FC300 Extended Project

Key details:

Assessment title:

Written Project submitted to Pathways VLE via Turn-it-in

Module Name:

Extended Project

Module Code:

FC300

Assessment will be set on:

Week 1

Feedback opportunities:

Feedback comments on Formative Assessment Tasks; peer feedback in class

Assessment is due on:

After theme 13, College to specify exact submission deadline  

Assessment weighting:

50%

Assessment Instructions

What do you need to do for this assessment?  

Task:

You are required to write an extended project on a topic of your choice. The aim of this project is to investigate the topic you have chosen through secondary research and analysis of information from a variety of sources.

Guidance:

In your written project you should:

· Appropriately cover the topic of the extended project.

· Address the question(s) you set out to investigate, by researching, analysing and using information from relevant sources.

· Represent the complexities of the project topic.

· Analyse project outcomes and draw conclusions.

· Include a complete list of references used in producing the project.

Please note:

This is an individual assessment, so you are expected to work on this by yourself.  

Before you submit your final written project, please make sure you carefully consider feedback you have received on your draft written project submission  from your teacher.  The suggestions made by your teacher will help you make your final submission more effective.  

Structure:

You must choose a structure for your project which will best suit your topic and the question(s) you are investigating. Your project should be structured as follows:

1. Introduction (300 – 400 words)

2. Main part of project: exploration of sources through description of key issues/discussion/development/analysis (please note: this part of your project should have more than one section. The way you structure this should be decided by you, with support from your tutor. Your structure will depend on the topic you have chosen and the ‘story you want to tell’ (2350 words)

3. Conclusion (200-250 words)

4. References (not included in word count)

5. Appendices (if applicable) e.g.: any data sets you have used (not included in word count)

Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment:

You must conduct secondary research for this assessment finding relevant sources independently. You must keep a record of the sources that you use to inform your project. A minimum of 10 sources is required for this assignment.

Referencing style:

You must use Harvard or APA referencing conventions and you must include a complete reference list at the end of your Written Project. A full bibliography is NOT required.

Expected word count:

The Written Project must be 2500 (+/-20%) words long.

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

· Find, select and use appropriate and reliable sources to inform research and accurately observe referencing conventions

· Present project outcomes effectively in writing and verbally, complying with academic convention for the genre and using appropriate linguistic register and subject-specific language

Submission Requirements:

You must format your assessment following these requirements:

· Use Arial font, size 11

· Include an appropriate header

· Number all pages included in the assignment

· Include a title page with the following information:

- Module Code (e.g. FC300)

- Class/Group (e.g. Group A)

- Module Title (Extended Project)

- Assessment Type (e.g. Extended Project Formative Task 3)

- Project Title

- Module Tutor Name

- Student ID Number

- Date of Submission

- Word Count (for Part 2 only)

You must include the following paragraph on your title page:

I confirm that this assignment is my own work.  

Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.

You must submit the assessments electronically via the VLE module page.  Please ensure you submit them via Turnitin.

Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted.

How to avoid academic misconduct

You should follow academic conventions and regulations when completing your assessed work. If there is evidence that you have done any of the following, whether intentionally or not, you risk getting a zero mark:

Plagiarism & poor scholarship

· stealing ideas or work from another person (experts or students)

· using quotations from sources without paraphrasing and using citations

Collusion

· working together with someone else on an individual assessment, e.g., your work is corrected, rephrased or added to by another (both parties would be guilty)

Buying or commissioning work

· submitting work as your own that someone else produced (whether you paid for it or not)

Cheating

· copying the work of another student

· using resources or aids that are not permitted for the assessment

Fabrication

· submitting work, e.g., laboratory work, which is partly or completely made up. This includes claiming that work was done by yourself alone when it was actually done by a group

Personation

· claiming to be another student and taking an assessment instead of them (both parties guilty)

How will this assessment be marked?

The written project will be marked using the following areas and weightings:

· Task achievement (25%)

· Have you followed the instructions for producing your Written Project?

· Have you chosen an appropriate topic for your project?  

· Have you investigated the topic in sufficient detail?

· Have you addressed all the research questions?

· Have you considered the topic/questions from a variety of angles?

· Have you formatted your project appropriately and submitted it correctly, as specified in the instructions?

· Use of sources (25%)

· Have you selected relevant sources for your project and used them in your project to support your claims?  

· Have you synthesised information from a range of sources in your project?

· Have you analysed the information from the sources thoroughly and linked it with your project topic?

· Structure (20%)

· Have you organised your project clearly into sections and arranged them in a logical order?

· Have you linked the ideas in your paragraphs?

· Do you use signposting language effectively?

· Academic Integrity (15%)

· Is your paraphrasing/summarising successful in terms of retention of meaning?

· Have you included an accurate citation with each paraphrase?

· Are all quotes correctly marked?

· Do you have a full list of matching references which are correctly formatted?

· Are all facts/data presented genuine, accurate and precise?

· Clarity of expression (15%)

· Have you checked the accuracy of your written language?  

· Have you explained complicated concepts to help your reader?  

· Have you used topic-specific vocabulary accurately?

You will receive a % mark in each of these categories. The overall mark will be a percentage (0-100%).  

How will you get feedback?

Your tutor will mark the assessments and provide you with feedback comments which you can access via Turnitin.