Academic Support Irene Togher

DCFE Assessment O Assignments: a piece of work you submit for correction to demonstrate you have learned and understood a topic. O Exams: answer questions on topics you have learned. 2 exam times: week before Christmas Holidays; end of April / beginning of May.

Assignments May be: O Project: large piece of work requiring research O Small piece of writing like a summary O Collection of work: many smaller pieces to make up a collection O Learner record or journal: like a diary with personal reflection O Skills demonstration: practical task like experiment, oral presentation etc.

Brief O A brief gives the details of the assignment. O Especially important is the marking scheme or assessment criteria – this tells you where the marks will be given. *

The Difference Between Level 5 and Level 6 Assignment Level 5: Work independently under direction Level 6: Work independently. Work in a supervisory capacity. To prove this in assignments: O More research on your own O More detail O Critical thinking is essential O Self reflective learning O Group work *

How to hand up a good assignment O Read and follow brief O Do effective reading around the subject 1 st O Use some research but don’t copy and paste O Don’t try to cover everything; stick to question O Think about topic and be able to evaluate (give own opinion) O Use referencing and bibliography in Harvard style

O Type assignment (TNR, 12pt, line and half spacing; number pages) O Keep a copy of assignment O Hand up with brief, cover page, plagiarism declaration and assignment on time O Submitting a first draft of work significantly increases your chances of getting a distinction. *

Late Submission Policy

A note on Research O DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA ! O Use a variety of sources: books, websites, journals, TV programmes, YouTube etc. Don’t overly rely on websites. O Do not COPY and PASTE other’s work. O Quote other writers in a few lines only. O Add in your own ideas and critical analysis (what’s good about this, what’s bad about it, what would I change and why?) O Acknowledge research with referencing and bibliography in Harvard Style. *

Learning for Exams How do we learn? 3 Learning Styles O Verbal and Visual – learn by reading and writing and images O Aural – learn through hearing O Kinesthetic – learn through doing

How do we study? O Suit study to learning style O Read notes and background materials O Repetition O Write out answers O Use study aids like graphs, images, sticky notes etc. O Apply learning to real life

Study Tips O Make out a timetable for study O Study in same place at same time each day O Set goals and check you reached goals; keep realistic O Summarise what you have learned O Check understanding with a partner

Recommended reading Togher, I. (2006) Study and Exam Skills, Dublin, Gill and Macmillan. Academic Support Drop-in Service Tuesdays 11.00am to 11.30am Or by appointment: