Unit 3.25 Academic and Research Skills
Level 3 15 Credits
Assignment
An important aspect of success in your study is your own personal
development and in particular, the development of academic and learning
skills. You need to know what you are good at, your areas for development
and you need to use this information to set targets for your personal
development. Then you must ensure you are always working towards them.
This is an ongoing process and having developed skills in review and action
planning they can be applied in any future learning, career or for more general
personal development.
You will be able to complete the assignment as you work through the course.
(Alternatively, you might like to consider completing this assignment parallel to
your marketing assignment.) You may wish to use the Personal development
Plan (PDP) at the end of this assignment for tasks 1 and 5. You may also wish
to refer to the ATHE Learner Handbook where there is a template for you to
assess your skills and there is also further useful information.
Task 1
Throughout this course you are encouraged to reflect on your learning, set
your own targets and monitor your progress towards these.
a) To start this ongoing process you need to assess your own strengths
and weaknesses. Think about your
personal skills
your academic skills (e.g. research, note taking, summarising ,
paraphrasing)
your academic English language skills.
Write up you assessment in note form.
b) Using this information, set targets for self-improvement. These could
include short term targets (for completion during this course), as well as
long term targets. Once you have drafted your targets check them to
make sure they are SMART (Specific, Measurable Achievable Realistic
and Timed). This is important as you will need to monitor your progress
against these targets in Task 5.
Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
develop a plan which shows how you will achieve your targets.
LO1 AC 1.1,1.2.
Task 2 – note taking
Note taking is a key skill for any study. You will need it for any course of
learning and for many aspects of your working life. You need to demonstrate
that you have mastered this skill by showing that you can note key points from
information heard and from reading materials, as well as the skills of
paraphrasing and summarising. Look through some of the notes from your
learning to date. Provide examples of where you have
noted key points of information from a variety of sources using active
listening skills
noted key points of information from a variety of sources using reading
strategies
paraphrased and summarised information.
LO3 AC 3.1, 3.2
Task 3 – carry out an academic research project
As part of your course you will need to research information using both
primary and secondary methods, and then write up and/or present your
findings. For example in your marketing assignment you need to research
the target market for your own product or service and present your findings to
others. Using this example or other examples of academic research that you
have carried out, write up what you did to complete your academic research
project. Make sure you include:
your research plan
an outline of the process you used for carrying out your research from
different sources of primary and secondary information
the first draft of your research work
a list of all the sources you have used (make sure you use appropriate
referencing techniques)
your final draft, produced to a professional standard,
Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
include the feedback from your tutor on your draft work
include evidence that you have improved your work (as a result of this
feedback on your first draft)
present your academic work orally to a professional standard.
To gain a distinction grade you must also:
discuss the content of your work at your oral presentation
review your research and provide an analysis showing how you have
adhered to good practice in your primary and secondary research.
AC 2.1, AC 2.2. 4.1, 4.2, 5.1
Task 5
How are you doing? It is time to reflect on your progress. Ideally you will do
this at intervals throughout your course and at the end. Think about the
targets you set in task 1 for your:
o personal skills
o your academic skills (e.g. research, note taking,
summarising , paraphrasing)
o your academic English language skills.
You should:
write up your findings on your Personal Development Plan
develop your action plan, making notes of further actions required for
improvement
Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
Work with a colleague. Discuss the progress you have both made and
provide feedback to your colleague including the need to set future
targets. Record your discussions in a written or oral format
LO6 AC 6.1, 6.2
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Guidelines for assessors
The assignments submitted by learners must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by the assessment
criteria for the unit. The suggested evidence listed below is how learners can demonstrate that they have met the required
standards.
| Task number |
LOs and AC | Suggested evidence PASS |
Suggested additional evidence MERIT |
Suggested additional evidence DISTINCTION |
| 1. | LO1 AC 1.1, 1.2 |
The learner must provide a comprehensive assessment of their own strengths and weaknesses. Both academic skills and academic English language skills must be included. The self-assessment must be based on evidence, be honest, realistic and agreed with the tutor. The targets for improvement reflect the strengths and weakness exercise. All targets are SMART (Specific, Measurable Achievable Realistic and Timed) and agreed with the tutor. |
The learner provides a detailed plan to show how the intended targets will be achieved. This will include dates by which personal development activities will be completed, an indication of the importance of each target (e.g. to their course or their long term future) and a priority order |
|
| 2. | LO3 AC 3.1, 3.2 |
The learner notes provided will have been taken from both oral and written sources. It will be evident that key points are clearly understood and the learner has the ability to both paraphrase and summarise both written and oral information. All notes will be easily understood. The notes may be taken by hand or using technology. Appropriate information about the sources of the information provided will be clearly indicated. |
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| 3 | LO4, LO5 AC 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 |
The learner must show that they have planned their research. Dates and sources are included for the research activity. The outline of the methods used to carry out both primary and secondary research should be extensive with a comprehensive range of sources provided. A first draft of a piece of research work will be provided. All sources will be correctly referenced. The first draft will be used to submit a final draft of research work in a good standard of academic English, which also meets the requirements of professional academic work. The report will be presented in a style appropriate for the audience. |
It will be evident that the tutor has seen the draft work and provided feedback. The learner uses this feedback to improve their final submission of their research project and the changes should be identifiable. This may be evidenced by track changes or use of different colour or similar. The learner presents their academic work orally making use of technology to present the findings. The presentation will be organised, logical and appropriate for the intended audience The approach taken will be professional with a high standard of both presentation and communication skills evident. |
The analysis of good practice in research must consider the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods used by researchers. The learner must use examples to illustrate the points which are made and make some conclusions regarding the appropriate use of different methods for different purposes. At the end of the presentation the learner engages the audience in a discussion about their research project. They will demonstrate a high standard of communication, good English language skills and a detailed understanding of the project. This must be evidenced by a tutor observation record sheet so that judgements are made |
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| against the relevant LO and the stated criteria |
|||
| 4 | LO3 AC 6.1, 6.2 |
The learner reflects on the targets and their progress towards them. They identify specific factors which have helped to achieve progress and those which have prevented the achievement of targets. The learner provides a plan to show how targets will be met in the future |
The learner will work with a colleague/fellow student to provide realistic feedback regarding progress towards targets. The feedback will be specific, constructive and examples will used to illustrate the points made. The feedback must be evidenced either by full written documentation and/or recorded. |
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Sample Personal Development Plan
Use this Personal Development Plan (PDP) to identify your key areas of learning and development. This will help you to either
acquire new or develop existing skills and behavioural attributes.
Prior to completing the Personal Development Plan you should undertake a skills analysis activity to determine your learning and
development needs and identify development targets to meet those needs. (Task 1a) Think about your
o personal skills
o your academic skills (e.g. research, note taking, summarising , paraphrasing)
o your academic English language skills
We recommend that once you have done this you agree it with your tutor. Ideally you should do this at the beginning of your course
(e.g. during your induction)
How to complete your PDP
Development Targets are targets that you have identified to enable you to meet the learning and development identified in your
skills analysis
Short term or long term. You should identify whether your target is:
1. critical to completion of course (and therefore a short term target)
2. beneficial to completion of course (i.e. it would help you achieve a higher grade and therefore short term)
3. critical to your progress in the future (long term)
4. beneficial to your progress in the future (long term)
Activities/support can be any learning or development activity that will enable you to achieve your development targets e.g.
tutorials, additional learning, an on line course, formal training, support from your tutor etc.
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Progress and further action required. This is when you need to:
Assess your progress
Reflect on your learning
identify any factors that may have prevented you from achieving your development objectives
Identify whether your development objectives need to be amended
Identify factors that may have prevented you from achieving your development objectives
Plan how you will meet your agreed target date in the future.
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| My personal development targets? |
Short or long term target? |
How will I achieve my targets? What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my objectives? What support do I need? |
Date of review |
Progress made towards target | Further action required |
Actual date of achieving target |