needed to understand
your argument and presenting pieces of evidence that back up that
argument.
Start with an Enticing Hook: Lead with an interesting fact or statistic, a
quote, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question. Your
first sentence should draw the reader in and get them interested about
the topic you are writing about.
Provide Some Background and Context: Give enough background on
the topic so that the reader can understand your argument.
State your Thesis: The background should transition smoothly into
your main argument.
Present undeniable facts from highly regarded sources. This builds a
lot of trust and generally indicates a solid argument.

 Body
The body consists of three paragraphs, each presenting a separate
piece of evidence that supports your thesis. Those reasons are the
topic sentences for each paragraph of your body. You should explain
why your audience should agree with you. Make your argument even
stronger by stating opposing points of view and refuting those points.

You will have three paragraphs with reasons why the reader should
accept your position. These will be your topic sentences for each one.
Support each of these reasons with logic, examples, statistics,
authorities, or anecdotes.

 Conclusion
The conclusion in many ways mirrors the introduction. It summarizes
your thesis statement and main arguments and tries to convince the
reader that your argument is the best. It ties the whole piece
together. Avoid presenting new facts or arguments.

Share your essay in the forum and receive feedback from the tutor.

Step 2 - Wiki: The group creates a wiki using the essays as the main
content. All the questions must be answered in the wiki.

There are several wiki templates you can use in https://slimwiki.com/

Go to the Practical Learning Environment and download the file Guide
for the use of educational resources. Watch the Slimwiki tutorial.

The wiki must be creative and include images at least 5 images per
topic.
Students should add comments to the wiki to give meaningful
feedback to classmates’ essays in the wiki (at least 2 comments per
student in the wiki).

Step 3 - Submission: The group leader submits the file in the

monitoring and evaluation environment with the link to the wiki.

Environme Knowledge Environment: Students must read the

nts for the course content located in the Knowledge environment.
Developm Students relate the activities proposed to the required
ent of the bibliography of unit 2.
Activity
Practical Environment: Students must watch the video
tutorials in the “Guide for the use of educational
resources” located in the practical Environment.

Collaborative Learning: Students must participate in

forum Task 3 – Argumentative Essay sharing the
learning process and making comments on classmates’
contributions.
 Evaluation and Monitoring: The group must submit
the final document through the link Task 3 –
Argumentative Essay in the monitoring and evaluation
environment.

Individual:
1. Task 3 – Argumentative Essay Forum:
Students must submit the individual steps in the forum
of the activity Task 3 – Argumentative Essay located in
the collaborative learning environment. The participation
in the forum must include the following:

1. The choice: the chosen question

2. Argumentative Essay
3. References

Collaborative:
Products
1. Submission Environment:
to be
The group must submit the final document through the
Submitted
link task 3 – Argumentative Essay in the monitoring and
by
evaluation environment. The final document must
Students
include with the following information:

1. Presentation cover
2. Link to the wiki
3. References

2. Submission format:
The document can be delivered in Word or pdf.
Cover according to APA style including the names of the
participants.
Font: Arial o Times New Roman 12
Line spacing: 1.5

General Guidelines for the Collaborative Work

Planning of Collaborative learning is a strategy that allows

Activities for the students to work together in order to achieve a
Development of common goal. Accordingly, the collaborative
 work proposed for the course is based on a
structured and planned process that includes
individual and group activities, as well as
interaction and socialization in the virtual
classroom.
1. Explore the syllabus of the course.
2. Make several readings of the activity guide
and the evaluation rubric for each of the units of
individual and collaborative work.
3. All the activities that are carried out for the
development of the activity should be reflected
within the course through the different media
and especially in the forum of each activity,
Collaborative
since the interaction; if they work by Skype or
Work
other means they should evidence it in the
forum with screenshots.
4. Be in constant communication with the
colleagues and tutor during the development of
activities.
5. In case of any concern, ask the tutor or the
colleagues with time, using the various
communication channels arranged in the course.
6. Enter the contributions with time for the
Timely feedback from peers and tutor.
7. Establish a schedule of activities within each
forum and a table of roles and functions for
meet during the development of each activity.
Roles to Be Different roles are proposed within the
Performed by the collaborative environment, which allow an
Student in the appropriate space for academic growth and
Collaborative effective interaction that promotes learning and
Group interpersonal relationships. Every student will
take up one of these roles for the development
of the course assignments and can only be
changed if decided by the group members.
Facilitator: Makes sure that every voice is
heard and focuses work around the learning
task. Provides leadership and direction for the
group and suggests solutions to team problems.
Recorder: Keeps a public record of the team's
 ideas and progress. Checks to be sure that ideas
are clear and accurate.
Time keeper: Encourages the group to stay on
task. Announces when time is halfway through
and when time is nearly up.
Planner: States an action for the completion of
the task at hand according to the instructions
and course agenda.
Task monitor: Looks for supplies or requests
help from the teacher when group members
agree that they do not have the resources to
solve the problem.
Compiler: Puts together the final product and
includes the work done only by those who
participated on time. Informs the student in
charge of alerts about people who did not
participate and will not be included in the final
product.
Reviser/Editor: Makes sure the written work
follows all the criteria established in the activity
guide.
Roles and Duties
Evaluator: Evaluates the final document to
for the
ensure it follows the evaluation criteria of the
Submission of
rubric and informs the student in charge of
Products by
alerts about any changes that need to be made
Students
before delivering the product.
Deliveries: Student in charge of informing
about the dates set for presenting each task and
delivering the final product according to the
course agenda. Also informs other students that
the final product has been sent.
Alerts: Informs group participants about any
news in the work being done and reports the
delivery of the final product to the course tutor.
References All references considered for this activity have to
be cited using APA Style.
American Psychological Association APA rules: It
is very important for students to take into
account these rules in order to avoid difficulties
with plagiarism and the consequences they may
 face in the assessment processes. BibMe. (n.d.).
APA Citation Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/apa/
In the agreement 029 of December 13, 2013,
article 99, the mistakes that infringe upon the
academic order, among others, are the
following: paragraph e) “To plagiarize is to
present as your own work the whole or part of a
writing, report, task or document of invention
performed by another person. It also implies the
use of cites or lack of references, or includes
cites where there is no coincidence between
them and the reference” and paragraph f)”To
reproduce, or copy for profit, educational
resources or results of research products, which
have intellectual rights reserved for the
University”.

The academic punishments that the student will

face are:
Plagiarism Policy a) In case of academic fraud proved in the
academic work or evaluation, the score achieved
will be zero (0.0) without leading to disciplinary
measures.
b) In case of plagiarism proved in the
academic work of any nature, the score
achieved will be zero (0.0), without leading to
disciplinary measures.

To know how the documents must be cited,

check the following document:
Centro de Escritura Javeriano ( ) Normas APA.
Sexta edición. Taken from
http://centrodeescritura.javerianacali.edu.co/ind
ex.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=138:nor
mas-apa&catid=45:referencias-
bibliograficas&Itemid=
 4. Evaluation Rubric
Evaluation Rubric
Task 3 – Argumentative Essay
Activity Collaborative
Individual Activity ☒ ☒
Type: Activity
Moment of
Intermediate
the Initial ☐ ☒ Final ☐
Unit 2
evaluation
Assessed Performance levels of the individual activity Score
Aspects High Score Media Score Low Score
Student supports the
Student supports the
thesis statement
thesis statement
proposal with strong
proposal with limited Thesis
arguments based on
reasoning and statement is
the contents of the
evidence and does not clear.
Argumenta unit; presents a
not relate it to the No
tive Essay: balanced and critical 25
course contents; the argumentative
Thesis view; interpretation points
essay demonstrates essay is
Statement of the subject is both
little engagement presented.
reasonable and
with ideas
objective.
presented.
(up to 0
(up to 25 points) (up to 13 points)
points)
There are three body There are not three
paragraphs. Each body paragraphs.
paragraph presents The paragraphs
a good topic present do not No
Argumenta sentence. The present clear topic argumentative
tive Essay: supporting ideas are sentences. The essay is 25
Body clear and are well supporting ideas are presented. points
paragraphs stated with detailed vague and are not
and accurate supported with
information. detailed information.
(up to 0
(up to 25 points) (up to 13 points)
points)
Argumenta The conclusion The conclusion No conclusion 25
tive Essay: summarizes the summarizes main is presented. points
Conclusion main topics and topics but is
 repetitive. It doesn’t
shows a meaningful
show meaningful
final discussion on
final discussion on
the thesis
the thesis
statement.
statement.
(up to 0
(up to 25 points) (up to 13 points)
points)
There are
It contains some many
Sentence structure spelling and grammar and
is generally correct. grammar mistakes. spelling
There are minor There are some mistakes, it
Argumenta
errors in errors in makes it
tive Essay:
punctuation, punctuation, difficult to
Grammar 25
spelling, spelling, read.
and points
capitalization, and/or capitalization, No
spelling
other mechanics. and/or other argumentative
mechanics. essay is
presented.
(up to 0
(up to 25 points) (up to 13 points)
points)
Assessed Performance Levels of the collaborative activity Score
aspects High Score Media Score Low Score
The group created a
well-organized and The group created a
The group did
creative Wiki that Wiki, but it does not
not create a
includes all the include all the 50
Wiki wiki
required required information points
information.
(up to 0
(up to 50 points) (up to 25 points)
points)
The student The student
commented in the commented in the The student
wiki giving wiki, but poor did not make
meaningful feedback feedback was given any comment 25
Feedback
to classmates’ to classmates’ in the wiki. points
essays. essays.
(up to 0
(up to 25 points) (up to 13 points)
points)
Final Score 175
 points

Hello partner Zulit, regarding your essay, I think that learning English is vitally important
for university students I think that most of the basic bibliography of the different careers is
found in English, as well as the necessary information on the Internet. This University
Teaching constitutes the last step towards professionalization, so it represents the last
opportunity from the school point of view, so that the students have a correct command of
this language. After completing this stage, the new graduate or engineer who knows how to
communicate and understand English will have different doors open worldwide.

About your essay I think this topic is so important for us, because as you know  is
important to know some languages because you will have many advantages for your social

life  or  your laboral life,  nowadays having a good command of several languages and
working in an increasingly multicultural environment is very important. Indeed, the
increasing globalization of the world in which we live, the mix of cultures and the need to
travel to other countries for work reasons make speaking languages become not only a plus
but an essential thing.