Using This Administration Guide Template

Using this Administration Guide template

This template provides you with content and suggestions for your paper’s Administration Guide.

While all content can be amended to suit your purpose, there are points within the template guide where italicised ideas and suggestions are made that will require your input – either to tailor them for your student audience or to delete them. These points are marked by the STOP icon, which has been inserted so that the suggestions are not accidentally left in. The icon should also be deleted (click on the icon then press delete).

Automatic Format

This template has been formatted using the automatic Table of Contents feature in Word. To make the contents page reformat and repaginate automatically to suit your amendments, follow these instructions:

Þ  Highlight the existing Table of Contents listings.

Þ  Click on “Update Field” tab on your toolbar. If you don’t have it on your toolbar you can add it by doing the following:

ð Go to “Customize” in “Tools” on the menu bar.

ð Under “Categories” go to “All Commands”.

ð On the right under “Commands” look for “UpdateFields”.

ð Drag the icon up to your toolbar and close the “Customize” box.

If all else fails, the changes can be made manually!

The Instructional Design team at the Training and Development Unit is available to assist you with the compilation of your Administration Guide. Please contact:

Anna Weatherstone ( extn 8691 Duncan O’Hara ( extn 8690

Darelle Thomson ( extn 8940 Glenda Stephenson ( extn 8706

We also provide guidance on developing and writing your Study Guide, feedback on your guides and advice on the integration of print with other media.

Acknowledgement

This template is based on Writing your administration guide: A handbook for extramural teachers, compiled by Claire McLachlan-Smith, Centre for Extramural Studies, 1998.

[Paper number]

[Paper name]

Administration Guide

[Author name]

[Department]

[Year]

Acknowledgement

Include any acknowledgements you’d like to make.

THIS COURSEPACK MAY BE USED ONLY FOR THE UNIVERSITY’S EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. IT INCLUDES EXTRACTS OF COPYRIGHT WORKS COPIED UNDER COPYRIGHT LICENCES. YOU MAY NOT COPY OR DISTRIBUTE ANY PART OF THIS COURSEPACK TO ANY OTHER PERSON. WHERE THIS COURSEPACK IS PROVIDED TO YOU IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT YOU MAY ONLY PRINT FROM IT FOR YOUR OWN USE. YOU MAY NOT MAKE A FURTHER COPY FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THIS WARNING MAY EXPOSE YOU TO LEGAL ACTION FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND/OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE UNIVERSITY.

Contents

Page

Welcome 1

Paper coordinator 1

Staff 2

The paper 3

Aim 3

Learning outcomes 3

Topics covered 3

Structure 3

Suggested study programme 4

Posting of materials 6

Contact course 8

Block course 8

Email mailing list 8

Your online learning environment 9

Textbooks and recommended reading 10

Study skills 10

Internet links 10

Assessment 11

Assignments 11

Assignment One 11

Assignment Two 11

Assignment submission 12

Extensions and late assignments 12

Assignment marking guide 12

Plagiarism 14

References 14

Presentation of written work 17

Final examination 18

Appendix 1: Student profile 19

Appendix 2: How to join an email list 23

Appendix 3: How to access your WebCT course 25

Appendix 4: Massey University Library 26

Appendix 5: The writing process 28

Writing essays 28

Writing reports 33

Appendix 6: Student Learning Centres 37

Appendix 7: Feeling overwhelmed? 40

Appendix 8: Self-evaluation on progress 43

Appendix 9: Paper evaluation 45

Administration Guide v i

Welcome

Include a welcome to the paper statement. You may prefer to title this section “Introduction”. The use of the first person will assist you to make your statements appear welcoming.

Give a general overview of the paper, its position in the programme and components in general terms.

Suggested length: ¼ – ½ page.

Paper coordinator

Include an introduction to yourself here. Students are likely to be interested in both your professional and personal interests. Keep it brief and general. Use a conversational style with reference to the writer as “I” and the student as “you” for instant student engagement.

Include something about what they can expect from you during the semester – in terms of assistance – when you are available etc.

Include contact information.

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

Number to leave messages:

Postal address:

Staff

Remember to introduce others teaching in the paper.

The paper

Aim

Include the overall aim of the paper. This could be the prescription.

Learning outcomes

List three or four general learning outcomes for the paper. These are the learning objectives for the paper expressed as learning outcomes to indicate what students will have learned on successful completion of the paper.

(Eg. On successful completion of the paper a student should be able to:

·  Demonstrate skills and knowledge of the investigative interview process, including analysing leads, designing questions, and gathering and organising information

·  Analyse ethical and legal issues in investigations and in publications

·  Compile, justify and present a story for publication)

It is recommended that you include the specific learning outcomes for each topic/module within the relevant sections of the study guide.

Topics covered

Give a brief overview of the topics in the study guide here.

You might organise material in key themes (manageable chunks) and then use the suggested timetable, to detail a weekly or topic by topic approach.

Structure

Include any comments that will assist students to internalise the range of the paper and any specific general requirements. Provide an indication of the paper’s structure that will let the students know how to use the study materials; what to read first, or ‘pick and mix’ the readings, any particular teaching philosophy that is important to the way students tackle the paper. Cover what your expectations for the paper are.

(eg, Each topic begins with an introduction then moves onto my commentary on the individual readings followed by activities/study questions/exercises and finishes with a summary of the main points. I suggest you read the study guide first then tackle the textbook, followed by the readings. The exercises will ……etc)

Suggested study programme

Include a statement about how you expect students to use their study time. You could include a note re 15 credits in a single semester = 12.5 hours per week in study related to the programme. A 30 credit single semester paper will require 25 hours of study per week.

The schedule below which follows the internal timetable is only a suggested one. You may prefer to work out your own schedule, one that suits your personal requirements. The main point is to work to some schedule so that you don’t fall behind.

Semester 1, 2007

Include study weeks, exams weeks, contact or block course dates etc. (Remove Text/Reading column if you don’t wish to use it.)

Semester 2, 2007

Include study weeks, exams weeks, contact or block course dates etc. (Remove Text/Reading column if you don’t wish to use it.)

Posting of materials

Describe what’s in the posting, e.g.

In this posting you will receive:

· 

· 

Include posting dates for additional postings if there are to be any.

Summer School, 2007/8

Include exam week and contact or block course dates. You may wish to remind students Summer School covers a compressed timeframe and that the University will be closed between Christmas and New Year. (Remove Text/Reading column if you don’t wish to use it.)

Contact course

Include information on contact course details (city, campus, dates, times) and nature of attendance (absolutely compulsory, compulsory, strongly recommended, or voluntary). Let students know what they need to have prepared/completed before attending and what to expect, e.g. outline of programme.

Answer these questions for them: Why should I attend? (For many, it is a considerable financial outlay.) What will I get out of it?

Block course

Include details of block courses (city, campus, dates, times) and nature of attendance (must be absolutely compulsory). Describe for students what to expect. As this is a comprehensive contact period (at least 40 hours face to face) include a programme and any prework students are required to have completed prior to arrival.

Email mailing list

Include the following information if using email discussion group for voluntary use. Make changes if appropriate.

This paper makes use of email to help create an “online” discussion list. This will allow you to talk, communicate and collaborate, via email, with others taking the paper.

Participation in the email discussion group is voluntary.

No material in the email discussion group is examinable, nor will participation or lack of participation in the group be marked.

In order to make the most profitable use of the discussions on email you should:

1. Plan to access the discussion group to check for and send messages at least once per week.

1. Be respectful, please, of others’ time, contributions, and opinions.

Email discussions are regarded as similar to verbal communications in a group setting, so people should feel free to ask questions, sound out others about their ideas, ask for help, etc.

1. Send an introductory message to the list after you subscribe to it. In this you may like to introduce yourself by name, let people know some of your background, why you are taking the paper and what you are hoping to get out of it. This will serve as an “icebreaker”. Feel free to welcome others who post their first messages too.

1. Discuss course content as you go through the study guide and readings.

Your online learning environment

If you are using the web as a component of your paper please include here an indication of the level of use (e.g. compulsory/assignments, highly recommended or voluntary), as well as how and which tools will be utilised.

This paper makes use of the internet to help create an “online learning environment”. This will allow you to communicate and collaborate, through the internet, with others taking the paper and with me.

Any feedback you can provide on the value of this service, both during the paper informally as well as in the formal paper evaluations, would be greatly appreciated.

The online environment helps you do well in the paper in three ways:

·  increased interaction with your peers, which research has shown can have a positive impact on learning.

·  regular participation in the discussion group, which helps increase motivation for finishing readings in a timely manner.

·  increased exposure to the material, which will increase retention.

Textbooks and recommended reading

Remember to list all required and recommended texts.

Note that required and recommended texts should be ordered for both the library and Bennetts.

Order your textbook from:

Bennetts University Book Centre

Freepost 118333

Massey University

Palmerston North

Telephone: (06) 354 6020

Include a reading list somewhere in the guide, either here or within the topics of the study guide. Remember to check that books in reading lists are available in the library. If not, send a book order to the library. (This is particularly important for under graduate students who are not expected to make use of interloan services.)

Study skills

For those of you returning to study, there is a lively and helpful guide for distance learning called The Learning Game. To order a copy, send a request with your name and postal address, including a cheque for $16.00 to The Student Learning Centre, Turitea Campus, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North.

Internet links

Include useful links to web sites with a short description of why you have recommended them. The date you last accessed them is also helpful as they change regularly.

Assessment

Include general assessment details here. Summarise requirements in an “at a glance” format. Remove what is not applicable.

State the minimum requirements for paper completion. E.g. To complete this paper you will need to do three assignments and get a pass mark in all.

Assignments

Include all assignments.

Outline details, writing instructions and criteria for each assignment – what your expectations are. For instance, provide information guiding students as to the range and scope expected, presentation details (see later section), and marking schedule (see example later). This information encourages students to focus time and attention on the important dimensions of assessment tasks. The more information students receive about assessment tasks the better able they are to plan their workload and reflect on questions as they progress through the material.

Assignment One

Assignment Two