What other documents do I need to download from Moodle for Assessment Item 1?

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You will need to download copies of the following documents from the Moodle page for this module for Assessment Item 1.

STEP 1: PREPARING FOR THE ASSIGNMENT in this document explainshow to use this document:

SCENARIOS A – C Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection 2024-25

STEP 2: PLANNING FOR THE ASSIGNMENT in this document explainshow to use this document:

SOURCE TEXTS FOR ASSESSMENT ITEMS 1 AND 2 (2024-2025)

STEP 3: WRITING THE ASSIGNMENT PART ONE in this document explainshow to use this document:

GUIDANCE ON USING DIGITAL TOOLS Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection 2024-25

This document is also useful for STEP 4: WRITING THE ASSIGNMENT PART TWO (and also for any other written assignments on other modules you may be doing on your course).

STEP 5: FORMATTING AND SUBMITTING THE ASSIGNMENT in this document explainshow to use this document:

UP0000000_Item 1 Critical_Evaluation_and_Reflection_[40%]_31-MAR-25

You may also want to look at examples of completed Critical Evaluations and Reflections. You can find examples on the Moodle page for this module.

EXAMPLE A Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection

EXAMPLE B Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection

EXAMPLE C Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection

It may be helpful to read one or more of these examples with the assessment criteria document here:

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA - Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection

However, note that Examples A and B are real assignments submitted by students in the Academic Year 2023-2024 and both received a mark of at least 65 (a clear 2:1). Example C, on the other hand, was written as an example by a tutor, for instructional purposes.

Please note that none of the examples write about any of the options for the real-world scenarios you have been set this year. The main purpose of these examples is to help you understand what you have to do for the assignment.

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What are the main objectives you must complete for Assessment Item 1?

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The main objectives of Assessment Item 1 are to demonstrate that you:

● can ANALYSE a real-world scenario and UNDERSTAND how research can be used to help others find the answers to a question about that scenario;

● can UNDERSTAND and CRITICALLY EVALUATE diferent approaches to research andIDENTIFY THE MOST SUITABLE RESEARCH METHOD for the real-world scenario you are writing about;

● can PRODUCE A TEXT that is APPROPRIATE FOR ACADEMIC WRITING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES in terms of style, organisation, and effective use of citation FOLLOWING

THE GUIDELINES FOR APA 7th referencing;

● can REFLECT HONESTLY and CRITICALLY on your own writing process in the

preparation, planning, drafting, and checking your academic writing and IDENTIFY the most successful parts of that process for the future;

● can FOLLOW TASK INSTRUCTIONS and MANAGE your TIME EFFECTIVELY submitting your assignment on the correct form with the correct name before the deadline of before 12 noon (lunchtime) Monday 31 March 2025.

Note that Assessment Item 1 is an individual assessment - each student submits ONLY their own assignment: Group work is NOT allowed.

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What are the Assessment Criteria for Assessment Item 1?

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You can find and download the ASSESSMENT CRITERIA - Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection document, which you will find on the Moodle page for this module.

What tasks must you complete for Assessment Item 1?

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To meet the main objectives of Assessment Item 1 you must complete the following five steps.

STEP 1: PREPARING FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

Analysis and understanding of a real-world scenario

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●   Find and download SCENARIOS A – CAssessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection 2024-25, which you will find on the Moodle page for this module.

●   Read all three scenarios. Choose ONE scenario ONLY for your assignment.

●   Identify how research can be useful in this scenario. Ask yourself questions such as: Who needs this research? Why do they need it? How will the research help them? What is the focus of the research: people, places, processes, objects, etc.?

STEP 2: PLANNING FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

Understanding and critically evaluating alternative research methods for this scenario and identifying the most suitable one

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● Find and download SOURCE TEXTS FOR ASSESSMENT ITEMS 1 AND 2

(2024-2025), which you will find on the Moodle page for this module.

●   Read and take notes on all of the academic source texts for the task. The notes should identify which research methods will be most and  least appropriate for the real-world scenario you have chosen.         .

You must ONLY use the version of the academic source texts in this document. The source texts have been edited and adapted for the purpose of this task - you may lose marks or even fail if you do not follow this instruction.

You must ONLY use the academic source texts in this document. DO NOT use the library or Google Scholar to find your own articles - you will fail with a score of 0 or 20 if you do this.

● Use your notes to compare and contrast at least two different

research methods in more detail. (You may discuss and evaluate more than two methods). Then identify the most suitable and appropriate method for the real-world scenario you have chosen. You must be able to justify this decision.

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STEP 3: WRITING THE ASSIGNMENT PART ONE: Critical Evaluation

Producing a text that is appropriate for academic writing in the social sciences following APA 7th guidelines

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●   Write a plan for the Critical Evaluation. You may use the structure in Table 1 in this document to organise your plan.

Note that the structure in Table 1 is a suggestion only and therefore optional: use your own judgment to decide if you would prefer to organise the critical evaluation in your own way.

● Use your plan to complete a first draft of your Critical Evaluation.

You may use digital tools such as Google Translate or Grammarly in  this assignment. But you MUST follow the guidelines for using these tools in the document GUIDANCE ON USING DIGITAL TOOLS Assessment Item 1: Written Assignment [40%] Individual and Written Critical Evaluation and Reflection 2024-25, which you will find on the Moodle page for this module - you may lose marks, fail and/or be accused of academic misconduct if you do not follow this instruction.

●   Use your planto read and check the first draft. Then revise your first draft. Make sure the final draft of your critical evaluation is a minimum of 720 words and not more than 880 words.

● Proofread and check your final draft. Make sure that you have

followed APA 7th guidelines for citations of the sources in the text and also for the bibliographic references at the end of the text.

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STEP 4: WRITING THE ASSIGNMENT PART TWO: Reflection

Producing a text that is appropriate for academic writing in the social sciences following APA 7th guidelines

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●   After you have completed your Critical Evaluation, take notes on the questions such as these:

● When didI start working on this assignment?

● Which real-world scenario didI choose? Why?

● How much time didI spend on preparing for the critical evaluation (Stage 1) and planning it (Stage 2)?

● Where did Ido most of the work for the critical evaluation? In the library? In my room at home? In Starbucks?

● When did Ido most of the work? Early in the morning? In the afternoon? Late at night?

● How much time didI spend on writing the critical evaluation?

● DidI use any digital tools to help me write? Which ones? How didI use them? How useful were they?

● If I had to write another academic assignment, what would Ido again because it was useful? What would Ido differently? Why?

Note that these questions are:

(1) examples only of the kind of questions you should think about for while you make notes for your

reflection - you can ask yourself other questions;

(2) designed to help you prepare for the reflection - it is   not necessary (and may not be possible) to answer all the questions in your final submission.

●   Use your notes to plan, draft, revise, and complete a Reflection which is a minimum of 405 words and not more than 495 words. You may use the structure in Table 2 in this document to organise your

Reflection.

Note that the structure in Table 2 is a suggestion only and therefore optional: use your own judgment to decide if you would prefer to

organise the Reflection in your own way.

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STEP 5: FORMATTING AND SUBMITTING THE ASSIGNMENT

Producing a text that is appropriate for academic writing in the social sciences following APA 7th guidelines

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● Format the text of your critical evaluation using only one of the

following options for Font, Font size, and Line-spacing shown in Table 3 in this document.

Note that subheadings are optional: use your own judgment to decide if they help make the organisation and/or message in the evaluation clearer.

●   Find and download your own Word version of the submission form in the Google Document

UP0000000_Item 1 Critical_Evaluation_and_Reflection_[40%]_31- MAR-25, which you will find on the Moodle page for this module.

●   Complete the Submission details on the first page of the submission form.

Do NOT write your own name anywhere on the form. All university assessed submissions should be anonymous.

● Then copy and paste your Critical Evaluation, Reflection and list of

References in the correct spaces at the end of the submission form. If you need to declare the use of digital tools, add your declaration after the References at the end.

● Save the file as UP0000000_Item_1_Critical

_Evaluation_and_Reflection_[40%]_31-MAR-25, but replace 0000000 with YOUR student number.

For example, if your student number is 1869200 save the file as

UP1869200_Item 1 Critical

_Evaluation_and_Reflection_ [40%]_31-MAR-25.

● Find the drop-box on Moodle and submit your completed

Assessment Item 1 submission form before 12 noon (lunchtime) on Monday 31 March 2025. Use the file name or your UP + your student number in the name of the submission.

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What are the Learning Outcomes for Assessment Item 1?

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These are also on Moodle and on page 5 of TB1 STUDENT M21128 General Language Grade 6 (English) 2024-2025_ Seminar Materials Workbook.

LEARNING OUTCOME 1

To analyse and evaluate the relevance of a set of academic source texts to a    real-world scenario and to reflect critically on your own process of preparing, planning, and producing a written academic assignment.

LEARNING OUTCOME 2

To demonstrate the effective application of rhetorical style and organisation appropriate for academic writing in the social sciences in vocabulary choice, paragraph construction, text structure and organisation and in the accurate  application of APA 7th referencing conventions.

LEARNING OUTCOME 3

To practically apply a range of resources for academic writing (such as machine translation, digital paraphrasing tools, online proofreading tools, etc.) effectively and responsibly, following task, module, and university guidelines on the appropriate use of such resources.

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