Written Assignment Guidelines

Guidelines

The aim of this assignment is to prepare students for engagement with their programme of
studies. In doing so, feedback will be provided to give them an indication of how they are
progressing. Choose and answer one of the following questions:

1. What is the role of students in online courses? Reflecting upon your own experience as a
student on a self-paced online module and bringing in other examples from academic literature,
discuss the main responsibilities of students undertaking an online module and suggest ways in
which students can co-create an active learning environment.

2. What is the role of self-motivation for academic success? Explain providing examples
from your own experience and from the general context of higher education.

Your assignment will be assessed on the following marking criteria. Please read them
carefully before and while writing your assignment because it is designed to focus your
attention on the weighting of each area.

Criteria Description Max

score

Introduction The introduction should thoughtfully present the topic that 10

transitions smoothly to a clear and concise thesis statement.

Structure There should be a well-planned and well-thought-out structure, 20

which includes an introduction, main body, conclusion and
references.

Organisation The essay must include well-developed paragraphs that support the 20
Paragraph thesis in a coherent manner.
level

Content The topic should be researched and the author needs to 20

demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject. The content
should develop the main thesis statement with clear examples and
credible supporting evidence.

Grammar & The text needs to be free of grammatical errors and the punctuation 10
Punctuation should be accurate.

Style The assignment should be written in academic language, which 10

demonstrates engagement with the supporting literature.
 Format The assignment should be well-presented with consistent font and 10
font size, margins, indentation and spacing. The overall layout of the
essay, including citations and the Reference List, should adhere to
the assigned Reference Guide rules.

Total 100

Minimum Requirements

A qualifying assignment must demonstrate that a student has made a reasonable attempt at
answering one the questions in line with the marking criteria. They must also meet the following
standards:

✓ Word limit: 700 words (+/- 10%). This does not include the cover page and reference list.

✓ Cover page

✓ Page numbers

✓ Font size: 12, Font type: Arial, Line spacing: 1.5

✓ Number of scholarly sources: 4

Time constraints: The assignment must be submitted before the end of the two (2)-week
module but is on average submitted within 48 hours after the module start date. Students will
receive feedback on their qualifying submission from their module tutor. There are no
extensions granted for the Induction module final assignment.

Good luck!