LCVP Portfolio Items

Enterprise Report

Enterprise Report in the Link Modules

The Enterprise Report is a report on an enterprise activity in which the student has participated during the course of the Link Modules. The report is an outcome of Unit 4 of the Enterprise Education Link Module. In this unit students are facilitated in planning, setting up and running their own enterprise projects as vehicles of learning.

Examples of such enterprises include:

Organising a fundraiser for a local charity, producing and selling a product, setting up a school credit union, compiling a directory for tourists, organising a careers evening

Module 2 Unit 4 – An Enterprise Activity

This unit provides students with the opportunity to put the skills they have gained in the previous units of the Link Modules into practice. The form of enterprise project selected will depend on the aptitude and interests of the students, as well as the resources available to them in school and in the locality. It is essential in this unit that students are encouraged and permitted to take ownership of and responsibility for the enterprise projects they decide to pursue.

Specific Learning Outcomes

The student should be able to:

4.1 work co-operatively with others to generate a range of ideas

4.2 prepare a plan for the selected enterprise activity

4.3 identify available resources to support an enterprise activity

4.4 integrate information from a variety of sources including relevant

Leaving Certificate subjects

4.5 assess personal and group skills and identify possible training needs

4.6 identify and recruit consultants willing to advise on a selected enterprise

activity

4.7 understand the practical importance of market research and the

marketing mix

4.8 be aware of the concepts of publicity and promotion

4.9 actively participate in group work in a variety of roles – owner, worker,

team leader

4.10 take responsibility to ensure that targets are reached

4.11 participate in a review of group performance

4.12 review personal performance in an enterprise activity

4.13 prepare and present a written or verbal report on an enterprise activity

4.14 link the activities in this unit to learning in relevant Leaving Certificate

subjects

4.15 evaluate the successes achieved and problems encountered in this unit

Portfolio of Coursework – Assessment Criteria

As part of their Portfolio of coursework students must present a total of 6 items.

The Enterprise Report is part of the optional items.

The Enterprise Report will assess the student’s ability to:

·  Generate a document with a clear and consistent layout

·  State the terms of reference of the report or the aims of the activity

·  Summarise the main contents

·  Describe key events

·  Communicate relevant information in appropriate depth and detail

·  Use charts, tables, diagrams, pictures, as appropriate to support and illustrate main findings

·  Organise points into related groups

·  Arrange main sections in a logical sequence

·  Describe and evaluate personal contribution to the activity

·  Draw conclusions and make recommendations appropriate to the body of the report

Guidelines for preparing an Enterprise Report

The enterprise report should be presented as a word-processed document 1000-1500 words in length. This will, on average, comprise four to six pages of text (not including title page, contents page and any appendices). The document should be the student’s unique record of a group/class project or enterprise in which he or she participated as part of the Link Modules, the purpose of which was to develop enterprising skills.

Full details of the Link Modules syllabus including the Enterprise Report can be found in:

·  The Department of Education and Science publication- “Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme” 2001.

·  The NCCA Link Modules Assessment Guidelines that were written to support teachers in preparing students for assessment in the Link Modules.

Reference should also be made to DES Circulars and Guidelines which are sent to schools.

Suggested layout for an Enterprise Report (1000-1500 words)

Title page / A clearly identifiable title is essential. A subtitle may be added to give greater detail. Other details should include the author’s name, the intended audience (who the report is for) and the date of completion
Table of Contents / This is a list of the main elements/sections of the report giving the page numbers on which they appear.
Summary / This paragraph should include appropriate information such as: the subject of the report, the main items dealt with in the text and the main conclusions/recommendations
Terms of Reference or
Aims / Why the report was written or requested
What student/group hoped to learn or achieve from the activity
In either case two or three short statements are required
Body of the Report / Key details of the activity are described. Paragraphs in a logical sequence under clear headings(and sub-headings as appropriate). Relevant information such as research undertaken, plans made, actions agreed, tasks carried out, should be recorded accurately and concisely. Students should include at least one relevant illustration to support the main findings of the report e.g. small table, diagram, chart
Evidence of Personal Contribution
The student should describe how he/she contributed to the enterprise activity. There are a number of different ways of achieving this, such as:
·  By including a paragraph entitled “My Personal Contribution” in the body of the report
·  By highlighting personal contribution (e.g. using italics) at appropriate points in the text
·  By including an overview and evaluation of personal contribution at the end of the document
Conclusions
and
Recommendations / Should relate to the body of the report. Presented in paragraph form or as numbered/bulleted lists.
Based on the report’s conclusions (e.g.suggestions for future action). Presented in paragraph form or as numbered/bulleted lists.
Evaluation / Should include an evaluation of the enterprise activity itself, an evaluation of group performance and, if not dealt with separately, an evaluation of personal performance.
Appendices / Maximum two items