1.

Produce a detailed, time scaled study plan that shows how you intend to complete this
unit’s assignment. (150 Words)
GUIDANCE

Remember, a study plan is a time management plan and not an assignment plan.

Your study plan must include how you intend to spend your time between now and the
submission date for this assignment. Your study times must be clearly visible and realistic in
relation to your other commitments.

To complete this question, you must write an explanation of how you produced your study plan.

You must also upload your study plan.

If you need to review how to produce a study/time management plan refer to the study
materials for unit 2 (Preparing to Study), sections 1.1 and 1.2.

2. Throughout your programme you should have been developing a range of strategies to
help you to overcome the factors that may have impacted on your studies. You need to
write an evaluation of the strategies that you have used to overcome these factors and
how you have developed these strategies over time. (300 Words)
GUIDANCE

You should consider the effectiveness of each strategy you have used, as well as other strategies
that you could develop to improve your performance for the remainder of your course.

Remember, when you ‘evaluate’ you need to give your verdict as to what extent your
observations are true or to what extent you agree with them. Provide evidence or examples
which both agree with and contradict an argument. Come to a final conclusion, basing your
decision on what you judge to be the most important factors and justify how you have made
your choice.

3. You will by now have completed a number of assignments for your course and received
feedback from your assessor for each. You need to review the feedback provided,
discuss the value of this feedback and how you could respond to the feedback in an
appropriate manner. (250 Words)
GUIDANCE

Your discussion must refer to positive feedback that you have received, along with areas for
improvement (constructive criticism). You must aim to have a balanced response of both
positives and negatives, and what you have learnt from the feedback given. Try to include a
range of feedback, perhaps from different tutors, to help you to consider the positives and
negatives.

You must also discuss how you have reacted to the feedback given and how you have used this
to improve your performance in subsequent assignments. You must also consider how you can
use the feedback provided to support the development of wider aspects of your studies, such as
self-confidence or increased interest in a subject area.

Remember, when you discuss something, you need to examine, analyse, and present both
positive and negative considerations regarding a topic, and give some conclusions.

4. You need to upload two different types of assignment once they have been marked and
are complete. You also need to upload accompanying assignment plans for these two
assignments. (300 Words)
GUIDANCE

Ensure that you select subject specific assignments (i.e. unit 5 onwards) that have been
completed using different formats and structures. For example, an essay, a report or a
presentation.

The two assignments you select must:

• have been produced using an assignment plan
• demonstrate your ability to incorporate relevant information in different formats
• include a references list and a bibliography

You must also upload the assignment plans that you have used when producing the each of
these assignments. These must be detailed and include realistic time frames. If you need to
review assignment planning refer to the study materials for unit 4 (Preparing a Written
Assignment), section 5.1.

Once you have uploaded the relevant documents, you need to write a short summary that
details the methodology you used to produce each of the two assignments. This must outline
how you researched the relevant subject matter and where you gathered information from.

Your summary should also include where you have written a draft assignment and asked your
assessor for feedback. You must then explain how you have used this feedback to produce the
final version of your assignment.

5. Provide an evaluation of the relevance and reliability of the information sources you
have used to produce the two uploaded assignments. (300 Words)
GUIDANCE
Your evaluation must include a variety and number of different information sources and must
highlight how you have deemed the material to be of relevance in context to the assignment
brief. You must also include how you have checked information sources for their reliability.

You therefore need to consider how you know the information you have used was reliable and
relevant, what other sources you could use in the future and why. It may help to consider where
you have found information to be invalid or unreliable and subsequently decided not to use this
in your assignments.

You must also include some conclusions.

6. Select and upload a completed assignment that demonstrates your ability to identify and
use ideas to sustain a logical written analysis, argument, interpretation or explanation.
(300 Words)
GUIDANCE

If one of the assignments you uploaded for question 4 is to be used for this question, you must
provide the details here i.e. the title, unit number, subject area, date completed etc.

If you wish to use a different assignment for this purpose then upload it now.

You must then write a short summary explaining how this particular assignment demonstrates
your ability to sustain a logical analysis, argument, interpretation or explanation. You must use
personal reflection for this response and not rely on feedback you have received from your
assessor(s).

You should make reference to particular parts of the assignment that shows your abilities by
including the page numbers and the relevant paragraph/section where appropriate. If you
prefer, you could highlight the relevant parts of your assignment in a different coloured font and
then refer to the relevant coloured text within your summary.

7. Write an evaluation of three different reading strategies. (500 words)

GUIDANCE
Your evaluation must include three different reading strategies and not just those that you have
used to complete your assignments to date.

When evaluating the reading strategies that you have used, consider the positives and
limitations of each, how effective the strategies have been for you and why. You should also
highlight if you have made any changes to your reading strategy and why, and how you could
improve things for future assignments.

You must include reading strategies that you have not used to date, whether you would consider
using them in the future and why.

You must also include some conclusions.

If you need to revise different reading strategies refer to the study materials for unit 4 (Preparing
a Written Assignment), section 3.1.

8. Write an evaluation of three different note taking methods. (500 words)

GUIDANCE

Your evaluation must include three different methods for taking notes and not just those that
you have used to complete your assignments to date.

When evaluating the note taking methods you have used, consider the positives and limitations
of each, how effective the methods have been for you and why. You should also highlight if you
had made any changes to your note taking method and why, and how you could improve things
for future assignments.

You must include note taking methods that you have not used to date, whether you would
consider using them in the future and why.

You must also include some conclusions.

If you need to revise different note taking methods refer to the study materials for unit 4
(Preparing a Written Assignment), section 4.1 and 4.2.
 9. Whilst you were reading/researching to support the completion of your assignments you
should have been making notes that outlined the key ideas or themes from different
information sources and texts. Upload a copy of a full set of notes that you have
produced when putting an assignment together. (300 words)
GUIDANCE

Your set of notes must clearly identify the key ideas and themes from a range of different
information source(s). These could be hand written notes, mind maps, annotated pages of text
and/or notes about a presentation.

You then need to write an explanation to support your notes that includes the actual
information source(s) used, their type (book, website, journal article etc.), and the key themes
you have identified.

You must not use your course study materials to answer this question – you must use
recognised, published sources of information.

Your explanation must be between 300 and 350 words.

You must also provide a full and accurate references list.

10. From your completed assignments, provide three examples where you have summarised
a text (information source) whilst retaining its meaning through the use of paraphrase.
(300 words)
GUIDANCE

You will need to refer to each of the completed assignments in turn ensuring that you highlight
which section/page your paraphrase example is taken from. For example, taken from page 4 of
assignment X.

If your examples are included in the assignments you have uploaded for question 4, you must
provide the details here i.e. the title, unit number, subject area, date completed etc.

If you wish to use a different assignment for this question then upload it now.

You must include the original text that have used for each of your examples and format your
work as follows:
PARAPHRASE EXAMPLE 1
Original text…
Your example…
Full and accurate reference

You then need to change the heading so that it corresponds to each of your examples.

You must also provide a short summary that explains why you have included these examples
within your work and why you used paraphrase to convey the meaning of the original text.

If you have not used paraphrase in any of your completed assignments, you must provide three
examples following the instructions above. Your summary must explain why you have not used
paraphrase within your assignments and that the examples given are to demonstrate your
understanding of the technique.

11. Explain what plagiarism is and how you can avoid this when producing assignments. (250
words)

GUIDANCE

Write an explanation of what plagiarism is and how you can avoid it within your assignments.

12. After you have completed questions 1 to 11 of your portfolio evaluate the study plan that
you produced for question 1. (400 words)
GUIDANCE

You need to consider the positives and limitations of your study plan and reflect upon the
effectiveness of the plan. Consider what improvements you would make for the future and why.

If you changed your study plan whilst completing this assignment include why you felt this was
necessary within your evaluation. Likewise, if you did not change your study plan include why
this was the case.

You should also include whether there is a different time management tool/technique that you
would use in the future and why.

Ensure that you include some conclusions.