IA191-3-FY-CO:
Research and Academic Development Skills
2021/22
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Foundation/Year Zero: Level 3
Current
Thursday 07 October 2021
Friday 01 July 2022
30
22 July 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BSC N401 Accounting (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NN43 Accounting and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NN42 Accounting and Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N4L1 Accounting with Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N391 Banking and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104 Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104CO Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N201 Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA L102 Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L103 Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC LG18 Economics and Mathematics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L1G8 Economics with Mathematics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N301 Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC GN18 Finance and Mathematics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L118 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L117 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BA L160 International Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L161 International Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N2N5 Management and Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BA L190 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L191 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N505 Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N505CO Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BA LX14 Financial Economics and Accounting (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N347 Finance and Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA LX10 Business Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N358 International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N358CO International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BA R113 Economics with Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N114 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Foundation Year)
This blended-learning module is designed to support students in their academic subject disciplines and to strengthen their confidence in key skills areas such as: academic writing, research, academic integrity, collaborative and reflective practices.
The students are supported through the use of subject-specific materials tailored to their chosen degrees with alignment of assessments between academic subject modules and the skills module.
Module Aims
- To develop students’ ability to operate effectively, in both written and spoken language, in a range of academic settings
- To develop students’ basic research skills, encouraging a critical approach to source materials and appropriate use of sources as supporting evidence
- To encourage independent learning strategies and develop students’ confidence to make judgments and be evaluative
- To equip students with appropriate and effective language and study skills applicable to their various disciplines
By the end of this module a student will be expected to be able to:
1. Produce academic writing which is well-structured, relevant and clearly reasoned.
2. Communicate ideas, information and arguments with clarity, both orally and in written form, and which demonstrates the ability to integrate students’ own ideas with those of others.
3. Deliver effective presentations using an appropriate range of visual aids.
4. Comprehend texts on a range of subjects identifying main points from listening and reading material, and demonstrating critical reading skills to assess the usefulness of information.
5. Make full use of academic libraries and a range of appropriate electronic media for independent research purposes
6. Demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of academic register and referencing conventions.
7. Develop time management strategies, employ self-directed learning and show an ability to reflect on one’s own goals and progress.
Syllabus
- Identify text types and their relevance / appropriateness
- Develop basic research techniques
- Reading & note-taking skills development
- Writing skills development
- Editing and redrafting skills
- Referencing and how to avoid plagiarism
- Listening skills development
- Listening & note-taking
- Develop further research skills
- Summary writing and working with lecture notes
- Presentation skills including the effective use of visuals
- Graphs and statistical information
- Revision and exam strategies
- The reflective process
Assessment
Formative assessment
Students will submit an academic integrity task.
Summative assessment
1. Key Skills Portfolio consisting of three elements:
i. Paraphrase of a paragraph (250 words, 10%)
ii. Write an introduction paragraph for a business focused topic (250 words, 10%)
iii. Write two main body paragraphs incorporating the synthesis of information from short texts provided by tutor (500 words, 20%)
2. Scaffolded essay (750 words, 30%). The assignment will develop the students' ability to produce an extended piece of writing for the most relevant genre of their pathway.
3. Reflective presentation (7-10 minutes, 30%). Presentations are delivered individually, but include an element of reporting on collaborative group or peer reflective exercises. This assignment aims to develop students' oral communication skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively in both offline and online modes and to become more reflective learners.
Reassessment strategy
Failed coursework - resubmit a piece of coursework (1,000 words) which will be marked as 100% of the new module mark. The reassessment task will enable the relevant learning outcomes to be met. If the group presentation has been failed or has not been attempted, students will also be required to submit a 500-word presentation in notes/slides format. The weighting will be divided equally between the assignment and the 500-word presentation.
Teaching and learning on Essex Pathways modules offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills, and competences to study at undergraduate level, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.
The module will be delivered through 1 x 1-hour online lecture support hour, 1 x 2-hour class and 1 x 1-hour class. Some pre-recorded lectures associated with the syllabus will also be offered.
Non-native speakers of English will receive an additional 1-hour online lecture support and 1 x 1 hour class per week per week focusing on language development at sentence and paragraph level as well as opportunities to practise skills. All information relating to this module can be found on the relevant Moodle site.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Portfolio - Paraphrase of Paragraph |
|
10% |
| Coursework |
Portfolio - Context and Background |
|
10% |
| Coursework |
Portfolio - Argument Development |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Scaffolded Essay |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Reflective Presentation |
|
30% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mr Brendan Elsted, email: bmelsted@essex.ac.uk.
Brendan Elsted
Helen Hearn (hhearn@essex.ac.uk or 01206 872842)
No
No
No
Mr Gerald Dampier
University of Surrey
Teaching Fellow in Learning Development
Available via Moodle
Of 184 hours, 139 (75.5%) hours available to students:
30 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Essex Pathways
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