BTEC Information Page

BTECs are subjects that will help you to have good study habits in all areas of your student life – you will spend a lot of time organising and researching, it makes sense that you need to have developed your own good habits to be able to do this.

The BTEC  course will enable you to discover different ways of studying and learning.  For example:

Teaching and Learning styles

• Group/Pair work Discussions
• Class debates
• Student presentations
• Research Projects
• Media – film / music / interactive websites
• Role play
• Replication of studies
• Independent study/reading
• Extended writing
• Quizzes and games

As a member of the group you will be expected to participate in ALL activities that the teacher requests you to and demonstrate a professional attitude at all times within the classroom.

Study guidelines

Any BTEC pupil will need to be dedicated and committed to their course. As a student you will need to be focused and have a good attitude towards study; being committed doesn’t just mean turning up to lessons, it means reading and studying outside of class too.

It is vital that you develop good study habits from the beginning of the course and your behaviour reflects the attitude that is expected of any professional.

How to be organised:

• Number and date all your notes and hand-outs to keep them in order. You will be given an exercise book for this.
• Use a folder and file dividers to separate each Unit for coursework.
• Take responsibility for catching up if you miss a lesson due to illness.  Find the resources that you missed and also photocopy a friend’s written notes.
• Check the relevant section in the textbooks and make extra concise notes if it improves your understanding.  If you don’t feel confident about a particular area, consult your teacher. Never be afraid to ask for help if you don’t understand.
• Always come prepared to class, bringing course handbook, writing equipment, class notes from previous lessons, diaries etc.
• If at any point you feel overwhelmed by the work – call for help – wave – don’t drown!

You will be expected to do all of the following as part of your day-to-day work.

• Read and research
• Keep a record of the information you find and the sources
• Plan your work in a logical order and keep a record of your progress
• Talk to your teachers about your ideas and how to achieve the best results
• Produce drafts and final copies of your work
• Produce good quality work with high standards of grammar and spelling
• Present your work in a suitable format according to the purpose and the audience
• Evaluate your work and make suggestions for improvement
• Meet deadlines
• Keep a record of the work you have completed, including the grades and points you have been awarded

How to achieve the grades:

The tasks at each level are graded according to how difficult they are to achieve.  The key words used in the tasks will help you to understand what you have to do.   These are all highlighted in the unit task sheets.

Obtaining a Pass Grade

 In order to achieve a pass grade you will have to identify information.  You can do this in different ways:

• Make a list
• Produce a mind map
• Produce a poster
• Produce a table
• Produce a labelled diagram or drawing
• Design a game or puzzle
• Produce a plan
• Produce a flow chart

For pass grade you will also be expected to describe in your own words the information you have found.  This can be done in the following formats:

• A formal report
• A power point presentation
• A leaflet
• A hand out or information sheet
• A web page

Literacy guide for a pass grade

Complete	Complete a form, diagram or drawing
Demonstrate	Show that you can do a particular activity.
Describe	Give a clear, straightforward description which includes all the main points
Identify	Give all the basic facts that relate to a certain topic.
List	Write a list of the main items (not sentences).
Name	State the proper terms related to a drawing or diagram.
Outline	Give all the main points, but without going into too much detail.
State	Point out or list the main features.

 

 

 

To achieve this grade you will have to work independently and find information using different methods.  You will have to write in detail and give examples to show that you have understood the information well. 

You will have to explain in details using your own words and give reasons for the points that you make.  You will have to review what you have done and give reasons for the choices you made.

Literacy guide for Obtaining a Merit

Analyse	Identify the factors that apply, and state how these are linked and how each of them relates to the topic.
Comment on	Give your own opinions or views
Compare& Contrast	Identify the main factors relating to two or more items and point out the similarities and differences
Describe	Give a full description including details of all the relevant features
Explain	Give logical reasons to support your views.
Justify	Give reasons for the points you are making so that the reader knows what you are thinking.
Assess	Give careful consideration to all the factors or events that apply and identify which are the most important or relevant
Discuss	Write in detail about a particular topic taking into account the different issues or ideas.

To achieve this grade you will have to be completely independent, using your own ideas, giving your opinion and justifying the points that you make.  You will be expected to link ideas together and evaluate your work by identifying the strengths and weaknesses and giving ideas for improvement.  You will use your teachers mainly for support and guidance, as the ideas will be yours.

Obtaining a Distinction: The understanding of key words – literacy guide – these command words will lead you towards securing the top grades.

Analyse	Identify several factors, show how they are linked, and explain the importance of each.
Evaluate	Bring together all your information and make a judgement on the importance or success of something.
Justify	Give full reasons or evidence to support your opinion.
Recommend	Weigh up all the evidence to come to a conclusion, with reasons, about what would be best.
Draw conclusions	Use the evidence you have provided to reach a reasoned judgement

Malpractice

Authentication of Work

• On each assignment, you must sign that the work submitted is your own and teachers will confirm that the work assessed is solely yours and was conducted under the required conditions.

• If you hand in an assignment and teachers suspect it is not your own work, the matter will be reported to the Lead IV for the Programme, and the relevant Quality Nominee, and the procedure below will be invoked.

pupil Misconduct covers a range of offences, which can be collectively described as cheating. The following is not an exhaustive list and the Centre reserves the right to include any other type of cheating under the terms of the policy:

1. Plagiarism: taking someone else’s work, images or ideas, whether published or not, and with or without their permission, and passing them off as your own: thereby not properly acknowledging the original source. This particularly relates to material downloaded from the Internet or copied from books
2. Copying the work of other pupils with or without their permission and knowingly, allowing another pupil to copy one’s own work.
3. Colluding with other pupils to produce work, which is then submitted individually, except where this is specifically required/allowed by the assessment criteria.
4. Falsely claiming extenuating circumstances to gain an unfair advantage in assessment outcomes
5. Submitting work done by another pupil as their own.            

Investigating PUPIL Misconduct

• There will be an investigation if pupil misconduct is suspected which may lead to disciplinary action.
• Pupils who attempt to gain an award by deceitful means will automatically have their result(s) suspended (held) pending a thorough investigation by a member of senior staff.  The pupil will be informed at the earliest opportunity of the nature of the alleged malpractice and of the possible consequences. 
• The outcome of the investigation will determine the appropriate course of action to be taken by the Centre. Malpractice is a breach of Centre rules and may invoke the pupil Disciplinary Policy and Procedure. Any case where pupil malpractice is found to be substantiated will be reported to the Awarding Body.
• If no evidence is found that the pupil cheated, then the benefit of the doubt should be given to the pupil and the grade achieved should be awarded.

Appeals

Grounds for Appeal

A pupil/candidate would have grounds for appeal against an assessment decision in the following situations. This list is selective and not exhaustive:

1. The work is not assessed according to the set criteria or the criteria are ambiguous;
2. The final grade of the work does not match the criteria set for grade boundaries or the grade boundaries are not sufficiently defined;
3. The internal verification procedure contradicts the assessment grades awarded;
4. There is evidence of preferential treatment towards other pupils/candidates;
5. The conduct of the assessment did not conform to the published requirements of the Awarding Body;
6. Valid, agreed, extenuating circumstances were not taken into account at the time of assessment, which the Centre was aware of prior to the submission deadline;
7. Agreed deadlines were not observed by staff;
8. The current Assessment Plan was not adhered to;
9. The decision to reject coursework on the grounds of malpractice.

Formal Appeal Procedures

1. If, after informal discussion with the Lead Internal Verifier for the Programme, the candidate wishes to make a formal appeal, the candidate must ask the Lead Internal Verifier, in writing, for a re-assessment. This must be done within 10 working days of receiving the original assessment result.

2. The Quality Nominee, with the Lead Internal Verifier, on receipt of the formal appeal from the candidate, will try to seek a solution negotiated between the relevant assessor and the candidate.  If it is not possible to reach an agreement, the Associate Principal and the Quality Nominee will set a date for the Internal Verification Appeals Panel to meet.

3. The Internal Verification Appeals Panel will normally meet within 2 weeks of the receipt of the appeal by the LIV, with re-assessment, if deemed necessary by the panel, taking place within 15 working days of the appeals panel meeting.

4. The outcome of the appeal may be:

• Confirmation of original decision;
• A re-assessment by an independent assessor;
• An opportunity to resubmit for assessment within a revised agreed timescale.