Study Skills for Higher Education | My Assignment Tutor

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 6  Foundation 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%: 24th May 2021 Individual Essay – 70%: 12th July 2021  For late submission, please check CCCU Taught regulation (page 28 on late submission) and Extenuating Policy:CCCU Taught regulation   CCCU Extenuating Circumstances PolicyMethod of submission: Online only Online 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: Listening skills in an academic context Students need good listening skills to interpret what people are saying in various academic situations. For example, they need to be able to understand the content of a lecture at the speed it is delivered. Presentations also require good listening skills, as do seminars, where students are expected to understand and build on the contributions of others. Other events include tutorials, discussions, meetings with tutors and supervisors, group projects, and informal social interactions. In addition, students need good listening skills to interact with administration staff in the local context. In short, students exchange, discuss and apply critical thinking to a considerable amount of knowledge in oral/aural settings. What are the challenges? A lecture, for example, can present many linguistic challenges. These include speed of delivery, accent, academic and specialist vocabulary. There is also grammatical complexity such as false starts, long sentences, and complex noun phrases. An extract from a university medical lecture on stroke contains the following examples: False starts and repetitions: an honour– honoraryUnnecessary words: So if I’d like to just go, go…Long sequences with a number of items, including run-on sentences with multiple clauses which pile up layers of information: Furthermore, it’s the third commonest cause of death, with a third of strokes being fatal; one in six people in the world will have a stroke in their lifetime, it’s unlikely to get through life without knowing somebody, a first-degree relative or very close friend, who will not have a stroke.Technical terms which can be difficult to hear, understand, pronounce, and spell: hemicraniectomy, thrombolysisWords with dependent prepositions which express specific relational meanings: the impact on, of, of stroke on peopleEmbedded references to items mentioned before/after in the text: as I’ve saidComplex / convoluted structures such as noun phrases: the very exciting acute treatment which has now emerged over the past ten years as I’ve said with thrombolysis and hemicraniectomyAbbreviations and acronyms: AIDS, EU, TB There are other challenges too, including culture, dealing with the content of the lecture, the cognitive processing of numbers and statistics, working out detail from the main points, and visual challenges such as the use of PowerPoint slides. Students also need to know why they are listening, and be able to make a record of the content for future use. Chazal, E. (2014) ‘Prepare English Language students for academic listening’, British Council, 24 February. Available at: https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/prepare-english-language-students-academic-listening (Accessed 12 March 2021). Questions: 1.     Discuss three of the listening challenges mentioned in the article above. 2.     Suggest three strategies teachers can use to help students improve their listening skills. Describe some listening challenges you have experienced and the strategies that have helped you become a better listener. 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 availableDiscuss three of the listening challenges mentioned in the article above.25Suggest three strategies teachers can use to help students improve their listening skills.25Describe some listening challenges you have experienced and the strategies that have helped you become a better listener.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) The job market is competitive but having a degree can help students to achieve higher paid jobs when they graduate. This is because the skills learned at university are known as transferable skills and are also valued by employers in the workplace. 1.      Identify six skills that students require to be successful at university and discuss why they are also important in the workplace. 2.      Provide six recommendations that could help students improve the content of their CVs. 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 six skills that students require to be successful at university and discuss why they are also important in the workplace.35Provide six recommendations that could help students improve the content of their CVs.35Essay 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.