Guide for Assignment Presentation

macrocosm An appellative should be regarded as a piece of schoolman constitution. The adjacent comments and suggestions approximately the construction and incloseation of grants ar intend to pass on a guide.They ar not intended to be turned as rigid rules. However, in that respect argon a number of academic conventions which should be met in academic work. Of most importance in academic writing is an overriding subs lopee to for internal consistency in presentation. Internal consistency is achieved by thoroughness and prudence to detail in the presentation of work. The purport of an academic piece of writing is to delineate the results of an investigation to other members of the discipline for their in nineion, evaluation and criticism.Communication of the results of academic occupation is important as it on the wholeows the dissemination of entropy and is fundamental to the establishment of groups of populate who argon interested in similar jobs and who be interested in applying similar analytical techniques to identify solutions to these problems. Writing an date is an exercise in effective parley and requires more than(prenominal) than than just learning of techniques of analysis and facts about the economic process. There atomic number 18 a number of books available that economic aid with writing identifications.See for example, Betts and Seitz (1986) Writing Essays in the Social Sciences and Anderson and Poole (1994) Thesis and denomination Writing. It is recommended that students denote these for information about how to research and write an appellative. 2. Assessment Criteria Each building blocks/modules saturnineered finished the HND Programme resulting induce stipulated the criteria for sound judgement of namings in the Course Outline. A number of assessment criteria that whitethorn be pertinent for all courses are listed below. Relevance of your reply to the interrogative mood or t take in set. Clarity of expression. back up documentation for dividing lines.Proper acknowledgement of documentation and the spend of a bibliographic convention. synthetical planning and sequence. Overall presentation, including plant grammar, spelling and punctuation. Comprehensive coverage reflecting bid of set readings and text edition. 3. Presentation of the Assignment You should invariably plug that you prepare devil hard copies of your Assignment and keep a copy on disc. On occasions engagements go missing, or second copies are required by University/College. Each Assignment should be understandably play offed up with your name, your consume centre, your Student registration number and at the end of the assignment a discourse count.The assignment should be word-processed. 1 TEG 2007 The assignment presentation format should directly meet the requirements of the assignment brief (i. e. reports and presentations are the most called for communication formats). You must go through that your assignment does not appear to be an all-inclusive essay. If it does, you pass on lose word forms. The word limit allow be entangle in the assignment brief. These are specified by Lecturer/ motorcoach and must be adhered to. Appendices should clearly link to the assignment and nooky be attached as supporting documentation at the end of the report. However, affliction to reference them by number (e. . Appendix 1) in spot the report and too marked on the Appendix itself will lose you set out. Only function an Appendix if it is inhering and clearly adds value to the overall Assignment. The Appendix is not a waste bin for all the materials you have come crossways in your research, or a way of making your assignment come a foresightful close towhatwhat heavier and more impressive than it is. 4. Time Management for Assignments One of the biggest challenges we all seem to face day-to-day is that of managing time. When learning, that challenge seems to gro w increasingly difficult, requiring a balance amidst work, home, family, social life and study life.It is because of diametrical importance to your own success for you to plan wisely the limited summation of time you have available. whole t angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 Find out how ofttimes time you have En true that you are to the enough aware of how long your module lasts, and the final deadline. If you are studying a module from family to December, it is apparent that you will have only 10-12 weeks in which to complete your assignments. This federal agency on that pointfore, that the meeting of deadlines is vitally important, as long-suffering schedules are extremely tight. Step 2 blueprint your timeEssentially you requisite to work backwards from the final deadline, submission date, and schedule your work around the possible time lines. Clearly, if you have lonesome(prenominal) 10-12 weeks available to complete three assignments, you will need to allocate a b lock of hours in the final stages of the module to ensure that all of your assignments are in on time. Late submissions will not be accepted, and no extensions will be allowed. Students who do not submit will be treated as a no show, and will have to go into for the next assessment period and start an alternative assignment. Step 3 Set prioritiesYou should set priorities on a daily and weekly tush (not just for study, exclusively for your life). There is no doubt that this mode of study need commitment (and some sacrifices in the short term). When your exploits are appreciate by colleagues, peers, friends and family, it will all feel worthwhile. Step 4 psychoanalyse activities and allocate time to them Consider the range of activities that you will need to under seduce in read to complete the assignment and the time distri exceptively readiness take. Remember, too, there will be a delay in intercommunicate for information and receiving it. 2 TEG 2007 Preparing terms of reference for the assignment, to acknowledge the following. 1 A short championship 2 A brief outline of the assignment purpose and outcome 3 Methodology (the methods you intend to subprogram to tamp down out the required toils) 4 Indication of any difficulties that have arisen in the duration of the assignment 5 Time schedule 6 Confidentiality if the assignment includes confidential information ensure that this is clearly marked on the assignment 7 Literature and desk research underinterpreted A literature search in order to undertake the necessary background reading and underpinning information that powerfulness support your assignmentWriting letters and memos asking for information all internally or externally Designing questionnaires Undertaking surveys analytic thinking of data from questionnaires Secondary data search Preparation of first plan report Always build up in time to spare, to deal with the unexpected. This may reduce the pressure that you are fac ed in meeting signifi backsidet deadlines. 5. Planning and Sequence of an Assignment The assignment should contain at least three s easy up be and distinct functions (a) An introduction (or a outgrowth) (b) The clay of the assignment (or a middle) (c) A conclusion (or an end) The introduction, which occurs at the beginning of the assignment, should include a relation of the aims or objectives of the assignment. The introduction provides a clear statement of the problem or question to be considered the limitations or assumptions you plan to use when examining the problem, and the analytical techniques used. Although the task set will frequently determine the question posed for the assignment, there is still oscilloscope for the introduction to define more precisely the question/task or to set the bounds of the assignment. Do not simply state the title of the assignment or bear the task posed by the lecturer. The physical anatomical structure of the assignment contains the a rgument that you present in support of the question you have posed in the introduction. The argument should be logical and embody the standard techniques of analysis as well as display familiarity with standard economic concepts and doctrines. The conclusion should complete the assignment by following up discussion points raised in the precedent sections. It should relate clearly to your statement of aims and purpose provided in the introduction. As a oecumenical rule, no new material should be introduced in 3 TEG 2007 the conclusion.The conclusion normally should draw conclusions and point to further directions one could take from matters which have been argued fully and express in the body of the assignment. Do not simply repeat, or summarise, what you have already said in the body of the assignment. Repetition is regarded as padding. 6. Common Specific Instructions used in Assignment Questions or Tasks Define Set down the precise core of a word or phrase and show why the dis tinctions implied in the definition are necessary by detonateing on particular elements that may be sources of confusion or misunderstanding.Discuss Investigate an depicted object by examining the overconfident and negative arguments and by exploring interesting alternatives. Illustrate white plague a mock up to clarify a particular point or use examples taken from everyday reality. Explain Clarify by the use of explanation, model and example. compare Describe the similarities and differences and evaluate interchangeablely outcomes. Contrast Present an over take of deuce points of view and set them in opposition to bring out the differences. Describe confine a detailed explanation and clarification. judge name an appraisal on the al-Qaida of pre-established criteria, look other points of view and, perhaps, include your personalized opinion. Interpret Expand the content of a particular issue or planet. Justify Show the basis for a decision or conclusion by the use of an fascinate model or germane(predicate) evidence. Outline Describe the major features of an issue or theory omitting minor details and emphasising structure and pigment conclusions. disturb Show how things are connected to severally(prenominal) other and how they influence each(prenominal) other. State Present in brief, clear form. SummariseGive a brief overview of the impinge on out points of a matter, omitting details and examples. Trace Follow the development of a government issue from some point of origin. 4 TEG 2007 7. PRESENTATION The style and presentation of assignments are important. Your assignment should be easy to read and be presented in a way that shows you have organised your material to present your argument clearly. In addition, your assignment should be referenced where appropriate and literature cited in the text should be accurately documented. 7. 1 Writing Report Students a direct-headed deal ask what do they mean by a report? or what should the r eport format include? There are a number of apostrophizees to reports, semiformal or informal some report formats are company particular and designed for internal use rather than external reporting. For Assignment-Based Assessment process, you should incumbrance with traditional formats. Below is a suggested layout that world power assist you when presenting your assignments. A deed of conveyance Page includes the title of the report, the author of the report and the receiver of the report foothold of reference who ordered the report, when and why, any conditions (Optional) Contents page providing a clearly structured guide to the contents of the report with page number references for each item.All section numbers and titles, using exactly the same wording as in the report. Executive summary a brief insight into purpose, character and outcome of the report, in order that the outcome of the report brush aside be quickly established (Optional) Introduction background info rmation Main body of the report includes findings, description, facts, opinions, etc. This must be well structured and dissever into sections, which are clearly labelled. Decimal numbering is common. Here is brief example. 1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 Situation Analysis 1. 1. 1 External Analysis 1. 1. 2 Internal AnalysisConclusions draw the report to a conclusion, gameylighting key points of importance that will impact upon any recommendations that might be made. Its too summary of results. Recommendations clearly outline potential options and thus shape your recommendations. Where appropriate, justify recommendations in order to substantiate your decision. Appendices ensure that you only use appendices that add value to the report. Ensure that they are numbered and referenced indoors the text. If you are not going to reference it within the text, wherefore it should not be there.Appendices (not always necessary) additional details, tables, graphs, detailed analysis. 5 TEG 2007 Bibliography whilst in a business environment a bibliography might not be necessary, for an assignment-based report it is vital. It provides an property of the level of research, reading and collecting of relevant information that has taken status in order to fulfil the requirements of the assignment task. Where possible, and where relevant, you could provide academic references within the text, which should of course then provide the basis of your bibliography.References should realistically be listed alphabetically and in the following sequence Authors name and edition of the text designation of publication Title and sub-title (where relevant) Edition number Place of publication publishing house Series and individual volume number where appropriate. 8. Tips for Writing Assignments Everybody has a personal style, flair and tone when it comes to writing. However, no matter what your approach, you must ensure your assignment meets the requirements of the brief and so is compre hensible, coherent and cohesive in approach. Think of preparing an assignment as preparing for an examination.Ultimately, the work you are undertaking results in an examination grade. productive achievement of all four modules in a level results in a qualification. There are a number of positive go that you preserve undertake in order to ensure that you control the trump out of your assignment presentation in order to maximise the grades available. Step 1 Work to the Brief Ensure that you identify exactly what the assignment asks you to do. If it asks you to be a marketing manager, then immediately assume that role. If it asks you to prepare a report, then present a report, not an essay or a letter.Furthermore, if it asks for 2,500 wrangle, then do not present 1,000 or 4,000 unless it is clearly justified, concur with your tutor and a valid piece of work. Identify whether the report should be formal or informal who it should be bided to its overall purpose and its potenti al use and outcome. Understanding this will ensure that your assignment meets fully the requirements of the brief and addresses the key issues included within it. Step 2 Addressing the Tasks It is of diametrical importance that you address each of the tasks within the assignment.Many students break out to do this and oftentimes overlook one of the tasks or indeed part of the tasks. Many of the assignments will have three or four tasks, some will have even more. You should establish quite early on, which of the tasks requires you to collect information and which provides you with the mannequin of the assignment, i. e. the communication method. Possible tasks will include the following. Compare and contrast. Take two different organisations and compare them side by side and consider the differences and contrasts between the two. 6 TEG 2007 Carry out primary or secondary research.Collect information to support your assignment and your subsequent decisions Prepare a plan. Some a ssignments will ask you to prepare a plan for an event or for a marketing activity. Provide a step-by-step approach, rationales and a time-line. Ensure your intended outcomes are measurable and achievable. Make sure your actions are very detail and clearly explained. Analyse a situation. This will require you to collect information, consider its content and present an overall understanding of the situation as it exists. This might include looking at internal and external factors and how he latest situation evolved. Make recommendations. The more advanced your studies, the more standardisedly it is that you will be required to behave recommendations. Consider and evaluate your options and then make justifiable recommendations. Justify decisions. You may be required to justify your decision or recommendations. This will require you to explain fully how you have descendd at as a result and to show why, supported by relevant information. In other linguistic communication, you s hould not make decisions in a void as a marketer your decisions should always be informed by context. Prepare a presentation.This speaks for itself. If you are required to prepare a presentation, ensure that you do so, preparing clearly delimitate PowerPoint or overhead slides that are not too crowded and that clearly express the points you are required to make. Evaluate performance. It is very likely that you will be asked to evaluate a campaign, a plan or even an event. You will therefore need to consider its strengths and weaknesses, why it succeeded or failed, the issues that have affected it, what can you learn from it and, importantly, how can you improve performance or sustain it in the future.All of these points are likely requests included within a task. Ensure that you identify them clearly and address them as required. Step 3 Information Search Many students fail to realise the importance of collecting information to support and underpin their assignment work. Howeve r, it is vital that you demonstrate to your tutor ability to establish information require, outfit relevant information and utilise it sensibly in order to arrive at appropriate decisions. You should establish the nature of the information required, follow up possible sources, the time involved in obtaining the information and likely gaps in information.Consider these factors very carefully. Tutors are very keen that students are seen to collect information, expand their mind and consider the breadth and depth of the situation. Submitting a bibliography is a good way of illustrating the level of information collection and application within the assignment. 7 TEG 2007 Step 4 Develop an Assignment Plan Your assignment needs to be structured and coherent, addressing the brief and presenting the facts as required by the tasks. The only way you can successfully achieve this is by planning the structure your Assignment in advance.Earlier, we looked at identifying your tasks and, worki ng backwards from the release date, in order to manage time successfully. The structure and coherence of your assignment needs to be planned with similar signs. In planning the Assignment, you should aim to include all the relevant information requested. You should in like manner plan for the use of models, draws and appendices where necessary. Plan contents Introduction Content Main body of the assignment synopsis Conclusions and recommendations where appropriate Step 5 Prepare Draft AssignmentIt is good employment to produce a first compose of a report. You should use it to ensure that you have met the aims and objectives, assignment brief and tasks related to the actual assignment. A draft document provides you with scope for improvements, and enables you to check for accuracy, spelling, punctuation and use of English. Some tutors provide you with an probability to review a draft assignment. If this is the case, you should take every opport social unity to let them pr ovide you with support. Step 6 Prepare Final DocumentIn the section headed Presentation of the Assignment in this guide, there are a number of components that should always be in place at the beginning of the assignment documentation, including labelling of the assignment, word counts, appendices numbering and presentation method. Ensure that you adhere to the guidelines presented, or alternatively those suggested by your tutors. 9. Group Working Group work is necessary to develop the skills to be effective in real work situations. Very rarely do you work completely on your own Group work can be more productive as there are more people generating heads Group projects are often more interesting as the task can be more complex Group members can motivate and support each other Group problems Domination one or two members take over, and the others lose interest 8 TEG 2007 tiny in order to sound knowledgeable, some members are always critical. sometimes competition emerges Co nflict sometimes open, sometimes not Sexism and racism you must inform your Tutor, or Equal Opportunities Co-ordinator Avoidance whole group avoiding the task, often due to fear of failure Inactive listening nobody listens people working as individuals, not as a groupSome suggestions Analyse the skills and strengths of each member Brainstorm ideas and form a plan of action deal tasks and set dates for task completion and regular meetings Set up communications phone numbers, room numbers, e-mail addresses Set meeting places this is absolutely essential at a first meeting Keep reviewing progress on the task and on any problems with the group Discuss any problems openly and with all group members 10. Effective teaching Before you start Is this the correct book/article for your purpose? Check date/author/scope Scan the contents, is it the right level? Read a section/chapter to check What questions are you trying to answer? Clarify in the lead you start Reading Rea d with purpose (what questions to be answered? ) Read selectively scan and poop out only read in detail what you need to Mentally itemize what you have just read Make notes at appropriate points hummer points, do not rewrite the whole book. Review Did I answer the questions I wanted to? Do I understand and remember what I read? 9 TEG 2007 11. Oral presentation Plan What is the purpose? What are your objectives? Who are your audience? What facilities can you use? flip chart, OHP, PC, etc. social system your presentation -the old rule is Tell em what youre going to tell em, then tell em, then tell em what you told em. i. e. an introduction, the contents, a conclusion Make sure any ocular aids can be seen and read apply and time your delivery Delivery A good start make an impact, and make your audience want to listen Dont read use crib cards, OHP slides as notes Speak slowly and clearly Look at your audience, dont chide to the wall, your feet, or the OHP scre en Vary the speed and pitch of your voice Make sure you are not standing in front of the visual aids If it is a group presentation, make sure that you link well together Be lively and finish on a high note 12. Punctuation Why use it? It is to guide the reader in the natural pauses in writing. It is also there to show how the grammar of a conviction is supposed to work a capital letter at the beginning of a fate and a full stop at the end. Punctuating your sentence need only involve colon, semicolon, full stop, question mark, germinate, apostrophe, comma butterfly, point of reference marks, brackets. colon () is most often used to introduce a quotation or a list. Full stop (. ) usage full stops more than you expect to. When in doubt, your instinct should always plump for a full stop. Semicolon () Represents a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop. (If in doubt about its use dont use it. ) 10 TEG 2007 It is used between clauses when the second clause expands or explains the first e. g. neither of them moved they waited to see if the intruder made a quick exit. It is also used out front clauses which begin with nevertheless, therefore, even so, and for instance e. . He looked before he leaped even so he landed in the water. It is used to mark off a series of phrases or clauses which themselves contain commas. e. g. You will need the following ingredients four eggs, preferably size 3 4oz caster sugar a few drops of vanilla essence and 2oz almonds, which must be ground. Question mark (? ) Use a question mark every time there is a genuine direct question. That means Are you going? but not I asked if he was going? (wrong because it is a reported question). Dashes (-) Use dashes but dont overdo them.You can use a pair of dashes in place of brackets or a single dash to mark a break in the sentence before a punch line or a throwaway remark In life, two things are never with us death and taxes. Apostrophes () They do not make things plu ral. They are not used to make things plural e. g. 1990s, MPs HQs. The general rule is if something belongs to mortal you write someones or for example, the students. If it belongs to several people (the students), you write the students. Plurals like people and children, that arent made with an s, take apostrophe s i. e. childrens.Apostrophes are also shown where letters are missed out cant play, wont play. Its is short for it is. Beware of its, (meaning of it)yours, hers, ours, theirs, and whose. None of them takes as apostrophe. Commas (,) Commas, like buses, often come in pairs. It is wrong to write The reason is as it always was, to save money. Two commas should be used, like brackets, either side of the phrase as it always was. The test is whether, grammatically, the sentence would hold up if the section between the commas were removed. The common mistake is to forget the second comma.Commas are involve, and are not optional, when someone or something is being addressed. Kiss me, barefaced must take the comma after me. Yes Minister should have be Yes, Minister. Pairs of commas should be used when however, say, meanwhile and for instance are interjected into sentences he might be paid, say, ? 50,000 a year. 11 TEG 2007 At the beginning of a sentence, these words or phrases need to be cordoned off with a single comma However, investigations into , For instance, if we look at.. Commas are used to mark off dismantle items in a list, except, usually between the last two items.You can put a comma in before and if its needed to make the sentence clear Goods are transported by lorry, horse and cart, and even handcart. A strong adjective usually takes commas after each one except the last old, crabby, pedantic Dr Johnson. Quotation marks () Use double to usher in direct speech. Use a colon, not a comma before quotes Mr. Smith said This is good news for all poor students. Use a comma after quotes (before the second quotation marks) It will sponsor many students, said Jim. Quotations direct from a book or ledger also need to have double quotation marks () Davis et al. 1991, p243) stated that Equilibrium is the sense which tells you when your body is balanced and when it is tipping, turning or inverting. Unless the aloofness of the quotation is more than three lines of your text, in which case it is indented and no quotation marks are necessary. Brackets ( ) The use of brackets (whose technical term is parenthesis) should be unbroken to a minimum. They are used to indicate a supplementary remark, or a qualification of some sort. Grammatically they work like commas, but the remarks inside the brackets tend to be less important than those inside commas.Brackets are always used in pairs. If the brackets surround an entire sentence then the full stop at the end of the sentence stays within the brackets. (This is the map you should follow. ) If the brackets only surround part of the sentence, the full stop goes outside. This is the procedure you should follow (under normal circumstances). Square brackets like these Square brackets are used to indicate your changes or your own comments on somebody elses writing. The report that 25000 had been killed in battle a figure shown to be greatly exaggerated changed the course of the war. 3. plagiarisation Plagiarism is the act of passing off as your own work some other persons writing, words, or ideas. You must make it clear which ideas and which words you have obtained from someone else. Superficial and minor changes do not screen your use of the words of someone else. You commit plagiarism if you do not acknowledge the source of a direct quote, or a particularised piece of writing that you have paraphrased, or even if you describe an idea or concept that you have heard or read someplace without a reference or acknowledgement.University / College rules will apply into plagiarism and also subject to disciplinary action. 12 TEG 2007 14. General Guidelines F ollow these stages while you are doing your reading/note taking. Generating ideas What are the implications of the title? What ideas lie behind the title? What are you being invited to explore? Put your ideas on paper Things should stick more complex at this stage There should be a mixture of fact/description and theory/argument Finding your emplacement Try to sort the complexity into a clear, logical pattern Is there an obvious sequence such as intentions/results pro/anti before/after cause/effect hypothesis/evidence? Whats most relevant/interesting, convincing/contentious? What evidence supports your argument? What is the basic question/problem here? Diagrammatic structure of ideas may help A draft plan of the essay Roughly, the structure of the content Sequence of the argument You may be able to plan your paragraph structure A diagram plan may be useful Plan to go from the general to the specific Write a draft random variable Amend as you go along Maybe start each section on a separate page Several drafts may be needed Should new paragraphs be added/ some be divided? The final version Ask someone else to proof-read it for you. 13 TEG 2007 BTEC Higher National Grade Descriptors The assessment of BTEC Higher National qualifications will be at unit level and there will be no overall grade for either the Certificate or the Diploma. Each unit will be order as a pass, merit or distinction. A pass is awarded for the achievement of all outcomes against the specified assessment criteria.Merit and distinction grades are awarded for higher-level achievement. In order to demonstrate achievement, learners typically undertake assessment activities that include a series of tasks or assignments, reflecting typical practice in the sector concerned. In order to judge the level of achievement, assessment criteria are used for the pass grade and grade descriptors for the merit and distinction grades. Achievement of a pass grade a pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria for each individual unit.Achievement of a merit or distinction grade all the assessment criteria and merit grade descriptors need to be completed within a unit to achieve a merit grade. All the assessment criteria, merit and distinction grade descriptors must be completed within a unit to achieve a distinction grade. The generic merit and distinction grade descriptors need to be viewed as a qualitative extension of the assessment criteria within each individual unit. The grade descriptors will be contextualised to meet the needs of the unit and be incorporated into the design of the assessment activities.Any single assignment however, as with BTEC Higher Nationals, will only be able to indicate that the learners has achieved some of the descriptors, say M1 and D2 unless it is a project style assessment that covers the whole unit (i. e. all learning outcomes and criteria). For example, if an assignment task requires the learner to To pass the task you need to explored the organisational structures and cultures of the two organisations and prepared a suitable comparison in terms of the unit content requirements types of organisation and associated structures, organisational networks and linkages, organisational culture.The qualitative aspect of the work, that will be used to determine your achievement of M1 on this occasion, will be the level of detail of both understanding of the subject matter (effective approach to study) and the depth to which you have taken this in the comparisons (effective approach to research). The approach taken in the example above shows how the indicative criteria can be fitting to better fit the work being undertaken in the task. In some cases the indicative characteristic could be used just as it is with no more than an identification of the evidence to which it relates (e. g. report, presentation, diagram, etc. ).