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PG Student Information Booklet Table of Contents Welcome to the University of Bedfordshire Business School (UBBS)...................................... 3 Our range of MSc and LLM courses..........................................................................................4 Your Welcome Schedule in Detail .............................................................................................6 Key Staff Contact Information....................................................................................................8 ‘Performance Achievement Planning’ Student Guide ............................................................. 11 Introduction...........................................................................................................................11 What is ‘Performance Achievement Planning’ (PAP)?........................................................ 11 Why is ‘Performance Achievement Planning’’ part of your course? ................................... 12 How does the Performance Achievement Planning’ Programme link with the final capstone unit? ......................................................................................................................................12 Why do I need to attend? .....................................................................................................12 The structure of the Performance Achievement Planning’ Programme.............................. 13 How will I be informed about Performance Achievement Planning’? ................................. 13 Performance Achievement Planning Programme ................................................................... 15 Your year at a glance ...............................................................................................................20 Your Year at a Glance Planning Table ....................................................................................21 Appendices ..............................................................................................................................30 Worksheet 1: Academic Study Skills SWOT Analysis ........................................................ 31 Worksheet 2: Employability Skills Cluster Matrix ................................................................ 35 Worksheet 3: Development Plan .........................................................................................36
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Welcome to the University of Bedfordshire Business School (UBBS) We are pleased that you are joining us on your Postgraduate journey We look forward to working with you during the course of your studies
This information booklet contains a detailed schedule for your welcome week and an overview of your course structure, calendar and your journey of professional development. Your welcome week sessions all take place in the Postgraduate Centre with the majority of your sessions taking place in P303. It is important that you attend and participate in all of the sessions in your welcome week programme. They have been designed to provide you with vital information to; • • • •
guide you through your first weeks in the university help you get the most out of your chosen course of study Prepare you for the innovative and challenging learning experience that we have designed on your course. Provide you with the initial learning materials for your first unit.
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Our range of MSc and LLM courses Joining us during Welcome Week are postgraduate students studying the below MSc/LLM from the following departments within the Business School.
Department of International Business, Marketing and Tourism • • • • • • • • •
MSc International Business MSc International Business with Law MSc International Business (with Placement) MSc Events Management MSc International Tourism Planning and Management MSc Marketing MSc Digital Marketing MSc International Relations Management MSc Management
Department of Law and Finance • • • • • • • •
MSc Accounting and Business Finance MSc International Finance and Banking MSc Financial Risk Management MSc Financial Economics MSc International Human Resource Management LLM International Commercial and Dispute Resolution Law LLM International Business Law LLM International Oil and Gas Law
Department of Strategy and Management • • • •
MSc Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc Sustainable Management MSc Project Management MSc Information Systems Management
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Welcome Schedule BLOCK 6: August 2020 MSc/LLM Postgraduate Intake in the Business School
August 2020 Location: Online
Brief Introduction of the WW
Introduction to the learning experience (Careers & Capstone)
Welcome Week Services Marketplace (Student Union):
Library Tour
Be more prepared Academically
Welcome to UBBS Course welcome & Guided learning
Be more Prepared: Your Learning Community
Communication Skills
Introduction to your first Unit (getting ready for your first assignment)
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Your Welcome Schedule in Detail Event Brief talk on the Welcome Week schedule Welcome Week Services Marketplace (Student Union) Library Tour Ice Breaker Welcome to UBBS Course Welcome & Guided learning Communication Skills
Introduction to the learning experience(Careers and Capstone)
Be More Prepared Academically
Be more prepared for your learning community
Introduction to your first Unit, and first assessment Getting ready for your first assignment
Summary A briefing on the welcome week schedule You will be introduced to the various services UoB provides. It is also an opportunity for you to network with your lecturers and other students. You will be provided a self-guided library tour. In this session you will find out how your course is structured and you will also get the chance to meet your course coordinator. This session covers principles of academic writing and takes you through some of the most important steps you will need to consider when working on assignments for your course. This session will explore the various skills that you will need to be successful as a master’s student and support you to take action to reflect on and improve your skills. Your course has been designed to not only support you to achieve academic success but to also prepare you take the next steps into your chosen career path. As a result, we have designed an innovative approach to developing your employability which starts on day 1 of your course. During this session you will be discussing the study skills needed to be successful at master’s level and reflecting on your current skills set using a SWOT analysis. This will allow you to identify priority skills to develop at university and we will also discuss how this can be achieved. The session will then look at a range of employability skills required by employers and you will assess your current skills set using a cluster matrix. This exercise you will allow you to identify skills that you want to improve and we will discuss how you will improve them. In this session you will meet the portfolio leaders.
In this session you will meet the unit coordinator for your first unit of study. You will also receive guided learning materials that you will need to use to prepare for your first classes. Your unit coordinator will explain how you prepare for the first week of teaching.
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Guided Learning Preparation You will also be required to complete the Academic Integrity Resource (AIR) online before you start your classes on Monday. You can access this through the Gateway on BREO. (link provided below) https://breo.beds.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_493 11331_1&c ontent_id=_2381906_1
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Key Staff Contact Information Department Strategy and Management
Course Coordinator
Email Contact
MSc Sustainable Management Acting Head of Department: Alexander Kofinas MSc Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Alexander.Kofinas@beds.ac.uk Chain Management
Katharine Brymer
Katharine.Brymer@beds.ac.uk
Portfolio Leaders (Acting) Katharine Brymer Katharine.Brymer@beds.ac.uk
MSc Information Systems Management
Katharine Brymer
MSc Project Management
Katharine Brymer
International Business, Marketing & Tourism
MSc Management
Leszek Wypych
Leszek.wypych@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Business
Dr Markus Haag
markus.haag@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Business with Law
Dr Markus Haag
markus.haag@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Business (with Placement)
Dr Markus Haag
markus.haag@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Relations Management
Leszek Wypych
Leszek.wypych@beds.ac.uk
MSc Marketing & MSc Digital Marketing
Dr Annie Danbury
Annie.Danbury@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Tourism Planning and Management
Dr Caroline Tie
Carol.Tie@beds.ac.uk
Head of Department: Dr Karl.Knox Karl.Knox@beds.ac.uk Portfolio Leaders Marketing: Dr Annie Danbury Annie.Danbury@beds.ac.uk Tourism and Events: Dr Caroline Tie Caroline.Tie@beds.ac.uk
Courses
Katharine Brymer
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Department Law and Finance Head of Department: Dr Steve McPeake Steve.McPeake@beds.ac.uk Portfolio Leaders Law: Dr Mohammad Alramahi Mohammad.Alramahi@ beds.ac.uk
Accounting, Finance and Economics: Dr Vikram Finavker Vikram.Finavker@beds.ac.uk
Human Resource Management: Christina Schwabenland Christina.Schwabenland @beds.ac.uk
MSc Events Management Courses
Dr Violet Cuffy Course Coordinator
LLM International Commercial & Dispute Dr Mohammad Resolution Law Alramahi
Violet.Cuffy@beds.ac.uk Email Contact
Mohammad.Alramahi@ beds.ac.uk
LLM International Business Law
Dr M. Alramahi
LLM International Oil & Gas Law
Dr M. Alramahi
MSc Accounting & Business Finance
Dr Hamza El Kaddouri
Hamza.ElKaddouri@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Finance & Banking
Dr Claire McCafferty
Claire.McCafferty@beds.ac.uk
MSc Financial Risk Management
Ercan Balaban
Ercan.Balaban@beds.ac.uk
MSc Financial Economics
Dr Ourania Dimitraki
Ourania.Dimitraki@beds.ac.uk
MSc International Human Resource Management
Christina Schwabenland
Christina.Schwabenland@ beds.ac.uk
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Your course administrator for all PG Courses is Ms Sally Mayne, her email is sally.mayne@beds.ac.uk Chris Marshall, Interim Executive Dean of the University of Bedfordshire Business School and the whole postgraduate course team would like to take this opportunity to wish you good luck in your studies. We look forward to celebrating with you on your graduation day.
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‘Performance Achievement Planning’ Student Guide Introduction The postgraduate taught (PGT) courses at the University of Bedfordshire Business School (UBBS) provide you not only with a valuable qualification but a genuine opportunity to challenge yourself to discover your strengths and talents. As a result, you will be equipped to progress confidently to your post-graduation career path, whether that is further study or employment. This guide is being given to you in welcome week to help you understand how the Performance Achievement Planning (PAP) programme is integrated into your course, how it builds on your welcome week activities, how it helps you get the most out of your investment to study at Masters level and how it supports you to progress towards your final capstone unit. What is ‘Performance Achievement Planning’ (PAP)? Performance Achievement Planning (PAP) is a structured personal development programme that supports you to reflect on your progress between each block of study. It will challenge you to consider your personal and academic progress and reflect on how your contact with the world of work in each block of study is shaping your ideas about yourself and your future career directions. During welcome week you will be introduced to the learning experience in the PGT courses in UBBS; in particular, you will be introduced to the guided learning design of the course and our expectations of you as learners to come to class ready to engage in debate and discussion. The step-up from Undergraduate to Masters level study will also be explained to you. Through the PAP programme you have an opportunity to reflect on how you’re progressing and whether you are achieving the assessment grades that you are aiming for. You can reassess your employability skills matrix and identify the sources of evidence for this which you can then draw on in future interviews with employers. The PAP programme is also when you will meet your next unit coordinator and students that you will be studying alongside in the next block. In this session you will receive your timetable and study guide for the next unit and be introduced to the learning experience and assessments thereby enabling you to start with confidence in week 1 of the next block. Hence, all of the activities in the PAP programme enable you to identify targeted actions for the next block of study to ensure that you meet your personal development objectives.
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Why is ‘Performance Achievement Planning’’ part of your course? Employers expect students with a Masters qualification to have developed a higher level of autonomy, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and ability to use relevant information to identify and plan relevant personal development goals. Indeed, this is part of the benchmarks statements that are used in approving a course to be appropriate for a Masters level qualification. We also want to help you to get the most out of your decision to embark on a Masters course with us. This is why we have designed the PAP programme to run between each block of study; this is a fairly unique approach to personal development which you will not find in other Masters courses. It is easy to resolve to do an action linked with personal development; however, if progress checks are not built in along the way, the good intentions may not be fulfilled. Likewise, sometimes we are not aware of the progress that we are making until we make the time to stop and think about it. This is why we have designed PAP to take place every 8 weeks in the gap between each block of study. Your mind will be relatively free to focus on your personal achievement goals and to set yourself realistic targets that can be achieved in the next 6 week teaching block. How does the Performance Achievement Planning’ Programme link with the final capstone unit? The PAP programme is designed to assist you with your final capstone unit choice and to prepare you for the learning experience in the final unit. The final unit is a 60 credit research based learning experience either in the form of a traditional dissertation or based in a work experience context. The key to success in a unit of this nature is the time you spend in advance thinking about what interests you, what questions you would like to explore, and different research methods for completing the exploration. We introduce you to these ideas and concepts during the PAP programme, at a time when you are not focussing on a unit of study, to ensure that you are already familiar with them when you start the capstone unit. It will enable you to gain an insight into areas where you may need to invest some time enhancing your skills before you start the final unit which you can then include in your action plans. For example, you might discover that your information seeking skills need some work and you could choose to do a library session or that your critical writing needs some attention that you could address by visiting StudyHub. As a result of engaging in the PAP programme, you should be in a position to write a strong research proposal which is the first assessment in the capstone unit. Why do I need to attend? If you fail to attend the PAP programme you will miss vital information relating to your next unit of study which could compromise your performance on the next unit. 12
Likewise, you will miss out on vital information and opportunities designed to help you prepare for your final unit. We know that the best pieces of work in the final unit are produced by students who have invested time early on to think about what they really want to explore and have identified a good method for doing so. This is what the PAP programme supports you to do. Crucially, the PAP programme is all about you; we can provide you with the tools and opportunities to support you. However, your reflections and actions will be unique to you. Lost opportunities are very hard to recover. Whilst you may still achieve your Masters qualification, you will never know what else you could have achieved if you had chosen to fully engage in the embedded personal development programme in your course. The consequence is a ‘lost opportunity’ cost; you will never know what you could have achieved or the impact of this on your future career choices if you don’t take full advantage of all the opportunities available to you in your course. The structure of the Performance Achievement Planning’ Programme The infographic on the next page shows you when each session of the PAP programme takes place and what is covered in each session. You will see that the personal development element is common across all the PAP sessions as the common format is important for you to identify and evidence your progress. As you move through the PAP programme we are expecting you to take more ownership of the personal development aspect of the programme; as a result, there will be less time spent on this in the pap Session. You will however have opportunities to discuss any concerns and get advice about how to access support aligned with an action that you have identified. The Capstone Preparation element is a feature of each pap session with the main focus beginning in PAP 3 and then building in PAP 4 and 5. The infographic on the next page shows that the sessions in PAP 3, 4 and 5 are closer aligned to the capstone unit.
How will I be informed about Performance Achievement Planning’? You will receive information about each PAP session in advance from your course coordinator. These emails will contain the programme for the PAP session with details of the location and times of delivery. It will also contain preparation material for you to get the most out of the PAP session.
A diagrammatic representation of the PAP programme is on the next page which shows how it fits into the gap between each block of study.
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Performance Achievement Planning Programme This section details the year in a glance and indicates when the PAP would be happening for your cohort. Date:
Course Activity
3rd August 2020
PAP 1: Be More Prepared
6 weeks of Block 1
•
Block 1 of teaching.
•
Assessments in week 3 & 6.
One week Exam Board
Prepare for PAP 2
Personal Development Focus Professional Development Action Planning; overview of the connections between course and employability. Reflection on personal goals and aspirations and planning on how these can be achieved within both the course and engagement in wider opportunities within the Business School and university.
Capstone Preparation Brief Introduction to the capstone unit choices.
Based on your experiences in the last block, reflect on your progress against your last action plan. Make sure you have checked your emails for details about your PAP 2 session next week. 15
One Week PAP 2
6 weeks of Block 2
One week Exam Board
PAP 2: Be More Reflective
•
Block 2 of teaching.
•
Assessments in week 3 & 6.
Prepare for PAP 3
Reflecting on progress of goals identified in welcome week based on experience of the learning environment and feedback in the first block. In the light of this reflection modify goals and identify key actions for focus in the second block of study.
Your capstone unit will require you to have advanced levels of critical thinking and academic writing. Based on your assessments in the first block, are you ready for these? Developing Critical thinking skills.
Based on your experiences in the last block, reflect on your progress against your last action plan. Revisit and update skills matrix, action plan and evidence log.
One Week PAP 3
PAP 3 Be More Decisive
Make sure you have checked your emails for details about your PAP 3 session next week. You will make your final unit choice, demonstrate how this fits with your personal academic and career goals and begin to identify the key academic skills that are necessary for you to be successful in this choice. This will include an exploration of
Make your capstone unit choice and meet the supervisors. Research explored and explained. • What is research? • What are the key steps in doing research well? 16
advanced information seeking skills. You will also complete surveys that allow you to reflect on your confidence, curiosity and study approaches, and reflect on these outcomes. 6 weeks of Block 3
One week Exam Board
•
Block 3 of teaching.
•
Assessments in week 3 & 6.
Prepare for PAP 4
•
What skills do you need to do research well?
Based on your experiences in the last block, reflect on your progress against your last action plan. Revisit and update skills matrix, action plan and evidence log.
One Week PAP 4
PAP 4: Be More Research Focused
Make sure you have checked your emails for details about your PAP 4 session next week. The research process both in terms of identifying a good research question and the methods by which this may be answered are explored with you assessing your own strengths and weaknesses in relation to successfully completing a research project.
Meet the supervisors How do you come up with a good research question? Research question explored and explained. • What makes a good question? • What is already known about the 17
question? - advanced information seeking skills. 6 weeks of Block 4
•
Block 4 of teaching.
•
Assessments in week 3 & 6.
One week Exam Board
Prepare for PAP 5 – Induction to Capstone
Based on your experiences in the last block, reflect on your progress against your last action plan. Revisit and update skills matrix, action plan and evidence log.
One Week PAP 5
PAP 5 – Be more prepared for successful research
Make sure you have checked your emails for details about your PAP 5 session next week. Planning your research methodology and process, in the context of your professional ambitions and trajectory. This stage will include hands-on training in research techniques and initiatives you thought towards life after graduation.
Induction to the capstone unit - a day-long event designed to; • • • • •
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•
prepare for the capstone unit delivery, understand the steps that need to be completed in order for you to succeed Assessment deadlines What is expected of you in the assessment How supervisor meetings work.
Assessment 18
teaching Weeks capstone
in week 3 •
Assessment in week 12
PAP 6: Be More Ready for life after graduation
This stage is not part of the formal delivery of the unit but you are advised to complete the process by submitting a last set for this unit at the end of your course, where you can now reflect on how, through your Mlevel learning experience, you have developed both professionally and academically, and have used the experience of this unit to shape your own engagement with the final M-level unit.
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Your year at a glance The following table summarises how the learning for your postgraduate courses is structured over the next 12 months. It explains • • • • •
Where each block of study takes place What you can expect in the learning experience each week When your assessments are due Where referrals take place How the PAP personal and academic development programme runs in the gaps between blocks.
The dates were all correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change if there are changes in the university academic calendar. Your course team will communicate regularly using your university email address to communicate any changes and give you information in advance of each block of study. Students must use their university email addresses for all correspondence with the university relating to their course. Staff cannot respond to you on your private email accounts if you are a registered student.
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Your Year at a Glance Planning Table Week Beginning 3rd August 2020
Activity
Welcome, registration Find out about the learning experience & what is expected of & induction to your you. Receive your timetable for course (PAP 1) your first block of study. st Week 1 of your 1 A full week of teaching. block of study Week 2 of your 1st block of study
3rd Aug 202011th Sep 2020
Teaching and Learning
Week 3 of your 1st block of study
Assessment
Find out when your first assessment is due and what support is available to you. Receive your assessment brief
Less contact time – you will have Preparing your received your timetable in assessment welcome week Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 4 of your 1st block of study
A full week of teaching.
Week 5 of your 1st block of study
Less contact time – you will have Preparing your received your timetable in assessment welcome week Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 6 of your 1st block of study
Your development and progression – PAP programme Attending all the sessions this week is vital to you getting the most out of your course.
Receive your assessment brief
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Check your emails for your ‘PAP 2’ schedule.
th
14 Sep 2020 Formal Exams week
21st Sep 2020
PAP 2: You will be sent a schedule from your course coordinator via email
Week 1 of your 2nd block of study
A full week of teaching.
Week 2 of your 2 block of study 28th Sep 2020 -6th Nov 2020
Review the development plan that you wrote in welcome week ready for ‘PAP 2’ programme next week. Reflecting on progress of goals identified in welcome week based on experience of the learning environment and feedback in the first block. In the light of this reflection modify goals and identify key actions for focus in the second block of study.
Meet your next unit coordinator on Thursday and pick up your timetable and initial guided learning material.
Less contact time – you will have received your timetable in welcome week nd
If your unit has an exam it will be held in this week.
Receive your assessment brief Preparing your assessment. The results from Block 2 will be available. If you have a referral, check BREO and contact your unit coordinator so that you know what you 22
need to do. Week 3 of your 2nd block of study
Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 4 of your 2nd block of study
A full week of teaching.
Receive your assessment brief Christmas Break
Week 5 of your 2nd block of study Week 6 of your 2nd block of study
Less contact time – you will have Preparing your received your timetable in assessment welcome week Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Check your emails for your ‘PAP 3’ schedule. 9th Nov 2020
16th Nov 2020
Formal Exams week/Block 1 referrals
PAP 3: You will be sent a schedule from your course
If your unit has an exam it will be held in this week. If you need to complete a referral assessment from your 1st block it will be due this week.
Meet your next unit coordinator on Thursday and pick up your timetable and initial guided learning material
Review the development plan that you wrote in welcome week ready for ‘PAP 3’ programme next week.
You will make your final unit choice, demonstrate how this fits with your personal academic and career goals 23
coordinator via email.
Week 1 of your 3rd block of study
23rd Nov 202011th Jan 2021 Week 2 of your 3rd block of study
and begin to identify the key academic skills that are necessary for you to be successful in this choice. This will include an exploration of advanced information seeking skills. You will also complete surveys that allow you to reflect on your confidence, curiosity and study approaches, and reflect on these outcomes. A full week of teaching.
Receive your assessment brief
Less contact time – you will have received your timetable in welcome week
Preparing your assessment The results from Block 2 will be available. If you have a referral, check BREO and contact your unit coordinator so that you know what you need to do. 24
Week 3 of your 3rd block of study
Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 4 of your 3rd block of study
A full week of teaching.
Week 5 of your 3rd block of study
Less contact time – you will have Preparing your received your timetable in assessment welcome week Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 6 of your 3rd block of study
Check your emails for your ‘PAP 4’ schedule. th
18 Jan 2021
25th Jan 2021
Formal Exams week/Block 2 referrals
PAP 4: You will be sent a schedule from your course coordinator via email.
Receive your assessment brief
If your unit has an exam it will be held in this week. If you need to complete a referral assessment from your 2nd block it will be due this week.
Meet your next unit coordinator on Thursday and pick up your timetable and initial guided learning material
Review the development plan that you wrote in welcome week ready for ‘PAP 4’ programme next week.
The research process both in terms of identifying a good research question and the methods by which this may be answered are explored with you assessing your own strengths and weaknesses in 25
relation to successfully completing a research project. Week 1 of your 4th block of study
Week 2 of your 4th block of study 1st Feb 202112th Mar 2021 Week 3 of your 4th block of study
A full week of teaching.
Receive your assessment brief
Less contact time – you will have received your timetable in welcome week
Preparing your assessment
The results from Block 2 will be available. If you have a referral, check BREO and contact your unit coordinator so that you know what you need to do. Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 4 of your 4th block of study
A full week of teaching.
Week 5 of your 4th block of study
Less contact time – you will have Preparing your received your timetable in assessment welcome week Assessment preparation sessions Assessment deadline
Week 6 of your 4th
Receive your assessment brief
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block of study Check your emails for your ‘PAP 5’ schedule. th
15 Mar 2021
22nd Mar 2021
Formal Exams week/Block 3 referrals
If your unit has an exam it will be held in this week. If you need to complete a referral assessment from your 3rd block it will be due this week.
Planning your research methodology and process, in the context of your professional ambitions and trajectory. This stage will include hands-on training in research techniques and initiatives you thought towards life after graduation.
PAP 5: You will be sent a schedule from your course coordinator via email.
Week 1 of your capstone
Review the development plan that you wrote in welcome week ready for ‘PAP 5’ programme next week.
you will have received your timetable in welcome week A full week of teaching. Teaching for capstone is typically at the end of the day (5pm-8pm –
Receive your assessment briefs and Marking Scheme
This week will cover all aspects of research on your capstone unit such as: research background, research aim and objectives, and research questions; 27
Monday to Friday). Students doing Business Live Project or Professional Practice start working with companies Get support from your Capstone Supervisor Week 2 of your capstone
12th Apr 202117th Jul 2021
Week 3 of your capstone Week 4 of your capstone
Prepare your research proposal for Assessment 1. The results from Block 4 will be available. If you have a referral, check BREO and contact your unit coordinator so that you know what you need to do. Proposal deadline
Lectures on Literature Review and Research Methodology by Professors; Research Skills sessions, and so on. You must make appointments to meet your supervisor to discuss your research topic and have it approved. Then work on your research proposal.
Assessment 1 preparation Work on capstone project.
Week 5 of your capstone Week 6 of your capstone
Timetabled supervisory meetings
Mid way project progress check.
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Week 7 of your capstone/Block 4 referrals
Work on capstone project.
Week 8 of your capstone
Work on capstone project.
Week 9 of your capstone
Timetabled supervisory meetings
Week 10 of your capstone
Work on capstone project.
Week 11 of your capstone
Timetabled supervisory meetings
Week 12 of your capstone
Finalize your Dissertation/Business Report
If you need to complete a referral assessment from your 4th block it will be due this week.
During this week you will focus on the final stages of your project – particularly the writing up process and what is expected at level 7.
Final Submission Due
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Appendices
Worksheet 1: Academic Study Skills SWOT Analysis Worksheet 2: Employability Skills Cluster Matrix Worksheet 3: Development Plan
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Worksheet 1: Academic Study Skills SWOT Analysis Introduction A SWOT analysis involves identifying: • • • •
Your strengths Your areas for developments (weaknesses) Opportunities to address areas for development Threats that could stop you addressing areas for development
This exercise involves identifying the skills you will need to be a successful student along with opportunities and threats that could impact your skill development. Once you have identified these areas you will be able to complete an academic skills SWOT analysis.
List other skills you will need in order to be a successful student: •
Proofreading
•
Note making
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Study Hub Opportunities
Visit Study Hub Online: https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/study-hub-online What are other opportunities?
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Possible Threats •
Leaving things to the last minute
•
Distractions
•
Procrastination
•
Not using assignment feedback
•
Unforeseen circumstances
•
Taking on too much – creating bottlenecks
•
Time management
•
Fear of asking for help
•
Study Hub busy periods – November and March
What are other threats?
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Create your SWOT
Strengths
Opportunities
Weaknesses
Threats
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Worksheet 2: Employability Skills Cluster Matrix Introduction A cluster matrix is a good way to self-assess your skill development priorities. This involves plotting your current skill development status across a number of dimensions. The following cluster matrix relates to skills valued by employers. What are development priorities? Teamwork
Written communication
Creativity
Problem solving
Verbal communication
Critical thinking
0
1
2
3
4
Presentation skills
5
People management
IT application
Commercial awareness
Self-management Networking
1 = no experience / 5 = well developed 35
Rate your employability skills
Teamwork Written communication
Creativity
Problem solving
Verbal communication
Critical thinking
0
1
2
3
4
Presentation skills
5
People management
IT application
Commercial awareness
Self-management Networking
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What are your top 3 skill development priorities? 1
How?
2
How?
3
How?
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Worksheet 3: Development Plan Name:
Date:
Block:
Aim Objectives
Actions
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
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