Assignment Brief Course/Programme:BA (Hons) Business Studies with FoundationLevel: Foundation Year 0 (Level 0) Year 2 Level 4 Year 3 Level 5 Year 4 Level 6Foundation YearModule Title:Study Skills for Higher EducationModule Leader:Sarah GibbonsAssignment title:Study Skills for Higher EducationAssignment number:Weighting:Individual Essay (Review Articles) Reflective writing – 30% Individual Essay – 70%Date given out:December 2020Submission date:Individual Essay (Review Articles) – 30%: 18th October 2021 Individual Essay – 70%: 22nd November 2021For late submission, please check CCCU Taught regulation (page 28 on late submission) and Extenuating Policy:CCCU Taught regulationCCCU Extenuating Circumstances PolicyMethod of submission:Online onlyOnline and paper copySpecial instructions for submission (if any):Date for results and feedback (please note the final grade is subject to the main CCCU assessment Board)Learning outcomes assessed:1. Set short term and long range goals and to design an appropriate plan of study;2. Identify techniques for building comprehension and retention;3.Acquire knowledge of learning strategies and techniques to improve memory retention and understanding how people learn;4. Use of library information and media services The penalty to be applied to late course work, which will include course work where the work is graded on a pass/fail basis and it is possible to give a numerical mark, will be 5 per cent (of the eligible marks) per day, for up to seven days, after which a mark of 0 will be recorded. TASK DESCRIPTION – Assignment 1 (30%) Assessment 1 – Individual essay (1000 words maximum) Read the article below and do further research to answer the questions that follow: Features of academic writing Structured Academic writing should have a clear structure. The structure will often derive from the genre of writing. For example, a report will have an introduction (including the aim or aims), a method section, a discussion section and so on, while an essay will have an introduction (including a thesis statement), clear body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion. The writing should be coherent, with logical progression throughout, and cohesive, with the different parts of the writing clearly connected. Careful planning before writing is essential to ensure that the final product will be well structured, with a clear focus and logical progression of ideas. Evidenced Opinions and arguments in academic writing should be supported by evidence. Often the writing will be based on information from experts in the field, and as such, it will be important to reference the information appropriately, for example via the use of in-text citations and a reference section. Critical Academic writing does more than just describe. As an academic writer, you should not simply accept everything you read as fact. You need to analyse and evaluate the information you are writing about, in other words make judgements about it, before you decide whether and how to integrate it into your own writing. This is known as critical writing. Critical writing requires a great deal of research in order for the writer to develop a deep enough understanding of the topic to be truly critical about it. Balanced Academic writing should be balanced. This means giving consideration to all sides of the issue and avoiding bias. As noted above, all research, evidence and arguments can be challenged, and it is important for the academic writer to show their stance on a particular topic, in other words how strong their claims are. This can be done using hedges, for example phases such as the evidence suggests… or this could be caused by…, or boosters, that is, phrases such as clearly or the research indicates. Precise Academic writing should use clear and precise language to ensure the reader understands the meaning. This includes the use of technical (i.e. subject-specific) vocabulary, which should be used when it conveys the meaning more precisely than a similar non-technical term. Sometimes such technical vocabulary may need defining, though only if the term is not commonly used by others in the same discipline and will therefore not be readily understood by the reader. Objective Academic writing is objective. In other words, the emphasis is placed on the arguments and information, rather than on the writer. As a result, academic writing tends to use nouns and noun phrases more than verbs and adverbs. It also tends to use more passive structures, rather than active voice, for example The water was heated rather than I heated the water. Formal Finally, academic writing is more formal than everyday writing. It tends to use longer words and more complex sentences, while avoiding contractions and colloquial or informal words or expressions that might be common in spoken English. There are words and collocations which are used in academic writing more frequently than in non-academic writing, and researchers have developed lists to help students of academic English, such as the Academic Word List, the Academic Vocabulary List, and the Academic Collocation List. EAP Foundation (2021) What is Academic Writing – EAP Foundation, 5 June. Available at: https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/what/ (Accessed 9 August 2021) Questions: Choose four of the features of academic writing mentioned in the article above and discuss why they are important. Describe your personal experience: Since you started this course, what have you learned that can improve your own academic writing? marking criteria – Assignment 1 Marks will be awarded for answering the following questions and your ability to provide a well-written essay with references. You are advised to support your discussion with at least six sources published during the last ten years. Assessment Criteria Applied – This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:Marks availableChoose four of the features of academic writing mentioned in the article above and discuss why they are important50Describe your personal experience: Since you started this course, what have you learned that can improve your own academic writing?20Essay style and academic writing15Referencing15 Essay Structure: Ensure that the essay has the following structure and contains the details outlined: Cover page: essay title, student ID, name of course and universityIntroductionMain body – consisting of well-written paragraphsConclusionIn-text citations throughout (Minimum 8)Reference List (minimum 6 references)Academic writing throughout TASK DESCRIPTION – Assignment 2 (70%) Assessment 2 – Individual essay (2000 words maximum) Welcome to foundation year! You are currently studying ‘Study Skills for Higher Education’ which is a course designed to help students to study more effectively and to achieve higher results in written assignments and exams. Identify 10 key skills which are commonly taught in this course and discuss why they will help students succeed in their university career. You are advised to support your discussion with at least ten sources published during the last ten years. marking criteria – Assignment 2 Marks will be awarded for answering the following questions and your ability to provide a well-written essay with references. Assessment Criteria applied – This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:Marks availableIdentify 10 key skills which are commonly taught in this course and discuss why they will help students succeed in their university career.70Essay style and academic writing15Quality of referencing15 Essay Structure: Ensure that the essay has the following structure and contains the details outlined: Cover page: essay title, student ID, name of course and universityIntroductionMain body – consisting of well-written paragraphsConclusionIn-text citations throughout (minimum 12)Reference List (minimum 6 references)Academic writing throughout FORMATTING AND LAYOUT FOR ASSIGNMENTS: Please note the following when completing your written assignments: Writing: Written in academic EnglishFocus: Focus only on the tasks set in the assignment.Document format: EssayCover sheet: For each assignment provide a clear title, course, and name or ID number on a cover sheetReference List: using Harvard referencing throughout.Research: Research should use reliable and relevant sources of information e.g. academic books and journals that have been peer reviewed. The research should be extensive.Text: Size 12, Times New Roman font MAXIMUM LENGTH Assessment 1: 1000 words (+/- 10%). Assessment 2: 2000 words (+/- 10%). These assignments address the following Learning Outcomes: LO1: Set short term and long-range goals and to design an appropriate plan of studyLO2: Identify techniques for building comprehension and retentionLO3: Acquire knowledge of learning strategies and techniques to improve memory retention and understanding how people learnLO4: Use of library information and media service Assessment Criteria: An outstanding Distinction90 – 100Work which fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but at an exceptional standard.A very strong distinction80 – 89Work of distinguished quality which is based on a rigorous and broad knowledge base, and demonstrating sustained ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and interpret concepts, principles and data within field of study, using defined principles, techniques and/or standard formats and applications. This will form the basis for the development of sound arguments and judgements appropriate to the field of study/ assessment task. There will be strong evidence of competence across a range of specialised skills, using them to plan, develop and evaluate problem solving strategies, and of the capability to operate autonomously and self-evaluate with guidance in varied structured contexts. Outputs will be communicated effectively, accurately and reliably.A clear Distinction71 – 79Work of very good quality which displays most but not all of the criteria for the grade above.A Distinction70Work of highly commendable quality which clearly fulfils the criteria for the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.A very strong Merit67 – 69Work of commendable quality based on a strong factual/conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, including an assured grasp of concepts and principles, together with effective deployment of skills relevant to the discipline and assessment task. There will be clear evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application, and the ability to work effectively within defined guidelines to meet defined objectives. There will be consistent evidence of capability in all relevant subject based and key skills, including the ability to self-evaluate and work autonomously under guidance and to use effectively specified standard techniques in appropriate contexts.A strong merit64 – 66Work of good quality which contains most, but not all of the characteristics of the grade above.A clear Merit61 – 63Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.Merit60Work of sound quality based on a firm factual/ conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, demonstrating a good grasp of relevant principles/concepts, together with the ability to organise and communicate effectively. The work may be rather standard, but will be mostly accurate and provide some evidence of the ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply standard methods/techniques, under guidance. There will be no serious omissions or inaccuracies. There will be good evidence of ability to take responsibility for own learning, to operate with limited autonomy in predictable defined contexts, selecting and using relevant techniques, and to demonstrate competence in relevant key skills.A very strong Pass55 – 59Work of capable quality which contains some of the characteristics of grade above.A strong Pass50 – 54Work of satisfactory quality demonstrating a reliable knowledge base and evidence of developed key skills and/or subject based skills, but containing limited evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application.A Pass41 – 49Work of broadly satisfactory quality covering adequately the factual and/or conceptual knowledge base of the field of study and appropriately presented and organised, but is primarily descriptive or derivative, with only occasional evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application. There may be some misunderstanding of key concepts/principles and limitations in the ability to select relevant material or techniques and/or in communication or other relevant skills, so that the work may include some errors, omissions or irrelevancies. There will be evidence of ability to operate with limited autonomy in predictable defined contexts, using standard techniques, and to meet threshold standards in relevant key skills.A bare Pass40Work of bare pass standard demonstrating some familiarity with and grasp of a factual/conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, together with evidence of some ability to employ specialist skills to solve problems within area of study, but only just meeting threshold standards in e.g. evaluation and interpretation of data and information, reasoning and soundness of judgment, communication, application, or quality of outputs. Work may be characterised by some significant errors, omissions or problems, but there will be sufficient evidence of development and competence to operate in specified contexts taking responsibility for the nature and quality of outputs.A marginal Fail30 – 39Work which indicates some evidence of engagement with area of study in relation to acquisition of knowledge and understanding of concepts and principles, and of specialist skills, but which is essentially misinterpreted, and misapplied and/or contains some significant omission or misunderstanding, or otherwise just fails to meet threshold standards in e.g. communication, application or quality of outputs.A Fail20 – 29Work that falls well short of the threshold standards in relation to one or more area of knowledge, intellectual, subject based or key skills. It may address the assessment task to some extent, or include evidence of successful engagement with some of the subject matter, but such satisfactory characteristics will be clearly outweighed by major deficiencies across remaining areas.A comprehensive Fail0 – 19Work of poor quality which is based on only minimal understanding, application or effort. It will offer only very limited evidence of familiarity with knowledge or skills appropriate to the field of study or task and/or demonstrate inadequate capability in key skills essential to the task concerned.Non-submission/Nil attempt0Nothing, or nothing of merit, presented.
