How to write : Guidelines for your writing assignment

TutorsUK Article
© 2018-2019 All Rights Reserved, No part of this document should be modified/used without prior consent
TutorsUK
UK: The Portergate, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8NX.
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
Email:info@tutorsindia.com, Web:http://www.tutorsuk.co.uk
Product of TutorsIndia
How to write: Guidelines for writing
your assignment?

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
The need to write this document has been driven by two things: a) many years of
experience of marking assignments at all levels and seeing the same issues crop up time and
again, and b) the desire to see you all do better in your assignments by being aware of, paying
attention to, and thus avoiding, simple and careless errors that result in lower marks being
awarded.
A great deal of time is spent by tutors in writing feedback which is intended to be
meaningful and constructive, yet time and time again the feedback is clearly unheeded as the
same careless errors appear in assignment after assignment. Tutors are well aware that receiving
marks and feedback on an assignment which has involved much hard work is an emotional and,
for some, a challenging experience. Some take it as personal criticism or see only criticism in
what is written. Others see it as a development opportunity. The former is negative, the latter
positive. Here at MMU we take the giving of feedback in a positive and constructive way very
seriously, and whilst pointing out the shortcomings of an assignment, which is necessary, we
also endeavor to explain what is needed to gain higher marks.
In writing this document it is assumed that you are all highly motivated, independent
learners who value feedback as a tool for development, which is exactly what it should be.
The purpose of this guide is to take you through the processes involved in marking
assignments so that you have an opportunity to better understand how marks are arrived at.

First, a reminder about where to find information about the requirements of the assignment:
Online – the VLE All students enrolled on the programme have access to the VLE (Virtual
Learning Environment), Moodle. In Moodle each Unit on the programme of study has its own 2
Course Area‟. Each course area contains programme information such as The Definitive
Document and The Student Handbook.
The Definitive Document
The Definitive Document is a very important source of all the information about your
course. It explains, in fine detail, what the course is about and, more especially, has specific
details about the content; it lists the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for each unit
being studied. You need this information for your assignments.
The Student Handbook
The student handbook gives all the details of what happens when, including hand-in dates
for assignments and the marking criteria. In addition to this the course area for each unit contains
detailed information about the learning outcomes for the unit, the assignment, and again includes
the marking criteria.

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
Feedback should be full and detailed enough for students learn from it.
No mark should be entered on the feedback form, but instead entered a mark on the MSc
Dissertation Mark Record Sheet.
Checking for Plagiarism
There are guidelines later on how to read a Turnitin report. If, following your own
assessment of the Turnitin report, you believe there is cause for concern, please first discuss this
with your dissertation coordinator. Likewise, if you have good cause to suspect plagiarism but it
does not show on the Turnitin report (possibly purchased); please first discuss this with your
dissertation coordinator. Any suspected cases of plagiarism should then be forwarded to
Humphrey Bourne together with as much evidence as can be found.
Tackling your assignment in the right way
First and foremost, the assignment is designed to test what you have learned by studying
the unit. If you aim to merely achieve a „pass‟, what you are saying is “so long as I get a mark of
50, I‟m happy”. If you aim for a mark of 50, you are highly likely to fail! If you aim for a high
mark (80 or above), you are highly likely to pass! If you want to achieve a high mark – read
on…
Each unit has specific learning outcomes. In order to pass the unit you must be able to
demonstrate that all learning outcomes for that unit have been achieved. This is normally
achieved through the assessment processes for the unit. So look carefully at the learning
outcomes for the unit before you start and make sure that your assignment will demonstrate that
you have achieved them. When you have completed your assignment check this again.
Read the assignment instructions, and any guidance notes, carefully and thoroughly. Many
assignments fail or lose marks because the instructions in the assignment have not been
followed. For example, if you are asked to take an example from your area of practice to discuss
the issues asked in the assignment then you should do 3
Just that and not discuss the issues in generalities. If it asks you to discuss the wider issues using
your practice as an example then the example is meant to illustrate your points. In the first
example the focus is on your practice, in the second the focus is on the wider issues. Some
assignment details include specific guidance notes. The following are guidance notes for all units
on the programme:
“For each assignment students should refer to the Specific Learning
Outcomes for the relevant unit. In writing the assignment students
should ensure that they have”

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
Interpreted the instructions provided to produce a critical and balanced review of
practitioner issues. Organized and structured their arguments based on their own independent
study.
Used appropriate resources and quotes in supporting arguments, referencing all sources
correctly. Demonstrated the interaction between academic input and practitioner issues.
Provided not only an understanding but also an application of course work and private study
together with a critical analysis of practitioner experience. Provided evidence of a wide range of
reading material relevant to their practice and used this in arguing their „case‟.
Integrated their understanding of course work with a critical review of practice in a manner
original to their own professional experience. Actively debated issues relating to the issue under
discussion, rather than having merely presented a balanced case for a given position in relation to
this issue.
What do all these mean?
“Interpreted the instructions provided to produce a critical and
balanced review of practitioner issues.”
This is about making sure you have read, thought about and interpreted the instructions of
the assignment. The word „critical‟ appears several times in 4 these guidance notes as well as in
the marking criteria, and commonly in the feedback. Being critical does not necessarily mean
„criticizing‟ in the sense of pointing out the shortcomings. In academic terms it means
evaluating, considering and making clear the position that the work being critically analyzed has
in the argument you are trying to make. What does the work contribute to the argument? Finally
it is important to present both sides of an argument and then demonstrate why you are taking
your particular stance.
“Organized and structured their arguments based on their own
independent study.”
In postgraduate study, there is an expectation that you are responsible for your own
learning and that you are reading round the subject in question to acquire your own knowledge
and understanding of the issues. Your work should reflect this by the works you cite in your
assignments. It is important that your arguments are structured and demonstrated through the
literature rather than asserted through your opinion.
“Used appropriate resources and quotes in supporting arguments,
referencing all sources correctly.”
Appropriate resources means published, and preferably peer -reviewed, work. Quoting
lecture material from tutors is not appropriate, nor is quoting from popular press for example.
Appropriate also means recent (in the last 5 years), relevant and up to date. Sometimes seminal

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
work does not have any recent updates in which case it is acceptable to refer to it explaining why
it has been used in your argument.
There is guidance for you (in WebCT) on how to reference „correctly‟ (according to MMU‟s
preferred method – Harvard) both in the text and presenting the bibliography. There is no excuse
for incorrect referencing. Correct means accurate spelling, date, correct use of punctuation
according to the preferred method, correct presentation of journal title, volume, issue and page
numbers, or book title, city and publisher. There are examples for all eventualities in the
handbook on referencing using the Harvard output style. Please use it. 5
“Demonstrated the interaction between academic input and
practitioner issues”.
The programme you are studying is designed to enhance and develop your professional
practice through your learning. The assignments ask you to draw on your professional practice in
various ways. You need to be able to show how you are integrating your academic study and the
relevant issues within your professional practice.
Provided not only an understanding but also an application of course
work and private study together with a critical analysis of practitioner
experience”.
This follows on from point 4 above. The word „critical‟ appears again here. Remember it
means analysis and evaluation rather than criticism.
“Provided evidence of a wide range of reading material relevant to
their practice and used this in arguing their „case
This links with point 3. Once again this makes reference to constructing an argument or
making a case. In so doing you must show evidence of a wide range of reading, relevant to your
practice, as well as academic issues.
Integrated their understanding of course work with a critical review of
practice in a manner original to their own professional experience.”
This shows that you need to have engaged with the coursework in order to be able to
address the assignment effectively. It again refers to criticality and then introduces a new
concept, that of originality. At Doctoral level you should be able to convey and present some
original arguments based on the literature and critical analysis of your experience.
Actively debated issues relating to the issue under discussion, rather
than having merely presented a balanced case for a given position in
relation to this issue.

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
This follows on from point 7. Your work should not merely be a presentation of other
people‟s ideas, views or findings. You need to be demonstrating your involvement in the
discussion, presenting the issues as a debate and synthesizing your own argument. 6
What next?
So, having checked the Learning Outcomes that you need to demonstrate, and what
should be included in your assignment what else should be considered in order to maximize your
chances of achieving a good mark?
Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
At this level of education there is an expectation that you have a good command of
written English spelling, grammar and punctuation. Sadly, our experience as tutors tells us this is
not the case.
Spelling, grammar and punctuation are important! The accuracy with which we write our own
language says something about the author, in terms of attention to detail, our attitude to quality
or even our education. There is no excuse for incorrect spelling. Punctuation and grammar are a
little trickier. Punctuation enables the reader to make sense of what is written. For example, read
the following passage:
Newsweek recently ran a piece called who needs a publisher about author body Morrison first
rejected by five agents and once had finally secured one then rejected by twenty-five publishers
with nothing left to lose we‟re told Morrison uploaded the ark and his two other unpublished
novels to amazons kindle store in march 2009 within three months he was selling books at a rate
of 4000 a month the article also mentions j a karat an author of thrillers who had come to my
attention through ireader review a blog I follow because it‟s very quick to publish news when
amazon has free books in the kindle store konrath has an analogous tale regarding his
experiences with the big publishers and now self publishes exclusively primarily e books
although if you want a paper book you can get one according to irr, he made $22,000 in
December from the kindle store alone
This passage (from http://www.jamiechavez.com) has had all the punctuation removed. How
easy was it to read? Now read the same passage again fully punctuated and see how different it is
to read and make sense of: 7
Newsweek recently ran a piece called “Who Needs a Publisher?” about author Boyd Morrison,
first rejected by five agents and, once he‟d finally secured one, then rejected by twenty-five
publishers. “With nothing left to lose,” we‟re told, “Morrison uploaded The Ark and his two
other unpublished novels to Amazon‟s Kindle store in March 2009. Within three months, he was

TutorsUK Article
TutorsUK
Meet our SMEs: +44-1143520021 | OR: +91-4448137070
selling books at a rate of 4,000 a month.” The article also mentions J. A. Konrath, an author of
thrillers who had come to my attention through iReader Review (a blog I follow because it‟s very
quick to publish news when Amazon has free books in the Kindle Store). Konrath has an
analogous tale regarding his experiences with the big publishers and now self-publishes
exclusively, primarily e-books, although if you want a paper book you can get one. According to
iRR, he made $22,000 in December from the Kindle Store alone.
Bibliography and in-text citations
Make sure that all work you refer to in the text is listed in the bibliography and vice
versa. You have all had some basic training in the use of reference-managing software so use it.
It will ensure that all referenced material is included in the bibliography. Make sure you put your
final draft of your assignment through Turnitin to check that you have referenced others‟ work
correctly. Anything less than 20% Similarity Index is acceptable. Anything over 20% needs to be
looked at. Don‟t put yourself at risk of plagiarism through carelessness.

How to write : Guidelines for your writing assignment

More Related Content

What's hot (17)

Similar to How to write : Guidelines for your writing assignment (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

How to write : Guidelines for your writing assignment