OUMH1203 English for Written Communication – Cyberbullying Awareness in School

Part I: The Process Of Writing A Basic Essay (40%)

[ In recent years, concerns have been raised about issues such as bullying, lack of empathy, declining discipline, and poor ethical decision-making among students in Malaysia. In response, the Ministry of Education is considering introducing a compulsory character-building module under the 2027 School Curriculum, across primary and secondary schools. This module would focus on values such as integrity, responsibility, respect, and emotional intelligence through structured lessons and assessments.

This proposal has generated ongoing debate among educators, parents, and policymakers regarding the most effective way to develop students’ character within the education system. ]

Based on your reading of the above scenario, write an essay on this question:

Do you think that the Malaysian education system should introduce a compulsory character-building module at all levels of schooling?

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal.

Your essay in Stage 3 must present a balanced discussion, which means you have to address both sides fairly.

The process of writing your basic essay is divided into THREE (3) stages:

Stage 1 – Pre-Writing and Outlining (5%)

The initial stage of writing an essay is the Pre-Writing stage, where you brainstorm, list your ideas and create an outline for your essay.

To begin the writing process, prepare an outline based on the following requirements.

1. Write an outline with a clear thesis statement. You should use the Sample Outline Format provided below.
2. The thesis statement in the introduction must include the main focus of the essay and the main points that will be discussed in the body paragraphs.
3. The outline should follow the standard essay structure: introduction, body and conclusion.
4. The outline must list the THREE (3) points that address the question given. These points must be arranged in a logical and coherent order to demonstrate a clear flow of ideas.

Sample Outline Format

Introduction
– Introduction to the topic
– *Thesis Statement (refer to Topic 3.4)

Body
I. Point 1
A. Supporting Detail
i. Example
a) Sub-example (if any)
II. Point 2
A. Supporting Detail
i. Example
a) Sub-example (if any)
III. Point 3
A. Supporting Detail
i. Example
a) Sub-example (if any)

Conclusion
–The conclusion of the essay

Stage 2 – Collecting Relevant Data (10%)

To support your essay, a questionnaire entitled ‘Students’ and Public Perceptions on Character-Building Education in Malaysia’ on the introduction of a compulsory character-building module in the Malaysian education system will be carried out. You will use this questionnaire to collect relevant data for your essay in Stage 3. Refer to Topic 4.4 in your module to further understand types of evidence.

Task Requirement:

1. Distribute the open- and closed-ended questionnaire to at least SIX (6) respondents. Your target group may include secondary school students, teachers, university students, or parents.
2. Record all responses neatly in tables/graphs/charts for both closed- and open-ended items.
3. Analyse your findings by:
   • summarising the results in a paragraph by highlighting key themes and interesting points, numbers and percentages from respondents’ comments related to cyberbullying awareness, prevention, digital responsibility, and parental/school roles.
4. Attach the completed questionnaires as an Appendix.
5. At least THREE (3) findings from Stage 2 must be used as supporting evidence in the Stage 3 essay, with a clear explanation of how the data strengthen your discussion.

Stage 3 – Producing a Fully Developed Essay (25%)

In this stage, you are required to write a fully developed, balanced discussion essay of 2,000–2,500 words on the following topic:

“Should Cyberbullying Awareness be Formally Taught as Part of School Programme, or Should it Remain Primarily a Parental Responsibility?”

Task Requirements:

1. The essay must follow the outline prepared in Stage 1.
2. Present a balanced discussion that gives fair consideration to both:
   • arguments supporting school-based cyberbullying education, and
   • arguments supporting parental responsibility as the primary approach.
3. Include a conclusion that synthesises both perspectives and presents a clear, well-reasoned position.
4. Support your essay with:
   • at least THREE (3) findings from Stage 2, and
   • at least FOUR (4) credible references (2020–2025) from different source types (journals, books, websites, magazines, newspapers).
5. Use APA style for in-text citations and the reference list.
6. Avoid plagiarism. Marks will be deducted if an assignment is found to be heavily influenced by or predominantly written using AI tools rather than the student’s own understanding and expression.
7. Refer to Topics 3, 4, and 5 of the OUMH1203 module.

Part II: Online Class Participation (10%)

Discuss the following topic(s) in the forum and submit proof of your participation in the online discussions:

1. What strategies do you typically employ to overcome writer’s block when composing an essay? Discuss their effectiveness, with relevant examples from your own writing experience.
2. Read the comic strip below and discuss what adjustments or additions you would suggest to improve the existing essay grading rubrics.

Experts Answer on Above Questions in Cyberbullying in Malaysian School

Stage 1 – Pre Writing and Outlining

Introduction

Character development is essential from the point of view of creating responsible and ethical students in Malaysia. Proper guidance and training on character development helps in influencing the behavior of students and it is possible to make them behave in a positive way.
Thesis statement – a character building module can be useful in promoting positive values and improve student behavior but it may also lead to an increase in the academic pressure and create difficulties in making fair assessments.

Analysis

A module aimed at building character of students would be significant in promoting positive values to students, as it positively supports teacher integrity, respect and responsibility, and also encourages ethical decision making. For example, it would help students learn how to manage conflicts in a respectful way. In addition to promoting positive values, such modules also contribute towards positive improvement in student behavior, as it reduces bullying and disciplinary problems, and enhances emotional intelligence and empathy. However the challenges in the process of implementing a character building module is the increasing workload among students for an additional module, and it will also create difficulties in accurately measuring the development of character among students.

Conclusion

A character building model would be significant in terms of achieving positive improvements within a student but it also poses implementation challenges. It is therefore important to follow a balanced approach to ensure its effective implementation.

Stage 2 – Finding summary

The collection of data is performed through survey using a closed ended questionnaire with 6 students. The responses indicate that 4 students have positively supported the need for a compulsory character building module as they believe that it helps in improving discipline and moral value among students. The responses from 5 of the respondents indicates that the role of school is crucial in helping students learn respect and responsibility. However, two other respondents have also indicated that the character building responsibility should be assigned to parents only, and school should not have any involvement in it. The findings from the entire analysis suggest that most of the participants have agreed the need for a character building module and also recognised the importance of parental involvement in such a process of character development.

Stage 3 – Main Essay Position

A character building module would be quite significant in the Malaysian education system in promoting values, improving behaviour of students and contributing positively towards improved emotional intelligence. The role of school is important in providing structured guidance but parents should also play an active role in reinforcing these values. It should therefore be considered as a combined effort on the part of school and parents in building character of students.

Part II Forum Discussion

Strategies to overcome writer’s block

Writing essays is quite challenging because it requires a significant amount of effort in terms of researching abilities and good writing skills. I try to overcome these issues by doing adequate research before starting to write the essay. It helps me in organising my ideas and supports me throughout the writing process.

Improving essay grading rubrics

The essay grading rubric is significant in aligning the writing in accordance with the lecturers expectations from the task. To improve an essay grading rubric, it is important to include a clear criteria for critical thinking, quality of evidence, referencing and citation requirements including originality. It should also provide a clear indication of what differentiates between average, good and excellent work.

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