Assignment Brief
Course/Programme: BA (Hons) Business Studies with Foundation
Level:
Foundation Year 0 (Level 0)
Year 2 Level 4
Year 3 Level 5
Year 4 Level 6
Foundation Year
Module Title: Business Communication
Module Leader: Sarah Gibbons
Assignment title: Assignment 1 – Advertising campaign
Assignment 2 – Individual Report
Assignment number:
Weighting: Marketing Material - 50%
Individual Report - 50%
Date given out: 1st August 2022
Submission date: Assignment 1 – 26th September 2022
Assignment 2 – 31st October 2022
For late submission, please check CCCU Taught regulation (page 28 on late submission) and Extenuating Policy: CCCU Taught regulation
CCCU Extenuating Circumstances Policy
Method of submission: ? Online only Online and paper copy
Special instructions for submission (if any):
Date for results and feedback
(please note the final grade is subject to the main CCCU assessment Board)
Learning outcomes assessed: 1. Describe and analyse the purposes and principles behind different forms of effective organisational communication
2. Identify common challenges to effective communication
1. 3. Devise and develop strategies for overcoming communication barriers
4. Evaluate the communication practices at individual and organisational levels
The penalty to be applied to late course work, which will include course work where the work is graded on a pass/fail basis and it is possible to give a numerical mark, will be 5 per cent (of the eligible marks) per day, for up to seven days, after which a mark of 0 will be recorded.

TASK DESCRIPTION - Assignment 1 (50%)
Assessment 1 – Advertising campaign (500 words maximum)
50% weighting
Many universities organise for their students to have one year studying abroad, so they can experience a different culture and gain important life skills. UKeducation organises for its business management students to spend year 3 abroad and they can choose from a selection of destinations. Student feedback indicates the experience is mostly positive however some of the students found it difficult to adapt and to integrate.
UKeducation is going to organise some transition training days to better prepare the students for their year abroad. The following communication barriers have been identified:
• Academic practices – students found that there were differences in classroom behaviour, teaching styles and assignment requirements.
• Cultural barriers – students were unsure about cultural protocol and social conventions and had frequent misunderstandings. For example, with regards to greetings, levels of formality, eye contact, driving, queuing and general daily conduct.
• Time difference – for some students it was very difficult to speak to family and friends due to the time difference between countries. They felt homesick and lonely.
• Language barriers – students struggled to understand the lessons in a foreign language. They felt their marks were suffering because it was harder for them to communicate in a second language.
• Lack of common experience – students found they didn’t have much in common with the other native students – they had different tastes in food, clothes, music, and hobbies and found it difficult to understand the humour.
TASK
Choose a country and prepare a 2-page brochure encouraging students to study there. The brochure should include relevant images and text and not exceed 500 words in total. Please provide references. Marks will be awarded for achieving the learning outcomes and your ability to provide a well designed 2-page brochure.
In your 2-page brochure, you should highlight:
• Common challenges and barriers to effective communication (why students are worried about studying abroad).
• Effective strategies for overcoming communication barriers (strategies the university has implemented to help students abroad).
Marks will be awarded for achieving the learning outcomes and your ability to provide a 2-page brochure with a balance of images and text. This assignment addresses the learning objectives below:
Common Assessment Criteria Applied Marks available
Common challenges and barriers to effective communication (why students are worried about studying abroad). 20
Effective strategies for overcoming these communication barriers (strategies the university has implemented to help students abroad). 20
Brochure design 40
Referencing 10
Academic English 10
TASK DESCRIPTION - Assignment 2 (50%)
Assessment 2 - Individual Report (1500 words maximum)
50% weighting
TASK
The transition training days have taken place and the brochures have been circulated. You need to write a follow up report.
Your report should discuss some general theories of organisational communication. It must also evaluate the barriers you identified and outline the strategies implemented to solve these.
In your report, you should address the following:
• Discuss some general theories of organisational communication.
• Evaluate the barriers discouraging students from studying abroad.
• Outline the strategies your university has implemented to overcome these barriers.
Marks will be awarded for achieving the learning outcomes and your ability to provide a well written report. This assignment addresses the learning objectives below:
Common Assessment Criteria Applied Marks available
Discussion on general theories of organisational communication 25
Evaluate the barriers preventing students from studying abroad 25
Outline the strategies your university has implemented to overcome these barriers 25
Academic writing 15
Quality of referencing 10
Report Structure:
Ensure that the report has the following structure and contains the details outlined:
• Abstract
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Analysis and discussion of all questions
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• Reference List following Harvard referencing and in-text citations throughout
FORMATTING AND LAYOUT
Please note the following when completing your written assignments:
1. Writing: Size 12 and Times New Roman or Arial font.
2. Style: Academic English.
3. Focus: Focus only on the tasks set in the assignment.
4. Document format: 1. 2-page brochure 2. Report.
5. Provide a clear title, course, and ID number on a cover sheet.
6. Provide a bibliography using Harvard referencing throughout.
7. Research: Research should use reliable and relevant sources of information e.g., academic books and journals that have been peer reviewed.
These assignments address the following Learning Outcomes:
• LO1 - Describe and analyse the purposes and principles behind different forms of organisational communication.
• LO2 - Identify common challenges to effective communication.
• LO3 - Devise and develop strategies for overcoming communication barriers.
• LO4 - Evaluate the communication practices at individual and organisational levels.
Assessment Criteria:
An outstanding Distinction 90 – 100 Work which fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but at an exceptional standard.
A very strong distinction 80 – 89 Work of distinguished quality which is based on a rigorous and broad knowledge base, and demonstrating sustained ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and interpret concepts, principles and data within field of study, using defined principles, techniques and/or standard formats and applications. This will form the basis for the development of sound arguments and judgements appropriate to the field of study/ assessment task. There will be strong evidence of competence across a range of specialised skills, using them to plan, develop and evaluate problem solving strategies, and of the capability to operate autonomously and self-evaluate with guidance in varied structured contexts. Outputs will be communicated effectively, accurately and reliably.
A clear Distinction 71 – 79 Work of very good quality which displays most but not all of the criteria for the grade above.
A Distinction 70 Work of highly commendable quality which clearly fulfils the criteria for the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.
A very strong Merit 67 – 69 Work of commendable quality based on a strong factual/conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, including an assured grasp of concepts and principles, together with effective deployment of skills relevant to the discipline and assessment task. There will be clear evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application, and the ability to work effectively within defined guidelines to meet defined objectives. There will be consistent evidence of capability in all relevant subject based and key skills, including the ability to self-evaluate and work autonomously under guidance and to use effectively specified standard techniques in appropriate contexts.
A strong merit 64 – 66 Work of good quality which contains most, but not all of the characteristics of the grade above.
A clear Merit 61 – 63 Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.
Merit 60 Work of sound quality based on a firm factual/ conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, demonstrating a good grasp of relevant principles/concepts, together with the ability to organise and communicate effectively. The work may be rather standard, but will be mostly accurate and provide some evidence of the ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply standard methods/techniques, under guidance. There will be no serious omissions or inaccuracies. There will be good evidence of ability to take responsibility for own learning, to operate with limited autonomy in predictable defined contexts, selecting and using relevant techniques, and to demonstrate competence in relevant key skills.
A very strong Pass 55 – 59 Work of capable quality which contains some of the characteristics of grade above.
A strong Pass 50 – 54 Work of satisfactory quality demonstrating a reliable knowledge base and evidence of developed key skills and/or subject based skills, but containing limited evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application.
A Pass 41 – 49 Work of broadly satisfactory quality covering adequately the factual and/or conceptual knowledge base of the field of study and appropriately presented and organised, but is primarily descriptive or derivative, with only occasional evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application. There may be some misunderstanding of key concepts/principles and limitations in the ability to select relevant material or techniques and/or in communication or other relevant skills, so that the work may include some errors, omissions or irrelevancies. There will be evidence of ability to operate with limited autonomy in predictable defined contexts, using standard techniques, and to meet threshold standards in relevant key skills.
A bare Pass 40 Work of bare pass standard demonstrating some familiarity with and grasp of a factual/conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, together with evidence of some ability to employ specialist skills to solve problems within area of study, but only just meeting threshold standards in e.g. evaluation and interpretation of data and information, reasoning and soundness of judgment, communication, application, or quality of outputs. Work may be characterised by some significant errors, omissions or problems, but there will be sufficient evidence of development and competence to operate in specified contexts taking responsibility for the nature and quality of outputs.
A marginal Fail 30 – 39 Work which indicates some evidence of engagement with area of study in relation to acquisition of knowledge and understanding of concepts and principles, and of specialist skills, but which is essentially misinterpreted, and misapplied and/or contains some significant omission or misunderstanding, or otherwise just fails to meet threshold standards in e.g. communication, application or quality of outputs.
A Fail 20 – 29 Work that falls well short of the threshold standards in relation to one or more area of knowledge, intellectual, subject based or key skills. It may address the assessment task to some extent, or include evidence of successful engagement with some of the subject matter, but such satisfactory characteristics will be clearly outweighed by major deficiencies across remaining areas.
A comprehensive Fail 0 – 19 Work of poor quality which is based on only minimal understanding, application or effort. It will offer only very limited evidence of familiarity with knowledge or skills appropriate to the field of study or task and/or demonstrate inadequate capability in key skills essential to the task concerned.
Non-submission/Nil attempt 0 Nothing, or nothing of merit, presented.