Advice For Coursework Success March 2011

Advice for Coursework Success
Coursework rules and guidance on the MSc Architecture: Advanced

Environmental and Energy Studies by Distance Learning
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Pre-MSc Returning to Studies help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. Research and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5. The coursework: Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6. The coursework: Presentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7. The coursework: Critique of Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
8. The coursework: Practical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
9. The coursework: Practicalities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
10. Academic integrity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
11. Referencing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12. Thesis module (CEM135) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
13. Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Appendix 1: OpenLearn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Appendix 2: Module coursework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix 3: Searching academic sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Appendix 4: Detailed Essay Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Key to symbols
- tips that
@@Suggestion
you might find useful
Guidance - important

recommendations on
how to get the most
from the course
- key
LLInformation
facts about the course
and how it works
Requirement DDThings
you must do to
complete the course
Web Link - links to

useful tools, guidance,
information etc.
http://www...
Appendix 5: Detailed Presentation Guidance. . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Appendix 6: Detailed Critique of Paper Guidance. . . . . . . . . 51
Appendix 7: Practical report feedback sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Appendix 8: Academic Offence Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Appendix 9: Harvard referencing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Appendix 10: Extenuating circumstances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 1
1. Introduction
Welcome to the MSc, wherever you are in the world!
I hope you will enjoy the course: especially, perhaps, the international,
and internationalising, interaction with fellow students through UEL
Plus, the MScs Virtual Learning Environment. You should be able to
find everything you ever need to know on UEL Plus, but we thought a
one-stop summary of the key things would help.
This document is the central source of all the basic requirements,
information, suggestions and guidance that you will need for doing
your coursework. The appendices of this document, and the external
documents and websites to which you are directed by the links, provide
extra details, exercises and ideas: use them as far you can, while
keeping in mind the spine outlined here.
You will be expected to be familiar with the key requirements, to use the
key information and to follow the key pieces of advice: this is the way
to ensure that you pass, as a minimum, and to maximise your marks.
The main aim is that you use and adapt the advice and the guidelines,
and go on to enjoy your studies, and develop as an independent,
autonomous, problem solving researcher and writer.
During the course, please do make use of your two main sources
of support: your tutor and the Student Support Officers (SSOs). You
should contact your tutor with any problems and queries concerning the
conduct of your academic work, long before any worry becomes a crisis.
This will include, in the early stages, checking the appropriateness of an
essay question and your proposed plan for tackling it. In an introductory
email, your tutor will outline how they suggest the relationship will
go. Contact the SSOs on all administrative and procedural matters:
whenever a query or a problem occurs, check whether you can find
what you need to know here or in UEL Plus. If you cannot, do contact
the SSOs: they dont bite, and really are there to help.
Please let the SSOs know if you feel anything is missing or unclear in
this document and well try to improve! Thanks.
Good luck!
Damian Randle, Programme Leader.
2 Advice for Coursework Success, MSc: AEES DL
2. Pre-MSc Returning to Studies help

it is a long time since you did any
@@Ifacademic
work, or you are not so
confident, here are some of the options:
Before you start on the MSc: the Accessing

Skills for Higher Education course runs for
two days at UEL in London, in January and in
September. If you can make it there, it is worth
considering: it is aimed at pre-undergraduate
rather than pre-postgraduate, but might well
be useful. Go to the UEL Skillzone website to
register. If the next date is not on there, consult
the Student Support Officers at distance.
learning@cat.org.uk.
Before you start and afterwards: the Open
Universitys Open Learn site is excellent.
Appendix 1 has an introduction with a
recommended list of courses to begin with, or
have a look round their website.
Before you start: read articles on architecture,
environment and energy preferably in academic
sources, but at least in serious other publications
such as New Scientist, Green Building
magazine, and The Ecologist.
Links in this section

UEL Skillzone: Accessing Skills for
Higher Education
http://www.uel.ac.uk/skillzone/ashe/
index.htm
The Open University: OpenLearn

http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn
New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/
Green Building magazine
http://www.buildingforafuture.co.uk /
The Ecologist
http://www.theecologist.org/
The Harvard Writing Project
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do
?keyword=k24101&tabgroupid=icb.
tabgroup95985
Writing Academic Essays and
Reports
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/
writess.html
UEL Library and Learning Services

http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/
But dont just read:i) read and then try to summarise in 100 words;
ii) read with these questions in your mind:
Is the evidence offered here convincing for the case they are making? and
Are the arguments used the logic of what follows from what satisfactory? and
In what ways, if any, is this piece important? What does it mean for the wider subject?
Before you start, and afterwards: theres some useful resources for practice with writing at
The Harvard Writing Project and Aberystwyth Universitys Writing Academic Essays and
Reports.
After you are enrolled, a useful e-book is accessible via your Athens account:, Developing
work and study skills by Linda Lee-Davies and Susan Bailey. Go to the UEL Library and
Learning Services websites library catalogue and type in the title.
Additional needs: there is help available via UEL, and we at GSE are keen to ensure that no
one is disadvantaged in any avoidable way. Please do make sure as far as you wish to do
so - that the SSOs and your tutor know of any conditions or circumstances relevant to your
studies.
3. Time
most important thing to do when starting an MSc is to improve
@@The
your time management. If you plan your time well, and if you
discipline yourself to stick to routines and plans, you will get more
out of the course, you will enjoy it more, and you will get better
marks.
modules coursework is an essay or report plus presentation,

LLEach
or a critique of a paper, depending on the module (Appendix 2 has
details). The submission date is usually two months after the start
of the module (some modules give you three months). This means
that everything needs to be thought of as framed in a nine-week
schedule.
The best thing about Distance Learning is the flexibility, and there
are always interventions from life which this flexibility allows you
to accommodate. Use the timeline below as a starting point from
which to adapt your own ideal model. If you cannot stick to it
occasionally, so be it, but the main elements are important and
having the framework is very useful.
Each module is deemed officially to be 150 hours of work all the
reading and thinking and research and interacting with tutor and fellow
students, and the planning and writing of the coursework. Of course

These sites offer some useful advice for when you are adapting
the 9-week plan to your needs:
About.com : Time Management Tips for Graduate Students
http://gradschool.about.com/cs/timemanagement/a/tme.htm
University of Kent: Getting Started for Graduate Students

(Powerpoint presentation)
http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning/progs-archive/
archivematerials/archivedslasworks/postgradgettingstarted101008.
ppt
University of Leicester: Managing Your Time

http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/gradschool/resources/thesis/
managing/time/time
Wikipedia: Mind map

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
Cambridge University Students Union: Academic Speed

Reading
http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/academic/exams/speedreading.html
Ababasoft.com : Speed reading science books

http://ababasoft.com/speedreading/r028.html
Cuesta College: Listening and Note Taking
http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/AS/206.HTM
that 150 hours will vary from individual to individual, depending on many
things: extent of prior knowledge, your own speed and efficiency, the
quality of your studying environment, your level of ambition for high
marks, etc. It is best to assume that you need to plan for those 150
hours, which means, roughly 17 hours per week - or 19 hours per week
if you have a week off in the middle!
The library at UEL are in the process of working on an online study skills
website: well let you know when its ready.
Sample nine-week schedule Note: everyone is different; you will be able to adopt this timeline to
your own circumstances and needs.
Week
1
STARTS Wed 16 Mar
Activity
Skim read all
lectures
Module starts Weds the xth, printed

material has arrived, UEL Plus active
Prepare for
seminars
Study in detail the lectures relevant to

the seminars, prepare responses to the
questions.
Join discussion boards on these lectures.
3
4
Attend seminars
Read other
lectures and
papers.
Follow up leads and questions in side

columns
Scoping reading
specifically for
the essay
Focussing in as quickly as possible on an

interesting, coherent, feasible question.
Research for
further sources
to use in the
essay
Planning essay.
7
Writing essay
8
9
ENDS Wed 11 May
Final draft of
essay, and
presentation
completed.
Join discussion boards on other topics of

interest
Ask my tutor Is this a good question?
Ask tutor if this is a good plan

Take a break by doing the practical.
Following advice and especially
marksheet guidelines, do two drafts.
For first essay, ask tutor for brief
comments on first draft.
Submission on Wednesday the 11th May
@@Some other study-skills suggestions to look into:
Mind mapping is recommended by one of our tutors.

Notes: Its a good idea to improve your note-making skills:
you will find useful help in the OpenLearn material, and there
are several web sources of guidance.
Speed reading might also be useful for you to think about.
Planning your route through the MSc: sequencing

will, of course, choose which modules to do, and when,
@@You
according to your interests and according to your expectations of
when you will have most time to devote to studying and meeting
deadlines.
For full time (1 year) students there is no choice on sequencing,

but for part time (2 years) students there is one small advisory note
here.
Students doing modules A4 CEM154 June and A9 CEM169 July,
which are design modules implementing a range of environmental
and energy knowledge and ideas, benefit greatly if they have some
modules under their belt already. Therefore, the advice is, if you
plan to do one of them, consider doing it at the end of your second
year.
If you plan to do both of them, its a good thing to do them both at
the end of the second year, except that the A4 June work group
work extends into the period of A9 July. This need not be a fatal
factor, especially as there is an extra month for submission of A4,
just one to be borne in mind, in advance.
4. Research and Resources

a) Before you start and along the way: help with learning to find resources
i) The University of London offers a tutorial on planning library research. Note that

some references and services mentioned here will be specific to the University of
London and so not applicable, but you should learn plenty of tips.
ii) The Intute: Virtual Training Suite describes itself as an excellent set of Internet

tutorials written and reviewed by qualified lecturers and librarians from across the
UK, to help university students develop their Internet research skills. Learn how to
make discerning use of the Internet to help find information for your coursework and
assignments. The three which will be of most use for this course are listed below. They
all have a common general basis, and then go on to specialise.
b) Researching for essays
At enrolment you are given Sconul access: if and when you are in the UK or
LLi)Ireland,
the SCONUL scheme gives you research and borrowing facilities at about 170
universities and colleges. Details vary from place to place, so its a good idea to check
with the SCONUL website and the local librarian and to use online cataloguesin order to
identify a suitable library.
anywhere in the world, using Athens login and password from UEL [also given to
LLii)youFrom
at enrolment], you can access an enormous number of relevant academic journals in
electronic form, and e-books.
There are a number of ways to find and get access to electronic journal articles, the two
main ones being to use UELs find an E Journal service, and if you want to search for
a particular topic, to use an academic / research search engine using your Athens login.
If this all sounds a bit daunting, join the club! Everyone feels like that at first, and then
they find their way around and before long are accessing and using thousands of
excellent resources easily
and quickly.
Links in this Section
Help is always available
from your SSOs and theres
more on finding resources
from the UEL Library.
See Appendix 3 for more
details of searching for
academic resources.
Planning Library Research

http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/tutorial/planning/
Intute: Virtual Training Suite

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/
Internet for Social Research Methods Tutorial
http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial/
socialresearchmethods/
Internet for Architecture Tutorial
http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial/architecture/
Internet for Environment Tutorial

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial/environment /
UEL Library: Finding Resources
http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/resources/
5. The coursework: Essay

See Appendix 4 for detailed essay guidance.

The essay will be easier to prepare, and will get better marks, if
you know before the detailed planning starts that you have the
bricks with which to build it. That is:
if you know where the data and evidence is,
if it focuses on a particular area,
if it has a clear, coherent question, and
if you plan the essay using the marksheet and the guidelines.
Follow the steps below to do good essays. When you have the hang of
this, go to Appendix 4 for further thoughts and examples.
Step 1: Decide the topic area in which youd like to do an essay. This
will be on the basis of your reading of the lectures and papers
in the module material, and from picking up ideas from fellow
students in discussion boards.
Step 2: Do a short scoping study. Look around in academic papers,
in books, and in serious other sources, to identify a particular
topic with the right characteristics: these are outlined in Step 3.
Keep a note of the reference details of all other authors whose
work you will need to cite.
Step 3: Identify a specific topic which both interests you and is useful
for essay purposes.
Useful for essay purposes means that:

a) a particular focus is identifiable:
Sustainable Housing is too broad, Technical means of reducing

electrical energy consumption in detached houses in the
Mediterranean is very focused.
b) a clear, coherent question can be framed;
Technical means of reducing electrical energy consumption
in detached houses in the Mediterranean is at the extreme: it
isnt a question;
Can we reduce electrical energy consumption in detached
houses in the Mediterranean by technical means? is a
question, but apart from inviting the simple answer Well,
yes. [ie not facilitating much discussion] is a bit vague;
How best can we reduce electrical energy consumption in
detached houses in the Mediterranean? is a lot better.
Coherent means it makes internal sense, and we can see where
one might look for evidence and argument.
c) the question demands discussion:

The question should require you to offer up two or more possible
answers or suggestions. For example, you might discuss which
is the best approach or response or way of thinking. In the essay
you are demonstrating that you can offer and elaborate a balanced
argument.
For example, there might be a number of competing ideas to be
examined in turn and then compared, e.g. propaganda/public
information campaigns, legislation concerning maximum Amps
allowed per square metre, legislation on appliances.
d) sources and balance:
Check again that you have access to data, evidence and argument,
or you know for sure where it can be found. This needs to be from
mainly academic sources, to be of good quality, and to be sufficient
to support, and to question, all sides of the discussion.
Make good use of at least a dozen or so serious sources, most
of which should be academic books or papers. By this we mean
papers in peer-reviewed journals and books written on the basis
of academic research. Other appropriate sources might include
official publications, industry publications and publications of
serious NGOs like - in the UK - BRE, CABE, AECB, NEF or their
equivalents in your part of the world, or international bodies like the
UN, World Bank, EU, OECD and so on.
Sources to avoid are journalistic sources and websites of

organisations pushing a particular point of view. There are, very
occasionally, and for specific reasons, exceptions to this.
If you do not have enough appropriate material, change the

question.
Step 4: Plan the structure.
First, have a quick look at the essay marking scheme and the

guidelines (see Appendix 4).
Back to your plan. This means organising your thoughts, perhaps
using one of the methods from Appendix 4, or an equally
wonderful one of your own. Many good essays are planned using
a combination of approaches. You will gradually develop the best
How coursework is marked
coursework is marked by your tutor, and then a substantial sample across

LLThe
the range is second marked by moderation. That is, another tutor checks that the
marking is conducted to the appropriate standard. The module leader or programme

leader occasionally moderates where there is variance of > 5%.
There is no appeal against the markers academic judgment.
approach for you. You might like to have a look at mind mapping
here too.
The most important things are that your structure: allows you to be comprehensive, getting in everything that is
required by the question;
allows you not to waste time searching for material that you
dont need;
allows the essay to flow in a logical order: what is logical
depends on the demands of the question;
allows balance, that is, pros and cons, each/all side(s)
looked at;
leads the reader painlessly from introduction, through data
and argument and discussion, to a conclusion (or a justified
suggestion that a conclusion is not possible);
Write in proper sentences and paragraphs. Start a new paragraph
whenever a new section or subsection of the essay is started. If
youre in doubt as to whether to start a new paragraph, start one.
dvice on writing at Masters level is available widely. Two
@@Asources
I like are below. Learning their lessons will involve
some interpretation so as to remain within our guidelines, but

they should be worth a look:
Atherton, J. S. (2010) Doceo; Writing at Masters Level
http://www.doceo.co.uk/academic/m_writing.htm
Accessed 30 July 2010
Atherton, J. S. (2010) Doceo; Tools: Baking an essay

Available: http://www.doceo.co.uk/tools/baking.htm
Accessed 30 July 2010
Step 5: Where are the marks coming from?

See Appendix 4 for an example marksheet and detailed guidelines

on how to earn the marks.
Having done the broad plan, you need to handle it so you earn
marks in each section of the marksheet. The two main ways to do
this are covering the ground fully and achieving depth and quality.
a) Coverage
Sections A and E of the mark sheet offer 25% in total. Make sure you
get plenty of those marks.
Section A, Introduction, has four elements: attend to each, explicitly.
Section E, i) to iv), requires 100 words on each of four elements. Attend
to each one, separately and explicitly: i) Summary of the case made, ii)
Limitations of the essay, iii) Implications of the case made for existing
orthodoxy and iv) Implications ref future research required.
b) Quality
Structure and clarity of writing are marked in sections B i) and ii). The
reader should find the organisation of the essay helpful, and every
sentence clear and unambiguous. Paragraphs should be quite short, but
should have at least two sentences.
sub-edit the final draft to avoid silly mistakes or omissions.
@@Always
Read it out to a friend or partner: if it doesnt make sense to them,
the tutor will also suffer!
Referencing is rewarded in section B iii). Whenever you use someone

elses data or arguments, you need to make this clear. This helps you
avoid plagiarism and follow good academic practice. It will help a lot if
you keep notes of the details of all works that you may need to cite.
For more about plagiarism, read Section 10 on Academic Integrity.
@@You
must reference using the Harvard system. This is explained in
Section 11.
Section C of the marksheet carries the most marks. Here, you gain

marks for: the amount of data, evidence and argument that you bring in,
getting below the surface, explain meanings rather than just
stating facts or describing situations,
analysing the data and the arguments in relation to your
question [everything is in relation to your question]
evaluating the data and evidence and other authors
argument: applying your critical faculties to it.
Again, examining the marking scheme and guidelines in Appendix
4 will allow you to see the sort of thing that is required.
on critical evaluation: The best way to learn about this
@@Ais tonote
read. Read academic papers and books, and notice good
examples of the author offering evaluative comments or discussion

of the material they are looking at. Note the range of methods,
techniques and words that they use, and store them away for your
own development.
It takes a long time for your critical, evaluative faculties to become
instinctive, so its a good idea to start with some handy questions
to apply, like those in the guidelines.
6. The coursework: Presentation

See Appendix 5 for detailed Presentation guidance, and a

sample Presentation Marksheet.
What is the presentation?
presentation is intended to be 10 minutes long and its contents

LLThe
are: all the major points of your essay, each one treated skeletally,
or
[probably better...] one part of, or a key idea from, your essay,
treated in more detail, or
information and ideas from your practical, if you can establish
a valid link with an element of your essay.
What you produce is a PowerPoint set of slides, not too few and
not too many (8-15 is about right, depending on the type of content)
and accompanying notes. The notes are not What I would say
but How I would present the slides. See Appendix 5 for more
detail on everything to do with presentations.
What do you do?

Everything on the actual slides is what it is intended that the
audience sees.
The How I would present this slide text is placed in the Notes
section, usually shown below each slide.
The first slide contains only your details: title, module, date, name,
number & tutor.
The second slide contains generic How I would present information
relevant to the whole presentation, if any.
There should be one slide for the Introduction and one for the
Conclusion.
Where you use someone elses words or images, you must
acknowledge using Harvard referencing on the slide, and there
should be a references list slide at the end.
How do you maximise marks?
Section A [15/40 = 37.5%] plenty of varied, relevant, interesting

images, not too much text, and at 24pt+, and thought given to the
juxtaposition of text and image;
Section B [15/40 = 37.5%] first slide - basic details; strong

introductory and conclusion slides; a well organised story-line;
clear indicators [text or image] throughout, like signposts, helping the viewer know
where they are and why; proper referencing;
Section C [10/40 = 25%] plenty of specifics about what you would actually do, and how
you would interact with the audience, tied explicitly to each slide.
Presentation, including How I would present in the notes area.
7. The coursework: Critique of Paper

See Appendix 6 for detailed Critique of Paper guidance.

basic idea of the critique is that you demonstrate the
LLThe
application of critical skills to a particular piece of academic writing
using specific criteria. Developing these skills will help enormously
with your research, essay writing and, eventually, your thesis.
Follow (or adapt) these steps and you will do good critiques:
Step 1: read the paper quickly, making very brief notes on the main
points; go back to the advice on note taking if it will help.
Step 2: read it more slowly, ensuring that you understand what is being
stated, what the evidence is, and what is being argued.
Step 3: read the marksheet and the student guidelines (both in
Appendix 6) that explain each section. Check that you
understand what is required. You will use the headings of the
marksheet as the subheadings of your critique.
Step 4: reread the paper, marking where there are points to be made
according to the subheadings of the mark sheet.
Step 5: read other material on the topic of the paper, especially but not
necessarily exclusively, academic papers, making notes on the
useful points that you can use in your critique, for example:
comparisons of data;
similarities and differences of emphasis;
similar, and alternative, arguments.
Step 6: make notes for your critique, incorporating your own evaluative
points and those you take from or construct using other
sources. Keep a note of the reference details of all other
authors whose work you will need to cite.
Remember that: the numbers of words devoted to the sections should be
roughly according to the proportions of marks available.
section A needs only factual summaries [3 of them], not
opinion;
although some cross-over is inevitable, in section C keep to
the separate requirements of each part as much as possible;
that is: critique structure under C i), data under C ii) and
argument under C iii).
Step 7: write the critique.
Step 8: re-read the marksheet guidelines.
Step 9: edit including ensuring that all references are included, in text
and in the list at the end - and improve.
8. The coursework: Practical

See Appendix 7 for a sample Practical feedback sheet.

module you are normally offered two practicals. They are
LLEach
for formative assessment, not summative, that means they do
not get marked as such, they dont count towards the final mark.
Effectively, then, they are voluntary, but students have found them
useful exercises, and the feedback from tutors and/or fellow
students can be extremely valuable.
What you do:

read the briefs,

decide which one to do,
try the activity and then
take part in the Discussion Board interaction about it.
After that, you might or might not write the 1,000 word report.
There will be the opportunity for Peer Assessment, in which
students help each other by offering a full report, or a shortened
version, for peers to see and learn from, and by receiving feedback
from them.
If you write a full report for submission to a tutor, the idea is that
this is practice in good procedure; the guidance for each section is
at the bottom of the Practical Feedback Sheet (Appendix 7):
Section A: Introduction:
What are the ideas behind it? What is it supposed to show?
Section B: Method:
What did you do? A brief, ordered account of the steps you
went through.
Section C: Results:
What I have learned? Were the results as expected? Are the
results fully reliable? Why? / why not?
How do your results relate to the real world? What are your
recommendations for further research?
Section D: Clarity & structure:
Is the report easily readable and followable? Have you
included diagrams & graphs where appropriate?
9. The coursework: Practicalities

time you submit coursework, you must submit with it the
DDEach
latest version of the marksheet, which can be downloaded from
UEL Plus. If youre not sure that the marksheet you have on your
computer is the latest one, check. All the details must be entered at
the top, including the signature for the plagiarism declaration.
You are expected to format the appearance of your essays, critiques

and reports in a standard way. The easiest way to do this is to set up a
standard template that you use each time.
Margins: 2cm all round.
Typestyles: use only a very limited range. Four should be plenty:
one Normal style, 10 or 11pt Arial or Times Roman, with 6pt
after paragraphs,
one style for quotations in separate paragraphs (of which you
should have very few),
one style, 8pt, for captions of Figures, and
one heading style, 12pt bold
Footer: on all pages of all pieces of coursework, place an automatic
footer in 8 point bold, containing:
GSE MSc Architecture AEES by DL; Your name; your number; your
tutors name; module number and date; which piece of work (ie
essay, critique, presentation or practical); page number; your e-mail
address.
e.g.
GSE MSc AEES by DL; Jo Bloggs; 0823456; Kelvin Mason; CEM150 Mar 2011; Essay; p. 3 of
10; J.Bloggs@hotmail.com
Heading on all pieces of work submitted, put at the top of page 1, in

bold, 14 pt typeface:
Name, module number & date, what piece of work (i.e. essay or
critique or report, etc), and title.
e.g.
Jo Bloggs, CEM150 March 2011, Essay

Are natural insulators the only option for a
healthy and energy efficient building?
Filename: When submitting a piece of work, give the file a name like
this: CEM150 Essay Jo Bloggs.doc
Multimedia: Do not include graphics or other elements that need
special software [eg QuickTime] for them to be seen on a PC, or to
print out.
Plain and simple: do not use any fancy blocks of colour, any large
blocks of white space, any fancy unnecessary indentations: just
plain, easily-followable, text! Stylistic embellishments make more

work for the reading tutor, and thats not good news for anyone...
Submit the essay as one file, i.e. without extraneous files containing
pictures, appendices, etc. It is almost never necessary for an essay
to have appendices: everything should be in the body of the essay.
File size: No file should be over 5MB. To avoid sending enormous
files see the Notes on reducing Powerpoint file size in Appendix 5.
File format: Presentations must be in Microsoft PowerPoint
format (.ppt). Do not submit documents in .pdf, .odp or other
formats.
Essays and reports must be in Microsoft Word format (.doc). Do
not submit documents in .docx, .docm, .pdf, .odt or other formats.
trouble submitting your work? Contact the student
LLHaving
support officers! If theres no other way for you to submit, it may be
possible to accept email submissions.
Although we require submission in Microsoft file formats,

@@N.B.
you do not necessarily need to use Microsoft software. There
are several alternatives, such as those listed below. Just make

sure you save your work in the correct Microsoft format (e.g.
.doc or .ppt).
These alternative office suites are free to use:
OpenOffice.org - the free and open productivity suite
www.openoffice.org
You can download and install this on your PC.
Zoho Show - online presentation software

http://show.zoho.com/
Google Docs - online office suite

http://docs.google.com
Extenuating circumstances
We are extremely rigorous in applying the deadlines for assessed work.
Students are expected to make reasonable plans to take into account
commonly occurring circumstances, like moving house and holidays,
even those which, on occasion, may have been unforeseeable and
unpreventable. But when specific, very serious, unforeseeable and
unpreventable, circumstances make it impossible, you can submit
a claim for extenuating circumstances, i.e. a claim that there is an
acceptable reason for its not being submitted at the correct time.
What happens is: You discuss, as early as possible, the claim for extenuating
circumstances with you tutor
You submit an application form, with supporting documents, by the
date the coursework would have been due.
The claim is then considered by a panel, anonymously, whose
decision is final. If the claim is not granted, a mark of zero is given
for the piece of coursework. If it is granted, and the coursework is
submitted by a set later date (called the resubmission date), a mark
will be awarded in the normal way.
The extenuating circumstances details, including indications of the sorts
of circumstances which might and might not qualify, are in Appendix 10.
10. Academic integrity

See Appendix 8 for more on academic integrity, including the

procedures following the suspicion of plagiarism.
of the most important of the university regulations
DDOne
that you formally agree to abide by when you enrol is to do
with academic integrity. This is the avoidance of academic
offences.
Each time you submit a piece of coursework, you must sign, or at least
initial, the marksheet that you submit, to acknowledge that you have
read, and that you abide by, the plagiarism declaration. This states:
I confirm that no part of this coursework, except where
clearly quoted and referenced, has been copied from material belonging to any other person, e.g., from a book, handout,
another student. I am aware that it is a breach of regulations
to copy the work of another without clear acknowledgement
and that attempting to do so renders me liable to disciplinary
proceedings.
The Programme Handbook adds two items:To avoid potential misunderstanding, any phrase not the students own should normally be in quotation marks or highlighted
in some other way.
and
The incorporation of significant elements of (an)other(s) work,

even with acknowledgement or reference, is unacceptable
academic practice and will normally result in failure of that item
or stage of assessment).
And here we can add a further clarification:

Where you use anothers work but in paraphrase (where you
have changed the wording to your own words), the source of
this must be acknowledged.
So, to summarise:Do make substantial use of appropriate sources in constructing

your coursework, but the main body of the work must be your own.
you use, directly or in paraphrase, previous sources, this
DDWherever
must be acknowledged using Harvard referencing [see section
11]. This will be much easier if, each time you make a note of
something from a source, you record the citation in Harvard style,
and record whether your note is a quote or a paraphrase.
text appears in your essay which is a direct quote, this

DDWherever
must be in quotation marks.
The GSE actively monitor submitted coursework for plagiarism, so do
avoid it completely.
11. Referencing
See Appendix 9 for detailed guidance on Harvard

Referencing.
all coursework, for citing sources - other authors ideas, data,
DDIninformation
and argument - you must use the Harvard system
of referencing. For referencing, dont use numbered footnotes,

numbered endnotes, or the Library of Congress system: just use
Harvard.
The main characteristics of Harvard are that:

at the end of your piece of work, you place a reference list
containing the details of all the sources you cited in the piece of
work, arranged in a particular way;
e.g. Schetina, E. (2002) Internet site security. Boston: Addison-Wesley.
in the text of your piece of work, where a citation is made, you place
a text reference, in a particular way;
e.g. In a recent study Schetina (2002) argued that...
not yet used to Harvard, it will take a couple of hours to

@@Ifgetyouyourarehead
around it, and a further few hours at your first essay
to ensure that you are doing it properly. Apart from this being a
requirement, this investment will undoubtedly be worth the time, as
part of your academic training.
Then, whenever you find something useful in a paper or a book,
make a note of the citation, using Harvard style.
12. Thesis module (CEM135)

worry about your (14,000 word)
LLDont
thesis quite yet, though having it at the
back of your mind might be a very good

thing, and might influence your choice of
essay titles.
It is the culmination of the work on the MSc

course, and must contain original work, i.e.
new primary data, and/or novel, substantial,
evaluative analysis of existing data. It is
submitted, normally, at the end of the next
January if your normal modules period ends
at a July, or at the end of the next July if your
normal modules period ends at a February.
Throughout your Masters course you
will engage in research, especially when
you come to produce your thesis on an
individually selected research topic. We
are very aware of the support you are likely
to need when engaging in research. You
may need to apply more than the scientific
method most closely associated with
laboratory experiments. You may undertake
some type of survey, conduct interviews,
participate in and observe community
projects, analyse a discourse The online
thesis workshops and the resources on
UEL Plus can help you with these - but be
prepared to do your own reading to find out
how to do things!
Thesis extensions
You can extend the thesis period by 6
months, without needing to apply for
extenuating circumstances: this incurs a
fee of 150 without tutorial support from
a thesis supervisor, or 500 with support
from a thesis supervisor.
You can extend the thesis period,
unsupervised, until your 6 years maximum
registration period on the programme
is up, by which point you must have
submitted.
How to get your thesis started:

1. You start thinking seriously about it
around the fourth module that you do:
reading around your topic, identifying
a suitable focus and question, possibly
doing an essay in that area to test the
water.
2. You discuss early ideas with your
tutor, using the required template form.
@@3. Look at sample theses in UEL Plus.
4. Go on the UEL Plus discussion board

Student Thesis Discussion to exchange
ideas with fellow students.
5. Join in the online Thesis Workshop
on UEL Plus when invited.
By your 6th module, be ready to

DD6.present
your fully sorted out proposal
using the thesis proposal template on

UEL Plus.
7. If its approved, we appoint a thesis
supervisor, and off you go!
There is a lot of useful material on UEL

Plus that can help you with your thesis.
Look out for:
Thesis proposal template to download
and complete
Example theses and a list of previous
thesis titles
A presentation from Damian about
writing a thesis
A presentation from Judith Thornton
about doing scientific experiments as
part of your thesis
A presentation from Ruth Stevenson
about social research methods
All this available on UEL Plus:
My UEL Plus > AEES (DL) - 2010-11 Thesis
13. Appendices
All of this information is also available on UEL Plus. There is both a
bit of repetition and a bit of rough round the edges at places in these
appendices: both are inevitable to an extent, and the next edition will
reduce them.
Appendix 1: OpenLearn
Appendix 2: Module coursework
Appendix 3: Searching academic sources
Appendix 4: Detailed Essay Guidance
Appendix 5: Detailed Presentation Guidance
Appendix 6: Detailed Critique of Paper guidance
Appendix 7: Practical report feedback sheet
Appendix 8: Academic Offence Procedures
Appendix 9: Harvard referencing
Appendix 10: Extenuating circumstances
Appendix 1: OpenLearn
The OpenLearn website

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk /
Learning Again
The Open University is wonderful, and its tutors are wonderful1.
Therefore I am very happy indeed to be able to recommend their free
online OpenLearn materials, aimed at people who are starting, or
getting back into, academic ways. Happy roaming!
First go to the OpenLearn website and look around.
You can create an account for yourself and then you are free to
come and go as you wish.
The lengths of time for the courses in section A are given. They total
around 120 hours, which is about 6 weeks work at the rate one would
expect on a part time course like ours. These are very rough time
estimates; it will vary a lot. You will find some overlaps, which might cut
the time down, but then again you might wish to spend more time on
some of them.
The other study skills courses in section B are of a similar range of
lengths. Those in section C vary more widely, from 5 hours to over 40.
Section A - Brush up on basic academic skills

These courses might be useful if youve been out of academia for a long
time, or if you havent previously done much in the way of essays, or
research, or sums. They are recommended as pre-undergraduate, or
1st year undergraduate level, starter courses if you are new to academic
study, or if youd just like from some refreshment and self-reflection.
We suggest doing these courses roughly in the order given:
GSG_3................. Reading..................................................................8 hrs.
DD100_8.............. Reading evidence.................................................12 hrs.
DD100121_1......... Reading and note taking.......................................12 hrs.
LDT1012............... Extending and developing your thinking skills........5 hrs.
LIB_8.................... Finding information in science & nature.................9 hrs.
LIB_9.................... Finding information in Society................................9 hrs.
LIB_10.................. Finding information in technology...........................9 hrs.
LDT_5................... Essay and report writing skills..............................15 hrs.
S1511.................... Maths for Science.................................................14 hrs.
LDT101_7............. Using a computer for study.....................................6 hrs.
S110_1................. Using numbers and handling data........................ 12 hrs.
GSG_2................. Working with diagrams...........................................8 hrs.
1 Nothing to do with the fact that several of your tutors have been with the OU...
Section B
Further study skills short courses among which, if you have time, you
will probably find some very useful.
DD100_6.............. Reading visual images
DSE212_4............ Getting started with SPSS
GSG_1................. What is good writing?
GSG_4................. Processes of study in the arts and humanities
LDT_3................... Working with charts, graphs and tables
LDT_4................... More working with charts, graphs and tables
LDT_Maths........... Maths for science and technology
LDT101_3 . ......... Learning how to learn
T205_1 ................ Learning, thinking and doing
Section C
These may be good if you want to boost your understanding of
environmental or energy issues before starting the MSc. These short
courses introduce many topics relevant to parts of the MSc. You may
find interesting material you didnt know about, or ideas youd like to
explore, and /or foundations for taking your reading and thinking to a
higher level on our course.
E500_11 .............. Global warming.
S250_3 ............... Climate change.
SK220_2 ............ Health and environment.
T172_1 ............... Working with our environment - an introduction
T173_1 ................ Design
T206_1 ................ Why sustainable energy matters
T206_2 ............... An introduction to sustainable energy
T207_1 ................ Engineering: the nature of problems
T307_1 ................ Invention and innovation: an introduction
T551_1 ................ Systems thinking and practice
T552_1 ................ Systems diagramming
T553_1 ................ Systems modelling
U116_1 ................ Environment. Treading lightly on the Earth
U116_2 ................ Environment: Following the flows
U316_1 ................ Climate change.
Y161_2 ................ Introducing the environment: ecology and ecosystems.
Appendix 2: Module coursework

The % numbers indicate the weight attached to that component. So, for
example, in A1/CEM158, if you get 60% for your essay and 50% for your
presentation, your aggregate mark for the module will be:(60 80%) + (50 20%)
= 48 + 10
= 58%.
Essays and reports are of 2000 words unless otherwise stated.
More detail in the Information and Guidelines document
Pages 4-5 : a list of modules and the corresponding
coursework
Page 7 : a list of coursework deadlines
Also check in the Introduction to each module for coursework details.
Choosing not to do a second Critique of Paper
If, when you do A2 or C2, you have already done a Critique of paper
at a previous C2 or A2 respectively, you may opt to do an essay of
2500 words instead. Whether you do an essay or a critique, these two
modules do not require a presentation to be submitted.
Appendix 3: Searching academic sources

UEL Library Services
A UEL student card:
As a UEL student, you have access to some

great facilities that UEL provide. Here are some
that are particularly useful to DL students.
Library Access via Sconul
With a student card, students can of course
borrow from UEL libraries. If this is not
convenient, UK based students can apply to UK
Sconul. This scheme gives access to a over 170
UK University Libraries.
Each library offers different borrowing
facilities. Most universities have online library
catalogues which can be accessed by the
public and students should choose a library that
supports this particular subject area and will be
convenient to travel to if necessary.
A Sconul card:
UEL is a member of this scheme, and you

should have filled in a Sconul application form
at during your enrolment.If not, just download
and print the application form.
Fill it in and send it to the UEL library at:
Head Librarian,
Learning Resource Centre,
University of East London,
Barking Campus,
Longbridge Road,
Dagenham,
Essex
RM8 2AS
UK
Your subject librarian

Ella Mitchell at UEL is our subject librarian; if you have
trouble finding books, journals, or other resources,
she may be able to help. Email her at e.mitchell@
uel.ac.uk with your query. Remember to include your
student number and to explain youre a DL student at
CAT.
Inter Library Loans
You are entitled to put in an Inter Library Loan request
for journals that we do not have available through
Athens..... so this will save you a few quid! As a Post
grad student you are entitled to put in for up to 20
during the course of your studies.
Library and Sconul links

Sconul
http://www.access.sconul.
ac.uk/index_html
Sconul Application Form

http://www.access.sconul.
ac.uk/users_info/application_
html
Inter Library Loan FAQ

http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/
services/interlibraryfaq1.htm
UEL Library for CITE

http://uellibraryscot.blogspot.
com/
Ellas blog about finding
learning resources, as well
engineering and technology
links.
Electronic Journal Access

Academic journals are an essential resource for
reading and research at this level.Luckily you
can access many articles and journals electronically
without leaving the house. Athens is your passport to
access electronic journals. You will receive an Athens
login and password from UEL.
There are several ways to access electronic journal
articles with Athens:
If you know which journal contains the article you
want then you can check if UEL subscribes to it
using their find an E Journal service. Then you
can link through to that journal and sign in via
Athens.
If you want to search for an article about a
particular subject it is best to use an academic
or research search engine. Sign in using Athens
login.Some search engines are EBSCO, Web
of Knowledge, Science Direct, OVID, and OCLC
FirstSearch (URLs given above). This will usually
give you results for all journal articles on that topic.
UEL are not subscribed to every journal; you will
need to select the ones you can get access to.
Electronic journal links

UEL: Find an e-Journal
http://verde.uel.ac.uk:3210/
sfxlcl3/az/?lang=eng
EBSCO
http://search.ebscohost.com/
Web of Knowledge
https://auth.athensams.
net/?ath_dspid=ISI.PHL&ath_re
turl=http%3A%2F%2Fisiknowle
dge.com%2F%3F
Science Direct
http://www.sciencedirect.com
OVID
http://ovidsp.ovid.com/athens
OCLC FirstSearch
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/
More on e-Journals on UEL
Plus
My UEL Plus > AEES (DL) 2010-11 - Learning Resources >
Electronic journals and Athens
access
Sams guide to using Athens
you will need an Athens password and username you

LLFirst,
receive these from UEL after enrolment. If you dont have them
or they stop working, please contact the following people at UEL,

explaining you are distance learning students off-campus:
Robert Anderson 020 8223 7842 r.n.anderson@uel.ac.uk

Nathan Newey 020 8223 7420 n.newey@uel.ac.uk
There are a number of helpful things on UEL plus to get you started
once you have your password:
A spreadsheet of most of the journals relevant to the course to which
UEL subscribe.
A link to UELs find an e-journal search, allowing you to check if any
other journals are subscribed to by UEL.
If UEL do subscribe to the journal, the search results should give you
a link to access it keep your eyes sharp for opportunities to login
to Athens at all times they appear in various different places on
different sites and will avoid you running into requests for payments!
There is also a basic introduction on how to find journal articles using
academic search engines.
The above should be enough to get you

started, but perhaps letting you into my
preferred method of finding journals
might be useful:
When you have a broad subject in
mind, take a look at what journal
titles UEL subscribe to that might be
relevant - there is a spreadsheet of
some of the more obvious ones on
UEL Plus.
look on UEL
@@Also
Plus for:
The Athens and
e-Journal Practical
A video showing how
to use Google to
search for an article,
find it, log in to Athens,
and download it to your
computer
Use an academic search site to

look for articles specific to the topic
you are researching, you will need
to use your Athens login. My favourite is the Web of Knowledge, but
Science Direct is also good and covers most, but not all journals UEL
subscribe to. Both allow you to login to Athens.
It will take a while to get used to - sometimes searches are too narrow
and come up with nothing, sometimes they come back with thousands.
You can narrow down the results by excluding the obscure journals, just
getting the most recent ones etc.
When it seems the search is coming back with things that look relevant
and interesting have a check to see if you can access them - either by
clicking on the UEL button below the article or making a note of the
journal title (plus issue number, date, volume etc) then checking with the
UEL catalogue on the Web of Knowledge website.
If you are not having any luck with the searching for specific articles, it
can be good to have a look for a journal title which you think is really
relevant to the subject and then have a look through several issues
contents pages to see if anything takes your fancy.
Watch the video on UEL Plus showing how to find e-Journals
Appendix 4: Detailed Essay Guidance

Essay planning: further thoughts
In this section we offer three different methods for planning good
essays.
a) Damians river method
Here, you have your question at the left and you are going to construct
the river which flows smoothly and confidently towards the answer at the
right.
The planning consists of your placing the tributaries of data and

argument at key points along the way. Here data is whatever kinds of
information you want to use, suitably analysed. Argument consists of
your ideas and opinions of previous authors, suitably evaluated.
Organise the data and the argument around the simple Reasons for
saying yes [or suggesting option x, or whatever your question demands]
and Reasons for saying no [or suggesting option y . . . . ]
b) Damians matrix method.
Not all essays are susceptible to this method, but usually at least some
of the essay will be.
Where there are a number of areas to be discussed, and similar criteria
to examine them, you can use a table like the one below, with topics/
areas/alternatives, etc down the side, and criteria along the top.
In this example, we have part of a discussion as to the relative merits
of four popular desserts as partial solutions to some aspect of climate
change.
You will have decided that this part of the essay can have, say 800
words. If each box in the matrix is of roughly equal importance (you
can adjust for that if not), you simply have to do the research, and the
thinking, in order to ensure that you have 50 words or so for each box, ie
50 dealing with the capital costs of egg custards, for the expected future
technology of apple pies, and so on.
This method brings several advantages: it ensures that you cover the ground: comprehensiveness is very
important, and
it ensures that you spend only the time needed to find, or work out,
what to say, for each box, that is, you dont spend too much on one
part, finding lots of material you have no space for.
Capital
cost
Running
cost
Technology
now
Technology
in 10 years
Egg custards
Apple pies
Chocolate
cakes
Syrup sponges
c) Kelvins parts and relations method

A good question will drive the essay and give it structure.
If you dont use the question itself as the essay title, it should be
straight forward to come up with an appropriate title from a good
question.
Once you have a topic that interests you, come up with a question
that you really want answered one to which an answer is neither
obvious nor impossible
The essay question needs to be challenging but manageable (this
can be a difficult balance to find!)
Avoid questions that elicit yes or no answers or which can only
result in an expression of the authors opinion, e.g. Should Britain
have nuclear power?
How questions tend to focus the essay on the real world.
To keep the topic manageable, ensure essay questions contain only
2 parts and 1 relation.
Example
Topic: The sustainable city
You now need to make the topic manageable and grounded in reality
in this case by locating the city: Oxford.
Then you interrogate the topic: How could Oxford become a
sustainable city?
We now have 2 parts Oxford and the sustainable city
And we have 1 relation (verb if you like) become.
Thus we can readily derive sub questions (and hence structure) [your
sub questions might be different]:
What is a sustainable city? (a discussion of theories, arriving
at a working definition or set of ctiteria)
What is typical and what is unique about Oxford in the
context of the question? (i.e. where the city is, who lives
there, any progressive history)
How does Oxford need to change to become sustainable?
Who can change Oxford? (i.e. what is the reality or
possibility - of become): international agreements? national
or local government,? Commerce? citizen initiatives?
Once you have a reasonably manageable question and some subquestions, begin to consider research methods and sources of data.
A literature review is usually unavoidable: in the case of this example
involving theories of sustainability and the city and how these notions
have been combined. Ideally, it would be nice if some research had
been done, even quite similar research in other places, but not the
same research! In other words, you want to be looking for a question
that addresses a gap in our knowledge.
To contextualize Oxford and to research what changes need to
be made to approach sustainability, it might be possible to do a
comparative analysis with another city using criteria derived from
the literature review.
To research who could change Oxford, you might look for
documented (archival) accounts of radical change in history (e.g. in
war time). Or you might interview key informants (MP, councillors,
prominent citizens) There are numerous ways that a (valid) view
could be derived though probably not from a statement of the
authors own opinion!
Essay titles: scoring clarity and focus

Below are a range of essay questions that have been tackled by recent
students. This is not so that you can reuse them though you may but
so that you can see them scored according to the three most important
criteria. These scores were agreed between three of our tutors.
The idea is that you can learn from this exercise and then apply it to
your essay-question development. During this process you should strive
to maximise clarity, focus and facilitation of discussion in your essay
question.
Frame your essay title as a question, then ask yourself these key things:
1. Have you got enough material of sound academic origin on which
to base assertions of fact and from which to derive argument? Read
around to find this before finally refining a title.
2. Is the meaning of the title clear? Read it to someone and ask Can
you see any ambiguities there?
3. Is it a question which allows multiple perspectives (or different
arguments, or emphases, or approaches to an answer). In other
words, does it facilitate a balanced discussion?
4. Is it focused enough to be feasible in 2000 words? If there is a
danger that it covers too wide an area, dont do it.
This is a highly nuanced decision to make: clearly one can do a good
essay on a wide question, at the expense of depth, or vice versa on a
narrow question, at the expense of breadth. Whatever you do, be careful
to be specific and focused.
Look for a title of interest to you in the table that follows, and see if you
can see why it received the scores that it did. You can judge for yourself
whether you agree with our view, but you must get as clear, as focused
and as full of discussion as you can.
If you have the academic resources to answer your possible question,
and it is a bit like one of these, look at the score under each heading,
and, if one of the scores is below 8, try to make it more clear, or focused,
or able to sustain arguments, whichever needs improving.
By the way... there are a small number of ways in which an essay
can go wrong at the title stage, and a great number in which it can be
excellent, and how you handle the question is extremely important. Vive
la Difference is a good principle: I hope you can make use of this advice
initially, and then go on to develop your own unique ways of framing a
good question and then ways of planning and writing the essay itself.
Note: for those that scored below 8, try to think of why we scored it so,
and of ways it might be improved.
Title/question
Is the
meaning
clear?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
Can Vernacular Architecture in the Tropics assist

with Contemporary Passive Ventilation Design in
Domestic Buildings?
Does it
offer a
discussion of
arguments or
emphases?
On a scale of
1 - 10
Is it
focused
enough?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
8.5
8.5
6.5
Is a light pipe the solution to many lighting

problems?
6.5
7.5
Is LEED better than BREEAM?
6.5
7.5
5.5
Are airtight housing designs the way ahead for

healthy homes?
8.5
8.5
5.5
What makes for good sustainable architecture?
4.5
8.5
8.5
2.5
2.5
7.5
Can the land hungry subdivision play a role

in creating sustainable communities in New
Zealand?
5.5
7.5
Connectedness to nature: is this necessarily

a casualty of the move towards a sealed
architectural environment?
6.5
7.5
6.5
Could we possibly think of processing waste

in individual houses so that you are producing
fertiliser? [Sir David King]
Natures Little Secret - Could Tourism in the

British Virgin Islands become substantially more
Environmentally Sustainable?
How should we prioritise the principles

suggested by Smith in her paper on sustainable
architecture? Comment: Still big, but an alternative
to the previous question.
What should households do about water?

Which, if any, of the water-saving devices and
processes offered commercially should USA
householders adopt? Comment: alternative to the
previous question.
Title/question
Is the
meaning
clear?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
Could the Application of Solar Hot Water

Technology Contribute Significantly to CO2
Emissions Reductions within the UK Domestic
sector by 2050?
Does it
offer a
discussion of
arguments or
emphases?
On a scale of
1 - 10
9 - IF theres a
real discussion,
weighing up
the yes and no
arguments, and
acknowledging
complexity.
Is it
focused
enough?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
9.5
4.5 -
How effective can retrofitted natural cooling and

ventilation systems be in existing non-domestic
buildings?
Should UK building regulations Part L be

tightened up over the next 5 years, and if so,
how?
How far is energy efficient lighting from

becoming a reality in China and India?
6.5
6.5
5.5
5.5
8.5
7.5
7.5
8.5
7.5
7 - If terms
defined and
argument lines
drawn up clearly
7.5
Is micro generation using wind likely to become

a reality in the UK in the near future? Comment:
Speculations on the future are dodgy; strictly the

answer to this is Well, it might but we cannot know
What are the main barriers in the way of the

implementation of micro-wind in UK now, and
how might they be removed? Comment: An
Effective can
be dodgy, so
needs defining
at the start.
alternative to the previous question.
Rethinking Rubble: Can zero-waste become a

reality in the UK construction industry?
Should we Generate Energy From Waste?
To what extent can the Eco Home assessment

tool be useful for the assessment of existing
housing stock?
7 - But define
terms at the
start
Title/question
Is the
meaning
clear?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
Does it
offer a
discussion of
arguments or
emphases?
On a scale of
1 - 10
Is it
focused
enough?
On a scale
of 1 - 10
To what extent does Listed Building status

hamper the implementation of energy demandreduction measures?
7.5
7.5
What are the main potential problems for

householders installing their own microgenerating equipment, and how can we solve
them?
7.5
8.5
5.5
8 - IF right
is defined at
start.
7.5
8 - BUT
speculation is
dodgy: avoid if
possible.
6.5
Does the UK governments advice on home

improvement for energy efficiency, as put in
Energy Saving Trust publicity, have the right
emphases and detail?
What about energy from coal?
How could UK Coal become economically viable
again? Comment: alternative to previous question
Sample Essay marksheet

Download and complete the boxes marked * on one of these marksheets for every essay you
submit. In the signature box, your initials are sufficient.
Marksheets area on UEL Plus
My UEL Plus > AEES (DL) - 2009-10 - Induction, Information and Help > Information and Help >
Marksheets
CAT GSE MSc AEES by DL
Coursework Assessment: Essay
Complete all fields *:

* Student name:
* Module number:
* Student number:
* Module date:
* Name of tutor:
* Date submitted:
I have read and abide by the plagiarism declaration: signature or initial:-
Mark
A: Introduction: How the topic relates to the

module, & why this specific Q. is important
B: Structure, clarity & referencing
Section comments
E
L
P
M
A
S
i) Structure: Plan and construct in a logical sense
ii) Clarity: clear understanding, beginning to end
iii) Referencing: Provide adequate references

showing that information used can be verified
C: Analysis, evidence & argument
i) Relevant data from appropriate sources
10
ii) This data adequately and objectively analysed
15
iii) Adequate use, in weight and range, of work

produced by other authors or organisations
10
iv) These sources fully appraised critically
15
D: Creativity & innovation: An original or

creative question, or approach to the topic
10
E: Conclusion
i) Summary of the case made
ii) Limitations of the essay
iii) Implications of the case made for existing

orthodoxy
iv) Implications ref future research required
F: Word count penalty : If length not within

10% of that required, total reduced by 5 marks
Total
Other comments:
*
* Word count:-
* Title of essay:
Essay received [date]:
Examiners name:
Signature:
Second Marker, check for plagiarism and that 1st marker is marking to appropriate standard:
Essay received [date]:-
Examiners name:
Signature:
Essay marksheet guidelines

Maximising your mark on the essay marking scheme
The self-check questions on the next few pages follow the sections
of the marking scheme, and explain what the essay marking scheme
is looking for. This is so that you can ensure that you cover the
ground fully. As a rule of thumb, devote numbers of words to sections
A, C, D and E roughly proportionately to the marks available.
Do not worry if it seems difficult to respond to every section of the
marking scheme in detail, but do ensure that you offer something.
Plagiarism: If you are in doubt on this issue, please re-read the
document Academic Integrity Leaflet and the guidelines referred
to, and if still in doubt, consult your tutor. On every marksheet for
coursework, you must sign or initial the plagiarism declaration; it
reads as follows:I confirm that no part of this assignment, except where clearly
quoted and referenced, has been copied from material belonging to any other person, eg from a book, the internet, handout,
another student. I am aware that it is a breach of UEL regulations to copy the work of another without clear acknowledgement and that attempting to do so renders me liable to disciplinary proceedings.
Note here that copied is taken to include paraphrased.
Flexibility for the tutor marking, in section C:
The marking scheme is to be used strictly, insofar as it can be
applied. It will cover almost all essays, but there is flexibility. Where
the scheme does not fit exactly, the marker will indicate which
categories were not used, and which new one(s) were introduced,
with maximum marks attached to each. For example, this may
happen when the essay is based partly on an experiment or a
modelling exercise. Remember, though, that essays must contain
substantial sections of critical analysis.
Self-check questions
The section headings and subheadings here refer to the same headings
in the mark sheet.
A: Introduction [5 marks]
Have I explained how the topic/question/problem relates to an
important element in the module?
Have I defined my terms?
Have I explained why this is a question worth answering?
Have I stated briefly the structure of the answer to the
question?
B: Structure, clarity, referencing [15 marks]

i) Structure [5 marks]
Structure refers to how the piece is ordered.

Does the structure used make sense logically?
Does the structure used suit what I am trying to say?
Does the structure used use enough separate paragraphs, and
subsections, with headings, where needed?
ii) Clarity [5 marks]
Will the reader be able to go from beginning to end clearly

understanding everything I say?
Will the reader find that every sentence really is a sentence?
Will the reader not get confused by unnecessary or over-large
illustrations?
iii) Referencing [5 marks]
See the notes above and the guidance supplied on plagiarism.

Am I sure I am not plagiarising?
Have I given, fully, Harvard system references for every major
use of someone elses data or arguments?
C: Analysis, evidence & argument [50 marks]

i) sufficient relevant data or other factual support [10 marks]
The relevant data or other factual support referred to here in C i) is: data/other factual support which you generate yourself, by
observation, experiment etc or
which you gather, from officially published material [ie ostensibly
factual data] or
which you adduce from ostensibly known facts, common
knowledge.
Have I offered enough relevant data or other factual support to
support both/all sides of a balanced discussion?
Have I avoided simply advocating one argument, technology,
or process?
Have I that is, have I included sufficient countering data and
argument?
Have I made clear why whatever I include is relevant?
ii) quality of the critical input on the data/factual support used [15
marks]
On the relevant data or other factual support::-
Have I analysed it sufficiently [ie examined it in detail]?

Have I applied my critical faculties to it sufficiently?
This means saying something about the key points - at least as

rhetorical questions, and preferably more substantial - along these lines: How robust is the data?
Who actually produced it?
Did they have a vested interest [especially if government or
other partial source]?
Even if the intentions are flawless, are there possible
inaccuracies?
Are there possible omissions?
Are there unstated assumptions?
iii) adequacy, in weight and range, of the use made of pre-existing
work [10 marks]
The relevant data or other factual support referred to here in C iii) is
material published by academics especially. You could also use material
from commercial and industrial interests in pursuit of arguments.
Have I offered enough evidence and/or argument from
academic work to support both/all sides of a balanced
discussion?
Have I made it clear why it is relevant?
iv) quality of the critical input on the pre-existing sources used [15
marks]
On the academic and other published material...: Have I analysed it sufficiently [ie examined it in detail]?
Have I applied my critical faculties to it sufficiently?
This means that you offer evaluative comment on the material that you
use. These will include the sorts of points made above in C ii), but also:
In the case of academic work:
is it relevant directly or only indirectly?
is it based on wide and deep research, or on less solid
foundations?
is there any special reason to respect these findings or
arguments [or not to]
In the case of material originating from industry or commerce:
what vested interest might they have?
would they know anyway?
who paid them to do it [some academic papers are actually

bought and paid for]?
what are they not saying / examining?
could the data be interpreted differently?
D: Creativity and innovation [10 marks]
Dont worry: your question does not have to be earth-shatteringly
previously-unheard-of. Very few are! Its a matter of degree, and if your
question is interesting in any way, youre part-way there. And you will
be more likely to find an at least slightly interesting question the more
scoping reading you do in the topic, before deciding what the question
is.
Ask yourself:
Have I chosen as original or creative question as question as
I can?
Whatever my question, have I approached it in as innovative a
way as I can, or at least with a range of interesting arguments
and individual angles?
E: Conclusion [20 marks]:

i) Summary [5 marks]
Have I stated, very briefly, the main points of the essay?
Have I offered a concise resolution of the question/problem
posed at the beginning?
ii) Limitations [5 marks]
What might be said to be the weaknesses of this essay?
For example:-
lack of time [not words1] to find ways of going into more

depth;
inaccessibility of data or discursive material which would
have helped;
doubts about the logic of some of the steps in your
arguments;
lack of focus, if you found that youd wandered off the strict
path dictated by the question;
uncertainties about the relevance of your own or pre-existing
evidence.
1 The word limit cannot feature here, so not The word limit didnt allow me to discuss
x. Your job is to choose a question and approach which can be done in the words
available: it is not a weakness of this essay that it was not about something else.
iii) Implications, existing orthodoxy [5 marks]

Orthodoxies can be thought of as widely held views or as what
is taken to be common sense. There can be several of these, on
both or all sides of a discussion. They can be academic or industrial,
conventional and green, commercial and moral, political and economic.
For example, in the field of domestic water heating, it might be said that
there are these orthodoxies:The cheapest option is the preferred one
Solar power is always and everywhere the best option
Solar energy is not a good economic idea in temperate climates
Solar panels supply is in the hands of cowboys
Biomass should become the main way of providing this need
Your job in this section is to offer thoughts on a range of orthodoxies
relevant to your discussion. That means that you suggest, for each,
where parts of the essay, or its conclusion, give us reasons to think that: the orthodoxy needs to be questioned, or
the orthodoxy is confirmed or strengthened, or
the orthodoxy requires further thinking.
iv) Implications, research [5 marks]
There will be gaps in the data, and/or uncertainties in the arguments,
and/or the need for new ideas.
In this section you suggest which aspects of the topic data, logic,
argument might benefit from further research, and of what kind?
For example: we need to know x about y
before we can be confident about a we need to know more
about b
it would be useful to test the logic of the argument of Smith,
by researching on x
things change over time, and research xyz is out of date: we
need new figures
the research on abc is only partially relevant, not exactly to
the point: the field would benefit from specific new knowledge
on this..
Appendix 5: Detailed Presentation Guidance

Presentations: information and guidelines
aim of the Distance Learning Presentation is for you to

LLThe
demonstrate your ability to use visual aids effectively, that you have
thought through how the presentation would best be delivered and
that you can present your ideas coherently.
The learning outcome is to develop the skills necessary to make a
successful public presentation either in person or electronically.
DDIt should be designed to be deliverable within 10 minutes.

topic of your presentation derives from other work done within
DDThe
the module, i.e. in most cases, the essay or report. You choose
whether to try to convey all the information and argument involved,

or (often better) to concentrate on a part.
format of the submission is one PowerPoint presentation

DDThe
file integrating the visual aids and illustrations you would use and
written explanations of how you would make use of them in a

physical situation (e.g. tones of voice, movements, props, prompts
to audiences, questions) known as the How I would present notes.
These notes should take around 100-300 words.
Instructions for submitting DL presentations

You submit two files: the presentation slides
the marksheet
a) the presentation slides - with How I would present notes.
The first slide of the set of images must be your details: Title,
Unit, Date of unit, date of presentation, your name, number &
seminar group tutor.
The second slide, if appropriate, should include generic
How I would present information relevant to the whole
presentation.
The third slide should be an introduction, and the second-last
a conclusion.
The last one should be a references list, if any. There will
be a list if you have used images or text which needed to be
referenced, and you will have done so in Harvard style.
This will give you exactly what you would want to show to an
audience: a single PowerPoint file, in which each slide is as it
would appear on screen to the audience. The How I would present
this slide ie what you would be doing at this point - should be in

the Notes Page section of each slide.
Notes on what you would say are not strictly needed: you must
judge whether the tutor would need to know about this in order to
understand what he/she is seeing on the slide.
If submitting by email [which you will only do IF the UEL Plus

submission method failed], ensure your presentation file is no
larger than 5MB. Anything larger may not get through our systems
and cannot be received by email.
b) The marksheet.
There is the latest Word .doc template on UEL Plus [check that you
have the latest one]. If there are any problems downloading this,
it is also obtainable from the Student Support Officers. You must
complete all the details at the top.
Where and how to submit:
Please use the UEL Plus assignment tool to submit your work. E.g. You
would submit a C1 presentation by following this route:
My UEL Plus > AEES (DL) - CEM150 C1 - Mar 2011 > Assignments > C1/
CEM150 presentation
Presentation Marksheet, Student Guidelines: Self-check questions

The section headings and subheadings here refer to the same headings
in the mark sheet.
Section a): Quality of visual aids [15/40 marks]:
Have I produced enough?
Is there a visual, where appropriate (N.B. it sometimes isnt) for each
key fact or idea?
Are they good enough?
Aim for clarity, good combination of pictures and words, no clutter. etc.
Have they the right content, overall?
Do they tell the story fully, and fully understandably?
Have they the right content, individually?
Does each one convey exactly what it should?
Have I avoided having too many words on each slide?
If its more than ten, think edit.
Have I avoided having small text on any slide?
Aim for 24pt minimum, rule of thumb
Where an imported diagram/graph etc has tiny text, have I
dealt with this problem?
Section b): Structure and organization [15/40]:

Has it got a proper introduction, saying what its about, and a
conclusion?
Do I give the audience advance organisers, so they know
what to look/listen out for, to guide them?
Do the audience know where they are at all times?
Is the information [text, oral and visual] all in the right order?
Does it seem to hang together, ie come across as coherent?
Section c): How I would present this to a real audience [10/40]:

This can be done in 100 words, though you can write more if you
wish. The task is, overall, to explain how you would would go about
maximising the impact of the text and pictures, in front of a real
audience. This means: What would you do? You do not need to
describe what you would say, explain, discuss, point out, etc.
For example, how would my actions enhance clarity of delivery, and the
impact I have on the audience, by the use of:
Drawing attention to picture/text relationships [and physically
how?]
Variations of voice [loud vs. quiet? use of pauses? etc]
Humour
Movement
Questioning
Doing other things, e.g. visual aids or handouts
Body language
General advice:
Few is good; simple is wonderful... Put in as few words per slide
as will do the job. Dont put more on because its DL: the tutor will
assume what you would be saying to support the images, or will read
your notes. We judge it as a presentation, looking at what appears
on the screen. So, no sentences are required; bullet points are better.
Go to another slide rather than over-filling this one.
Include images on a large number of your slides. Find a way of using
pictures, graphs, etc. Even if your material seems to be entirely
verbal (and it probably isnt as much as you might assume) there
are clever, or funny, or provocative, ways of making it more visually
interesting, even if this is only arranging the words differently, in a
diagram of some sort.
Equally, dont put too many images on one slide, overwhelming the
viewer.
Beware clever background patterns and colours which obscure your

masterwork
To summarise: these are good: simplicity, variety, care for the viewer.
These are bad: excess words, over-complexity, over-stuffedness.
Examples of How I would Present Information
Not all of these are brilliant, but and all have some very good points,
highlighted in italics, and there are a lot of possibly-useful pointers.
Check which one(s) seem good to you, against the criteria Ive been
mentioning . . . .
What you would DO;
Many different things;
Specific to YOUR presentation.
Example One
I will point out that questions are welcome at any time. Find out
what the audience knows about the subject so far.
Mention a little about the history of lighting. Show the old gas lamp,
incandescent bulb, fluorescent tube, low energy bulb which are in
the props box.
Save the lightpipe for later.
Go through the logic of making the decision about the use of a light
pipe.
Explain the layout of the barn in plan.
And elevation. The height of the ceiling needs to be emphasised.
Before showing the slide encourage the audience to suggest points
particularly relevant to this site, that must be considered for the
lighting.
Suitable leading questions may be needed here.
Set the audience into groups, with the necessary information
sheets for calculations, and make them calculate how many lights
would be needed, together with the cost.
Then explain the duration that the lights would be needed for the
people using the barn. (No discussion here as it is not the most
exciting of subjects)
Before the slide is displayed get out the sunpipe demonstration
unit. Put up slide and mention that the pipes come in different
sizes.
Display this slide while the audience is looking at and dismantling
the demonstration unit.
Start a discussion Is it all down to money? Does the best always

cost the most?
Keep an eye on the time and curtail the discussion as appropriate.
Now show the sky tunnel demonstration unit and ask for comments
about its comparison with the sunpipe.
Ask if there is a noticeable difference in quality and then display
this slide.
Adjust the information from slide 8 to allow for the addition of a light
pipe and redo the calculation.
Show the payback time for the installation of the two different light
pipes and lead the discussion to decide if a light pipe should be
installed or not.
Enthuse about the fact that decisions should not be based on
finances alone.
There are some things that money can not buy!
Dont forget a quick recap and any questions
Example 2
General introduction, find out who is in the group and what their
backgrounds are. Explain that audience participation is required.
With heading only showing ask if the group know who Sir David
King is depending on the answers explain with next bullet. Ask
if the group know about trade magazines, what is their opinion of
them? Have they seen the article referred to in this presentation?
Outline the article with bullet points and explain that he is looking
towards 2036.
With caption and 1st bullet showing ask for ideas of major changes
in house design since the 1920s. If no suggestion of sanitation and
water ask leading questions to encourage thoughts about these 2
subjects. Fly in bullets as appropriate to discussion.
With previous slide still showing ask the group if they know where
most of Englands rubbish goes. When some one says landfill show
next slide. If they do not say it then tell them and show slide. Ask
them if they like the image on the slide. Then put up the question,
give time for a debate and then show the emphasised answer.
(Previously several small but full waste bins will have been
collected from around the area). Issue all with gloves and get them
to see how much in the bins could be recycled or composted. Once
cleaned and tied then show slide with pie charts. Point out that
59% is biodegradable.
Give a high level overview of MBT process. Point to the
comparison of the MBT plant and landfill image on the earlier
slide. Question whether the plants could be made on a small

enough scale. Encourage debate about the speed of technological
advances use of PCs at home is a good comparison think
about 30 years ago they hardly existed!
Talk through the MBT process slide, and then ask the group to
think of other ways that the waste could be sorted hopefully they
will say by humans at the right point finish the slide animation
with removal of mechanical process and replacement with human
process.
With heading only up, walk across the room talk about composting
toilets in general. Then bring up the bullet points and talk about
dehydrating and the anaerobic/aerobic differences.
With heading only explain that given the technological advances
that happen in 30 years that a domestic system is a possibility.
Bring components of slide on and talk about the overall idea.
Mention cellar space being utilised for renewable energy solutions
for the home.
Ask the group what their opinion is of non-networked housing and
ask them what they think the general public opinion would be of
domestic systems that would produce compost. Would they use it
themselves? Do they think the general population would use them?
With picture added introduce the influence of Television as a way
to change public opinion.
Suggest that financial pressure would help change public opinion
in the same way that water usage in homes with water meters has
gone down.
Suggest that changes to legislation would be the way to ensure
mew buildings and renovations introduce this technology.
Ask for any questions.
Example 3
The presenter introduces herself and points out that questions
are welcome at any time. Find out what the audience thinks
airtightness means.
Ask the audience how long they could go without food, water or air.
Show the answers. Question why with air being so important we
take such little care with its quality.
Find out how many people in the room either have asthma or know
someone who does. Explain about dust mites. Ask if the conditions
in the room are likely to be friendly to mites.
Find out the audiences thoughts on damp and cold homes. Do
they know of anyone living in these conditions? If so what is their
health like?
Wander over to the door and prop it open. Notes how long it takes
for those close to it to get uncomfortable. Turn the radiator up and
likewise note the comfort of those close to it.
Ask the audience to describe what a home built in 1900 is likely to
be made of.
Similarly ask about homes built in 2006. Explain VOCs. Hand
out the timber, plaster and plastic examples for people to feel.
How much condensation do they think would lie on the different
surfaces.
Explain about the pressure difference caused by the wind and
where the cold green air will ingress and the warm red air will
escape from a leaky home.
Ask the audience if draughts or hot spots are affecting any one.
Find out how they feel.
Explain how natural ventilation works ask why the building would
have to be airtight for it to be effective.
Hand out the samples for the audience to look at. Explain how
mechanical ventilation works ask why the building would have to
be airtight for it to be effective.
Describe a simple heat recovery system as could be found in a
kitchen.
Ask if the audience can see why effective ventilation will improve
air quality and so the health of the occupants. Have any of them
experienced the effects of poor air quality? Do they have a
preference for natural or mechanical?
Talk about Super E as an example of an airtight build. How do the
features on this slide compare to the places that the audience live
in?
Re-iterate the conclusion having shut the door and turned down
the radiator.
Dont forget a quick recap and any questions
Sample Presentation marksheet

Download and complete the boxes marked * on one of these marksheets for every
presentation you submit. In the signature box, your initials are sufficient.
Marksheets
CAT GSE MSc AEES by

DL
Coursework Assessment:
Presentation

* Student name:
* Student number
E
L
P
M
A
S
* Module number:
* Module date
* Personal tutors name
* Submission date
I have read, and abide by, the plagiarism declaration
* Signature:
* Presentation title
[brief version]:
Mark
Out of
A: Quality of visual aids
15
B: Structure/organisation
15
C: How I would present
10
Total
= %
Other comments:
Presn received [date]:
Section comments
Examiners name:
Signature:
Presn received [date]:-
Examiners name:
Signature:
Reducing PowerPoint file size

Option 1
Save your original photos as small JPEG files and replace the large high
quality ones.
Option 2
Compress the pictures within PowerPoint as below:
1. Right click on one of the pictures in the presentation so it gives you a
list of options
2. Click on the format picture option which gives you another dialogue
box
3. Click on the tab that says picture
4. Click on the button on that tab that says compress
5. This then gives you the option of compressing every single picture in
the presentation, to either print or web resolution, and deleting all the
cropped bits (which are otherwise remembered).
This can take powerpoints down from 15-20 MB to less than 2MB, and it
takes you less than a minute to do.
Option 3
Compress the entire presentation:
1. In PowerPoint, choose Save As... from the File menu.
2. When the Save As window comes up press the Options button,
where you can compress all the graphics files in the presentation.
Appendix 6: Detailed Critique of Paper Guidance

Critique of paper marksheet
Download and complete the boxes marked * on one of these marksheets for every critique of
paper you submit. In the signature box, your initials are sufficient.
Marksheets
CAT GSE MSc AEES by DL Coursework Assessment: Critique of paper

* Student name:
* Module number:
* Student number:
* Module date:
* Name of tutor:
* Date submitted:
E
L
P
M
A
S
I have read and abide by the plagiarism declaration: signature or initial:* Title of paper:
* Word count:-
Mark / Out of
A: Factual summary:
ii) the data or other factual material adduced
iii) the arguments used
B: Contextualisation: Connections between the topic of the paper & the module
i) Structure
10
ii) Data: adequacy and relevance
20
iii) Argument: logic, clarity, implications,

assumptions, omissions
30
D: Conclusion
i) overall judgement of the case made
ii) implications for discussions in the field
iii) further research required
10
E: Word count penalty
Total
Section comments
i) the problem or question being addressed
C: Critique
Other comments:
Critique received [date]:
Examiners name:
Signature:
Essay received [date]:-
Examiners name:
Signature:
Maximising your mark on the Critique of Paper marking

scheme
The self-check questions in this section follow the sections of the
Critique marking scheme, and explain what it is looking for, so you
can ensure that you cover the ground fully. As a rule of thumb, devote
numbers of words to sections A, B, C and D roughly proportionate to the
marks available.
Wide reading: for a high quality critique, you need to read around the
topic of the paper, and to use what you find in your discussion. This
will be data that confirms or queries the data in the paper, arguments
which support or undermine the authors, other approaches and ways of
thinking about the topic, etc.
Plagiarism: If you are in doubt on this issue, please re-read chapter
10, Academic Integrity, and if still in doubt, consult your tutor. On
every marksheet for coursework, you must sign or initial the plagiarism
declaration, which is also given in chapter 10.
Tips for reading academic papers

The function of the abstract is to summarise
the whole paper, giving the reader an idea
of what to expect in terms of subject matter,
methodological/ theoretical approach and
conclusions.
Journal articles tend to follow a fairly
standard format of abstract, introduction
(including wider context), brief literature
review, methods / research approach,
presentation and/or discussion of findings,
conclusion.
Secondary data and literary reviews are a
source of data which can be analysed and
used to make an argument that is potentially
just as valid as those made with primary
data/ research.
Diagrams and figures without a listed
source can be assumed to belong to the
author(s).
Academic papers can take a relatively
long time (1 to 3 years potentially) to get
published, worth bearing in mind!
It is common practice to list the more
experienced/ most published author as the
lead author.
Tips on writing the critique

Section Ci) on Structure, unlike the
essay assignments, is a section that
you need to write. Here we expect
comments on whether the paper
under critique is well structured.
Consider the following:
Is the structure suitable for the
kind of argument being made?
Are all the sections in the right
places?
How easy is it to read?
Try to concentrate your critique on
examining the key arguments and
data you identify in section A. Smaller
details like labels on diagrams,
formatting etc might be worth a small
mention, but should not form your
main argument.
Check you are not making the same
mistakes as the papers authors! So,
is there enough evidence to support
your argument? Is your argument
consistent and logical?
Self-check questions
The section headings here are the same headings as on the mark sheet.
A: Factual summary [15%]
Note that this section is a factual summary: your opinions or evaluative
comments are not needed here.
i) The problem or question being addressed [5]
What is the papers starting question, hypothesis, or problem?
What is the paper actually about? Not What is everything it says? but
What is at the centre of it?.
ii) The data or other factual material adduced [5]

What data is offered by the paper?
What other factual material is offered by the paper?
What statements about other authors arguments are made in
the paper?
iii) The arguments used [5]

What the arguments used within the body of the paper and in
its conclusions?
That is, what supposed steps of logic are stated or assumed? For
example: The author(s) claim or imply that because a, therefore b;
The author(s) claim or imply that 123 shows that 456 should be
believed / accepted / acted upon;
The authors imply that x y - z is a logically necessary series of
steps.
B: Contextualisation [5%]
This is to do with the connections between topics in the module and the
topic of the paper. Mention as many of them as are relevant, and say: How does topic/question/problem x from the module relates to
topic/question/problem y in the module?
Which bits of the module are explained, clarified, elaborated
or questioned by the paper?
C: Critique [60%]
This is by far the most important part of the work, so ensure that you
devote the appropriate weight to it.
It is sometimes hard to separate perfectly the discussion of structure
from that of data and argument, and more so the discussion of data from
that of argument: just try to do so as much as possible!
It is in this section that the quality and depth of your discussion of
the paper will be enhanced by the ideas, comparisons of data and
argument, other perspectives and so on that you bring from your reading
around the topic. For example,

Smith relies on the data from Germany to argue xyz, but
Browns (2009) USA data is more relevant
or
Smiths point on embodied energy is interesting, but Jones

(2008) showed that there are more complex arguments here
than Smith seems to imply
i) Structure [10]
All thinking about the structure must be related to its appropriateness to
the purposes of the paper: Is the structure suitable to the sort of explanation or argument
given?
Is it internally coherent?
That is, are all the bits in the right places: do you get the information
and argument in the right order? Does it hang together?
Are the sections about the right length?
e.g. sometimes you get enormous introductions, or tiny sections which
arent long enough to get the data or arguments across
Does it help me to read the paper?
e.g. the relationship between text and graphic material
ii) Data: adequacy and relevance [20]

Firstly, in general, is the sort of evidence offered appropriate to the sort
of argument being put? For example, at the extreme, a philosophical
argument needs different kinds of evidence from a technical argument,
and discussion of the modelling of a physical phenomenon needs
different kinds again.
In particular: Is each piece of evidence offered relevant to the point
ostensibly being made?
Is each major point supported by enough data or factual
evidence?
Does each piece of evidence mean what the author says or
implies it means?
Where another authors work is cited, is it clear that that work
really does support the point being made?
iii) Argument: logic, clarity, implications, assumptions, omissions

[30]
Firstly, in general, are the arguments used along the way and at the
conclusion - convincing?
And then, in particular: Is each argument clear?
Is each major step of the paper a logical one?

Where balance is called for, is it provided?
For example, is the existence of possibly contradictory data or
conclusions acknowledged?
Are there unstated implications? If so, do they fit, or might
they undermine, the case?
What assumptions are made? Are they justified?
Are there unstated assumptions? If so is it OK for them to be
unstated? Are they warranted?
Does the author omit anything, conveniently or mistakenly?
D: Conclusion [20%]
i) Overall judgement of the case made [5]
Is the case made? Are you satisfied?
Explain why.
If there wasnt a case in the sense of an overall argument,
does the paper succeed, overall, in its aims?
ii) Implications for discussions in the field [5]

Discussions in the field means topics of current concern, questions
being asked, areas of research being pursued [or should be pursued], in
the field in which the topic of this paper sits. These might be obvious, or
you might need to have a look round in order to identify some of them.
For as many of them as possible, say:
What does the central point of this paper mean for it?
Does the paper support it? Contradict it? Show in a new light?
Do some assumptions have to change?
Is convention [or academic orthodoxy] confirmed?
iii) Further research required [10]

There are always ways in which new knowledge and argument would be
valuable.
Take a number of key bits of the paper data or argument - and for
each offer thoughts on:
what further research might be valuable
what kinds of research?
e.g. technical testing, basic science, computer modelling, social
research
what questions, or evidence, should the research investigate?
how might the arguments and data of the paper might benefit
from the research?
Appendix 7: Practical report feedback sheet

Download and complete the boxes marked * on one of these marksheets for every practical
report you submit. In the signature box, your initials are sufficient.
Marksheets
GSE, CAT, MSc Architecture AEES by DL: Formative Assessment Feedback: Practical
Student: please complete all the boxes in this section (perhaps also your feedback at the bottom): thank you!
Student name:
Module no & date:
Name of your tutor
Title of practical
Name of tutor who wrote the brief
E
L
P
M
A
S
I have read, and abide by, the plagiarism declaration
Signature:
NB The practical is assessed formatively. Therefore, writing a report is not compulsory for purposes of your course
marks and if you do submit a report, you are under no particular pressure to write it in any particular way.
We encourage you to organize the write-up according to the categories below, to practise good practice. An
indicative mark is given, just in case it is useful. The summary guidelines should help.
If youd like to offer feedback on the practical itself, please do so in the box at the bottom: thank you!
Category
Indicative
mark
A: Introduction
/10
B: Method
/10
C: Results
Brief section comments
/20
D: Clarity, structure
/10
Indicative overall mark
/50
Other comments:
Tutors name:
Signature
Date:
Summary Guidelines
Section A: Introduction: What are the ideas behind it? What is it supposed to show?
Section B: Method: What did you do? A brief, ordered account of the steps you went through.
Section D: Results:- What I have learned? Were results as expected? Are the results fully reliable? Why? / why not?
How do your results relate to the real world? Any recommendations for further research?
Section D: Clarity & structure:- Is it easily readable and followable? Have you included diagrams & graphs where appropriate?
Your feedback
Interesting
Useful
Brief clear?
Mark /10
Further comments
Discussion
board helpful?
GSE, CAT, MSc Architecture AEES by DL:
Formative Assessment Feedback:
Practical.
27 May 09
Appendix 8: Academic Offence Procedures

Academic Offences: definitions, how to avoid them, and
procedures
In the Graduate School of the Environment, and in UEL as in all
universities, the Assessment Offences of Plagiarism and Collusion
are not tolerated. They put your academic career at risk: once an
Assessment Offence has been confirmed, it will always result in
failure of a piece of work, and incur a penalty.
DD
This appendix is an amalgam of two documents, Academic

Integrity Leaflet updated for 2008-09 Text version and Academic
Offences, student notes.
If in doubt ALWAYS seek advice from your tutor.

A. Definitions: plagiarism and collusion
Plagiarism:In The Study Skills Handbook, Cottrell (2003) describes Plagiarism as:
using the work of others without acknowledging your source
of information or inspiration. This includes:
using words more or less exactly as they have been used
in articles, lectures, television programmes, books, or anywhere else
using other peoples ideas or theories without saying whose
ideas they are
paraphrasing what you read or hear without stating where it
comes from.
Even if you change words or sentences you have borrowed
or put them in a different order, the result is still plagiarism.
(Cottrell, 2003, p. 133)
Plagiarism can exist even if it is inadvertent: it is up to you to ensure that
you have not committed this offence.
Collusion
Collusion describes
the submission of work produced in collaboration for an assignment based on the assessment of individual work
(UEL 2007)
Academic staff will often encourage shared learning between students:
discussing ideas is not collusion. Collusion occurs when:
work that has been created together is submitted as a persons own
work, or
one person shares their work with others who submit part or all of it
as their own work
Collusion can exist even if it is inadvertent: it is up to you to ensure that
you have not committed this offence.
B. How to avoid Plagiarism and Collusion
The Study Skills Handbook (Cottrell 2003: 133-135) has many useful tips
on how to avoid plagiarism and collusion, including, among one or two
others:
Always write your preparatory notes in your own words, and record
exactly where the information came from
Avoid copying, but if you need to copy information into your notes to
use as a direct quote, write it in a different colour
Keep direct quotes brief, use sparingly, and always use quotation
marks
Keep a running list of all sources of data, ideas, argument
Always create a full list of references in work submitted for
assessment (including all website material)
Always use Harvard Referencing in all submitted coursework
Never use websites that write the essay for you.
Whatever discussions have happened between you and a fellow
student, ensure that everything you submit is your work only, and in
your words only.
C. Assessment Offences Procedure

An important distinction: It is extremely important for you to remember
that your tutor is there to help you. It may be that, in the course of
reading a draft piece of coursework that is, one submitted so that you
can receive advice before submitting a final version for assessment
your tutor feels the need to talk about your possibly, inadvertently,
being open to the suggestion of an assessment offence. The ensuing
discussion, about a draft, does not constitute an accusation of a formal
assessment offence.
The subsequent submission of work containing (for example) plagiarised
material, however, will trigger the proceedings outlined below.
1. Delegation of Functions
The Graduate School of the Environment has a Responsible Officer
under the UEL regulations, and the internal procedures followed in
the case of a suspected offence will mirror those of UEL on-campus
courses.
2. Procedure
If an offence is suspected by a tutor reading submitted coursework:i) S/he informs the Module Leader and the GSE Responsible Person
(equivalent of the UEL School Registrar);
The Responsible Person is for the time being Joan Randle,
Courses Director, CAT.
ii) The student is informed;
iii) The Module Leader (ML) determines whether there is a prima facie
case of an assessment offence;
iv) If no in iii) above, the student is informed, and no further action is
taken;
v) If yes in iii) above, the ML checks whether there has been a
previous offence, in which case the procedures are more rigorous
and the level of penalty may be more arduous;
vi) If yes in iii) above, and no previous offence, a School Meeting
is held with the student. This can (and probably would] be
electronically conducted.
The student is shown the offence, reminded of the regulations, and
may be asked questions about the work and the sources of it.
vii) If an offence is admitted, and if it is a first offence, a level A penalty
is imposed.
See below, section 4, for the penalties at levels A, B and C.
viii) If an offence is not admitted, or when the Module Leader and the
Responsible Person decide that the offence is of a seriousness
which might warrant a penalty above level A, or the penalty is
disputed following a School Meeting, an Investigating Panel is
appointed.
3. Investigating Panel
The Investigating Panel consists of three senior academic staff and a
student representative. Where possible the composition of the panel
will reflect the character of our institution and/or at least one person has
been trained in equality and diversity issues.
The Investigating Panel shall, as far as is practicable, be constituted of
persons who have no knowledge of the alleged offender.
The alleged offender shall have the right to call and to question
witnesses and shall have the right to be accompanied by a friend.
The Investigating Panel shall have the right to call and to question
witnesses in the presence of the alleged offender (and friend, if the
alleged offender is accompanied by a friend).
At the discretion of the Chair, an Investigating Panel hearing may take
place via a video or telephone conference.
The Investigating Panel shall consider its findings in private and shall
submit a written report to the Responsible Officer, for transmission to
the relevant Assessment Board, as soon as is practicable following its
deliberations. If the student is found to have committed an assessment
offence, the record may be made available to any investigatory body in
the event of further charges against the student.
In determining whether the allegation(s) has/have been proven, the
Panel must be satisfied that the allegation(s) is/are proven on the
balance of probability.
In reaching its conclusions on whether the allegation(s) has/have been
proven, the Investigating Panel shall consider fully any relevant input
from staff familiar with the students circumstances and/or previous
performance.
Where an assessment offence has been established, the Investigating
Panel will judge the seriousness of the academic misdemeanour and
exercise its discretion as appropriate to the case.
If the student if found guilty of committing an assessment offence, a
record of the outcome shall be kept on the students file.
4. Penalties
Level A
Record a mark of 0 for the component of assessment. Fail the
module. Retrieve the component of assessment (along with any
other retrieval required through failure of the module). Cap the
assessment/reassessment of the component at 40% before
calculating the final module mark used in determining a pass/fail
decision on the module. Cap the module mark at bare pass level.
If the student is found guilty of committing an assessment offence,
a record of the outcome shall be kept on the students file.
Level B (Serious and/or subsequent offences)
If the offence occurs at assessment or reassessment of the module
then record a mark of 0 for all components of assessment in the
module. Fail the module. Retrieve all components of assessment at
the next assessment with attendance. Cap the repeat assessment
of the module at bare pass level.
Discretion to suspend for up to two semesters.
If the offence occurs at REPEAT assessment or REPEAT
reassessment of the module then record a mark of 0 for all
components of assessment in the module. Fail the module. Do
not allow further registration, assessment or reassessment on the
module.
Discretion to suspend for up to two semesters.
Level C (Major and/or subsequent offences)
Expulsion
References
Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook 2nd Edition, Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan.
UEL (2007) Manual of General Regulations, Part 8-1 Assessment
Offences (http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/manual/documents/PART8AssessOffence.pdf)
Web sites for further information
UEL Library website

http://www.uel.ac.uk/lss/index.htm
For Harvard Referencing guidelines and PLATO
UEL Academic Integrity Policy

http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.doc
Appendix 9: Harvard referencing

guidelines that must be followed from March 2011 are Cite
DDThe
Them Right - available from the Campus Bookmarks section of
the UEL Plus opening page. The rest of this appendix may be a
more convenient reference.

UEL: Harvard Referencing - the guide to citation and referencing
http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/support/harvard.htm
University of East Anglia: Harvard System of Referencing Guide

http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm?harvard_id=63
UEL guidance on Discussion Board referencing
http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/support/harvard6.htm#discussion
A.
Listing references at the end of the text
At the end of your essay, you must list all the sources you cited in the
body of your text. This is called the References List.
Books
Author surname, initials and show an editor of a work by adding ed.
after the name (Year of publication) Full title of the work: if there is a
separate subtitle separate the two with a colon. Edition (only include the
edition if it is not the first edition). Place of publication: Publisher (if a
series, title of series and volume number).
Book by one author:
e.g. Schetina, E. (2002) Internet site security. Boston: Addison-Wesley.
Book by two authors:

e.g. Lewis, R. and Inglis, J. (1994) How to write reports: the key to
success. London: Collins.
Book by four or more authors:

e.g. Young, H.D., Freedman, R.A., Sandin, T. and Ford, A.l. (2000)
Sears and Zemanskys university physics. San Francisco: AddisonWesley.
Book with edition:

e.g. Christopher, M. (1998) Logistics and supply chain management:
strategies for reducing cost and improving service. 2nd edn.
London: Prentice Hall.
Book with one editor:

e.g. Andresen, L. (ed.) (1994) Strategies for assessing students.
Birmingham: SCED.
Book with two editors:

e.g. Brown, S. and Glasner, A. (eds.) (1999) Assessment matters in
higher education. Buckingham: The Open University.
Book in a series:
e.g. Mcllroy, D. (2003) Studying at university: how to be a successful
student. London: Sage (Sage essential study skills).
Parts of Books (e.g. chapters, sections, passages, contributions to

a collection):
Chapter author surname, initials (Year of contribution), Title of
contribution, in: author/editor of whole book Full title of book. Place
of publication: publisher (If a series, title of series and volume
number), Pagination or chapter/section.
e.g. Bloggs, J. (2004) Having fun with Harvard referencing, in Brown, P.
(ed.) Writing references in extremely easy stages. London: Nosuch
Press, pp. 21-25.
Reprints:
Author/editor, Year of original publication (in brackets) Title. Place
of publication: publisher, Year of reprint.
e.g. Piaget, J. (1955) The construction of reality in the child. London:
Routledge & Kegan. Reprint, London: Kegan, 1968.
Journal
Author surname, initials. (Year of publication) Title of article Title of
journal, Volume (part number), Pagination.
e.g. Haddock, M. (1994) Are you thinking of writing a bibliography?,
College & Research Libraries News. 55 (8), pp.471-474.
Foreign Books and journals

Journal
Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of article, Title of
Journal. Page number (Language of translation).
e.g. Caballero, D. (2003) Policing without borders, Cambi16. 1(668), p.
24 (in Spanish).
Book
Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title Translated by
translator name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of translation.
e.g. Scheweitzer, A. (1911) J.S. Bach. Translated by Ernest Newman.
Reprint, New York: Dover publications, 1966.
Translations
Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title. Translated by
Translator name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of translation.
e.g. Freud, S. (2002) The Wolfman and other cases. Translated by L. A.
Huish. London: Penguin Books, 2002.
Full conference proceedings

Author/editor(s) (Year of publication) Title of conference: subtitle
Place, date of conference. Place of publication: Publisher.
e.g. University College & Research Group North West (2005).
Information literacy the whole shebang: theory, strategy, application
and impact conference. Edge Hill College of Higher Education,
Ormskirk, 15th March. Liverpool: UCR Group North West.
Conference papers
Author of paper (Year of publication) Title of paper, In: Title of
conference: subtitle. Location and date of conference. Place of
publication: Publisher, Pagination for the paper.
e.g. Mackenzie, A. (2005) Staff information skills: strategies to influence
up-take, In: University College & Research Group North West:
Information literacy the whole shebang: theory, strategy, application
and impact Conference. Edge Hill College of Higher Education,
Ormskirk, 15th March. Liverpool: Journal of Information Literacy, p.
100-110.
Report
Author surname, initials or organisation (Year of publication) Title of
Report. Place of publication: Publisher.
e.g. Environment Agency (2009) Flooding in England: a national
assessment of flood risk. Bristol: Environment Agency.
Government Publications
Country. Name of Committee or Department (Year of Publication)
Title. Place of publication: Publisher. (Paper number or series).
e.g. Great Britain. Lord Chancellors Department (1999) Government
policy on archives. London: The Stationery Office. (Cm, 4516).
Theses
Author surname, initials (Year of submission) Title of theses,
Degree statement. Degree-awarding body.
e.g. Hounsome, I. W. (2001) Factors affecting the design and
performance of flexible ducts in trench reinstatements. Unpublished
Ph.D. thesis. Napier University.
Newspapers
Article with author:
Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Article Title, Title of
newspaper (Edition if required), Date, Pagination.
e.g. Ward, L. (2004) Diploma plan to reward lower and higher abilities,
The Guardian, 18th February, p.4.
Article without an author:

Title of publication (Year of publication) Title of article, Date,
Pagination.
e.g. The Guardian (2004) Bloody Sunday still unclear, 23 November, p.
10.
Reference/Multi-Volume Works
Many reference works are known simply by the title (e.g. Encyclopedia
Britannica) and no author is given.
Author surname, initials (Year of Publication) Title: Number of
volume. Place of publication: Publisher, Page number.
e.g. Magill, F. N. (ed.) (1995) International encyclopedia of sociology: Vol
2. Pasadena CA: Salem Press, pp. 781-1527.
or (if no editors name is present):

e.g. International encyclopedia of sociology: Vol.2. (1995) Pasadena CA:
Salem Press, pp. 781-1527.
Our (GSE) Lecture Notes

Author surname, (Date) Title. Module name, Course name,
Institution, Place.
e.g. Woolley, T. (2009) Sustainable Construction Materials: An
introduction to the concept and analysis of their uptake in practice
in the UK. CEM 152, MSc Architecture: Advanced Environmental
and Energy Studies by Distance Learning, Graduate School of the
Environment, Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth.
Electronic information
Websites
Authorship or Source (Year of publication) Title of web document
or web page. Available at: include web site address/URL (Uniform
Resource Locator) and additional details such as access or routing
from the home page of the source (Accessed date).
e.g. National Electronic Library for Health (2003) Can walking make you
slimmer and healthier? (Hitting the headlines article). Available at:
http://www.nhs.uk.hth.walking (Accessed: 10 April 2005).
Discussion Boards like ours in UEL Plus and bulletin boards

Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Subject of the
message, Electronic conference or discussion board in Name
of academic module [Online]. Available at: URL/email address
(Accessed: date).
e.g. Keiser, B. (2004) Information literacy and information skills teaching
in FE and HE, LIS Information Literacy Group discussion list
[Online]. Available at: LIS-INFOLITERACY@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
(Accessed: 20 May 2004).
An example from CEM169/A9 would be:
Smith, J. (2009) CEM169/A9 Discussions / Wind. CAT GSE MSc

AEES by DL A9 Discussion Boards, 25 July [Online]. Available from
distance.learning@cat.org.uk.
Electronic books (e-book)

Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of book. Name of
e-book supplier [Online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
e.g. Krug, B. and White, S. E. (2004) EBay secrets: how to create
Internet auction listings that make 30% more money while selling
every item you list. Amazon [Online]. Available at: http://www.
amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/ (Accessed: 16 August 2004).
Articles in electronic journals

Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of article, Title of
journal, Volume (issue), Page numbers. Database name [Online].
Available at: URL of collection (Accessed: date).
e.g. Haliday, J. (2004) Ford dealers test custom cable ads, Advertising
Age, 75(42), pg. 6. Proquest [Online]. Available at: http://proquest.
umi.com/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Articles in Internet journals

Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of article Title
of journal, Volume (issue) [Online]. Available at: URL of web page
(Accessed: date).
e.g. Lloyd, J. (2001) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation, New
Statesman, 23 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.
com/p/articles (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Reports- on-line versions

Author surname, initials or organisation (Year of publication) Title of
Report. [Online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
e.g. Bradshaw, J., Middleton, S., Davis, A., Oldfield, N., Smith, N.,
Cusworth, L. and Williams, J. (2000) A minimum income standard
for Britain: what people think. [Online]. Available at: http://www.
jrf.org.uk/bookshop/eBooks/2226-income-poverty-standards.pdf
(Accessed: 3 July 2008).
Government Publications- on-line versions

Country. Name of Committee or Department (Year of Publication)
Title [Online]. Availlable at: URL (Acessed: date).
e.g. Great Britain. Department of Health (2008) Health inequalities:
progress and next steps [Online]. Available at: http://
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/
PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085307 (Accessed: 18 June
2008).
Images on the internet

Author/Artist/Photographer (Year of publication) Title of image
[Online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
e.g. Marshall, J. (2000) Cathedral clock. [Online]. Available at: http://
www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_cathclock.html (Accessed:
23 November 2004).
Virtual Learning Environment (like UEL Plus) Tutors note

Author or tutor surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of item.
Name of academic module [Online]. Available at: URL of virtual
learning environment (Accessed: date).
e.g. Bloggs, J. (2004). Information skills: learning to find and use
information effectively. Academic skills for Degree courses [Online].
Available at: http://webct.uel.ac.uk (Accessed: 24 November 2004).
Journal article in a Virtual Learning Environment

Author surname, initials (Year of publication) Title of article, Title
of journal, Volume (issue), page numbers, Name of academic
module [Online]. Available at: URL of virtual learning environment
(Accessed: Date)
e.g. Simms, J. (2004). Bringing out the Branson. People management.
10(20), pp.36, Strategic Marketing [Online]. Available at: http://
webct.uel.ac.uk (Accessed: 24 November 2004).
Text extract from book digitised for use in Virtual Learning

Environments
Author surname, initials (Year of publication of book) Title of book.
Place of publication: Publisher, Page numbers of extract. Name
of academic module [Online]. Available at: URL of virtual learning
environment (Accessed: date).

e.g. Cameron, D. (1995). Verbal hygiene. London: Routledge, pp. 78115. Health sciences [Online]. Available at: http://webct.uel.ac.uk
(Accessed: 24 November 2004).
Computer programs
Author surname, initials (Date) Title of program (Version) [Form,
i.e. Computer program]. Availability, i.e. distributor, address, order
number (if given) or URL address (Accessed: date).
e.g. Sanders, B. and William, B. (2001) Java in 2 semesters (Version 2)
[Computer program]. Microsoft Inc. New York.
B. Citations in the text

Type of source being cited
Citation examples
If the originators name occurs naturally in the

sentence, the year of publication should follow in
brackets.
Smith (2003) found that
If the authors name would not naturally be

included in the sentence add the authors name
and year of publication in brackets.
Management theories have become much

more diverse (Ndlovu 1996)
For publications by two authors, both are given:
In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2003) it was

argued that
If you are referring to a particular page or section

of a work and the authors name would naturally
be included in the sentence, the date and page
numbers follow in brackets.
In a recent study Ndlove (1996, p.26) argued

that.
If the authors name will not normally be included

in the sentence all information is given in brackets.
In a recent study (Ndlov, 1996, p.26) it was

argued that
In cases where the name of the author cannot be

identified, the item should be referred to by title.
Figures in a recent survey (Tourism trends,

2003. p. 12) showed that
In cases where the date of an item cannot be

identified, the item should be cited.
The earliest report (Smith, no date, p. 231)

showed that
If the author and date are unknown.
A survey (Tourism trends, no date) showed

that
If two or more items have the same author and

year, distinguish between them by adding letters.
(2004a, 2004b, 2004c)
If you are citing a web page in your text, cite by

author if available, by title if there is no identifiable
author, or URL if neither author nor title are
available.
The latest study (http://www.libqual.org/,

2005) revealed
If you are citing a source that refers to the work of

someone else, use the phrase cited in and giving
the page number on which the your source cited
that information.
Murrays conclusion (2007, p.82) supports the

views of White (2001, cited in Murray, 2007,
p.82) on genetic abnormalities in crops.
In a recent study Smith (2003) argued that
C. Quotations and citing in the text

You should minimise your use of quotations, using them only when it
is necessary to illustrate or exemplify a particular point. You never use
a quotation simply in order to appeal to the authority of the author: the
simple fact that someone said something is completely irrelevant to
everything. The quotation should only be there if really needed, and only
then if it is referred to specifically in the text.
Short quotations of a sentence or two are enclosed with quotation marks
( ) and included in the main text.
Short quotations
In this example, you are making a direct quote. Up to two lines can be
included in the body of the text and must include the page number.
e.g. Smith (2003, p. 11) states that Harvard referencing has to be done
accurately
Longer Quotations
Longer quotations should be especially avoided wherever possible.
When used, they are separated from the main body of the text by being
in a different typestyle and
placed in their own paragraph with a 1 cm indents at the left.
If part of the quotation is omitted, then this can be indicated by three
dots:
e.g.
The format of the submission is to be one PowerPoint document integrating the visual aids and illustrations you would use
and written explanations . . . known as the How I would present
notes. These notes should take around 100-300 words.
Appendix 10: Extenuating circumstances

We are extremely rigorous in applying the deadlines for assessed
work. In certain, very serious, unforeseeable and unpreventable,
circumstances a student may submit a claim for extenuating
circumstances, i.e. a claim that there is an acceptable reason for
summatively assessed coursework not being submitted at the correct
time.
The claim for extenuating circumstances must first be discussed with the
students tutor, and then the application form must be submitted by the
date the coursework would have been due.
The claim is then considered by a panel, whose decision is final. If the
claim is not granted, a mark of zero is given for the piece of coursework.
If it is granted, and the coursework is submitted by a set later date, a
mark will be awarded in the normal way.
It is intended that extenuating circumstances procedures should be
invoked by students infrequently and only for circumstances which are
serious in nature. The effect of extenuation, when granted, is only to
remove the effects of capping.
1. What are extenuating circumstances?
Extenuating circumstances are circumstances which:

Impair the performances of a student in assessment or
reassessment
Prevent a student from attending for assessment or reassessment
Prevent a student from submitting assessed or reassessed work by
the scheduled date.
Such circumstances would normally be:
Unforeseeable: the student could have no prior knowledge of the
event concerned
Unpreventable: the student could do nothing reasonably in their
power to prevent such an event.
Expected to have a serious impact.
Students are expected to make reasonable plans to take into account
commonly occurring circumstances, even those which, on occasion,
may have been unforeseeable and unpreventable.
Examples of circumstances which might normally constitute grounds for
extenuation are:
Serious personal illnesses which are not permanent medical
conditions (which are governed by other procedures): For example,
an illness requiring hospitalisation.
The death of a close relative immediately prior to the date of
assessment.
Examples of circumstances which would not normally constitute grounds

for extenuation are
Minor illnesses even if covered by medical certification
Moving house
Holidays
Inadequate planning, organisation or time management
Misreading of assessment timetables
Pregnancy
The most important thing to consider is that producing supporting,
documentary evidence is necessary for each claim.
2. Procedures for the submission of claims for

extenuating circumstances
For an extenuation claim to be considered, it is the students
responsibility to ensure that for each component affected
They submit details of the circumstances via their tutor to the Student
Support Officers using the extenuating circumstances application
form, which is available on UEL Plus or from the Student Support
Officers.
Details are submitted by the designated date and time
Details are submitted with accompanying documents and evidence.
Students claiming extenuation must first contact their tutor to discuss the
matter. Then they complete the application form and send it to their tutor
by the assessment deadline.. The tutor then passes the extenuation
form to the Student Support Officers. LATE coursework may also be
handed in at this time (See point 4 below). It is the responsibility of the
student to provide the Extenuation Panel with evidence in conjunction
with their tutor.
3. Procedures for consideration of extenuating

circumstances
Claims for extenuation will be considered by an Extenuation Panel.
In considering claims for extenuation, wherever possible, the identity
of the student will not be made available to the panel.
Where extenuation for more than one component is sought by
a student, extenuation will be considered on a component by
component basis.
The decision of the Extenuation Panel is binding on Field and Award
boards.
The extenuation panel will meet as and when required, normally
the module before the week of the Field Boards, and once during
reassessment, normally before the week of the Field Boards.
Decisions will be implemented on the student records system after
completion of the Field Boards and before commencement of the
Award Boards.
The extenuation process will be subject to Quality Assurance and
Assessment procedures.
4. Outcomes
Assessed tasks (e.g. coursework) to be submitted by a scheduled date:
a) Work submitted by the published deadline: No claim for extenuation
may be submitted.
b) Work submitted late, but within one calendar week of the published
deadline:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. If a student seeks
extenuation, the submitted work will be assessed;
If the Extenuation Panel grants extenuation, then the mark achieved
for the work will be awarded;the mark achieved will not be notified to
the student until the Field Board results are published;
If the Extenuation Panel does not grant extenuation, then a mark of
zero will be recorded; the mark achieved will not be notified to the
student.
c) Work submitted later than one calendar week after the published
deadline, or not submitted:
A claim for extenuation may be submitted. The submitted work will
not be assessed;
The mark awarded will be zero;
If a student seeks extenuation and this is granted by the Extenuation
Panel, the outcome is as follows:
Any mark recorded for the relevant component(s) (including 0 for
non-submission of assessed work) is ignored
The Field Board will not consider the module result until after
reassessment
The student will be reassessed, in the extenuated component(s) only,
by submission of the standard retrieval work (not by resubmission of
the original piece of work)
No other components will be reassessed
The mark achieved for the module will not be capped (unless it is a
repeated module: see Academic Framework Modular Regulations).
There is no provision for giving extensions to coursework deadlines and
therefore extensions may never be given.

In summary the outcomes are:
Submitted by the published deadline: No extenuation possible
Submitted within one calendar week of the published deadline:
Extenuation possible, and if granted, the mark achieved is recorded
Submitted later than one calendar week after the published deadline:
The work is not assessed. Extenuation is possible and, if granted,
the student module decision is deferred until reassessment, the
student is required to retrieve the extenuated component only, and
the module is not capped.
5. Additional key information

a) Where a student submits an application for extenuation then that
application cannot be withdrawn at a later date
b) The granting of extenuation has the effect of restoring the student, via
uncapping of reassessment, to the position that the student would have
been in, with respect to uncapping, had the extenuating circumstance
not occurred.
c) Once a module has been capped, extenuation does not uncap the
module.
d) Where
A student submits an application for extenuation for a component,
and
The student has failed to achieve the threshold mark in a second
component, and
No extenuation has been granted to this second component:the effect of granting extenuation for the first component would be to
ensure that the (below threshold) mark for the second component was
carried forward to reassessment, thus automatically preventing that
student from passing the module at reassessment. In such cases, the
application for extenuation will formally be denied, as it is not in the
students interest. As a result, the student will have the opportunity to
pass the module at reassessment.
e) Where a component consists of more than one element, and the
circumstances of extenuation apply to one element, the extenuation
granted is for the whole component in its entirety.
f) Where extenuation is sought, this will be recorded on the student
record (so that the student is aware that the extenuation claim was
considered).
6. Late submission of claims for extenuating

circumstances
Normally, late submission of a claim for extenuating circumstances is not
accepted.
However, it is recognised that there may be cases where a student
is unable to submit a claim for extenuation within the time period
(e.g. emergency in-patient hospital treatment occurring during the
examination period). In this case, submission of the claim at the earliest
opportunity, via the Graduate School Office, should be made. This must
be accompanied by evidence as to why the claim is being submitted
late. The Chair of the Panel will decide whether to accept the late
submission. The Chairs decision will be final.
Note: Late submission through unwillingness earlier to disclose the
grounds for claiming extenuation will not be regarded as sufficient
grounds for late submission.
7. Appeals against the decisions of the Extenuation Panel

There will be no appeal against the decision of the Extenuation Panel
other than on the grounds that an administrative or procedural error has
occurred. Appeal will be by the normal academic appeal procedures.
Index
A
academic skills, courses 23

additional needs 3
appeals
against extenuation panel decisions 74
against markers academic judgments 9
Athens 7, 27
illness. Seeextenuating circumstances

integrity, academic 19
Intute Virtual Learning Suite 7
Investigating Panel 60
reading 23
reducing file size 50
referencing. SeeHarvard referencing
research 7
returning to studies 3
river method. Seeessay planning
B
bibliography. SeeHarvard referencing
C
citation. SeeHarvard referencing
collusion 57
copying 57
critical evaluation 11
critique of paper 14
marksheet 51
D
declaration, plagiarism 19
disability. Seeadditional needs
dissertation. Seethesis
dyslexia. Seeadditional needs
E
essay 8
marksheet 37
planning 29
titles 32
writing websites 58
expulsion 61
extension to coursework deadline
17, 72
extenuating circumstances 17, 70
late submission of claims 74
F
file format 17
footer, for coursework 16
formatting of coursework 16
G
Google Docs 17
H
Harvard referencing 20, 58, 62.
See alsointegrity, academic
L
late submission. Seeextenuating
circumstances
library access. SeeSconul library
access
M
margins, for coursework 16
marking process 9
marksheet
essay 37
maths skills. See alsoOpenLearn
matrix method. Seeessay planning
medical problems. Seeextenuating
circumstances
Microsoft file formats 17
mind mapping 4, 6
moderation of marks 9
N
nine-week schedule 4, 5
O
on-line courses 23
OpenLearn 23
OpenOffice.org 17
Open University 23
S
Science Direct. SeeAthens
Sconul library access 7, 26
second marking 9
sequencing of modules 6
sharing ideas 58
size, of submitted files 17
software 17
sources
citing. SeeHarvard referencing
selecting 9
speed Reading 4
SPSS 24
study skills, courses 23
style. Seeformatting of coursework
T
template, for coursework 16
thesis 21
time limit
presentations 42
timeline 5
time management 4
titles, of essays. Seeessay titles
video 28
paraphrasing 19
parts and relations method.
Seeessay planning
password. See
PDF file format 17
penalties. Seeoffences, academic
plagiarism 57
PowerPoint. Seepresentation
practical
marksheet 56
presentation 12
marksheet 49
W
Web of Knowledge. SeeAthens
weighting of coursework 25
word count
essays and reports 25
thesis 21
Z
Zoho 17
Q
quotes 19

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Advice for Coursework Success

Coursework rules and guidance on the MSc Architecture: Advanced

Web Link - links to

Appendix 5: Detailed Presentation Guidance. . . . . . . . . . . . 42

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 1

2 Advice for Coursework Success, MSc: AEES DL

2. Pre-MSc Returning to Studies help

confident, here are some of the options:

Before you start on the MSc: the Accessing

Links in this section

The Open University: OpenLearn

UEL Library and Learning Services

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 3

modules coursework is an essay or report plus presentation,

Links in this section

University of Kent: Getting Started for Graduate Students

University of Leicester: Managing Your Time

Wikipedia: Mind map

Cambridge University Students Union: Academic Speed

Ababasoft.com : Speed reading science books

4 Advice for Coursework Success, MSc: AEES DL

Module starts Weds the xth, printed

Study in detail the lectures relevant to

Follow up leads and questions in side

Focussing in as quickly as possible on an

Join discussion boards on other topics of

Ask my tutor Is this a good question?

Ask tutor if this is a good plan

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 5

@@Some other study-skills suggestions to look into:

Mind mapping is recommended by one of our tutors.

Planning your route through the MSc: sequencing

For full time (1 year) students there is no choice on sequencing,

6 Advice for Coursework Success, MSc: AEES DL

4. Research and Resources

b) Researching for essays

Planning Library Research

Intute: Virtual Training Suite

Internet for Environment Tutorial

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 7

5. The coursework: Essay

Sustainable Housing is too broad, Technical means of reducing

c) the question demands discussion:

If you do not have enough appropriate material, change the

How coursework is marked

coursework is marked by your tutor, and then a substantial sample across

marking is conducted to the appropriate standard. The module leader or programme

some interpretation so as to remain within our guidelines, but

Atherton, J. S. (2010) Doceo; Tools: Baking an essay

Step 5: Where are the marks coming from?

Referencing is rewarded in section B iii). Whenever you use someone

examples of the author offering evaluative comments or discussion

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 11

6. The coursework: Presentation

What is the presentation?

presentation is intended to be 10 minutes long and its contents

What do you do?

How do you maximise marks?

Section A [15/40 = 37.5%] plenty of varied, relevant, interesting

Section B [15/40 = 37.5%] first slide - basic details; strong

Presentation, including How I would present in the notes area.

MSc: AEES DL, Advice for Coursework Success 13

7. The coursework: Critique of Paper