QAB020C406S Business Psychology

Assessment Brief

Academic year and term:

2020/21

Semester 1

Module title:

Business Psychology

Module code:

QAB020C406S

Learning outcomes assessed within this piece of work as agreed at the programme level meeting

Knowledge:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the range of personal and interpersonal skills and knowledge required to work effectively with others

Intellectual/Transferable:

2. Apply a range of approaches to develop your self-awareness and self-confidence within diverse teams and contexts

Business Readiness outcomes assessed within this piece of work as agreed at the programme level meeting

Being an independent thinker with confidence in their own potential and values, and the ability to express their views sensitively and effectively.

Type of assessment:

Formative:

Using the pro-forma provided (see Appendix A), reflect on one of the core skills listed (see Information Box 1.)

Summative:

Reflective Personal Development Report and Action Plan

a) Introduction and brief evaluation of psychological approaches to understanding self and others in the workplace (500 words)

b) 3 x Reflective journals comprising 3 core skills from the list provided –. You must choose 3 core skills and complete a pro-forma (see Appendix A) for each one of these skills. (1,500 words)

c) Summary Action Plan: Identify and reflect of 3 areas for development. Please ensure that the chosen areas were identified from one or more of the four reflective journals (500 words)

Instructions for assessment

  1. Reflective Personal Development Report and Action Plan

The reflective report should consist of an introduction and evaluation of psychological approaches used for improving understanding of self and others, and Three (3) journal entries using the template provided in Appendix A to evidence the development of your understanding of self via your engagement with the learning and activities on this module. You will be assessed on your ability to reflect on what you have learned about business psychology and the depth and breadth of your academic reading (word count 1500 words, approx. 500 words per entry).

You should:

  • Introduce and briefly evaluate psychological perspectives to understanding self and others in the workplace.
  • Identify three (3) different skills or attributes which you have explored as part of this module. (In total, there are 10 core skills, which you can select your 4 from – please see Information Box 1.)For each of the four skills/attributes you select you should:-
    • Define and describe the core skill/attribute
    • Discuss why you might possess this skill/attribute
    • Explore the importance of this skill/attribute and provide evidence via self-assessment tools and seminar sessions to demonstrate your current level of competence. This should include referring to feedback from peers and your tutor
    • Identify any contradictions with regard to this skill/attribute
    • Identify its relevance to your future career
  • Evidence your wide reading and familiarity with theoretical concepts (psychology and business)
  • Demonstrate your ability to reflect on practice
  1. Summary Action Plan (30%)

Summarise the major strengths and weaknesses that you have identified from your reflective journal entries. Demonstrate your ability to review the current levels of competence in order to identify and address appropriate areas for development (word count 500 words).

You should:

  • Identify three (3) areas of personal development and demonstrate how you plan to deal with the development needs in preparation for year 2, and your occupational/career interest
  • Ensure that identified areas of development are linked to the reflections from your journal entries
  1. The final 10% of marks will be awarded for the presentation and structure of your assignment and the accurate referencing of your sources using the Roehampton Harvard format.

How we will support you with your assessment

You will receive formative feedback during the module in the form of:

  • Formative feedback on one draft reflective journal entry (provided by your Tutor and peers) in Week 8
  • Opportunities for reflection and reflective writing during your seminars
  • Links to the assessment throughout your seminars and team-building session specifically
  • Assignment hand-in checklist
  • Team-building exercises
  • Directed study reflections on learning
  • Feedback/guidance on your self-assessment findings in seminars
  • FAQs on Moodle

How will your work be assessed?

Your work will be assessed by your module tutor who will use the marking grid provided in this assessment brief. Specifically, we will be looking out for your ability to a) reflective using reflective models/theory; b) identify and correctly reference the self-assessment tools you have used; c) and, lastly your use of in-text citations and correctly referenced (Harvard) sources of evidence. Feedback will be structured in terms of the ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ approach. When you access your marked work it is important that you reflect on the feedback so that you can use it to improve future assignments

Referencing

You MUST use the Harvard System. The Harvard System is very easy to use once you have become familiar with it.

Assignment submissions

The Business School requires a digital version of all assignment submissions. These must be submitted via Turnitin on the module’s Moodle site. They must be submitted as a Word file (not as a pdf) and must not include scanned in text or text boxes. They must be submitted by 2pm on the given date. For further general details on coursework preparation refer to the online information via StudentZone http://studentzone.roehampton.ac.uk/howtostudy/index.html

Mitigating circumstances/what to do if you cannot submit a piece of work or attend your presentation

The University Mitigating Circumstances Policy can be found on the University website – Mitigating Circumstances Policy

Marking and feedback process

Between you handing in your work and then receiving your feedback and marks within 20 days, there are a number of quality assurance processes that we go through to ensure that students receive marks which reflects their work. A brief summary is provided below.

  • Step One – The module and marking team meet to agree standards, expectations and how feedback will be provided.
  • Step Two – A subject expert will mark your work using the criteria provided in the assessment brief.
  • Step Three – A moderation meeting takes place where all members of the teaching and marking team will review the marking of others to confirm whether they agree with the mark and the feedback that has been provided.
  • Step Four – Work at Levels 5 and 6 then goes to an external examiner who will review a sample of work to confirm that the marking between different staff is consistent and fair and then we engage with external examiners who moderate the marking further.
  • Step Five – Your mark and feedback is processed by the Office and made available to you

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Introductionand brief evaluation of the use of psychological perspectives for improving understanding of self and others in the workplace.

(15%)

Highly reflective and detailed discussion of psychological perspectives and their use for understanding behaviours in the workplace.

A flawless and varied evaluation of different psychological approaches.

Arguments/claims are fully supported.

Reflective and detailed discussion of psychological perspectives and their use for understanding behaviours in the workplace.

A flawless and varied evaluation of different psychological approaches.

Evidence of extensive reading, and a high standard of application of theory to all aspects of the learning process

Useful & thoughtful reflective discussion of psychological perspectives and their application to the workplace.

A highly detailed evaluation of the different perspectives.

Evidence of much wider reading conducted around the learning, and to support the mainarguments

Evidence of reflective writing about psychological perspectives and their application to the workplace.

A moderately detailed evaluation of perspectives.

Academic reading is provided but some reflections still lack supporting theory

Provides adequate reflection of psychological perspectives in the workplace but is descriptive in places

A fairly detailed evaluation of perspectives.

Some evidence of knowledge, but descriptive rather than applied to learning

Provides insufficient evidence of reflection of psychological perspectives, with a tendency to describe

Some evaluation of the ranging perspectives is offered.

Contains insufficient evidence of wider reading into the issues discussed in the assignment

Little evidence of reflection & mostly descriptive

Limited on no evaluation of the perspectives is offered.

No evidence of academic reading beyond the core texts, and use of lecture slides

The introduction is descriptive, and offers no reflection.

The psychological perspectives are not mentioned and evaluated.

Arguments are not presented.

No evidence of academic reading

Missing or not attempted

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Journal entry 1

(15%)

Reflective and detailed discussion of a skill

A flawless and varied approach to using feedback

Outstanding use of reflective practice demonstrating full engagement in self-analysis

Demonstrates a sophisticated approach to the application of theory to practice providing extensive analytical thought and reasoning

Detailed discussion of a skill

Detailed feedback from others and self-assessment instruments used to support argument

Comprehensive & in-depth reflections during self-analysis

Evidence of extensive reading, and a high standard of application of theory to all aspects of the learning process

Comprehensive summary of a skill

Clear and useful feedback from others and self-assessment instruments to support argument

Useful & thoughtful reflective process in evidence to demonstrate self-analysis

Evidence of much wider reading conducted around the learning, and to support the mainarguments

Detailed outline of a skill

A significant amount of feedback from others and discussion about tool-kit findings

Evidence of reflective practice to engage with self-analysis

Academic reading is provided but some reflections still lack supporting theory

A skill has been outlined

The feedback from others and self-assessment instruments has been included

Provides adequate reflection but is descriptive in places

Uses the required template at all times

Some evidence of knowledge, but descriptive rather than applied to learning

Limited focus on a skill

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is not explicitly stated

Provides insufficient evidence of reflection, with a tendency to describe

Does not use the required template as designed

Contains insufficient evidence of wider reading into the issues discussed in the assignment

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is difficult to identify

Little evidence of reflection & mostly descriptive

Failure to use the required template at all times

No evidence of academic reading beyond the core texts, and use of lecture slides

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments are not provided

No evidence of reflection & what is presented is purely descriptive

Failure to use the required template

No evidence of academic reading

Missing or not attempted

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Journal entry 2

(15%)

Reflective and detailed discussion of a skill

A flawless and varied approach to using feedback

Outstanding use of reflective practice demonstrating full engagement in self-analysis

Demonstrates a sophisticated approach to the application of theory to practice providing extensive analytical thought and reasoning

Detailed discussion of a skill

Detailed feedback from others and self-assessment instruments used to support argument

Comprehensive & in-depth reflections during self-analysis

Evidence of extensive reading, and a high standard of application of theory to all aspects of the learning process

Comprehensive summary of a skill

Clear and useful feedback from others and self-assessment instruments to support argument

Useful & thoughtful reflective process in evidence to demonstrate self-analysis

Evidence of much wider reading conducted around the learning, and to support the mainarguments

Detailed outline of a skill

A significant amount of feedback from others and discussion about tool-kit findings

Evidence of reflective practice to engage with self-analysis

Academic reading is provided but some reflections still lack supporting theory

A skill has been outlined

The feedback from others and self-assessment instruments has been included

Provides adequate reflection but is descriptive in places

Uses the required template at all times

Some evidence of knowledge, but descriptive rather than applied to learning

Limited focus on a skill

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is not explicitly stated

Provides insufficient evidence of reflection, with a tendency to describe

Does not use the required template as designed

Contains insufficient evidence of wider reading into the issues discussed in the assignment

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is difficult to identify

Little evidence of reflection & mostly descriptive

Failure to use the required template at all times

No evidence of academic reading beyond the core texts, and use of lecture slides

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments are not provided

No evidence of reflection & what is presented is purely descriptive

Failure to use the required template

No evidence of academic reading

Missing or not attempted

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Journal entry 3

(15%)

Reflective and detailed discussion of a skill

A flawless and varied approach to using feedback

Outstanding use of reflective practice demonstrating full engagement in self-analysis

Demonstrates a sophisticated approach to the application of theory to practice providing extensive analytical thought and reasoning

Detailed discussion of a skill

Detailed feedback from others and self-assessment instruments used to support argument

Comprehensive & in-depth reflections during self-analysis

Evidence of extensive reading, and a high standard of application of theory to all aspects of the learning process

Comprehensive summary of a skill

Clear and useful feedback from others and self-assessment instruments to support argument

Useful & thoughtful reflective process in evidence to demonstrate self-analysis

Evidence of much wider reading conducted around the learning, and to support the mainarguments

Detailed outline of a skill

A significant amount of feedback from others and discussion about tool-kit findings

Evidence of reflective practice to engage with self-analysis

Academic reading is provided but some reflections still lack supporting theory

A skill has been outlined

The feedback from others and self-assessment instruments has been included

Provides adequate reflection but is descriptive in places

Uses the required template at all times

Some evidence of knowledge, but descriptive rather than applied to learning

Limited focus on a skill

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is not explicitly stated

Provides insufficient evidence of reflection, with a tendency to describe

Does not use the required template as designed

Contains insufficient evidence of wider reading into the issues discussed in the assignment

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments is difficult to identify

Little evidence of reflection & mostly descriptive

Failure to use the required template at all times

No evidence of academic reading beyond the core texts, and use of lecture slides

A skill is not identified

Feedback from others and self-assessment instruments are not provided

No evidence of reflection & what is presented is purely descriptive

Failure to use the required template

No evidence of academic reading

Missing or not attempted

Mark awarded*

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Action Plan

(30%)

Flawless understanding of strengths & weaknesses

Detailed evidence and reflection based areas of personal development identified

Excellent understanding of self

Use of a structured approach

Excellent discussion of strengths & weaknesses

Areas for personal development demonstrating evidence based reflection are identified

In-depth self-analysis demonstrated

Use of a structured approach

Very good discussion of strengths & weaknesses

Areas for development demonstrate reflective practice

Use of a structured approach

Good discussion of strengths & weaknesses

Areas for development mostly suggest reflective practice

Good use of a structured approach

Appropriate strengths & weaknesses discussed

Identify appropriate areas for development

Links to self-analysis are evident

Some attempt has been made to use a structured approach

Fair discussion of strengths & weaknesses

Detailed areas of personal development provided

Links to self-analysis are strong.

Reasonable planning offered.

Links to self-analysis are flawed.

Strengths and weaknesses not discussed sufficiently

Personal areas for development not sufficiently detailed

Links to self-analysis are weak

Failure to summarise your main strengths & weaknesses

Failure to identify three areas of personal

development

Failure to link development areas with your self-analysis

Missing or not attempted

Outstanding

100

Excellent

(80-89) 85

Very good

(70-79) 75

Good

(60-69) 65

Satisfactory

(50-59) 55

Adequate

(40-49) 45

Marginal Fail

(30-39) 35

Fail

(20-29) 25

Not done

(0)

Presentation

(10%)

Outstanding presentation throughout

Outstanding spelling and grammar

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan completed to an outstanding standard.

Faultless referencing throughout the assignment

Excellent presentation throughout

Excellent spelling and grammar

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan mostly completed to an exemplary standard

Mainly faultless referencing throughout the assignment

Very good presentation throughout

High standard of spelling & grammar

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan mostly

professional completed and covering all areas

Very good referencing throughout the assignment

Good presentation throughout

Good standard of spelling & grammar

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan completed to a good standard

Minor errors in the referencing of others

Satisfactory presentation throughout

Few errors in spelling & grammar

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan completed to a satisfactory standard

Few errors in the referencing of others

Adequate presentation & formatting throughout

Few spelling & grammatical errors

Reflective PD Report, including journals and summary plan are completed appropriately

Most references are presented appropriately in the main text

Poor presentation & formatting in most areas

Many spelling & grammatical errors

Poor structure

Failure to use the Reflective PD Report

Inconsistent use of referencing in the main text

Incorrect reference list

Poor presentation & formatting

Numerous spelling & grammatical errors

Poor structure

Failure to use the Reflective PD Report

Failure to cite references correctly in the main text

No reference list

Unacceptably poor

Mark Awarded

Appendix A: REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRY PRO-FORMA

(Each journal entry must be presented on this pro-forma)

What is the core skill to develop?

Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your development (personal and professional)? (use relevant theories and concepts from psychology and business to support your answer)

Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor, plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to answer this question)

Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?

How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)

Appendix B: Assignment Checklist

You are strongly advised to look through this checklist before you Submit Your Coursework

Main body of your assignment

You have created a title page which includes your name, the module code and the word count

You have answered part one, which includes an introduction, and 3 reflective journals (3 pro-formas (appendix A)

The 3 entries in your reflective journal are 3 different skills

You have reflected upon the feedback you have received on your draft pro-forma, and improved your reflections as a result

You have provided a summary of your strengths and weaknesses

Using a structured approach such as SMART you have identified three (3) areas of personal development and you have demonstrated how you plan to deal with your weaknesses in preparation for year 2 of your study

To double check at the end

You have reviewed the assessment brief and marking criteria for a final time to ensure that your work meets the requirements

You have proof-read your work carefully

You have ensured that all of your references in the main text are presented in Harvard format and that page numbers have been provided for all direct quotes

You have ensured that a full list of references (in Harvard method) is provided at the end of your assignment

You have kept your completed toolkits in case your Tutor wishes to look at them.