Topic: link to the business

Student Brief: Regular Assignment 1 – Reflective Diary (1000 Words) Deadline – Wednesday 21 September 2011 09.00am Weighting: 40% You have been asked to produce a Reflective Diary that demonstrates evidence of learning, as a result of carrying out your project, about: The subject of your research Your research skills Your professional and business skills This is a document that you (the learner) write, to record the progress of your learning during this whole module. It is a record of your reflections, thoughts and feelings. It is NOT simply a summary of your day or week. Focus more on your reactions to what you’ve experienced. Your diary provides feedback, hindsight and even future goals based on an experience you have had. There is no correct way to begin a diary. Just write. Start your diary as soon as possible in week 6 of term 3 to ensure you capture all your activities and learning. When writing state what you think is going well and what is not, and then why and how you feel will usually follow. Check for recurring themes. Once you have made several reflective diary entries, it can be interesting to look through them and see if there are any topics that repeatedly come up. By recording what you’ve learned, you can track the progress you’ve made. You also begin to notice the gaps in your knowledge, experience or skills. This Diary is similar in structure to a Learning Journal and you should use this to reflect and review your strengths, weaknesses and areas for development in relation to your own Personal Development Plan. Your assignment should be written as a Diary/Journal of 1000 words and submitted as ONE WORD DOCUMENT file. Please remember that when you submit your assignment, you need to include your student ID number, along with the title of the assignment in the title of the submission. Don’t forget that the rubric, how the academic staff will assess your assignment. REGULAR ASSIGNMENT 1

CULC STANDARD RUBRIC: Reflective Diary (1000 Words)MODULE: 308LON SECTION A This section is worth 80 marks Marks Available Marks Awarded LO Number Learning Outcome Descriptor LO1 Demonstrates the ability to translate concepts from study into practical, functional ways of operating in business to manage themselves and situations by integrating theoretical concepts with personal experiences 0-20 L02 Detailed consideration of the experience of completing the project. Presents a detailed summary of reflections recorded during the project illustrating a range of thoughts, beliefs and emotions experienced in relation to concerns and challenges, and in relation to the insights and findings. Supported by appropriate examples to illustrate key points. 0-20 L03 Detailed analysis of the knowledge, practices, strategies or experiences related to the learning through the duration of the project. Consideration of the types of assumptions made and the decisions made. Specific reference made to examples of learning from new experiences. 0-20 L04 Reflective diary describes the personal and professional growth during this module. Reference made to the new skills and knowledge gained and applied in a range of contexts, and an understanding of how these may be applied in the broader business context. Examples provided of how individual learning goals were achieved. Consideration given to goals not achieved or new skills or knowledge required, supported with plans for future development. 0-20 Comments Section A Total 0

SECTION B This section is worth 20 marks Marks Available Marks Awarded Criteria Level Descriptor Professional Presentation Very poor presentation, organisation and basic issues with use of written English 1-2 Poor presentation, badly organised, weak communication in written English 3-4 Acceptable level of presentation, some issues with overall structure, no serious faults in use of English 5-6 Good level of presentation and clear structure, good use of English grammar & syntax 7-8 Outstanding level of presentation, faultless and compelling use of English grammar & syntax 9-10 Voice No attempt to record personal insights or experience in the completion of the Reflective Diary 0 Limited attempt to record personal insights or experience in the completion of the Reflective Diary 1 Some attempt to share personal insights or experience in the completion of the Reflective Diary. Lacks some clarity and limited detailed analysis of the outcomes achieved. 2 A considered reflection on key learning points in relation to the assignment or their personal development. Some detailed analysis of the outcomes achieved but could have considered the relevance in more depth. 3 Clear and confident ‘voice’ which includes comments that are personal and engaging and makes the reader think about, and react to, your ideas and point of view. 4-5 Development Planning No attempt to summarise key skills, or apply learning points to the workplace or their personal development 0 Limited attempt to summarise key skills, or apply learning points to the workplace or their personal development. Skills are generic and unrelated to personal or professional goals. 1 Some attempt to summarise key skills, and apply learning points to the workplace or their personal development. Some attempt to align their analysis to personal or professional goals but lacks clarity. 2 A considered summary of key skills, and applies learning points to the workplace and their personal development. Good attempt to align their analysis to personal or professional goals but does not relate their analysis to the business context. 3 A detailed and persuasive summary of key knowledge, skills and attitudes and applies detailed learning points to the workplace and their personal development. 4-5 Section B Total 0 Assessment Total (A+B) 0 Student Brief: End of Module Assessment – Project Report (4000 Words) Deadline – Wednesday 21 September 2011 09.00am Weighting: 60% You have been asked to produce a Project Report that investigates a current issue facing ‘your’ selected organisation and presents a clear set of recommendations Your assignment should be written as a formal report of 4000 words and submitted as ONE WORD DOCUMENT file. Your assignment should have a formal report structure, which could include: Title Page Introduction – A description of the key issue of the report Background about ‘your’ company showing evidence of your research, the current market, trends etc Discussion Identifying and analysing the business issue Linking to appropriate and relevant theories Demonstrating critical analysis and evaluation Findings Conclusion/Recommendations List of References Appendix You should also consider the following areas when preparing/writing your report: Writing for professionals Presentation and formatting Structure, Focus & Development Clear introduction – focus of assignment outlined and organisational context clarified Evident conclusion Coherent & logically developed report Content Evidence of knowledge base and understanding of relevant theories Comparative analysis of data with respect to relevant regional, national or international markets and/or competitors Critical analysis Evaluation of ideas and frameworks Critical appraisal for validity, relevance and value Your writing should include references within your text with a full list of references at the end of your document using the Harvard referencing format – CULC referencing guide. Please remember that when you submit your assignment, you need to include your student ID number, along with the title of the assignment in the title of the submission. Don’t forget that the rubric, how the academic staff will assess your assignment. Assessor: Tutor END OF MODULE ASSIGNMENT

CULC STANDARD RUBRIC: Project Report (4000 Words)MODULE: 308LON SECTION A: LEARNING OUTCOMES This section is worth 80 marks Marks Available Marks Awarded LO Number Learning Outcome Descriptor LO1 Detailed justification of the relevance of the research area, making links to current business issues and personal development. Motivation and commitment to the research demonstrated across the project report, evidenced by types of data gathered and positive feedback from host organisation in relation to the student’s initiative and commitment to the project. 0-20 LO2 Detailed use of a review of literature that clearly informs the research questions and hypotheses. Themes are clearly identified and considered in detail in relation to a range of perspectives on the business issue. The content of the review is drawn from acceptable peer-reviewed journals or sound professional publications, supported with accurate referencing. 0-20 LO3 Clear account of how the data was gathered and analysed to produce a set of sound business focused conclusions. Issues in data gathering and analysis are addressed. The role of the researcher in the data collection procedure is carefully considered. Findings and conclusions drawn logically from the research design, and linked to the research questions. 0-20 LO4 Project report is organised in an appropriate manner, with a clear logic to the sequence of sections and represents the building of a ‘storyline’ of the research stages in order to produce a clear set of sound conclusions to the business issue under investigation. 0-20 Comments Section A Total 0

SECTION B: This section is worth 20 marks Marks Available Marks Awarded Criteria Level Descriptor Individual Presentation – Unit 9 Presentation Fails to present an appropriate review of their progress in relation to investigating a business issue or their own personal development 0 Poor representation of the student’s review of their progress in relation to investigating a business issue or their own personal development 1 Acceptable presentation of progress made but lacks specific or detailed references to the business issue or personal development 2 Good presentation that clearly outlines the progress and learning made in the project so far, but lacks some clarity of thought or inconsistent detail 3 Excellent presentation that confidently addresses progress made with the project and gives a compelling insight into the personal development achieved, identifying issues and consideration of how these can/have been overcome 4-5 Professional Presentation of Project Report Very poor presentation, organisation of ideas with basic issues in the use of written English 1-2 Poor presentation of written work and data gathered, badly organised ideas, weak communication in written English 3-4 Acceptable level of presentation of written work and data, some issues with overall structure of the argument, no serious faults in use of English 5-6 Good level of presentation and clear structure of the argument, good use of English grammar & syntax that is appropriate for business reports 7-8 Outstanding level of presentation making appropriate use of visuals to illustrate complex situations, faultless and compelling use of business English that reflects the intended audience and the complexity of the topic under investigation 9-10 Analysis of Business Issues Demonstrates an absence of consistent and coherent analysis. 0 Demonstrates a limited level of consistent and coherent analysis. 1 Demonstrates a reasonable level of consistent and coherent analysis but lacks consistency. 2 Demonstrates a good degree of critical, consistent and coherent analysis. 3 Demonstrates a confident and in-depth critical and coherent analysis that suggests original insights or new ways of looking at current business issues 4-5 Section B Total 0 Assessment Total (A+B) 0 Required Reading: Cameron, S., (2009), The Business Student’s Handbook: Skills for Study and Employment, 5th Edition, Harlow: Financial Times Press Recommended Reading: Saunders, M., Thornhill, A. & Lewis, A. (2009) Research Methods for Business Students 5th Edition, Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall Faculty Team: Module Leader: John Watkins Jonathan Groucutt Key Terms: Quadmester: A periodic unit of term times. In CULC = 4 terms of 10 weeks each Moodle: The virtual learning environment used for module delivery and management Talis: Virtual environment that provides access to module reading materials (recommended and additional) Pebble Pad: A tool for e-portfolio development to create blogs, CV etc.