Final assessment info (reading analysis) - and assessment dates

Hello everybody, and I hope you have all recovered from the Graded Unit exam. I really hope everybody gave their best, I appreciate how much work you put into that exam. You will, I guess, find out in due course how you have fared. But for now, you should concentrate on your other assessments, and for my Unit, it is the reading analysis assessment. 

Traditionally, this is the outcome where students recognise they have done all the heavy lifting as it were, with the demands of the meeting and report assessments, which almost all of you are up to date with across both classes, so congrats. again if you fall into that category. If not, you have been advised to a) get your minutes to me asap b) make some changes to your report as per my feedback to you one to one. Now is the time to get the paperwork up to speed your end for me to look at.

I will be taking you through what is required of the final assessment on 19th or 20th May (depending on what day I teach you) and for the Wed group, a reminder for one week only we are in S40 as there is a Graded Unit exam going on in S51 that day.

As an overview of the assessment, as I have produced for the first two assessments you have being doing with me, here are the important things to note re assessment three (which is Outcome 1). My teaching notes next week will explain this in simple terms, and you will have access to two example texts and sample answers to those to help you. These will be discussed and analysed prior to the assessment. 

NB - because we missed a week when the Graded Unit exams were going on, nobody will be disadvantaged, and everybody will still get the four sessions I had allocated as per my weekly plans for the running of the Unit (if needed, there is no time limit on this assessment) and plans are in place for an extra session. I will address that towards the end of the semester for those of you who need that. 

Analyse and evaluate complex written business information.

Knowledge and Skills 

• Types, purposes and readership of business information

• Skills of critically analysing and evaluating complex business communication

• Skills of summarising complex information

• Impact of format, structure and layout 

• Impact of language and style

• The uses and effects of graphic communication 

• Skimming, reviewing and note taking 

• Skills of extracting key information and supporting detail from business documents

You will provide evidence to demonstrate your Knowledge and Skills by showing that you can:

• analyse complex written business information.

• evaluate complex written business information.

One business related text of approximately 800–1,500 words will be presented to you for analysing and evaluating.

Firstly, you will read the article - everybody gets the same article which is unseen prior to the assessment, and this is done on campus, during class time with me in attendance. It is OPEN BOOK. 

The analysis should be such that it: 

• demonstrates in-depth understanding of information, ideas and supporting detail.

• expresses key information concisely and coherently in your own words.

Secondly, you will evaluate the text in approximately 350 words. The quality of the evaluation will be such that it: 

• addresses the extent to which the document is appropriate to the intended  reader and whether it meets its overall aims/purpose/objectives.

• assesses the accuracy, sufficiency and relevance of information presented.

• analyses the contribution of the presentation of text to meaning/effect.

• justifies comment by detailed and relevant evidence from the text. 

Evidence presented will be in written form for this assessment. 

The assessment will be conducted in open-book conditions, in class; this ensures the authenticity of your work. Remember, I will be teaching around this next week, so this is just the info you need to know, regarding how you are being assessed. In essence, this is a straightforward assessment once you know how to break a text down effectively. 

The teaching slides and discussion next week will clarify what this means in plain English, but some of the key issues are:

No time limit, done in class, open book, you can access dictionaries / translators, there are two questions, there are helpnotes to help you, there are word counts in both questions to help focus you, the article is a relevant topic which I think you will find of interest. 

FAQs

Do I have to read aloud in class? No.

Is there anything I can do to prep subject wise for the article beforehand? No, you will each read the text on the day and you don't see it prior to the assessment. You are essentially summarising the article in your own words for q1 and evaluating the success of the writing in q2. 

Will there be examples available to us, like you gave us for the meeting and report assessments? Yes.

Only two questions? Yes, and the questions are the same generic ones we use for the formative exercises, so there are no surprises, it is just the text that is new to you. 

Is it open book? Yes.

Is there a time limit? No.

Will I get feedback on my work for the following session? Yes.

Can I write on the script I am given? Yes, highlighting / scribbling is recommended, and you will get the same paper back the following week.

Is this the last assessment for the Unit? Yes.

Could I handwrite my two responses if I didn't want to type my answers? Yes.

See you next week, and please have a look at the two texts and generic questions prior to the classes next week. All info has been communicated clearly in the e mails to each class (Friday 15th May 2026).

All the best,

Mark

Best of luck tomorrow - you have got this!

Morning all, just a wee message to wish you all the very best for your Graded Unit tomorrow. 

I have seen how hard you have all been working for this, so do your best and I will see you all next Tuesday or Wednesday for the final piece of teaching for the unit. We can have a wee debrief at the start of the respective classes if you wish!

I shall be channelling positive energy tomorrow your way.

All the best,

Mark

1,000 not out and welcome back!

Hello all, I just noted that the blog has had over one thousand views, which is absolutely amazing, thank you for reading! This is very much a community of learning which I devised to keep both classes updated with what we have been doing in classes, some helpful weblinks / stories, clarifying assessment needs and of course, hearing your feedback. All the best and welcome back too, I hope everybody got some rest over the break, in addition to the prep. work you were doing, specifically for the Graded Unit. Take care and see you on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on what day I teach you. All the best, Mark

Happy Easter!

Hello everybody, just a wee message to both classes to have a restful Easter if you are able. I know that Graded Unit is on your minds, but do try to get some rest and chill time. I know I intend to, in amongst writing up some reports for the China Universities that I have been externally examining, playing in some golf comps. and partaking in some vin blanc!

See you when we return then after the short break, and all the best to you all.

Mark

Report info - checklist - helpful intel!

Outcome 2 - Produce complex written business documents (report)

Hello loyal readers, as promised, I have written up a blog page with further info to explain the rationale for the second assessment, and what is required for your formal report.

Please refer to my post class analysis all group e mails of 24^th and 25^th March 2026, and also the teaching and learning materials I uploaded to your respective Moodle pages. In particular, look at the exemplar reports which are really handy to help you write in a structured, formal and well referenced way.

Also, you may wish to consult the recommended sources that were highlighted by you and your peers in your respective meetings, as well as the numerous links I have posted for you on the right-hand side of this blog, under the aptly entitled header “Useful Links”.

Below are the technical details, and under that, within the sub-title “Report Checklist” are some of the things I feel are important when writing in a formal manner. They help to eliminate easy to avoid writing errors, in my opinion! 

The learner will provide evidence to demonstrate Knowledge and Skills by showing that you can: produce complex written business documents.

The text(s) should amount to a minimum of 1,500 words, not including references, but can include appendices or associated or supplementary papers produced by the learner.

The quality of the document(s) should be such that:

• complex information is selected from relevant sources and conveyed accurately.

• structure is logical, coherent and effective.

• language and style are appropriate to context, purpose and readership.

• spelling, punctuation and grammar are consistently accurate.

• format and layout enhance communication.

• reference sources are recorded as appropriate.

NB - as I noted in the class when teaching the topic of report writing and this assessment, if you are under the 1500 words for this report (like exemplar report 1 is), that is permissible, as you can use the formally written documentation you produced for the meeting assessment as evidence of writing. 

The assessment will be conducted in open-book conditions. The centre should ensure the authenticity of the learner’s work (see previous blog post and refer to discussions in class week beginning 23^rd March 2026).

Graphic materials, such as charts, tables or diagrams, may be incorporated where appropriate and it should be clear when these are the learner’s original work. The 1,500-word count will not include the list of source references but can include any appendices, associated or supplementary papers produced by the learner. These could be in the form of, for example, annotated graphics, survey results, meetings papers or letters/emails. Sources of information should be clearly recorded.

Report checklist

Some helpful hints on report writing worthy of mentioning are noted below. You may wish to use them as a working checklist. Now, you might think some of these action points are “first day at school” things, and you would be right, but I can assure you, I see a fair amount of these easy to fix / avoid challenged throughout an academic year! 

Spell your name correctly - spellcheck can do you over, I have seen it so many times, ouch. It’s often the last thing you’d expect to be wrong, but it’s also the first thing a reader sees..

Spell my surname correctly please - Hetherington.

Make sure on the front cover you have at the very least these salient points - title of the report, word count, date of submission (5^th or 6^th May 2026 should be the date you use depending on which class you are in – the completed draft comes to me a week before to provide feedback on), your name, unit title (Business Communication) and an image (which is optional but should be appropriate).

Each section should be numbered on the contents page, just like the example reports - Background (optional) 1 Terms of Reference or Introduction depending on which term you prefer 2 Procedure 3 Findings (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and so on. You don't need a background section, but you DO need terms of reference, procedure, content, conclusion, recommendations and sources sections.

Avoid using the word I in your report - 'the author recommends...', 'Stan Free was asked to write a report...', ‘after careful research, the writer of this formal report concludes…’ and so on. Think formally, always. Consult my short document on formal writing on Moodle / e mail too for supplementary assistance.

Add page numbers - you do this by going to insert page numbers, NOT add footers. If you do the latter, all the pages will look the same. The page numbers on the contents page should marry up with the page numbers in your report. Accuracy is the watchword here, just like the minutes you produced (to a very good standard, incidentally). Always think of the reader.

No contractions please - instead of it's, shouldn't, couldn't - it is, should not, could not. This helps to tighten up the formality of language use.

Referencing - this is a very handy tool, as I noted in my reflections in class and via Moodle last week, but you may have one you trust better. I believe this one to be one of the most user friendly versions: Free Harvard Referencing Generator - Harvard Style (teg.london) 

Refs should look something like this as a working example: 

Referencing Helpers Association (2026) How to reference like a pro, Available at: www.referencinghelp.ac.uk (Accessed: 27/3/26).

Just for luck, a reminder that Wikipedia is not permissible, nor are Bing and Google deemed to be 'references'. You already know the avoidable pitfalls of ChatGPT and the like…

Proofread and spellcheck your work. This helps to diminish any remediation you may need to do. In an ideal world your report will be good to upload to Moodle without change. But that isn’t happening for a few weeks yet, more about that nearer the time as a further reminder.

I’ll be supervising and assisting you in class as I did with the research for the meeting assessment, and there is no expectation that you work on your report outside of my classes; I have allocated plenty of time in timetabled sessions and of course, you have full IT access in S46 which is essential.

All the best and there is no shortage of info out there; you just need to piece the jigsaw together and summarise the needs of the sub-headings in your own words and adhere to how the report should look. I am looking forward to reading your work and liaising with you over the next few weeks. Many of you are completely up to date already which is great.

Mark

 

 

 

Report writing and the perils of AI misuse...

Hello all, in the classes of 24th and 25th March, I will be providing teaching on the second assessment, which is the report on 'Young people and debt' theme.

I have uploaded some exemplar reports to Moodle, as well as lots of other helpful documents, including the report assessment, too, which I will construct a separate page on, like I did for the meeting assessment.

In the meantime, it is crucial that you all read and understand the College policy on AI misuse. Some important information is noted below.

The reason for signposting this slide in particular, is to ensure you know how the college defines and applies the policy. I would NOT imagine this would be an issue for any student working with me in either HN class, but nevertheless, every student should be aware of this intel. I disseminate this info to every class I teach. Prior knowledge is always good, right? 💪

All the best, Mark

Student loans: new inquiry on repayment terms and the taxation of graduates launches

I was reading up on student loans, as this topic came up in quite a few of the presentations over the last couple of weeks.

Below are a couple of weblinks you may find of interest.

Student loans: new inquiry on repayment terms and the taxation of graduates launches - Committees - UK Parliament

Student loans inquiry to look at whether system is 'unfair' - BBC News

Inquiry launched into student loan repayment terms – Channel 4 News - this is a short video (5 minutes)