MECM90003 Chap.11 Site Analysis: Presentation and Essay
Site Analysis: Presentation and Essay
The first assessment task joins a five-minute class presentation to a written site analysis essay on the same site and reading, worth 30% in the 2026 Handbook. You choose a physical site, which may include digital elements, connect it to one or two concepts from a reading in the week you present, and end the talk with a question for the class.
The essay follows with further research, at least five references, a clear argument and APA referencing. This chapter covers choosing the site, the marking criteria, the essay structure and a model introduction. It also explains how the two timing rules for the essay differ between the subject guide and the Handbook.
What this chapter covers
- 01
What the task asks: presentation plus essay, one site and one reading
- 02
Choosing a physical site and the website rule
- 03
Starter questions: mobility tied to the site, open or closed, what moves through it
- 04
Presentation criteria and what makes a good presentation
- 05
Essay criteria, research minimum and APA referencing
- 06
Suggested essay structure from introduction to references
- 07
Timing: the essay deadline after your presentation
Worked example · free
From site to argument: planning a Week 7 presentation on a share house
- 1Describe the site: who lives there, what moves through it, from people and parcels to video calls home.
- 1Choose a concept from the week's reading: home as a porous boundary between a remembered home and a lived locality.
- 1State the argument: the house is less a private refuge than a shared crossing point that residents renegotiate every day.
- 1Prepare the class question: who should decide the rules of a shared home when residents bring different ideas of privacy?
Key terms
- Site analysis
- A site analysis is a study of a physical place as a focal point for observing and reflecting on mobility themes from the readings.
- Open site
- An open site is a place that people, media and cultural forms can enter and pass through freely, as opposed to one with restricted access.
- APA 7th edition
- APA 7th edition is the author-date referencing style the 2026 site analysis guide names for the essay's references.
- Discussion question
- A discussion question is the prompt that ends a site analysis presentation and invites the class to respond, ideally with your own answer ready.
Site Analysis: Presentation and Essay FAQ
How long is the site analysis presentation?
Aim for five minutes, not counting your discussion question or activity. The 2026 guide lists keeping to time among the task parameters it marks, alongside a thoughtful question for the class and relevant visual aids, so rehearse until the talk runs on time.
How many references does the site analysis essay need?
The 2026 site analysis guide asks for a small amount of further research: a minimum of five references, at least three of them academic. It also expects formal academic standards, including a title, consistent APA referencing, essay structure, formatting and appropriate grammar.
When is the site analysis essay due?
Sources differ slightly. The subject guide says it is submitted one week after your presentation, before your next tutorial, while the 2026 Handbook says ten working days after the presentation. Confirm your own date with your tutor and on the LMS as soon as your presentation week is allocated.
Can I choose a website for the site analysis?
Only when it belongs to a real place. The task page states that a website on its own cannot be chosen, although a physical site may contain digital media elements. A museum with an online collection or a building with a public app would work, as long as the physical place stays central.
Assessment move
Start the site search as soon as your presentation week is set. Read that week's chapter, list two concepts, and visit or research three candidate sites, writing the starter questions for each. Pick the site where a concept does the most explaining. Draft your first slide as your essay introduction, and keep notes of the class discussion, because a good question from a classmate often becomes a body paragraph.
Rehearse with a timer at least twice, because the five-minute limit is one of the task parameters the guide marks.
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