Work Based Project 2 – Module Guide

Introduction to the Module

Changes within health and social care continue at a pace. Reforms proposed by the Government in their spending reviews in 2010 and 2013, together with responses to the Francis Report (2013), are inevitably bringing further change and challenges to those working at all levels in the health and social care sectors.

 

This module will enable you to gain new knowledge relevant to your work area, but it will also provide you with the opportunity to implement change within your workplace. Your work during this module will build upon your learning in previous modules; the main difference in this Work Based Project 2 module is that you will be extending your knowledge and understanding of your area of work. Whilst you will clearly be very familiar with your role, there are likely to be many aspects on the periphery of your role that you do not fully understand, but would enhance your practice if you did. This module will provide you with the opportunity to broaden or deepen your understanding of a relevant work based topic through undertaking a project using self-directed learning.

 

In addition to extending your skills in the workplace, this module is also intended to provide a means for developing your academic skills in a manner that is supported and academically rigorous. It is also a robust personal development opportunity for those of you who may be considering progression of your studies beyond your current course.

 

The module is studied over a minimum of two and a maximum of four study periods and the workload is spread across these periods into two distinct phases, preparation and implementation:

• Preparation (first study period): you will be required to submit a project outline and proposal which show that you have made informed decisions about your intended topic via an action inquiry model.
• Implementation (second study period): you will be required to implement your project in the workplace and to evaluate the effectiveness of this change in service/practice.

During both phases you will work closely with the module tutor.

 

This module promotes creativity and you will be encouraged to consider a diverse range of learning strategies and to be imaginative in your portfolio submitted for assessment. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate, amongst other qualities, the ability to self-evaluate, to self-manage and to respond constructively to guidance; all qualities much valued by modern employers in health and social care settings.

 

It is important that you read the module guide thoroughly so that you understand the requirements and, of course, if you need clarification of any of the information you must contact the module leader.

 

The module is delivered via ilearn in FOUR units. These units guide you through the preparation and implementation stages of your project and you therefore need to work through them in chronological order. The units are identified as follows:

		Study Period
Unit 1	Introductory information	1st study period
Unit 2	Developing the project outline	1st study period
Unit 3	Developing the project proposal	1st study period
Unit 4	Planning, implementing and evaluating your project	2nd study period
Appendix 1	Step by Step module checklist	1st and 2nd study period

 

 

 

Service User Statement for All Modules / Programmes

Understanding the perspectives of service users and their carers is central to the development of health care professionals studying on our programmes. Evidence exists to demonstrate that the involvement of service users and their carers in the education of health care and social work students has had a positive impact in three key areas:

• Students’ understanding of the service user / carer perspective,
• Students’ communication skills
• Students’ motivation to improve services (Morgan and Jones 2007).

 

Arden University in conjunction with the Faculty of Medical Science is committed to the involvement of service users and carers in the education of our health care and social work students. This module will provide the opportunity to engage with the experiences and perspectives of service users and their carers.

Professional Values

In your chosen profession in health, social work or education there is a core set of professional values at the heart of practice. These values embrace an ethical and moral code and should guide you in supporting people in overcoming the challenges that life and/ or society places on them. These professions will frequently place you a position of having to make ethical decisions regarding what, in a moral sense, is the right thing to do. These decisions are central to students within the organisation, as all the students in the organisation are engaged in activities that have an impact on people’s lives.

 

In your chosen profession you are expected to perform a role for the benefit of others (these could be patients, service users, school children, clients or the general public) who need to know what to expect in terms of what can be offered and in terms of standards of conduct. Professionalism is something to be admired and emulated, it is not just a skill or competence, it is about setting aside your own personal feelings and interests and putting others first.  All modules will promote the development of professional individuals who are committed to fulfilling their role.

 

 

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes in this module are grouped into two themes: (1) Knowledge and understanding and (2) The Intellectual, Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills. The module assessment provides the opportunity to demonstrate you have met these outcomes. This last sentence is particularly important – When completing an assessment you need to use the learning outcomes, on which the assessment criteria have been developed, to demonstrate to the marker you have met them.

In this section of the module guide are the learning outcomes for this module, and you can see the two groupings. Importantly, when reading the learning outcomes note the verb(s) used. These verbs tell you what you need to do to in relation to the noun(s) to be successful. To demonstrate this, below is a sample learning outcome:

• Recall the locations of each Anglia Ruskin University campus

In this example the verb is ‘recall’ and to meet this outcome you would have to memorise the locations of each campus. We could assess this by asking you to write these down as a list.

In education, knowledge and thinking skills can be thought about / described in terms of levels. For example, thinking processes at the lower level may include: (1) recall, (2) list, (3) write and (4) describe whereas others are much higher: (1) analyze, (2) reflect and (3) evaluate. This can be summarized in in the diagram below.

Drawing from ideas by Debbie Perkins (2008): http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Teaching/Educator-Evaluation-System/How-to-Design-and-Select-Quality-Assessments/DOK-Compared-to-Blooms-Taxonomy.pdf.aspx and Normal L. Webb (2002) http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2711181C-2108-40C4-A7F8-76F243C9B910/0/DOKFourContentAreas.pdf

Therefore, when reading a learning outcome you need to identify the verb(s) and the adverb(s) to determine the level and action you need to take. It is important to note that some verbs can be used across multiple levels. There is a useful website which describes some of these and this has been summarized in the table on the next page:

 

Level	The student can….	Verb examples
Knowledge (lower level):	remember material by showing s/he knows terms used in his/her field, facts, rules and conventions, methods, principles or theories.	Define, describe, identify, label, list, match, name, outline, reproduce, select, state, recall, record, recognize, repeat, draw on, or recount
Comprehension:	understand content and has grasped the meaning. Students could show understanding by translating what they learned in a book into actual practice or by interpreting what is known in one context when used in another context.	Convert, defend, distinguish, estimate, explain, extend, generalize, give examples, infer, paraphrase, predict, rewrite, summarize, clarify, judge, restate, locate, recognize, express, review, or discuss.
Application:	use what they learned in new or concrete situations	Change, compute, demonstrate, discover, manipulate, modify, operate, predict, prepare, produce, relate, show, solve, use, schedule, employ, sketch, intervene, practice, or illustrate.
Analysis:	can break down material into its component parts so that its underlying structure can be understood.	Break down, make a diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, appraise, test, inspect, illustrate, infer, outline, relate, select, investigate, analyze, make an inventory, calculate, question, contrast, debate, compare, or criticize.
Synthesis:	put parts together to form a new whole, perhaps to produce something, which is unique, creative, or showing a new pattern of events.	Categorize, combine, compose, arrange, plan, assemble, prepare, construct, propose, start, elaborate, invent, develop, devise, design, plan, rearrange, summarise, tell, revise, rewrite, write, modify, organise, produce, or synthesise.
Evaluation (higher level):	judge the value of something for a given purpose, usually using criteria designed either by him/herself or by others. This is usually seen as the highest domain in terms of cognitive learning because it requires students to use all the others activities already covered above.	Appraise, compare, conclude, contrast, criticize, discriminate, judge, evaluate, choose, rate, revise, select, estimate, measure, justify, interpret, relate, value, or summarize
Used and adapted from: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/resources/writing_learning_outcomes.html – with permission.

 

 

Learning Outcomes
	On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	1.    Demonstrate the acquisition of new knowledge/understanding that is relevant to the student’s work context.   2.    Reflect on and analyse the implications of new learning on their practice.
Intellectual, practical, affective & transferable skills	3.    Negotiate, plan and carry out an appropriate study in a work related context using an action inquiry model.   4.    Present, using appropriate technology, an evaluative account of their learning.

 

These learning outcomes (LOs) can be understood in the following ways:

 

LO1: You will demonstrate through your portfolio that you have extended your knowledge and understanding of the environment in which you work.

 

LO2: You will analyse the impact of this new knowledge on your own role.

 

LO3: You will demonstrate your ability to successfully negotiate the topic for your project as well as being able to plan and implement your chosen project using action inquiry.

 

LO4: Throughout your portfolio you will use a variety of strategies to demonstrate and evaluate your extended knowledge and the impact of this learning on your work.

 

Attendance Requirements

As an online distance learning student there is no requirement to attend the university. However, in accordance with the Student Charter, you are expected to take an active part in all your studies, which as an online distance learning student will include participation in online discussions in ilearn as well as maintaining regular communication with the tutor. You are advised to login to ilearn regularly (preferably daily) since this is in effect your ‘classroom’. The discussion area will include supplementary information provided by the Module Leader/Tutor, as well as contributions by students. You will be expected to participate in online activities within the discussion areas; comprising a combination of socialisation activities to help you to virtually ‘meet’ your fellow students, but also a number of activities providing opportunities to enhance your learning.

 

Units 1 to 4 include activities which are designed to guide you and provide a framework for your study and research.  Module core content is not provided as it has been in previous modules because you will be searching for resources and identifying learning activities specific to your own project. This module is therefore very different to the modules you have previously studied and consequently you may initially feel that you lack clear direction. However, frequent communication with the module tutor during the construction of your Project Outline and Project Proposal will help to resolve this for you. In short, if you don’t understand something, please ask!

 

During the two study periods over which this module is studied there are no online activities which require you to contribute to discussions in ilearn. However, online discussions do provide an invaluable opportunity for sharing ideas with each other in the same way you would in a classroom-based course. Therefore please feel free to instigate your own discussions, since communication of this sort help to reduce feelings of isolation that can exist with distance learning.

 

The learning resources section of this module guide includes books that you may find useful, as well as e-books and journals that can be accessed via the university digital library. There are many other good sources of information available and you should investigate what is available to you locally; including your organizations procedures and protocols. When citing local procedures it is essential that you do not breach the confidentiality of your organization and guidance on maintaining confidentiality in submitted work is available in your Student Handbook. You should read this guidance, but your Module tutor will also be able to advise you how to anonymize such documents in your assignments. You should ensure that any sources of information you use are reliable and it is a good idea to consult several sources on a particular subject to compare and contrast what differing authors have to say. We strongly advise you not to overuse internet sites as they are often not peer reviewed, which means that anyone can write anything they like regardless of whether it is true or not! For this reason we advise you to stick to the websites of official journals, societies and professional bodies or government organizations. The resource list we have included is not exhaustive and you will be expected to research your project topic widely and therefore construct your own list of resources.

Tutorial support is available via email or ilearn. In addition to this, you should maintain regular contact with the tutor via email or ilearn: building a rapport with the academic staff and with your peers will help you overcome any feeling, common with distance learners, that you are an isolated student.

Module timetable and Step by Step Checklist

A draft Module Timetable is provided as a Gantt chart which you will find in Appendix 2 of this module guide and you will be directed to it during an activity in Unit 1. Gantt charts are useful project management tools in which you can identify key stages of a project, sequential tasks, concurrent tasks, deadlines and tasks for individuals or groups. You will need to add your dates on the module timetable which you can then print as a reference guide. All important deadlines have been identified in red on the Gantt chart.

In addition, a Step by Step Checklist is provided as Appendix 1 of this module guide. This will help you to plan your project. You will need to complete this to identify all of your key deadlines and it will provide you with an overview of your weekly tasks.

At this level of study you are expected to be able to plan and manage your study timetable to suit your own personal and work commitments, as well as giving consideration for other modules studied during each study period. Hopefully this timetable and checklist will provide a structure to help you.

Assessment

How this Module is Assessed: What You Need to Do and When

Assessment is an essential part of the module and is linked to the learning outcomes. This section of the module guide will detail the assessment task, what is required and how submitted work will be marked. Modules make use of summative and formative assessment and these are described below.

Type	Description
Formative assessment	Has a developmental purpose and is designed to help learners learn more effectively by giving them feedback on their performance and on how it can be improved and/or maintained. Linked to the module learning outcomes it is used to help students prepare for their summative assessment. This may or may not be graded and does not count to the final module score.
Summative assessment	Used to indicate the extent of a learner’s success in meeting the assessment criteria used to gauge the intended learning outcomes of a module or programme. Assessment grades are used to calculate end of module grades and overall degree class.

 

This module has the following assessment tasks and each will be described in turn.

 

Type	Description	Date due
Formative assessment	University regulations allow for you to share a proportion of your work with your tutor for feedback and comment. At the very least it is always a good idea to share a well-worked out plan with your tutor to make sure that you have understood the assessment task and that you are heading in the right direction with your thinking. You may submit ONE draft of each element of your portfolio, by email, to your tutor.  You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the draft work process because it not only helps you develop your assignment prior to submission, but self-assessment is also a vital transferable skill for employment within the health and care sectors.
Summative assessment	A portfolio. Details can be found in section 5 of this module guide.

Assessment of this module is made by a PORTFOLIO which MUST demonstrate evidence of your achievement of the learning outcomes for the module. The portfolio MUST incorporate appropriate references, utilising the Harvard system of referencing, according to the universities guidelines on citation and referencing.

In presenting your work for assessment you must be sure that you have addressed all of the learning outcomes of the module and the assessment criteria, since your submission will be marked against these. The assessment criteria for the portfolio are detailed below. Understanding the assessment criteria is essential to your achieving optimum marks, so if you are unclear about any of this information YOU MUST contact your MODULE LEADER IMMEDIATELY. You are also expected to maintain confidentiality in your assessments.

 

Rationale for assessment design:

One important aspect of this form of assignment is that it provides opportunity for you to create a piece of work which is personal to you. The two main elements of the portfolio require different writing styles; one being theoretical and an account of how you planned and implemented your project, the second being a reflective account of your learning. Although you need to address the assignment criteria and basic aspects of presentation, you have the freedom to choose how you learn about your chosen topic, as well as freedom in creating your finished portfolio for assessment. This assessment therefore helps you develop skills in being self-directed and autonomous as well as developing skills in leadership and project management. It will therefore help you develop a range of practical skills which are transferable to the workplace.

 

Assessment information:

Portfolio item	Criteria	Learning Outcome(s)
Front Cover (Compulsory item)	This must include: ·           The title of your project (which will be developed from the working title on section 3 of the Project Proposal Form) ·           Your (Student ID number) ·           Module Code ·           Submission Date
Contents Page (Compulsory item)	It is usual to include a contents page which provides an overview of the contents of your portfolio. You may also wish to insert a section of acknowledgement at the beginning of the portfolio indicating the assistance you have had from colleagues or tutors.
Introduction	An introduction always helps to provide a context for the reader and ensures that the contents of the portfolio are fully understood. There is no compulsory requirement for an introduction but it is a very helpful device. The introduction may indicate: ·             the contents of the portfolio ·             how they relate to each other ·             how to use the portfolio If you choose to include an introduction to your portfolio you may find it easier to write it after you have written the Project Report and Reflective Commentary.
Project Report (Compulsory item)	In this element you must demonstrate your new knowledge and understanding and its application to your chosen project to change working practice by applying these criteria: ·             The rationale for your chosen project; including the benefits to yourself and the service. ·             A Gantt chart which identifies the stages of the project and timescales involved (this should be included in the Evidence section of your portfolio). ·             Discussion of the principles of action inquiry which underpinned the strategies you employed for planning and implementing your project. PLEASE NOTE – this is NOT a research project so you are not carrying out action research. You MUST NOT collect data or involve participants. Using an action inquiry model you will be working with colleagues to implement your project. ·             An explanation of how you identified and overcame any challenges in planning or implementing your project. ·             Information which demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical principles which support your new knowledge and the application of this new knowledge to the project. ·             An explanation of appropriate strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of your project. ·             A summary of the current status of the project and its impact on the service. NB: The word count for the Project Report is 3000 words. You must state the number of words used at the end of this element.	LO1, LO3
Reflective Commentary (Compulsory item)	This is where you will pull together all of the elements within the portfolio by showing how your topic and project have complemented your studies and the impact this has had (or which you anticipate it might have) on your role within the work place. The reflective commentary should be structured in the style of an essay; including an introduction and conclusion, and make use of headings, paragraphs and references. This element of the portfolio is predominantly where you will analyse your learning by reflecting upon what you have learned, how you have learned and the impact this has had on you, your work and, most importantly, the development of your leadership and management skills. This element is therefore focussed on you and your achievement of the module learning outcomes rather than the project itself. You must apply these criteria: ·             Reflect on what you have learned ·             Reflect on the effectiveness of the learning activities used to gain your new knowledge ·             Analyse the impact of your learning on your practice ·             Reflect on your skills in managing your project ·             Provide a robust argument of your achievement of the module learning outcomes ·             Cross reference to robust evidence which demonstrates your achievements NB: The word count for the Reflective Commentary is 2000 words. You must state the number of words used at the end of this element. The purpose of this reflective commentary is to provide a convincing argument that you have achieved the module learning outcomes and that the portfolio contains evidence of that achievement. This is a complex concept and you should discuss it with your Supervisor. Remember also that it must be written to reflect Level 5 learning. In the following paragraph superscript has been used to illustrate how the writing refers to the module learning outcomes; you may wish to consider using this strategy of cross referencing for your reflective commentary. The reflective commentary should not describe the knowledge you have acquired about your negotiated topic. It should discuss how your learning activities have allowed you to add to your knowledge/understandingLO1 and your analysis of the relevance of this new knowledge to your workLO2. It should show, through reference to the literature and to your project, that you have applied theoretical principles to the negotiation, planning and implementation of your projectLO3. Finally, the complete portfolio will present a variety of evidence to support your evaluation of your learningLO4.	LO2, LO4
References (Compulsory item)	You must include ONE complete reference list in your portfolio which itemises the resources used to support all elements of the portfolio. The reference list MUST be written in the Harvard style.
Appendix 1: Project Proposal Form (Compulsory item)	You must include a copy of your Project Proposal Form as appendix 1.
Evidence (to be included as appendix items following appendix 1)	A portfolio provides an opportunity to include evidence which will support your argument in the reflective commentary that you have achieved the module learning outcomes. Your assignment will be marked on the overall construction and content of the portfolio – evidence will therefore come into this, although no specific marks are allocated for evidence alone. You need to consider carefully what you will include as evidence in your portfolio and you must ensure that your reader understands why it is included and how it relates to the rest of the portfolio. So what do we mean by ‘evidence’? The following court of law analogy helps to explain the role of evidence in your portfolio. COURT OF LAW ANALOGY: Think of your reflective commentary in the context of a court of law where you (the student) are arguing to a jury (the assessors) that you have achieved the Learning Outcomes of the module. You would not in this situation just give the jury the evidence and ask them to make sense of it themselves. You would make your case via a dialogue to the jury, and use the evidence as part of this dialogue to support your claims. Think of the reflective commentary as your case to the assessors that you have been successful and justify a pass mark. Each element of the portfolio can be considered to be a compulsory piece of ‘evidence’ that will support your claims within the reflective commentary to having achieved the learning outcomes. Additional pieces of writing may be included as evidence in appendices and can be anything that helps to effectively demonstrate, with the aid of the reflective commentary, that you have achieved the learning outcomes. A portfolio is uniquely yours and it is up to you what, if any, additional evidence you decide to include. However, past experience shows that some students collect a vast quantity of additional evidence for their portfolio, much of which is not relevant. We encourage you to be ruthless in your selection of evidence. Remember that one piece of evidence carefully chosen and supportive of your attainment of a specific learning outcome may be worth more than several which are not directly relevant, so select with care. For example; printing a document from your organisation’s intranet or the internet does NOT constitute a robust piece of additional evidence – all it demonstrates is an ability to print a document! However, if you were to read a section of the same document and provide a summary, with some reflection on its relevance to your practice or the implementation of your project, this has the potential for providing a much more robust piece of evidence to support your claims to having achieved the learning outcomes. Items that you might wish to consider are: ·             Reflective accounts ·             Summary of a piece of literature and reflection on its application to practice ·             Critique of a journal article or piece of information ·             Charts/Tables/Project Plans ·             Presentations ·             Posters ·             Photographs ·             Spreadsheets This list is by no means exhaustive and we would expect you to have your own ideas about the kind of evidence you feel is appropriate for your portfolio. However, every time you put together a piece of evidence, ask yourself: ·             What learning outcome(s) does this piece of evidence support? ·             How does it support the learning outcome(s)? ·             Have I effectively shown the assessor via discussion/argument that this is the case? ·             Have I maintained confidentiality/anonymity? There is no word limit for the evidence and it MUST be placed in a section at the end of your portfolio. We encourage you to be concise when producing your evidence and to concentrate on the evaluation and analysis of the topic.

 

 

Presenting your work for assessment:

The assignment MUST be presented as ONE PIECE of work and not as separate files. The assignment must be word-processed. Double line spacing must be used and a font size of 10 – 12 pt. The total word count you have used for the Project Report and Reflective Commentary should be included at the end of those sections.

The portfolio MUST incorporate appropriate references, utilising the Harvard system of referencing, according to the universities guidelines on citation and referencing.

Ensure that your SID number, NOT your name is the only identification on the submission. The SID number; module code AND module name should appear on every page of the essay in a header/footer. Page numbers should be included in a footer.

Ensure you have respected confidentiality and anonymity and have not identified your place of work, any member of staff or service users.

 

Submitting Your Work

All coursework assignments and other forms of assessment must be submitted by the published deadline which is detailed above.  It is your responsibility to know when work is due to be submitted.

All student work which contributes to the eventual outcome of the module (ie: if it determines whether you will pass or fail the module and counts towards the mark you achieve for the module) is submitted via Turnitin.  You CANNOT submit work for this module via the iCentres.  Additionally, academic staff CANNOT accept this work directly from you.

Work that is submitted late – defined as up to five working days after the published submission deadline – will be accepted and marked.  However, the element of the module’s assessment to which the work contributes will be capped with a maximum mark of 40%.

You are requested to keep a copy of your work.

 

 

Feedback

You are entitled to feedback on your performance for all your assessed work.  For all assessment tasks which are not examinations, this is accomplished by a member of academic staff providing a mark and associated comments which will relate to the achievement of the module’s intended learning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued.  This feedback will be sent to you via email.

Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20 working days of the submission deadline or the date of an examination.  (Please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; eg: between Christmas and New Year).  Personal tutors will offer to read feedback from several modules and help you to address any common themes that may be emerging.

On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed in the earlier stages of the module.  We provide you with this feedback as part of the learning experience and to help you prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still to complete.  It is important to note that, in these cases, the marks for these pieces of work are unconfirmed.  This means that, potentially, marks can change, in either direction!

Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the Official Publication of Results, which can be checked at www.anglia.ac.uk/results.

The feedback has been constructed to review constructively the piece of work in relation to the learning outcomes and the marking criteria. It will discuss the positives and negatives of your work and suggest areas and activities for enhancement. The graded piece of work will have annotations throughout the text and then summary comments at the end. It is import you read all of the feedback provided, and the feedback at the end of your work will follow the following format:

 

 

Area	Commentary
Feedback on module learning outcomes & Grade information:	This relates to the ‘Knowledge & Understanding’ and the ‘Intellectual, Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills’ of the General Learning Outcomes detailed in the academic regulations. The alignment to the module learning outcomes will be commented upon. This section will be used to show how a mark has been derived and will reference the marking scheme.   You will receive feedback on each element of the portfolio, with marks allocated as follows:   Project Report (marked out of 25 marks)   Reflective Commentary (marked out of 25 marks)   Use of literature, depth of discussion and application of knowledge to practice (marked out of 25 marks)
Feedback on structure, formatting & use of language (including referencing):	This section explores presentation (written, verbal, physical and/or virtual), structure of the work, formatting of the work, spelling & grammar and any specific requirements as indicated in the assessment brief. Comments on the correct use of referencing will be included if required.   You will receive feedback on structure and format of your portfolio, presentation, use of written language, spelling and grammar, use of references. This section will be marked out of 25 marks.
Contact details of a member of staff:	To support dialogue and engagement with feedback the details of the marker are included. It is important to note that this is an academic discussion and not a grade negotiation.
What to do next (feed-forward and action points):	This section provides actions for enhancement and will include at least one action point. This action point will link this to a future piece of scholarly work or if this is a final module, action points could refer to further study and/or professional pieces of work. The feedback here will make it clear how the feedback from one assessment can support attainment in another particularly across modules

 

Once you have your feedback it is important to make notes and develop a strategy on how to incorporate the feedback into your future activity. Your tutor will be able to help you with this. One suggestion is to keep an assessment feedback diary (paper or electronic) whereby you write your notes and actions and then keep track of these throughout your course. The term feedforwards is often used, which describes how successful engagement with feedback can feed into a future piece of work.

 

How is My Work Marked?

After you have submitted your work, Anglia Ruskin undertakes a series of activities to assure that our marking processes are comparable with those employed at other universities in the UK and that your work has been marked fairly and honestly.  These include:

• Anonymous marking – your name is not attached to your work so, at the point of marking, the lecturer does not know whose work he/she is considering. When you undertake an assessment task where your identity is known (eg: a presentation or Major Project), it is marked by more than one lecturer (known as double marking)
• Internal moderation – a sample of all work for each assessment task in each module is moderated by other Anglia Ruskin staff to check the marking standards and consistency of the marking
• External moderation – a sample of student work for all modules is moderated by external examiners – experienced academic staff from other universities (and sometimes practitioners who represent relevant professions) – who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback, advice and assurance that the marking of your work is comparable to that in other UK universities. Many of Anglia Ruskin’s staff act as external examiners at other universities.
• Departmental Assessment Panel (DAP) – performance by all students on all modules is discussed and approved at the appropriate DAPs which are attended by all relevant Module Leaders and external examiners. Anglia Ruskin has over 25 DAPs to cover all the different subjects we teach.

 

This module falls within the remit of the Department of Allied Health and Medicine DAP.

Anglia Ruskin’s marking process is represented in the flowchart below:

Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards

 

LEVEL 5

 

Level 5 reflects continuing development from Level 4. At this level students are not fully autonomous but are able to take responsibility for their own learning with some direction. Students are expected to locate an increasingly detailed theoretical knowledge of the discipline within a more general intellectual context, and to demonstrate this through forms of expression which go beyond the merely descriptive or imitative. Students are expected to demonstrate analytical competence in terms both of problem identification and resolution, and to develop their skill sets as required.
Mark Bands		Outcome	Generic Learning Outcomes (GLOs) (Academic Regulations, Section 2)
			Knowledge & Understanding	Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills
Characteristics of Student Achievement by Marking Band	90-100%	Achieves module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level	Exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with extraordinary originality and autonomy.	Exceptional management of learning resources, with a higher degree of autonomy/ exploration that clearly exceeds the brief. Exceptional structure/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination.  Exceptional team/practical/professional skills.
	80-89%		Outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with clear originality and autonomy	Outstanding management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the brief. An exemplar of structured/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination.  Outstanding team/practical/professional skills
	70-79%		Excellent knowledge base, exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with considerable originality and autonomy	Excellent management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that may exceed the brief. Structured/accurate expression. Very good academic/ intellectual skills and team/practical/professional skills
	60-69%		Good knowledge base; explores and analyses the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with some originality, detail and autonomy	Good management of learning with consistent self-direction. Structured and mainly accurate expression. Good academic/intellectual skills and team/practical/ professional skills
	50-59%		Satisfactory knowledge base that begins to explore and analyse the theory and ethical issues of the discipline	Satisfactory use of learning resources. Acceptable structure/accuracy in expression. Acceptable level of academic/intellectual skills, going beyond description at times.  Satisfactory team/practical/professional skills. Inconsistent self-direction
	40-49%	A marginal pass in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level	Basic knowledge base with some omissions and/or lack of theory of discipline and its ethical dimension	Basic use of learning resources with little self-direction. Some input to team work. Some difficulties with academic/ intellectual skills. Largely imitative and descriptive. Some difficulty with structure and accuracy in expression, but developing practical/professional skills
	30-39%	A marginal fail in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level. Possible compensation. Sat-isfies qualifying mark	Limited knowledge base; limited understanding of discipline and its ethical dimension	Limited use of learning resources, working towards self-direction. General difficulty with structure and accuracy in expression. Weak academic/intellectual skills. Still mainly imitative and descriptive. Team/practical/professional skills that are not yet secure
	20-29%	Fails to achieve module outcome(s) related to this GLO.  Qualifying mark not satisfied.  No compensation available	Little evidence of an information base. Little evidence of understanding of discipline and its ethical dimension	Little evidence of use of learning resources. No self-direction, with little evidence of contribution to team work. Very weak academic/intellectual skills and significant difficulties with structure/expression. Very imitative and descriptive. Little evidence of practical/professional skills
	10-19%		Inadequate information base. Inadequate understanding of discipline and its ethical dimension	Inadequate use of learning resources. No attempt at self-direction with inadequate contribution to team work. Very weak academic/intellectual skills and major difficulty with structure/expression. Wholly imitative and descriptive. Inadequate practical/professional skills
	1-9%		No evidence of any information base.  No understanding of discipline and its ethical dimension	No evidence of use of learning resources of understanding of self-direction with no evidence of contribution to team work. No evidence academic/intellectual skills and incoherent structure/ expression. No evidence of practical/ professional skills
	0%		Awarded for: (i) non-submission; (ii) dangerous practice and; (iii) in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief (e.g.: answers the wrong question) and/or related learning outcomes

 

Assessment Offences

As an academic community, we recognise that the principles of truth, honesty and mutual respect are central to the pursuit of knowledge. Behaviour that undermines those principles weakens the community, both individually and collectively, and diminishes our values. We are committed to ensuring that every student and member of staff is made aware of the responsibilities s/he bears in maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and how those standards are protected.

 

You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own.  All suspected assessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties. Please note that it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations (section 10) and the Course Handbook.

 

When you are preparing your work for submission, it is important that you understand the various academic conventions that you are expected to follow in order to make sure that you do not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism (eg: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity.

 

Definitions of assessment offences

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you present someone else’s work, words, images, ideas, opinions or discoveries, whether published or not, as your own. It is also when you take the artwork, images or computer-generated work of others, without properly acknowledging where this is from or you do this without their permission.

 

Examples of plagiarism include:

• directly copying from written work, physical work, performances, recorded work or images, without saying where this is from;
• using information from the internet or electronic media (such as DVDs and CDs) which belongs to someone else, and presenting it as your own;
• rewording someone else’s work, without referencing them; and
• submitting something for assessment which has been produced by another student or person.

 

It is important that you do not plagiarise – intentionally or unintentionally – because the work of others and their ideas are their own. There are benefits to producing original ideas in terms of awards, prizes, qualifications, reputation and so on. To use someone else’s work, words, images, ideas or discoveries is a form of theft.

 

Collusion

Collusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present another’s work as your own. In plagiarism the original owner of the work is not aware you are using it, in collusion two or more people may be involved in trying to produce one piece of work to benefit one individual, or plagiarising another person’s work.

 

Examples of collusion include:

• agreeing with others to cheat;
• getting someone else to produce part or all of your work;
• copying the work of another person (with their permission);
• submitting work from essay banks;
• paying someone to produce work for you; and
• allowing another student to copy your own work.

 

Many parts of university life need students to work together. Working as a team, as directed by your tutor, and producing group work is not collusion. Collusion only happens if you produce joint work to benefit one or more person and try to deceive another (for example the assessor).

 

Cheating

Cheating is when someone aims to get unfair advantage over others.

 

Examples of cheating include:

• taking unauthorised material into the examination room;
• inventing results (including experiments, research, interviews and observations);
• handing your own previously graded work back in;
• getting an examination paper before it is released;
• behaving in a way that means other students perform poorly;
• pretending to be another student; and
• trying to bribe members of staff or examiners.

 

Help to avoid assessment offences

Most of our students are honest and want to avoid committing assessment offences. We have a variety of resources, advice and guidance available to help make sure you can develop good academic skills. We will make sure that we make available consistent statements about what we expect in this document, and in student handbooks and module guides. You will be able to do tutorials on being honest in your work from the library and other central support services and faculties, and you will be able to test your written work for plagiarism using ‘Turnitin®UK’ (a software package that detects plagiarism).

 

You can get advice on how to honestly use the work of others in your own work from the library website and your lecturer and personal tutor.

 

You will have an opportunity to do a ‘formative’ assignment before you submit your first ‘summative’ assignment.  A ‘formative’ assignment is one in which you can talk about your work thoroughly with your tutor to make sure that you are working at the correct level for your award, and that you understand what is meant by good practice (a ‘summative’ assignment counts towards the assessment for your course).

 

You will be able to use ‘Turnitin’, a special software package which is used to detect plagiarism. Turnitin will produce a report which clearly shows if passages in your work have been taken from somewhere else. You may talk about this with your personal tutor to see where you may need to improve your academic practice.  We will not see these formative Turnitin reports as assessment offences.

 

If you are not sure whether the way you are working meets our requirements, you should talk to your personal tutor. They will be able to help you and tell you about other resources which will help you develop your academic skills.

 

Procedures for assessment offences

An assessment offence is the general term used to define cases where a student has tried to get unfair academic advantage in an assessment for himself or herself or another student.

 

We will fully investigate all cases of suspected assessment offences. If we prove that you have committed an assessment offence, an appropriate penalty will be imposed which, for the most serious offences, includes expulsion from Anglia Ruskin.  For full details of our assessment offences policy and procedures, please see the Academic Regulations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning Resources

The University has large multidisciplinary libraries at Cambridge and Chelmsford and a smaller library at Peterborough. Your student ID card is your library card and will give you access to the onsite facilities should you live geographically close and wish to access hardcopy books and other resources. Full details are on the library website at: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk.

The University Library offers a range of spaces and facilities including:

• areas for group work and discussion
• areas for individual silent study
• bookable study rooms
• facilities for watching or listening to audio-visual materials
• networked PCs, printers and free Wi-Fi for laptops and other mobile devices
• photocopiers and self-issue machines
• extra PC suites for student use at both Cambridge and Chelmsford

 

Books and online resources: Details on library materials such as books, journals and multimedia can be accessed via Library Search on the Library website, and full-text online materials accessed directly via that route. Search provides access, on and off campus, to a wide range of databases, e-journals and e-books, from anywhere with an Internet connection. Use your University login on the library website to access these online resources.

Reservations:  Use our free reservation service to request books not immediately available to borrow or at one of our other library sites to where you normally study. When the item arrives for pick up you will receive an email to your university email account.

Interlibrary loans: If the library does not have the book or journal article you need at any of the site libraries, it can usually be obtained if you make a request through the free interlibrary loans service – via your library account – details can be found on the library website http://anglia.libguides.com/ILL

Support and help:  The library Help Desk and also via our online email and chat services called ‘Ask Us’. The Help Desk includes IT support (such as help with e-Vision and email).

 

Library Contacts

Faculty of Medical Sciences: libteam.fms@anglia.ac.uk

University guidelines on citing and referencing such resources should be used throughout this assessment and are available here: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

The Faculty of Medical Science is supported by:

• Chelmsford – Jane Shelley

jane.shelley@anglia.ac.uk          0845 196 3760

• Cambridge – Karen Ready

karen.ready@anglia.ac.uk          0845 196 2304

• Cambridge & Peterborough – Dr. Peter Stokes peter.stokes@anglia.ac.uk         0845 196 5376

 

 

Study Skills Plus:

The university has a wealth of resources to support you with your studies and many of these are delivered by Study Skills Plus. Their website is: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/studyskillsplus/index.phtml

 

Study Skills Plus provides information, advice and guidance to all students to help you get the most out of your academic study. They offer workshops, drop-ins, bookable sessions, self-help guides and online tutorials. Study Skills Plus can help you with:

• Research and referencing
• Academic writing
• Organisational skills
• Maths and numeracy
• IT skills
• English language skills
• Setting up study groups

 

Online Resources

Study Skills Plus provides online resources for you to access at your convenience, with information and guidance available on: information skills, academic writing, organisational skills, numeracy and maths and IT skills. There are also self-guided, study skills development modules for you to work through online. Go to: www.anglia.ac.uk/studyskillsplus.

Workshops

If you live geographically close to the university Study Skills Plus offers a suite of workshops, several per day, throughout teaching weeks. Popular workshops include: Understanding your assignment; Using critical thinking to develop your writing; How to reference Harvard style; Creating assignments in MS Word; and Preparing for numeracy tests. There are also English language support workshop series for international students.

Recommended Reading, Research and Internet Resources

 

Recommended Texts	Notes
E-Books available through the digital library
Bell, J., 2010. Doing your Research Project: A guide for first time researchers in education, health and science. 5th Ed. [e-book] Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Open University Press. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	This book offers step by step advice on completing a project and is a very easy read.
Dwyer, J., Stanton, P., & Thiessen, V., 2004. Project Management in Health and Community Services: Getting Good Ideas to Work. [e-book] London: Routledge. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	This is a useful resource aimed specifically at project management in health and social care.
Fook, J., 2007. Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook. [e-book] Maidenhead: Open University Press. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	A useful text which explores theories but also the practical application of reflection.
Fox, M., Martin, P., & Green, G., 2007. Doing Practitioner Research. [e-book] London: Sage Publications Ltd. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	This is a very readable text which explains research terminology in straightforward language.
McIntosh, P., 2010. Action research and reflective practice: creative and visual methods to facilitate reflection and learning. [e-book] London: Routledge. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	Part 1 of this text explores the relationship between reflection and research and is reasonably easy to read.
McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J., 2002. Action research: principles and practice. [e-book] London: Routledge Farmer. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	This text provides very readable explanations of some of the challenging terminology used in research.
Parkin, P., 2009. Managing Change in Healthcare using Action Research. [e-book] London: Sage Publications Ltd. Available through Anglia Ruskin University Library http://libweb@anglia.ac.uk	A useful text which explains the use of action research as a model for introducing change.

 

 

Module Evaluation

Towards the end of the delivery of this module, you will be asked to complete a module evaluation questionnaire to help us obtain your views on all aspects of the module.

 

This is an extremely important process which helps us to continue to improve the delivery of the module in the future and to respond to issues that you bring to our attention.  The module report in this module guide includes a section which comments on the feedback we received from other students who have studied this module previously.

 

Your questionnaire response is anonymous and you will receive a summary in e-Vision of the scores of all your modules two days after the survey closes. For those students studying by online distance learning, the module evaluation process is managed on-line and you will be notified about this via ilearn.

 

Please help us to help you and other students at Anglia Ruskin by completing the Module Evaluation survey.  We very much value our students’ views and it is very important to us that you provide feedback to help us make improvements.

 

 

 

Module Evaluation

 

MODULE REPORT FORM

 

This form should be completed by module tutors (where there is more than one delivery) and forwarded to Module Leaders who compiles the results on to one form for use at the Programme Committee and other methods of disseminating feedback to students.

 

Module Code and Title: MOD001702 Work Based Project 2

 

Anglia Ruskin Department: Medicine and Healthcare Science

 

Location(s) of Delivery: Distance Learning

 

Academic Year: 2015/16                                           Trimester: 1 and 2 (Double trimester delivery)

 

Enrolment Numbers (at each location): 7 students

 

Module Leader: Yvette Winnard

 

 

Student Achievement Provide a brief overview of student achievement on the module as evidenced by the range of marks awarded. A detailed breakdown of marks will be available at the Departmental Assessment Panel.

There was a wide range of marks (44-72%).

 

Feedback from Students Briefly summarise student responses, including any written comments

Feedback was received from five students via module evaluation, plus informally via email and during telephone tutorials.

Students find the module relates well to their course. One student commented: “This module gave me the opportunity to use what I had learned during my studies in the workplace and allowed me to really sink my teeth into a project that I felt passionate about”. Students frequently comment that module staff are very supportive, approachable and respond to enquiries in a timely manner.

 

Module Leader/Tutor’s Reflection on Delivery of the Module, including Response to Feedback from Students (including resources if appropriate)

 

Developments during the current year or planned for next year (if appropriate)

This module has been delivered since 2011/12 and it continues to be a successful module which impacts positively on services, service users and students. Students continue to choose projects which are meaningful to them and consequently they benefit on a personal level both in terms of the knowledge they gain, but also the satisfaction in their achievements.

 

External Examiner’s Comments State whether the external examiner agreed the marks and/or commented on the module

Scripts were reviewed by an external examiner but a report is not available.

 

 

Appendix 1

 

Step by Step Checklist

 

What you need to do	Where will you find the information to help you?	When you need to do this	Tick when completed
Study periods 1-2 activities Dates:
Find a subject that interests you and you would like to study. Discuss this and other options with your line manager, colleagues and module tutor	Unit 1	Week 1
Think about What? Why? and How? you will learn about this new area of your work	Unit 2	Weeks 1-2
Complete the Project Outline Form (you can email a draft to the module tutor)	Unit 2	Weeks 2-4
Email your Project Outline Form to the module tutor	Unit 2	Week 4
The module tutor reviews all Project Outline Forms	Unit 2	Week 5
Start to work on your Project Proposal Form and email a draft to the module tutor	Unit 3	Weeks 6-9
Email your Project Proposal Form to the module tutor	Unit 3	Week 10
Study periods 3-4 activities Dates:
Gather information for your topic of study. Arrange any visits or observations of other personnel. Read and research your topic.	Unit 4	Weeks 1-4
Research, compile and complete the Project Report element of your portfolio. Send a draft to the module tutor	Unit 4	Weeks 1-8
Gather additional evidence for your portfolio	Unit 4	Weeks 1-8
Compile and complete the Reflective Commentary element of your portfolio. Send a draft to the module tutor	Unit 4	Weeks 9-10
Final date for submission of draft work to the module tutor	Unit 4	Week 10
Final editing and compilation of your portfolio	Unit 4	Weeks 10-12
Submission Date	Unit 4	Week 12 – check ilearn for submission date

 

 

 

Appendix 2

 

Module Timetable – Guide

 

	Study Period One			Study Period Two
	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6
Task
Course notes sent out via email	Week 1
Consider ideas for project topic
Arrange phone tutorial with module tutor to discuss ideas
Confirm project topic with module tutor	Friday Week 4 @ 12 pm
Submit project Outline Form to Module Tutor by email		Friday Week 5 @ 12 pm
Project Outline feedback
Develop Proposal Form with Module Tutor
Phone tutorial with Module Tutor
Submit a draft of the Proposal Form to Module Tutor
Deadline to submit Proposal Form to Module Tutor by email			Friday Week 11 @ 12 pm
Reading and research
Semester 2 begins				Week 1
Preparation and implementation of project
Planning and writing assignment
Submit draft work to Module Tutor					Friday Week 10 @ 12 pm
Submission Date						Friday Week 12 @ 12 pm
Key	Student tasks		Module Tutor Tasks		Student Deadlines