Assessments Guide

1. Open Book Assessments

Most Cengage Education assessment tasks are in open book format. This means that you are able to have your learner guides and textbooks open when completing your assessment tasks.

Assessment Preparation Tips

• Always read your assessment tasks carefully before commencing your study
• Keep a copy of the assessment task with you while you study
• Make notes while you read through your learner guides and textbooks
• Use Post-it notes or other markers to help you locate information at a later time
• Never assume you will remember that important section or paragraph
• Link information you come across to the assessment question(s).

2. Multiple-choice Assessments

Multiple-choice assessments are utilised in many courses and can be an entire assessment task or form part of a larger group of assessment tasks.

You can choose between a number of proposed answers to a given question or statement.

• Always read the question/statement carefully
• Locate the subject matter in your learner guide
• Choose the MOST appropriate answer.

Transfer your answers to the multiple-choice answer card provided in your Welcome Kit and follow the instructions on the card. It is a good idea to circle your answers in your learner guide as well.

Multiple-choice assessment cards are not returned after they have been marked. You will receive a letter from Cengage Education advising you of your grades.

3. Workplace Assessment

Workplace assessment is mandatory for some courses where students are required to seek workplace training.

Your order of studies will identify any assessments that require your attendance in a workplace environment. These assessments will have a written and a practical component. You can submit your written asessment component (xxxx/01) separately from your workplace assessment component (xxxx/w).

Workplace training and assessment is the gathering and evaluation of evidence during normal work activities in order to determine whether a required element within a competency has been achieved. Workplace assessment will entail a combination of recognition, observation, questioning, discussion and third party validation.

To verify if student has successfully demonstrated the practical components for each of the required competency outcomes. Students are required to provide the following documents:

1. Pre-Assessment Interview form,
   
2. Workplace Assessment form,
   
3. Record of Outcome form and also the
4. Workplace Agreement form.
   

Important: All forms must be signed by a qualified manager/supervisor .

A Cengage Education workplace co-ordinator will assist you in this process. If you have any queries concerning this component of your course please contact student services on 1300 650 011.

4. Short Answer Questions

Short answer questions generally require you to provide a 300-word response to a given question or topic. Your answer needs to be clear and concise; it should address the set question only.

You can use the answer sheets provided inside the Stationery Kit if you decide to handwrite your answers. You can also type your answers using a word-processor. It's advisable to use a 12-point font and a 4 to 5 cm margin.

Also include on each page: your Student Number, Name and Assignment Number

Once you have completed your assessment, attach an Assignment Cover Sheet either from your learner guide (located directly before your assessment task) or from your Stationery Kit. If you have used one from your Stationer Kit make sure you have completed all the required information such as Course Name, Course Number, Assignment Name and Assignment Number. This information will be already printed on the assignment cover sheet provided in your learner guide.

5. Writing an Essay

Some courses may require you to submit an essay. An essay is a clearly written and organised collection of information that develops an argument.

An essay develops not only your understanding of the subject matter or topic but more importantly (what employers are looking for) your:

• Ability to think an issue/subject or topic through
• Ability to write clearly and coherently
• Ability to critically analyse information.

Some basic steps include:

• Analyse the question or topic
• Collect information
• Develop a structure that addresses the question or topic
• Form an argument
• Write a draft
• Review your draft
• Final document
• Keep to the word limit.

6. Basic Structure of an Essay

Part 1: Introduction

The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give reader an idea of the essay's focus.

Part 2: The Body Paragraph

In the body of the essay, the topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued. Each main idea that you wrote down will become one of the body paragraphs. If you had three or four main ideas, you will have three or four body paragraph

Point A

• Sub Point
• Sub Point
• Sub Point

Point C

• Sub Point
• Sub Point
• Sub Point

Point D

• Sub Point
• Sub Point
• Sub Point

Part 3: Conclusion

The conclusion brings closure to the reader, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic.

Part 4: Reference

References demonstrate the breadth of your research/reading on your topic and therefore will lend weight to your argument.

Please refer to the next section which discusses Referencing in more details.

Referencing

Why do I need to reference?

Referencing distinguishes your work from that of others; it also tells your reader(s) where you located your evidence and subject material. References demonstrate the breadth of your research on a topic and lend weight to your arguments.

What do I need to do?

If you are working on an essay or an assessment question that requires a short answer, you will be required to reference any material that you have used that is not your own.

We prefer you to use the in-text method, sometimes known as the Harvard Method. This is used in most social science and business-related subjects and allows the reader to continue reading your text without having to look to footnotes or endnotes.

Indirect quotes (also known as citations)

Indirect quotes are used when you have used another author's ideas in your own words as part of your text.

Devito (2004: p. 215) argues that a conversation is maintained by following a variety of principles and rules. He goes on to discuss several maxims.

In this example we have included the author (Devito) and also in brackets the date of publication and a page number. A sceptical reader would be able to look up this reference if need be. The full bibliographical information would be provided in a separate page at the end of the paper called the reference list, see below.

Direct quote

Egan (2002: p. 44) believes effective helpers come to understand the personal cultures of clients and the impact these individual cultures have both in everyday life and helping sessions.

This example of a direct quote also identifies the publication date and page number where the information can be found. The exact wording of the author has been used inside single quotes. Direct quotes should not be used often; they should only be used if you consider the author's exact words are the best way to state your point.

Reference lists

Reference lists appear at the end of an essay and list all the sources you have cited or quoted in the paper. You should include this list at the end of any essay you submit or any paper where you have included quotations or citations. Sometimes this is called a bibliography, but this title often relates to a list of existing work published on a given topic (Betts, Farquharson & Seitz 2005: p. 63) so it is best to use the 'References' title.

An example of the items used on this page would look like:

The references listed above are from books. In the course of your study you will come across different types of source material. We have listed three additional types here for your reference lists:

• Journals (also known as periodicals)
• Newspaper articles
• Electronic references

Journals

Wittingslow, G. 1997, 'The future for HR professionals: Line manager or policy-maker' Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 35 no. 3, p. 108.

Author and date is followed by the title of the article in single quotes. The journal title is italicised and followed by the volume and page reference.

Newspaper articles

Kohler, A. 2005, 'Something's gotta give', The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 23 November, p. 25.

Author and date is followed by the name of the article in single quotes. The name of the publication is italicised and followed by the date of the publication and finally, the page number where the article can be found.

Electronic references

Hughes, I. & Seymour-Rolls, K. 2000 'Participatory action research: Getting the job done',Action research E-Reports, 4 (accessed 22/11/2005)

DEST (Department of Education Science and Training) (n.d.) 'Training and Skills'. [online] (accessed 22/11/2005)

It is important to include the author (if available), the name of the website as well as the full URL between < >. You should also include the date you accessed the web site.

The notation (n.d) should be used if you cannot ascertain the actual publication date of the website. This stands for No Date.