Unit 3: Employability and Professional Development
Assignment 4
Task 1
As a college student your daily routine is packed with wide range of activities related to attending classes, completing assignments, doing a part-time job and socialising. On any given day, you are faced with a variety of decisions and problems which you deal with automatically. However, there may be situations which you are not able to solve automatically, in those situations the use of problem-solving skills becomes an invaluable asset that allows you to make the best choices and decisions available. For example, having a project plan in place will help you to complete a project by the deadline.
Review some of the tools and methods in problem solving. (P4.1)
Task 2
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme was withdrawn by the government on 1 January 2011. This affects students between the ages of 16 – 19 years. What strategies could these students develop to stay in education? (P4.2 ). Explore the impact of EMA cuts on students, economy, country, etc. ( M1.2)
Task 3
You work for a major blue chip company who has asked you to evaluate the potential impact on their business of introducing iPads for all their sales staff. They will be taking all their orders on these and are feeling very nervous about the change as it will not only affect them but also affects all the customers and the company (P4.3). Find creative ways to rectify the problem in order to achieve a desired outcomes ( D3.4).
Tips: Think about how it will affect the company internally and externally, e.g. interface with other systems, stock management, communication, training, marketing, security, people.
Unit 3: Employability and Professional Development
Assignment 3
Contextualised Grading
Note: failure to complete a pass criterion will lead to failure of the entire unit.
M1.2
Complex problems with more than one variable have been explored.
Task 2
Explore the impact of EMA cuts on students, economy, country, etc. ( M1.2)
D3.4
Problems have been solved.
Task 3
Find creative ways to rectify the problem in order to achieve a desired outcomes ( D3.4)
BTEC HIGHER NATIONAL IN COMPUTING
Unit 3: Employability and Professional Development
Assessment guidance
Outcomes To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to: To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
LO4
Be able to develop strategies for problem solving
4.1 Review tools and methods for developing solutions to problems M1.2 Complex problems with more than one variable have been explored.
D3.4 Problems have been solved.
4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving a particular problem
4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy.
APPENDIX D – HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM
What is a Bibliography?
A bibliography is a list of all the books, articles and non-book materials such as CD-ROM and World Wide Web/internet that you have used in preparing for your assignment. It appears at the end of your piece of work in alphabetical order by authors’ surnames.
Why you should include a Bibliography
It is essential to acknowledge the sources you have used for your assignment because of the following reasons:
To avoid accusations of plagiarism
To enable readers to retrieve more information about the subject by using your bibliography
Support the basis of your research
How to compile your Bibliography
There are many different methods or systems for compiling bibliography. We recommend you to use the Harvard Referencing System.
Why Harvard? Harvard is one of the most widely used methods internationally and has advantages of simplicity, clarity and ease of use for both author and reader. Once a method has been chosen, it is important to use it consistently.
There are three styles in common use to highlight the key element of a reference; they are the use of bold text, underlining and italics. You should use only one of these techniques throughout your bibliography.
The Harvard Referencing System
In this system, the sources that you refer to in your text should be cited by author’s name followed by the year of publication in brackets e.g. Bell (1993). All references should then be listed alphabetically by author at the end of your work.
For books, you will need the following information:
Author’s (or editor’s) first name (or initials) and surname
Year of publication
Edition (if not first) – see * over for example
Title of book
Place of publication
Publisher’s name For Articles, you will need the following information:
Author’s first name (or initials) and surname
Year of publication; any other dates
Title of article
Name of journal, magazine or paper
Volume and part numbers
Page numbers
Here is an example of a book entry, showing the correct layout, typeface and punctuation:
Surname first, then a comma, then first name or initials Place of publication, followed by a comma
Northedge, Andrew (1990) The Good Study Guide, Milton Keynes, Open University Press.
Year of publication in numbers, in brackets, then edition no. (if not first) – see* over. Title in italics (if typed) or underlined (if hand-written), followed by a comma. Name of publisher, then a full stop.
Here is an example of a journal entry, with guidelines, as above:
Surname, then a comma, then first name or initials. Article title in inverted commas, then a comma; capital letters only on first letter and proper name. Volume and number
( in brackets) plus a comma, then any other dates e.g. May, spring, plus a comma
Peeke, G.H.(1984) ‘The teacher as researcher’, Educational Research, 26 (1) pp.24–26.
Year in numbers, in brackets Name of journal in italics followed by a comma p. or pp. with page numbers separated by a dash, then a full stop
Examples for using Harvard System
1. Books:
Gates, B. (1996) The Road Ahead, Second edition, California, Penquin Books.
Smith, J. et al (1987) Building Construction Management, London, University of London Press.
(note: when there are three or more authors, add “et al” meaning “and others”)
Smith. H. (ed) (1990) How to write a C.V. London, Penquin Books.
(note: If this is an editor, add (ed) after the name)
National Curriculum Council (1990) Curriculum guidance 3: the whole curriculum. York, National Curriculum Council.
(note: If no author/editor available, organisation would be regarded as author)
2. Articles in journals/periodicals AND newspaper articles:
Graham-Rowe, D (2001) “Saving the Planet”, New Scientist, Vol.170 (2296). P4.
3. Articles in books:
Smith, J.R. (1983) “Coputers in the Classromm”, in Richard, J & Morris, R (ed) Computers in Education, Oxford, Pergamon.
4. Government publications:
Department of the Environment. (1986) Land filling wastes, London, HMSO.
5. Videos/TV/Radio Programmes:
Fragile Earth, (1985) South American wetland, Henley-on-Thames, Watchword Videos (VHS Video)
Voyage to the Antarctic, (1996) BBC, London, 27 September 1996
6. CD-Roms:
Lewis, J. (1994) “Elephants”. Collier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD-Rom, Collier.
7. World Wide Web/Internet Documents:
Holland, M (1996) Harvard System, Poole, Bournemouth University. Available: http://www.Bournemouth.ac.uk/service-depts/lis/LIS Pub/harvardsys.html (Accessed 22 August 1997)
If you can’t find the personal name/organisation responsible for the document , use “Title page” and Title of site instead.
“Writing a bibliography” (2000) The University of Sheffield. Available: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/libdocs/ml-rs11.html (Accessed 4 September 2001)
8. Electronic Journal Articles:
Smith, J (1996) “Time to go home”. Journal of Hyperactivity (Internet) 12 October, 6(4), p122-3. Available: http://www.Imu.ac.uk.html (Accessed 6 June 1997)
9. Interviews:
Fletcher, Dorothy (1995) Interviewed by Jean Macbeth, 19 August