Hertfordshire Law School Postgraduate Handbook PDF

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Summary

Hertfordshire Law School Postgraduate Taught Assessment Handbook 2020-21...

Description

Hertfordshire Law School

Coursework Assessments Levels 4, 5 & 6 2020-21

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Contents

How to Submit. ....................................................................................................... 3 1.1. Presentation ................................................................................................. 3 1.2. Page Limit .................................................................................................... 3 1.3. Late Submission ........................................................................................... 3 1.4. Referencing .................................................................................................. 4 1.5. Extensions .................................................................................................... 5 1.6. Serious Adverse Circumstances ................................................................... 5 Results and Feedback ............................................................................................ 5 Academic Misconduct. ........................................................................................... 7 Grading Criteria........................................................................................................ 8 OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide ................................................................ ………11 Harvard Referencing Guide……………………………………………...……………….13

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How to submit: Written Coursework: Ensure that you consult your individual canvas pages for details on individual assessments. Presentation The assignment itself must be submitted as a Word document in Arial font size 11 and in double line spacing. If another form of presentation is required, this will be made clear on the assignment. Your name must not appear on your assignment. All assessed coursework is blind marked using your student registration number on your ID card. Your student registration number and module name should appear on every page of your essay and each page should be numbered. This is best achieved by use of the header and footer tool. You are also required to put your student registration number and module title in the file name of your assignment when submitting on Canvas (e.g. Criminal Law/Understanding Crime and Deviance 14043489.doc). Length Your assessment has a maximum page limit. Your work must be submitted in Arial font size 11 and double spaced. The margins must be the normal size assigned by Word (2.54 cm on both sides and top and bottom). You must not attempt to circumvent the page limit by using a different font or changing the line spacing or margins. Page limits will be strictly applied as you are being assessed on your ability to produce an answer within a proscribed format. Do not exceed the page limit in relation to your answer. Markers will not mark any work that appears beyond the prescribed number of pages and you will not be given any credit for the additional pages. The page count for coursework will include footnotes and that has been taken into consideration. The page count will not include the bibliography. Think carefully about your use of footnotes as extensive footnotes will not be justification for exceeding the page limit. Late Submission of Coursework Submission deadlines are not flexible. Students should submit their work well in advance of the deadline (ideally several hours) to be sure of a reliable internet connection and sufficient upload time. Work submitted at any point (including seconds) after the deadline is recorded as a late submission on Canvas and will be capped. All students must note that failure to submit coursework by the dates and time specified has SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. The penalties for late submission of coursework are as follows:

Unless there are accepted Serious Adverse Circumstances (SAC) or an extension has been given: 1. For each day or part thereof (or for hard copy submission only, working day or part thereof) for up to five days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules at Levels 0, 4, 5, 6 submitted late (including deferred coursework, but with the exception of referred coursework), will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the

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numeric grade reaches or is 40. Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 40, no lateness penalty will be applied; 2. For each day or part thereof (or for hard copy submission only, working day or part thereof) for up to five working days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules at Level 7 submitted late (including deferred coursework, but with the exception of referred coursework), will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches or is 50. Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 50, no lateness penalty will be applied; 3. Referred coursework submitted after the published deadline will be awarded a grade of zero (0). 4. Coursework (including deferred coursework) submitted later than five days (five working days in the case of hard copy submission) after the published deadline will be awarded a grade of zero (0). (Note for guidance: For assessments requiring hard copy submission, working day refers to a weekday when the University is open for business, including vacation times)

Referencing All quotations from or use of other writers’ work must be properly referenced – that is, you must give the author, title, and date of publication of the work concerned, and the page or section number of the passage quoted or cited. Reference style should remain consistent throughout each submitted essay. For Law modules, your coursework answer should be properly referenced using the OSCOLA Referencing System. You should include a full bibliography/references list at the end of your work.

Resources You should make good use of library resources as part of your research to find relevant cases, legislation and authoritative commentary such as monographs and journal articles. Many of these will be available in the academic and legal databases such as LexisLibrary and Westlaw, but you will also find print and ebooks in Library Search Link to Legal resources page – https://www.studynet2.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/LIS.nsf/lis/law For guidance in using resources please contact the Information Manager for Law and Criminology – Jane Bilson [email protected]

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Turnitin The majority of written assessments within the School will offer students the opportunity to use Turnitin formatively. Formative submission will be limited to one attempt per assignment in line with the University policy which seeks to support the development of students’ academic writing skills and to promote good academic practice. Turnitin may also be used on individual pieces of work in which plagiarism is suspected, taking account of the level of study, the level of writing maturity expected of the student and the nature of the assignment task.

Extensions Extensions are only available in exceptional circumstances and requests MUST BE MADE BY 11AM ON THE DAY OF SUBMISSION . The latest information on extensions and the extension form can be found here: https://herts.instructure.com/courses/68990/pages/applying-for-extensions-onassignments?module_item_id=887791

Serious Adverse Circumstances Serious Adverse Circumstances are significant circumstances beyond a student’s control that would have affected your ability to perform to your full potential if you were to sit or submit an assessment at the appointed time. Please find the latest and full information on Serious Adverse Circumstances here: https://ask.herts.ac.uk/serious-adverse-circumstances-sac

What happens when I submit an assessment? ✓

All work is blind marked.

✓

All work is marked against grading criteria.

✓

Each element of assessment has a marking scheme attached to it to ensure that teams which have more than one marker are marking against objectively determined principles.

✓

Once marked, a sample of the assignments will be internally moderated by at least one other tutor, who has not normally first-marked the work, to ensure that there is consistency in both the mark and the feedback given by all markers .

✓

The module external examiner will moderate the assessment in advance of the Module Board.

✓

In some cases (such as a dissertation), work is double-blind marked meaning that assignments are marked independently by two markers and a final mark is agreed.

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✓

Your marked assignment and mark will be returned within four calendar weeks. If there is a delay to this (for example due to marker illness), you will be notified in advance by the Associate Dean of School (Academic Quality Assurance).

✓

All marks are provisional and await confirmation by the relevant Board of Examiners.

If you have any queries about your marked work following its return, please arrange an appointment to speak with the marker in the first instance.

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Academic Misconduct 1.

Specific detail relating to academic offences is located in UPRs AS13 and AS14. The UPRs are explained in the document below

Academic Misconducts Explaine

2.

Assessment (by examination or coursework) can be stressful, but it is part of everyday life for students and most people manage it well. There are a small number who seek to gain an unfair advantage over their fellow students by acts of academic misconduct.

3.

Academic misconduct comes in various forms but the most common are plagiarism, falsification of data, collusion, and cheating. Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as your own work (whether intentionally or unintentionally) without acknowledgement of the source. Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing work from any published or unpublished source (whether textbook, journal, newspaper, the internet or other electronic media, lecture slides, hand-outs, or a fellow student’s work) and presenting this for assessment without full acknowledgement of the source. Plagiarism will occur if you: word for word copy from sources (copy & paste) use quotes without the use of quotation marks copy a sentence or paragraph into your assignment and changes a few words or phrases (word switch) Collusion will occur if you work with or assist another student when you are expected to work independently.

4.

The University takes a very dim view of such activity and the penalties can be severe. The best advice is not to do it in the first place. If you are finding a module difficult then speak to one of the teaching staff.

5.

Any finding of misconduct can be recorded on your student record and this can be reported to any professional bodies or in an academic reference.

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Grading Criteria Grading Criteria Expectations of written assessments at Level 7: Presentation & structure

Content / Knowledge

Includes:

Includes:

Structure work to review the key issues and/or writers in the areas

Properly identify all legal or other relevant issues raised by the question

Relate this review to the arguments underlying the question

Attach appropriate emphasis to each issue depending upon its significance in the discussion

Breadth / Depth & Integration of Sources Includes:

Analysis, Synthesis & Evaluation Includes:

Demonstrate an extensive use of primary sources and secondary sources without overreliance on secondary texts

Analysis: Use your material to demonstrate your understanding of the significance of the different issues in the question

Presentation of References Includes:

Combine elements in different patterns in a structure which follows development of the argument Use of legal and academic language to best effect Present work in an academic format with extensive use of footnotes and well designed formatting

State the law or other sources accurately and in appropriate detail Provide a confident evaluation of potentially complex or contradictory issues towards a well reasoned and supported conclusion

Aim for a sharply focused evaluation of the issues raised by the question Integrate supporting material very concisely and relevantly into your argument

Synthesis: Bring together the competing arguments within the question, providing an overall viewpoint in your conclusion Evaluation: Assess the validity of competing arguments, reflect and come to conclusions on the validity of different interpretations or approaches

Use a full range of footnotes to cite your references from a wide range of reading Ensure an accurate approach to referencing using the full range of resources available within the recommended system Include all references in your bibliography Use the OSCOLA referencing system – information available on Studynet under Learning Resources and the Law Subject Toolkit

Key tips:

Key tips:

Key tips:

Key tips:

Key tip:

Ensure your work appears as well presented as possible by comparison with journal articles or other equivalent material you have researched

Aim for a balance of appropriate detail highlighting the issues from your sources depending on the significance of the issue to the answer

For a higher mark you will need to show evidence of extensive reading in primary sources

Review the instruction in the Question – synthesis and evaluation are likely to be the main focus

Avoid plagiarism

Aim for both synthesis and evaluation in your answer highlighting and identify any possible approaches to apparently irresolvable issues

Research as widely as possible to find relevant material to support your answer outside of those supplied to you through the module

Ensure you address your answer to these aspects

Spell check your work and check for grammar and sentence construction Ensure your spell checker is set to English UK Write in clear English and avoid informal language Avoid using personal pronouns, e.g. I, We, My.

Ensure you use the maximum detail of the referencing system, including references quoted in other sources you have used

In a problem question scenario, you need to analyse and then bring together the competing arguments for and against the party you are asked to advise by synthesis and evaluation in a comprehensive and detailed conclusion

Avoid inappropriate abbreviations, e.g. Can’t, doesn’t, they’re.

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Interpretation of Grade Indicative Classification Descriptor

Numeric Grade (100 point scale)

Grade Point

95

Written Work Level 7 Grading Criteria Grade Descriptor

Presentation & structure

Content / Knowledge

77

Outstanding breadth & depth of sources used, showing student has read widely on the topic. Outstanding integration of appropriate authoritative sources into work – student has fully engaged with the sources in building an argument/case.

Outstanding level of Analysis, Synthesis & Evaluation. Highly developed / focused work which has fully engaged with the question and has presented a convincing, wellsupported argument.

Outstanding standard of referencing within text with accuracy to those on list. Accurate list & use of recommended referencing system in footnotes and bibliography, as well as in the main body of the work.

Excellent structure. Fluent writing style with very few errors.

Excellent level of knowledge & demonstrated. Covers all relevant points & issues.

Excellent breadth & depth. Excellent integration of appropriate sources into work to help develop an argument.

Excellent level of Evaluation, Analysis & Synthesis.

Excellent standard of referencing within text with accuracy to those on list. Accurate list & use of recommended referencing system.

Very good clear structure. Articulate & fluent writing style. Very few grammatical errors & spelling mistakes.

Very good level of knowledge & understanding demonstrated. Key points are identified but some minor issues may not be fully explored or applied

Very good breadth & depth appropriate to topic, some evidence of wider reading. Sources integrated very well to provide supporting evidence.

Very good level of Evaluation, Analysis & Synthesis but not consistently taken to full extent.

Very good standard of referencing within text with general accuracy to those on list. Use of recommended referencing system.

Good clear presentation & structure with paragraphing. Writing is mainly clear but some spelling &/ or grammatical errors.

Good level of knowledge & understanding demonstrated. Most major issues explored with some minor aspects not considered

Key sources are identified but limited evidence of wider reading. Sources may not be fully integrated into the work or may not always be the most

Good level of Evaluation, Analysis & Synthesis but some issues could be addressed or developed further. Some minor omissions.

Consistent standard of referencing within text but may not have fully complied with the recommended referencing system.

Excellent

4.25 Very good

72

Commendation

4.00

68

3.75

65

3.50

Good

Presentation of References

Outstanding exploration of topic showing excellent knowledge & understanding. All relevant points have been identified and student may have shown awareness of the wider issues around the topic.

4.5

85

Analysis, Synthesis & Evaluation

Outstanding presentation & clarity. No significant grammatical / spelling errors. Work reads fluently with clear, appropriate structure. Outstanding

Distinction

Breadth / Depth & Integration of Sources

9

62

3.25

58

3.00

55

2.75

52

2.50

48

2.25

45

2.00

42

1.75

38

1.00

35

0.75

32

0.50

Reasonable level of knowledge & understanding but with incomplete integration into topic set. A few major issues not fully explored and minor issues omitted.

Reasonable breadth & depth appropriate to topic. Some additional sources will be mentioned but too much reliance on key cases or textbook.

Reasonable level of Evaluation, Analysis & Synthesis but tends towards the descriptive and a few matters superficially addressed or omitted

Reasonable use of appropriate referencing within text & in the bibliography. Some inaccuracies in recording.

Marginal Pass

Satisfactory but a basic structure. Not always written clearly & has grammatical & / or spelling errors.

Basic level of knowledge & understanding but with limited integration into topic set. Some major issues not fully explored and minor issues omitted.

Basic breadth & depth appropriate to topic. Some sources will be mentioned but too much reliance on key cases or textbook.

Basic level of Evaluation, analysis & synthesis, with a number of matters superficially addressed or omitted.

Basic referencing within text & broadly consistent use of referencing syst...