BM004-3-1 BCS Group Assignment

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Part 1: General Guidelines

I. Academic Writing

Academic writing is a scholarly and scientific form of communication that is systematic and which seeks
to answer a question without bias. Academic writing is based on the idea that conclusions can only be
accepted when supported by suitable evidence. An academic writer should be objective and NOT
influenced by his or own opinion (except when the question encourages the author to give an opinion or a
personal reflection), using the data collected to support an analysis or hypothesis. In short, Academic
Writing has the following characteristics:
 Present facts in a systematic manner and in accordance with clear procedures.
 Writing must be accurate, truthful and make clear any assumptions.
 All views expressed are supported by suitable evidence.
 Writing should not distort the facts or exaggerate things.
 Writing should be honest seeking only the truth.
 Statements should not cast any doubt.

II. Plagiarism

Any written assignment (essays, project, take-home exams, etc) submitted by a student must not be
deceptive regarding the abilities, knowledge, or amount of work contributed by the student. There are
many ways that this rule can be violated. Among them are:
 Paraphrases: The student paraphrases a closely reasoned argument of an author without
acknowledging that he or she has done so. (Clearly, all our knowledge is derived from
somewhere, but detailed arguments from clearly identifiable sources must be
acknowledged.)
 Outright plagiarism: Large sections of the paper are simply copied from other sources,
and are not acknowledged as quotations.
 Other sources: often include essays written by other students or sold by unscrupulous
organizations. Quoting from such papers is perfectly legitimate if quotation marks are
used and the source is cited.

a. Works by others
 Taking credit deliberately or not deliberately for works produced by another without
giving proper acknowledgement
 Works includes photographs, charts, graphs, drawings, statistics, video-clips, audio-clips,
verbal exchanges such as interviews or lectures, performances on television and texts
printed on the web.
 The student submits the same essay to two or more courses.

b. How can I avoid plagiarism?

 Insert quotation marks around “copy and paste” clause, phrase,
sentence, paragraph and cite the original source

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 Paraphrase clause, phrase, sentence or paragraph in your own words

and cite your source
 Adhere to the Harvard Referencing stylistic format, whichever applicable, when
citing a source and when writing out the bibliography or reference page
 Attempt to write independently without being overly dependent of
information from others original works
 Educate yourself on what may be considered as common knowledge
(no copyright necessary), public domain (copyright has expired or is not
protected under copyright law), or copyright (legally protected).

c. Documenting sources
Whenever you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another, you are
required to cite its source parenthetical documentation. Offered here are some of the most
commonly cited forms of material.

 Direct
Paradigms represent what we think about the world (but cannot prove). Our actions in the
world, including the actions we take as inquirers, cannot occur without reference to those
paradigms: “As we think, so do we act.” (Guba, 1985: 15)

 Indirect
According to Capra (1982), this is a form of crisis and it happens when human fail to
achieve the standards of the expected satisfactory level.

d. Referencing
Books with one author Baron, D. P., 2008. Business and the organisation. Chester:
Pearson.
Books with one author Redman, P., 2006. Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 3rd
(with edition) ed. London: Open University in assoc. with Sage
Books with two or three Barker, R., Kirk, J. and Munday, R.J., 1988. Narrative analysis. 3rd
authors ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Books with four or more Grace, B. et al., 1988. A history of the world. Princeton, NJ:
authors Princeton University Press.
e-books and pdfs Fishman, R., 2005. The rise and fall of suburbia. [e-book] Chester:
Castle Press. Available through: Anglia Ruskin University Library
website <http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk> [Accessed 5 June 2005].
Websites NHS Evidence, 2003. National Library of Guidelines. [online]
Available at: <http://www.library.nhs.uk/guidelinesFinder>
[Accessed 10 October 2009 ].
Journals from a database Boughton, J.M., 2002. The Bretton Woods proposal: an in depth
look. Political Science Quarterly [e-journal] 42 (6) Available
through: Blackwell Science Synergy database [Accessed 12 June
2005].

LEVEL 1 ASIA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION (APU) 2017

BM004-3-1 BCS Group Assignment
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III. Documentation requirements

Your essay must adhere to standard documentation requirements:
 Font : Times New Roman
 Font Size : 12
 Spacing: : 1.5

Part 2: Details about the assignment

I. Learning outcomes

This assignment will assess your ability to:

 Demonstrate the application of report writing (formatting etc.)
 Perform a literature search using various electronic/physical means available
 Understand the ethical implications of performing research
 Understand the problems of plagiarism and be able to demonstrate appropriate referencing to avoid
such claims
 Critically review and select sources of information
 Present research findings

II. Weightage
The assignment consists of two sections.

Group a. Mini research and report 60%

Assessment (Group work with 4-5 students)
Individual b. Presentation of opinions – Forum 40%
Assessment (Individual Assessment)
c. Self –evaluation (journal)
Total 100%

III. ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

1. As a student of Business Communication Skills, you will need to be equipped with the
knowledge for practical use/implementation of communication techniques. The nature of
global communication requires that individuals communicate across multiple channels for
various purposes. In reality, social media networks that have developed along with
communication technology have become a useful trend in the dissemination and exchange of
information.

2. This assignment will require you to make an academic report on The Advantages &
Disadvantages of Social Network Advertising in Communication. You will need to research
the use of Twitter, Facebook and one other selected application (e.g.: Instagram, youtube,

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some online games etc.). This research will comprise of a literature review that will
incorporate your research about the advantages & disadvantages of advertisements within the
selected social media applications. You will need to document your journey through the
research & report writing process. Each individual in the team will need to submit a 1-2pg
report on the experience of working with the group & working timeline.

Your report should NOT be more than 3000 words.

Your report should contain the following elements:

Headings Details

1.0 Introduction  Introduction to social media & advertising

 Research objectives & definitions
2.0 Literature Review  Explain the advantages & disadvantages of advertising in
each data application based on secondary research.
 Use the proper citation format
3.0 Conclusion  Outcome of the research such as conclusion of literature
findings, solutions or recommendations.
4.0 References  Acknowledge ALL the sources used in the completion of
the assignment using Harvard Referencing Style
5.0 Appendix  Attach the Journal of Research (each individual in the
team’s personal log & report -10% of individual marks)

You must submit a printed report containing your cover page, report, work log & references.

3. The Individual assessment (30%) will be based on a forum discussion of results from your
group assignment. Each person will be evaluated according to a presentation rubric. The
instructions for how to run the forum are on the next page.
The Roles of the Chairperson & Panellists are as follows:

1. Chairperson- opens the topic, poses questions to relevant panellists and closes the
discussion diplomatically. The chairperson also must maintain control of the discussion
(break up pending arguments, control speaking time etc.) and keep track of the time.
2. Panellist A is a person who is mostly in agreement with the topic and must state his/her
stand at the beginning of the session.
3. Panellist B is a person who mostly opposes the topic and must state his/her stand at the
beginning of the session.
4. Panellist C and/or D can be either for or against the topic and must state his/her stand at
the beginning of the session.
5. The group must decide on the different roles that each person will take on (professional
or non-professional etc.) based on the discretion of the team according to the topic chosen
with the consent of the examiner prior to the testing day.

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6. Each panellist is charged with the responsibility of researching the information/ data and
other relevant aids to assist in their presentation of points.
7. The chairperson is responsible for overall coordination of the group pre-discussion
(preparation of definition & questions to match the points from the panel)

Timing of Speeches:

Each panellist is allocated approximately THREE (3) minutes (in total) to deliver their
constructive speeches. The chairperson is given FOUR (4) minutes in total to deliver the
introduction, ask questions, clarify details and conclude the discussion.

The total time allocated for each forum group is between 13-16 minutes (depending on the
number of panellists).

Concluding speech (Chairperson):

The Concluding speech is a comparative analysis of the strength and weaknesses of the case of
both sides. The aim of the speech is to give biased or diplomatic judgments (depending on the
discussion) as to why should the people support the team's claim.

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IV. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The Group Report will be marked based on the following criteria:-

Layout & formatting 10 marks

- All elements of specified content is given
- Numerical designation of sub-topics & Pagination
- Labelled tables & charts/ diagrams
Language & Grammar 5 marks
- Flow of Ideas
- Accuracy of grammar, punctuation & spelling
Introduction 10 marks
- Good explanation of the research background
- Clearly defined research objectives & questions
Literature Review 15 marks
- Properly cited review of relevant sources
- Good discussion of advantages & disadvantages
Discussion 10 marks
- Good conclusion of findings
- Relevant suggestions for further research
References 10 marks
- Harvard Style Citations & Referencing format

TOTAL 60 marks
(60% of
Incourse)

Individual Assessment:

Documentation of the Journal of Experience 10 marks

The Presentation will include the following criteria:-

Effectiveness of Content/Presentation: 20 marks

- Ability to keep the audience’s attention/interest & clarity of voice
and flow of ideas within content (10 marks)
- Specific (not general) discussion of the assigned topic (10 marks)

Participation: 10 marks
- Dressing appropriately for the presentation (5 marks)
- Actively involved in the presentation process of other students
(Question & Answer sections) (5 marks)

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TOTAL 40 marks
(40% of
Incourse)

V. PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION

Marks are awarded based on the following guidelines:

Grade Description of performance level

75% – 100% Ideas presented are coherent and convincing, based on reflective reading &
research. Viewpoints are supported with valid explanation and good
reasoning. Shows understanding, thought and reflection of subject matter.
Clear link between Presentation and slides in relation to practical
implementation in real life. Accuracy in vocabulary, minor grammatical errors
or spelling mistakes. Good referencing.

65% – 74% Sufficient points raised, valid explanations provided. Viewpoints presented
are adequate, based on selected some research. There is sufficient
understanding of subject matter, supported with relevant points for application
in real life. Some grammatical and spelling mistakes. Referencing fulfils
minimum standards.

50% – 64% Basic requirements fulfilled with some understanding of subject and clarity in
presentation. Basic examples used to illustrate points. Some viewpoints
provided; some explanations may be unclear or unhelpful in clarifying points.
Limited citation of sources. Some grammatical and spelling mistakes.
Minimal referencing of sources.

Below 50% No understanding of the subject matter and failure to address the needs of the
question. Points are off-topic and are not related to real life application. No
understanding of presentation technique. Numerous grammatical and spelling
mistakes. Very weak referencing.

LEVEL 1 ASIA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION (APU) 2017