University of Leicester

International Study Centre

Project Study regulations and guidelines：For all ISC students undertaking Project Study

Word length - 1500

Completing your project

1. Key information

英國(guó)留學(xué)生dissertation• All students must undertake a module called ‘Project study’ on any of the pathway foundation programmes at the International Study Centre.

• The project must be handed in at the end of term 3.

2. Project supervision form SF1

• The school office will advise students as to the date that the Project Supervision form must be handed in. This form, available from the school office and attached as an appendix to this guide, must be completed by yourself and signed off by the relevant supervisor.

3. Choosing a subject area for your project

• You must choose a general subject area that has some relationship with your chosen pathway. For example, a student studying on the Business pathway can choose a topic within Economics, such as the growth of the Chinese economy, or any other related subject area from any of the modules within the pathway.

• If you are not sure what subject area to choose, please seek advice from your personal tutor, subject tutors or Programme Manager. We are all here to guide you in the right direction.

4. Choosing a supervisor and completing the supervision form

• Once you have chosen your subject area, you will need to find a supervisor willing to guide you through the project module. Different tutors have different academic interests. Please see the Programme Manager if you fail to confirm the choice of a supervisor before the deadline of handing in form SF1.

• You will need to complete the first part of SF1 and ask your supervisor to sign your form. This includes an explanation as to how you intend to achieve the objectives of your project. The simplest way to do this is to use your project to ask a question For example – ‘Why has the economy of China grown faster than the UK in recent years?’ You then need to explain the process that you will follow to answer the question. Please consider the following issues at this stage;

What data/materials will you need?
Where do you intend to find these materials?
Is your question manageable? (don’t make the enquiry too difficult or require information that you have no way of collecting!)
How can I link the data I collect to the question itself?
What knowledge of the subject area will I need?

• There are 3 possible routes at this stage;

(1) The supervisor is happy with your subject area, your approach and signs the form. Please then hand in SF1 to the school office.

(2) The supervisor requires you to make an alteration to your title or to change the approach. Please make the required alterations and go back to your supervisor.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#

(3) The supervisor is unwilling to supervise your project. Please find another supervisor or see the Programme Manager.

5. Managing your supervisory relationship

• There are no timetabled lessons for meeting with your supervisor. It is up to you to manage the relationship. Please consider the following;

Respect the guidance of your supervisor
Respect the time that they give you and do not abuse their generosity
Some tutors are happy to communicate by email
DON’T LEAVE IT TOO LATE!!

• Your supervisor is there to guide you, but not complete the project for you!

• It is likely to expect 1 hour of their time over the period of the module

• Please also ask English tutors for help

6. Learning outcomes and assessment

• It is essential that you understand how your project is to be marked.

• Please read this section very carefully as it explains clearly how your work will be marked.

Project study learning outcomes

A student who successfully completes the module should be able to demonstrate the following skills;

(a) Selection of range of data/materials appropriate to the chosen project topic
(b) Explanation of the key issues/concepts related to the project topic
(c) Construction of the relationship between the data/materials and the chosen project topic
(d) Analysis of data/materials within the framework of the chosen topic
(e) Drawing of conclusions related to the topic
(f) Presentation of the project and referencing using the required format

Assessment

The project will be assessed on the basis of the learning outcomes listed above.

The project will be marked out of 100

The module is purely assessed on the project

The learning outcomes as listed above relate to the following allocation of marks

(a) 15 marks
(b) 15 marks
(c) 20 marks
(d) 20 marks
(e) 15 marks
(f) 15 marks

Assessment criteria

The following criteria are applied to the assessment of the project. Each element of the project assessed will fall within a ‘band’. The supervisor will identify on the project which ‘band’ is applied during the marking process.

Selection of range of data/materials appropriate to the chosen project topic (S)

This section seeks to assess the data collection skill of the student that are relevant to the topic area.

BAND 1 0 – 5 marks (midpoint 3/4)

The student has collected a small amount of data or no data at all relevant to the topic covered by the project. Students collecting data from one source are likely to fall within the mid range of the band. There is little or no evidence that the student appreciates different sources of data/material relevant to the question.

BAND 2 6 – 10 marks (midpoint 7)

The student has collected material from at least 2 data sources that are relevant to the topic covered by the project. Students collecting data from two distinct data sources are likely to fall into the higher end of the band. Students can be rewarded for innovative data collection techniques.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#

BAND 3 11 – 15 marks (midpoint 13)

The student has collected material from a range of sources demonstrating a clear ability to source data relevant to the topic covered by the project. Students scoring at the higher end of the band need to demonstrate a keen understanding of the supportive nature of the data that they have collected in terms of the

Explanation of the key issues/concepts related to the project topic (E)

This section seeks to assess the ability to the student to understand the nature of the topic upon which the investigation is undertaken.

BAND 1 0 – 5 marks (midpoint 3/4)

The student has little or no understanding of the issues/concepts relating to the topic area chosen for the project. Some attempt at outlining issues may be made leading to a mark the upper region of the band.

BAND 2 6 – 10 marks (midpoint 7)

The student demonstrates some understanding of issues/concepts relevant to their chosen topic area. Students at the midpoint are likely to have identified at least two relevant issues/concepts and provided some explanation.

BAND 3 11 – 15 marks (midpoint 13)

The student demonstrates a strong grasp of the key issues/concepts relevant to their chosen project area. The explanation of the issues/concepts will be coherent and reflect a good understanding of the subject matter.

Construction of the relationship between the data/materials and the chosen project topic (C)

This section seeks to assess the ability of the student to understand the use of the data/materials in the achieving of the project objectives.

BAND 1 0 – 7 marks (midpoint 4/5)

The student demonstrates little or no ability to relate the data/material to the chosen subject area. The data may not in itself be relevant or the use of the data lacks an understanding of the relationship to the topic under investigation. Students at the higher end of the band need to provide at least some link between the data they have collected and how that relates to the topic area.

BAND 2 8 – 14 marks (midpoint 10 marks)

The student demonstrates some awareness of the relationship between the chosen topic area and the data collected. The data must display some relevance and the student the ability to recognise its role in the development of the investigation.

BAND 3 15 – 20 marks (midpoint 17/18)

The student has a very good grasp of the relationship between the data and the topic under investigation. The relationship is explained and a strong link established.

Analysis of data/materials within the framework of the chosen topic and with respect to the issues/concepts raised (A)

BAND 1 0 – 7 marks (midpoint 4/5)

The student demonstrates limited or no ability to analyse the data/materials with respect to the particular topic under investigation. The student fails to grasp the meaning of the data with respect to the topic or concepts that underlie the project objectives.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#

BAND 2 8 – 14 marks (midpoint 10 marks)

The student demonstrates some ability to analyse the data/materials with the respect to the particular topic under investigation. The meaning of the data with respect to the investigation is made and some attempt to analyse the relevant concepts is made. A student at the midpoint is likely to have provided a limited commentary of the meaning of the data in relation to the specific nature of the investigative enquiry.

BAND 3 15 – 20 marks (midpoint 17/18)

The student has clear ability to analyse the data/materials and the key issues/concepts relevant to the topic area of investigation. A keen understanding of how the data/issues/concepts are to be analysed for the purpose of achieving the project objectives is clear.

Drawing of conclusions related to the topic (D)

The section seeks to assess the ability of the student in providing conclusions on the basis of the original area investigated by the project.

BAND 1 0 – 5 marks (midpoint 3/4)

The student makes little or no attempt to establish whether the objectives of the project have been realised. Students at the higher end of the band are likely to draw simplistic conclusions that bear little relation to the analysis and/or the data collected.

BAND 2 6 – 10 marks (midpoint 7)

The student establishes at least part of the objectives of the project with reference to the analysis of data/issues/concepts considered. Students at the midpoint are likely to have drawn simple, but reasoned conclusions that demonstrate some link with the bulk of the project work.

BAND 3 11 – 15 marks (midpoint 13)

The student demonstrates an ability to provide reasoned conclusions in reaching the objectives of the project. The objectives are achieved with use of the analysis within the project and the data/materials collected.

Presentation of the project and referencing using the required format (P)

This section seeks to assess the ability of the student to formally present their work within the guidelines of the International Study Centre.

The assessment of this section must be made in line with the guidelines for formal presentation of work as detailed in the relevant documentation.

Band 1 0 – 3 marks (midpoint 1/2)

The student fails to present the work in the way required by the guidelines in section 5. Students who have made some attempt to present work in an acceptable manner, though not satisfying the requirements of section 5, may reach the higher end of the band.

Band 2 4 – 8 marks (midpoint 5)

The student has satisfied part of the requirements of section 5. It may be that the presentation is in the correct format but referencing has been poorly undertaken.

Band 3 9 – 10 marks

The student has satisfied the requirements of section 5.

7. Presentation of your work

• You must present your work using a word processor. Please use a margin and 2.5 spacing#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#

• It is also important that you reference your work properly. You are expected to use the Harvard system of referencing.

8. Late/non-submission of work

留學(xué)生dissertation寫(xiě)作• It is essential that you are aware of the deadline as determined by the Programme Manager. Work may be submitted in advance and it is strongly advised that you work to an earlier deadline to give the opportunity to hand in work on time.

• Delays in typing or the unavailability or failure of word-processing or printing facilities will NOT constitute acceptable reasons for failure to meet deadlines.

• Only work handed in by the deadline will be considered as submitted.

Late submissions

http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Tips/Work that is up to 24 hours late (described as late) – Work submitted in this category will be considered late but will be accepted with a deduction of 10% of the overall mark. A mark of 40% cannot be reduced. Penalties are not applied to failed projects.

Work that is submitted more than 24 hours late – The project will be awarded a zero mark except where mitigating evidence is accepted that there were good reasons that the work was not submitted on time. See mitigating circumstances protocol for further guidance on how to present evidence.

Extensions – no extensions to published deadlines are permitted.
Supervisor Form (SF1)

To be handed in to the school office by 15pm Tuesday 8th June 2010.

Candidate Number :

Family Name :

First Name :

Supervisor :

Date Handed in :

The following section is to be filled out by the student. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary;

Academic area of interest (e.g, Business/Physics/Law etc)
Title of Project (a general idea is acceptable at this stage)

Research question ( a specific question related to your proposed topic)

Resources (Outline of resources to be collected/consulted to help you finalize your project topic)

Plan (explain how you intend to complete your project using the material provided by the resources identified in the preceding section)

Students Signature Supervisors Signature

Date Date