COURSE HANDBOOK 2016/17. Certificate of Higher Education in PSYCHOLOGY

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1 COURSE HANDBOOK 2016/17 Certificate of Higher Education in PSYCHOLOGY SEPTEMBER 2016

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3 WELCOME TO NEW STUDENTS On behalf of all the staff of the Department of Psychological Sciences, may I welcome you to your studies with us this year. This booklet contains valuable information about: the content of courses included within the psychology programme; the assessment procedures; services offered by the department and University. Please keep this booklet somewhere you can easily find it during your study with us! You may have come to our department to take a single course that is of interest to you or to complete a Certificate of Higher Education or to begin your study towards a degree in psychology. Whichever is the case, I m confident you will find the experience both rewarding and enjoyable. All our modules are taught by psychologists who are committed to helping you learn about a wide range of topics and theories within psychology. It can be difficult to juggle the pressures of work and home with the demands of studying at degree level. Birkbeck offers a wide range of support services which we would strongly encourage you to use to your advantage. Do speak to your course tutors or another member of staff if you have any problems which could have an impact on your study. To say just a little more about your responsibilities while studying with us, you will already be aware that it is your responsibility to keep up with the course by attending classes, studying outside class and taking part in the assessments. It is also your responsibility to read this booklet to ensure that you are aware of key information, for example about deadlines; about what to do if you can t complete an assessment on time; about what to do if you have a disability that requires learning support; and how to progress from the Certificate onto the degree. And so forth. Please remember that we are keen to help all students to do as well as they possibly can - but we are dependent on you letting us know when you need additional advice or support. Most students find their studies intensive at times but we hope you find your course/s stimulating and - most importantly - that you enjoy your time in the Department of Psychological Sciences. Mr Jonathan P Smith Award Co-ordinator Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology 3

4 CONTENTS PROGRAMME OF STUDY GENERAL INFORMATION TEACHING AND LEARNING ASSESSMENT COMPLETION OF AWARD FEEDBACK STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES LEARNING RESOURCES FURTHER STUDY DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES APPENDIX 1: MARKING CRITERIA

5 1. PROGRAMME OF STUDY Who is the Certificate for? The aim of this Award is to provide a systematic introduction to most of the fields of modern psychology, while allowing you some choice of preferred topics. It is also intended to permit those who may wish, for professional or other reasons, to take just one Module without necessarily following through the whole scheme to do so. This Award will be of interest to you if you wish to proceed to a degree course in psychology; or have a professional interest in the subject, particularly if you are working in educational, counselling, medical and management settings; or if you simply wish to further your knowledge and understanding of human behaviour. If you successfully complete all core modules you can apply for entry into Year 2 of the part-time BSc. Please see Section 9, Further Study, for more information. Other universities may also accept you onto undergraduate programmes at the beginning of the second year of study once you have a Certificate of Higher Education. Do I need any previous qualifications? There are no formal entrance requirements and the Award is open to anyone who feels they may benefit. However, you should note that modules are taught and assessed at first year undergraduate level and an appropriate level of spoken and written English is required. Although we do not require proof that you are operating at this level, we will not be able to compensate for inadequate English skills when marking assessments. If you feel that you may need additional support to reach this standard, Birkbeck offers a range of academic English and language development modules, and you may be advised to focus on developing your English written and/or oral skills before applying for psychology courses, or when you receive feedback on written work. However, support with academic writing and study skills is provided throughout the programme, both in-class and via our free Study Skills workshops. What are the overall aims of the award? Our overall aim is that on successful completion of the Certificate of Higher Education you will: 5

6 Be able to compare, contrast and organise some of the core theories and perspectives within psychology; Understand the potential relevance of psychology in various settings such as at home, in the community, at work etc; Be aware of the principles that can be used to interpret and evaluate research findings in psychology; Recognise the ethical issues involved when conducting research and the issues that arise when trying to generalise results (for example across cultures); Be able to propose simple research questions about the ways in which psychology might be applied and be able to suggest in broad terms appropriate ways of answering research questions; Be able to present a coherent argument on a range of important topics in psychology; Be able to use a range of strategies to support your personal learning; Be aware of possible routes of progression from this award onto further study. What modules are available? The following are the full range of Modules which make up the Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology: The 4 core modules that everybody takes are: 1. Foundations of Modern Psychology; 2. Biological Basis of Behaviour; 3. Research Methods [Part 1]; 4. Research Methods [Part 2]. The discipline of psychology is composed of different topics and approaches, each of which have somewhat different interests and ways of studying behaviour. Foundations of Modern Psychology introduces you to these approaches (known as schools ). It explains how they differ and how their theories contribute to our understanding of human behaviour. This gives you an early insight into the many and sometimes contradictory - ways in which real life problems might be explained. It also helps you decide which courses to take as options. The Biological Basis of Behaviour is also a core topic because all behaviour has a biological basis and it is important to understand this even when considering other factors that may shape what we feel, think and do. Research Methods is the final core subject because psychology is a science of human behaviour. Whatever our particular interests, as psychologist we want to go beyond speculation, and to identify with as much precision as possible the underlying processes and causes that shape human behaviour. Research methods provide us with tools to support our investigations. 6

7 We recommend that you take Foundations of Modern Psychology first, and do not take Research Methods [Part 1] as your first module. You must successfully complete Research Methods [Part 1] to be eligible to take Research Methods [Part 2]. In addition to the core modules, there are a number of optional modules available as part of the award. The options on offer each year will vary, but those available in are: Critical Approaches to Attachment Critical Approaches to Positive Psychology Freud and Psychoanalysis: An Introduction Health Psychology Problem Solving and Decision Making (Cognitive Psychology) Psychological and Developmental Issues in Early Childhood 1 Psychological and Developmental Issues in Adolescence Psychology of Mental Health* Psychology of Learning and Learning Styles Social Psychology* The Developing Child: A Psychological Perspective* Understanding Human Personality Further information, including indicative module syllabi, are available via our online prospectus: How many modules do I take? To be eligible for the award you must complete 120 credits including the four core modules (worth a total of 90 credits) and a further 30 credits from the list of options above. All modules are worth either 30 credits or 15 credits. 30 credit modules usually two term modules - are marked above with an asterisk (*). The remainder are worth 15 credits and are usually one term courses. Each module you complete successfully will contribute towards the final grade of your Certificate of Higher Education: each 30 credit module contributes 25% of the final grade; each 15 credit module contributes 12.5% of the final grade. 1 Prerequisite: Successful completion of The Developing Child: A Psychological Perspective. 7

8 How long does it take to complete? It s very important that you don t take on more than you can realistically manage. Enrolling for too many courses is costly and dispiriting. Remember, you may take up to 4 years to complete the Certificate of Higher Education and the majority of students in full-time work tend to spread their studies over 2 or 3 years. A student taking 120 credit modules in one year would be studying for 37.5 hours / week in other words full-time. Clearly 60 credits / year is also a substantial undertaking in terms of the time required. So, if you wish to take more than 60 credits in one year please discuss this with the Administrator before enrolling. How long is each module? A 30 credit module usually lasts for two terms. Each term is usually 11 weeks long. You attend the module once a week, usually for two hours, so the total amount of time you spend in class is 44 hours. A 15 credit module lasts for one term. Again, you attend the module once a week, usually for two hours, and the total amount of time you spend in class is 22 hours. The only exceptions are Research Methods [Part 1] and Research Methods [Part 2] which have 33 hours in class. 8

9 2. GENERAL INFORMATION How will the department contact me? The department will normally contact students by , using the address that the College holds for you. It is therefore important that you provide an address that you are able to check regularly, and that you ensure that the contact details on your My Birkbeck profile are correct and up to date. What if my class is cancelled? If for any reason one of your classes is cancelled, you will be informed by . If a class is cancelled at very short notice, we will endeavour to contact students by telephone, where possible. Again, we can only use the information that we hold for you on our system, so please do ensure that you provide us with a mobile telephone number. 9

10 3. TEACHING AND LEARNING Most modules are held in the evenings, but some are run during the day. Modules may start in September, January or April. Classes are held in central London. Who teaches the modules and what type of teaching is used? Modules are taught by lecturers with a wide range of psychological experience - both practical and theoretical. Different lecturers have different teaching styles but classes normally take the form of lectures and discussion, and usually a variety of exercises and group work. What are the attendance requirements? In general, you are expected to attend as many of the sessions as possible. The exceptions to this are the research methods modules, for which you are required to attend at least 75% of all possible course contact hours to be eligible for assessment. Sitting timed assessments Some courses include timed assessments: the syllabus for each course will tell you whether or not it includes a timed assessment and if it does, what form it takes. In signing up for a course, you are agreeing to be available throughout the term and to be available to attend timed assessments on the dates set by the tutor. Timed essays will usually be scheduled as follows: Term 1: Research Methods [Part 1]: Week beginning 12th December 2016 Foundations of Modern Psychology: Week beginning 28th November 2016 All other modules: Week beginning 14th November 2016 Term 2: Research Methods for Psychology [Parts 1 & 2]: Week beginning 20 th March 2017 Foundations of Modern Psychology: Week beginning 13th March 2017 All other modules: Week beginning 27th February 2017 Term 3: 10

11 Research Methods for Psychology [Parts 1 & 2]: Week beginning 3rd July 2017 Foundations of Modern Psychology: Week beginning 26th June 2017 All other modules: Week beginning 12th June 2017 What if I can t attend a timed essay?! If a student is unavailable to sit a timed essay - for example due to ill-health - they will need to submit a mitigating circumstances form which will go to the Sub-Board of Examiners for consideration (see page 18). How much work is involved? A module worth 15 credits normally requires up to 150 hours of study. This includes time in class, time studying at home, time preparing assignments, time spent thinking about what you ve studied in class and what is needed for your assignments in fact any time you spend engaged in learning related to that module. The time students will need to set aside each week will vary between students. Most allow 6-12 hrs per week outside the classroom for each 30 credit course they are taking. Although this is only offered as a guide, it highlights the amount of time you need to plan for your studies, given that these courses are taught and assessed at the same level as the first year of an undergraduate degree. What support is available to help me acquire the necessary skills to pass this course? Students on our modules come from a range of backgrounds. Although some have recent experience of studying at college, some won t have studied since they were 16 years old. This range of experience and backgrounds is one of the things our students find particularly stimulating and supportive when studying with us. We fully recognise that returning to study and completing coursework can be anxiety provoking but it is possible to learn the skills required and we see it as a key part of our job to support students to develop these skills. All students are encouraged to discuss their study skills needs with the course lecturer. Whilst study skills are incorporated into most courses, students who need or want more support than the course lecturer can realistically provide, may want to consider enrolling on one of the following one day study skills courses run by the Psychology Team free of charge: Study Skills for Psychology Students Essay Writing for Psychology Students Maths for the Terrified 11

12 Taking Timed Tasks for Research Methods For further details, and to enrol, please visit our website: or contact the Administrator for Psychology. More general learning and study skills support is also available: please see Section 7 - Student Support Services for more information. Please feel free to discuss your study skills needs with the course tutor. When should I contact my course tutor? Students may contact their course tutor in between classes by , using the tutor s Birkbeck address. However, contact should be kept brief and should be infrequent (not usually more than once a week at most). The occasional question to check one s understanding of some aspect of the course s assessment, to ask for pointers towards reading or other resources, or to let them know you will not be able to attend class etc. is appropriate. Contacting a tutor more than this would not usually be appropriate as questions and discussion should usually be managed during face to face contact during class time. If you are at all unsure what is appropriate please ask we are happy to guide you. 12

13 4. ASSESSMENT COURSEWORK GENERAL NOTES The central aims of assessment are to: give you a chance to: o study particular areas of interest in more detail; o spend time thinking about the real life applications of what you have learnt; Give you and us an indication as to whether you have learnt all it was hoped you would learn on the course (the syllabus outlines under learning outcomes what you should know / understand / be able to do once you ve successfully completed the course); give you personal feedback on your progress in learning about the subjects you are studying and developing the skills associated with psychology (the ability to evaluate theory; to put across different ideas and develop an argument; and to clearly indicate where the information you are using is coming from through referencing etc.). The amount you learn will increase if you are interested in the topic, so we would encourage you to discuss with your tutor if there are particular subjects that you would like to focus on in your assessments. Obviously the topic has to be entirely relevant demonstrating you have achieved the learning outcomes for the module but it may be possible to negotiate a topic of particular interest to you. In your discussions with the tutor it may be useful to let them know what grade you are aiming for as some types of assessment increase the likelihood of a high mark. This may be relevant to students aiming to progress onto other courses. Please note, each piece of work you submit on a course and each piece you submit across all courses on the Certificate must be written on a different topic. For example you may only write one essay on intelligence or one essay on attachment theory. It is your responsibility not to write on the same topic more than once if in doubt, discuss it with your tutor. If you are later found to have written on the same subject more than once you will be asked to complete an additional piece of work on a different topic and will not be able to complete the course or the Certificate until the new work has been completed successfully. The mark for the work you submit at that point would be capped at 40%. Coursework: All courses include coursework completed at home. Coursework may include essays, reports, reviews, oral presentations, case studies and exercises 13

14 appropriate to the subject. You may be able to negotiate with your tutor the type of work you complete, the topics included and even the wording of the assignments. So, if there is some form of assessment that you would find particularly useful or interesting (such as a case study, for example), please discuss the possibilities with your tutor. We may not be able to accommodate every request but we do try to be flexible. The course lecturer must agree the question/task. Tutors are permitted to give you feedback on essay plans but not on drafts of essays. Each piece of work completed at home should normally be 1,500 words* in length each (or the equivalent). There will be no penalty for work that is 10% too long or too short (150 words). However, for work that is between words too long or too short, 5% will be deducted. For work that is more than 500 words too long or too short 10% will be deducted. Sometimes it may also be possible to complete a double piece of work so you submit one piece of work that is 3,000* words long rather than two shorter pieces. The course lecturer must agree that this is acceptable and they must agree the question/task. Again, students will be penalised for submitting work that is significantly over or under this word limit: there will be no penalty for work that is 10% (that is 300 words) too long or too short. However, for work that is between words too long or too short, 5 marks will be deducted. For work that is more than 1000 words too long or too short 10 marks will be deducted. *Not including references. Uploading coursework via Turnitin: You will be required to give a paper copy of your coursework to the tutor. You will also be required to upload an electronic copy of your work via Turnitin which you will find on Moodle. Your tutor will explain how to do this. You must upload the electronic copy by the deadline for submission. The reason we need you to upload your work is so we can see what percentage of your coursework is written in exactly the same words as material found in books, articles, other students coursework or on the web. If more than 5% is found to be exactly the same as other such material, we may not be able to accept the work. To avoid this problem you can upload your work into Turnitin before the submission deadline and check for yourself what percentage appears to be in the exactly the same words as material in books etc. You can then rewrite the problematic sections before the final submission date. The section below entitled Plagiarism gives further advice on how to avoid this problem. 14

15 Work completed in class under timed conditions: Some courses also include essays or other assignments that you complete in class under timed conditions without access to your books or notes. Timed essays Each time you have to complete a timed essay you will be given an hour during class to write an essay without referring to your books or anyone else. The reason for including timed essays as part of the assessment is that they are a chance to see how well you can apply your knowledge to a problem that you haven t seen before within a limited amount of time. They also help you to assess how much of the material you really understand and you can actually remember. Furthermore, those students preparing to go on for further study, for example, undergraduate degrees in psychology, will find them useful preparation for taking formal exams in the future. Although writing under timed conditions may seem daunting, some students prefer timed essays as they find that they take less time to prepare than coursework completed at home. Students will not be penalised for the length of timed essays although pieces that are too short may not be of sufficient quality to receive the higher grades. As a rough guide students may aim to write approximately words. Students do not have to provide a reference list at the end of timed essays but do need to include references in the body of their essay, if they refer to the work or ideas or other people. The number of assignments: For a 15 credit module there are usually two pieces of work to complete: On some of the modules both pieces of work are completed at home. On some half modules one piece of work is completed at home, whilst the other is written in the classroom under timed conditions (1 hour). For a 30 credit module there are usually four pieces of work to complete: On some modules all of the pieces of work are completed at home. On some of the modules two of the pieces of work will be completed at home and two will be undertaken under timed conditions in the classroom on separate occasions (1 hour each). COURSEWORK RESEARCH METHODS [PARTS 1 & 2] 15

16 Coursework requirements for these modules are slightly different and are outlined below. For each Research Methods module, students are required to complete two pieces of coursework a report of 1500 words based upon a laboratory experiment carried out in class as a group and written up individually. There is also a 2 hour timed test that will be carried out at the end of the course, which has two sections, A and B. Section A has a specific focus on methodology and ethics, and Section B assesses the practical use of SPSS. COURSEWORK SUBMISSION DEADLINES The regulations governing assessment conform to the Common Award Scheme, details of which are available on the College website: Key points to note are: how you submit your coursework; the range of difficulties that are acceptable as mitigating circumstances; and the number of attempts that you can have at any one module; Submission of Coursework Deadlines for submission of coursework are set by your tutor in the first instance. It is important to adhere to these deadlines and undertake assessment at the appropriate point in the course. You will be able to have your work marked in good time and receive feedback that you can use to inform future submissions. By using feedback from the tutors you should be able to edge your marks up a couple of percentage points at a time, which can quickly move your marks from one grade to the next. The following guidance relates to the formal regulations regarding late submission and the capping of marks. The key dates to note for the Psychology programme are: 1. Where you find it impossible to meet the deadline set by your tutor you must negotiate with them a deadline that you can meet. The last date when it is possible to submit work without penalty is the date of the last meeting of your course. Work submitted by this date will be accepted without penalty. Work submitted after the after the last session of your course will be capped at the 40% pass mark unless mitigating circumstances apply 16

17 (please see overleaf). We call the last session of your coursed the first submission date or the first deadline. 2. Work submitted after the following dates will not be accepted and will be returned: Modules ending in term 1: Friday 13 January 2017 Modules ending in term 2: Friday 21 April 2017 Modules ending in term 3: Friday 14 July 2017 We call these dates the second submission date or the second deadline. Students should note the importance of these deadlines and the implications of missing the first or second submission date. Please note: That posting work to tutors does not constitute submission. It is your responsibility to ensure work has been received and to keep proof of postage and copies of your work. Work submitted after the first deadline should be submitted to your tutor as an electronic attachment by . You should ensure that you request and have confirmation of receipt from your tutor as proof. That it is your responsibility to be clear about the internal submission dates for your course, including the dates that the timed essay(s)/task(s) are scheduled by your tutor, so that you can ensure that you make necessary arrangements to meet the deadlines and attend the timed essays/tasks. MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES If you are unable to submit one or more pieces of your coursework (or are unable to attend a timed essay/task) due to mitigating circumstances you may apply to complete this work at a later date. If you feel that you have mitigating circumstances that affected your work and that you would like considered by the Sub-Board of Examiners, you should complete the appropriate form and submit it as soon as possible with documentary evidence before the second submission deadline. To download the form, and for further information on the kinds of mitigating circumstances that will be considered and those that won t, please visit our website: mitigating-circumstances 17

18 Please note: Not all circumstances will be considered valid. All valid mitigating circumstances will need to be supported with appropriate documentary evidence. You should note that mitigating circumstances will only be considered where there is clear evidence that the circumstances occurred in the short period leading to or at the time of the assessment. Please note that marks awarded are not normally changed. In exceptional circumstances marks may be raised by up to 2% to secure a pass where a student has marginally failed a piece of work if there is evidence that their performance was adversely affected by the mitigating circumstances where normally their performance is of a higher standard. Where a Sub-Board of Examiners judges that a student s performance was affected by mitigating circumstances the student will be offered the option of repeating that element of the assessment. This reassessment if taken up does not count as one of the three attempts you are allowed to pass the course. The dates for reassessment are as outlined below. If you are unable to meet the first deadline and the second deadlines due to mitigating circumstances relating to those periods you will have until 14 July 2016 to submit your mitigating circumstances form. If your mitigating circumstances are accepted you will be given a new date by which you need to complete the work. MARKING CRITERIA Your work will be marked according to the published criteria for Psychology Certificate of Higher Education courses (please see Appendix 1). It s really important you read these and keep them to hand when getting ready to complete your assessments. The grades awarded by course lecturers for all modules are provisional and subject to moderation. FEEDBACK Your tutor will also give you feedback that will both explain the mark awarded and offer you advice on how to develop and improve your work next time. If you are not clear about the feedback please ask your lecturer to explain it and they will be happy to do so. The most important thing you can do to improve your grades is to make sure that after reading the feedback you are clear what the priority is for you in your next piece of work. For some people it will be to 18

19 give their work a clear introduction or conclusion. For others it will be to work out how to structure paragraphs and arrange them in the order that makes a convincing argument. Others will need to work on including more references to show where their ideas are coming from. Some people will need to work on putting the references at the end of their essays in the standard format. Others will need to work on evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the theories or research studies they are discussing in their work. It s also worth noting that there is no point comparing your grade with that given to other students in your class as our classes include students from such a wide range of backgrounds that each person s strengths and needs will be specific to them. MODERATION All coursework is subject to the moderation procedures of the College to ensure the equity and accuracy of marking across all modules. You should be aware that all marks awarded by tutors are provisional until they have been confirmed by the Sub-Board of Examiners, and therefore marks may change during the moderation process. If your class is selected for moderation you must submit all of your marked assessments at the end of your module to your tutor. The work should be submitted in a flat folder (either an A4 plastic folder or envelope folder) and should include green coversheets. All coversheets must be appropriately completed and signed to confirm the work is your own. A moderator will sample the work from courses submitted for moderation to help ensure tutors are setting appropriate assessments; are marking according to the marking criteria for the programme; and are giving useful feedback. If your class is NOT selected for moderation you must ensure you retain your coursework carefully in case of query until online notification of results in mid-august. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS AND RETURN OF COURSEWORK The Sub-Board of Examiners normally meets in the last week of July to ratify results. However, a nominated committee of the Sub-Board of Examiners will meet during the year to consider mitigating circumstances and identify students eligible for reassessment in late Spring for courses ending in term 1, late summer for courses ending in term 2 and early September for courses ending in term 3. Online notification of results for all modules will take place in mid August. You will be able to check your results via your My Birkbeck profile (see Student 19

20 Support Services for more information). Coursework that has been submitted for moderation is normally returned to students four-six weeks after the notification of results have been sent. FAILURE AND RE-ASSESSMENT OF A MODULE To satisfactorily complete a module, students must achieve an overall mark of 40% or more. For modules including assessment with one or more timed essays/task, students have to pass at least one timed essay/task to pass the module. Where a student fails to pass at least one timed essay/task, yet has an average overall mark for the module of 40% or more, will not be changed but it will be recorded as a fail. For Research Methods [Part 1] and Research Methods [Part 2], the lab report and both sections of the timed task (A and B) must all be passed with a mark of 40% or more in order to satisfactorily complete the module. If you fail to pass a module at your first attempt then you may be reassessed or you may be required to re-take. Re-assessment and re-takes Re-assessment is where a student will re-attempt a failed element of a failed module without attending any further classes. A re-take requires a student to re-enrol for the module, re-attend the course and re-take the full coursework requirements. A decision on whether you will be permitted to be re-assessed in one or more elements of a module that has not been passed is at the discretion of the sub-board of examiners. As a general guide, it is expected that students who fail a module with an overall mark of between 30-39% are likely to be offered re-assessment. Those with an overall mark of 29% or less are likely to be required to re-take the module. For Research Methods [Part 1] and Research Methods [Part 2], a student who fails the module with a mark for the timed task of 29% or less will almost certainly be required to re-take the module. A nominated committee will meet at the end of each term to make decisions regarding re-assessment and decisions will be communicated to students 20

21 shortly afterwards. Re-assessment will take place on the following dates: Courses ending in term 1: Monday 6 March 2017 Courses ending in term 2: Monday 5 June 2017 Courses ending in term 3: Monday 4 September 2017 If you do not wish to take up the offer of re-assessment you must let us know in writing by responding to the offer by the specified deadline. Failure to do so will mean that you have to re-take the module. Any reassessment awarded will be subject to a cap at the pass mark (40%). This change will apply to reassessment only, and not students who are required to re-take a module. Number of attempts Students are permitted three attempts at passing a module (the original attempt plus two further attempts, of which only one may be a reassessment). An attempt constitutes: A student who completes and submits all the coursework even if they fail the module overall (such cases will be resulted with the actual mark obtained). A student who fails a module with an overall mark of 30-39% and takes the opportunity given by the Sub-Board of Examiners to be reassessed in the failed element(s) of a module. (Students may only be reassessed once. If they subsequently fail they must retake the module). A student who chooses not to submit all pieces of coursework required (including a timed essay/task) but has not formally withdrawn (in such cases the item(s) in question will be awarded a zero to arrive at the overall mark). Implications for completion of a module are: A student who does not complete the coursework requirements for a module and has not formally withdrawn from assessment in writing before the first submission date will be deemed to have attempted the module. Unless mitigating circumstances are submitted and a deferral requested for the outstanding item(s) the student will be resulted by averaging the marks based on a mark of zero for the non-submitted items. 21

22 Students cannot retake a module to gain a higher mark. A student failing to complete a module satisfactorily after three attempts will not be permitted to re-enrol for the module. Where the module is a core module such a student will be unable to meet the requirements for that award. APPEAL PROCEDURE There is no provision for appeals against the academic judgement of Sub-Boards of Examiners in assessing the merits of assessment. The grounds on which appeals may be made are outlined here: STUDENT COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE (ACADEMIC ISSUES) The aim of the College s Student Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure is to ensure that complaints from students relating to courses of study, the availability or quality of facilities and any issues relating to College staff are dealt with fairly and promptly. Further details of the full procedure can be found at: APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM INDIVIDUAL MODULES If by virtue of your previous education experience, you feel that you have fully covered the content of an individual module in this award at another institution, you may apply for exemption from that module. Applications must be made in writing (along with relevant documentation) to the Award Coordinator for the Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology who, after assessing whether all of the learning outcomes for the module have been met previously, will notify you of their decision. If successful, you will accrue the credits for the given module which can be used as part of the 120 credits required for the award. The maximum exemption possible is 60 credits. REFERENCING AND PLAGIARISM It is essential that coursework is properly referenced. Referencing your written work means clearly identifying the source of your information. Referencing involves giving the name and date of the people whose work you are drawing upon within the body of your work and then including an organised list of those references at the end. 22

23 What is plagiarism? You must use other people s work as the basis of your coursework in order to demonstrate that you know about and understand theories within psychology. The problem arises if you seem to be suggesting that someone else s ideas are your own. Using other people s words or ideas in your work without naming the person and indicating where you read about their work is called plagiarism. It is regarded as a form of cheating or dishonesty. According to College policy, plagiarism can take a variety of forms and can be categorised as follows: copying a whole or substantial parts of a paper from a source text (e.g. a web site, journal article, book or encyclopaedia), without proper acknowledgement; paraphrasing someone else s work closely, with minor changes but with the essential meaning, form and/or progression of ideas maintained; piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole; procuring a paper from a company or essay bank (including Internet sites); submitting another student s work, with or without that student s knowledge submitting a paper written by someone else (e.g. a peer or relative), and passing it off as one s own representing a piece of joint or group work as one s own. Both committing plagiarism and helping someone else to are potentially very serious. Academic declaration form When submitting coursework (e.g. essay or other coursework or dissertation), you will need to sign an academic declaration form, stating that you have read the sections of plagiarism in your Handbook and confirming that the work is your own, with the work of others fully acknowledged. Consequences of Plagiarising According to the College Policy on Assessment Offences (2008) there are two types of offences: Minor Offences - inappropriate paraphrasing, a relatively small amount of unattributed quotations, and up to several sentences of direct copying (without acknowledging sources), where these are first offences. 23

24 Major Offences copying of paragraphs (without acknowledging sources), downloading essays from cheat sites on the Internet, copying much/all of the work of a fellow student, allegations of plagiarism in multiple pieces of coursework submitted by a student and examination, collusion and other offences. You need to be aware that both types of offences could lead to serious penalties. Details of this policy can be found at: but it is simply much better to avoid plagiarism! Avoiding Plagiarism In essence, the most obvious way to avoid plagiarism is to close books and exit the web etc. before starting to write. This is also the best way to learn as it requires you to internalise and then verbalise the concepts they are studying. Obviously you can then rework what they have written and add references etc. A similar strategy would be to imagine that your work is a letter to a friend: if you were to explain what you have learnt to a friend you would inevitably use your own words. Again, when you have finished you can add an appropriate introduction and conclusion, and references. More specific strategies include: always include a reference to show whose work you are quoting or where you got your information (in the body of the work and in the reference list) always use inverted commas ( ) when using a direct quote from a book, the web etc. However, keep direct quotes to a minimum always rewrite what is taken from books etc in your own words always give the name/s and dates linked to the theories or studies under discussion Referencing your work The general rule is that if the information came from a book, an article, a paper, a web site and it is neither general knowledge nor your own original idea, then you should provide a reference. This may mean that almost every paragraph in your written work is likely to carry one or more references - this is perfectly normal. Some sentences may even have more than one reference. In fact you should be wary of paragraphs you write that do not contain a reference. It is always safer to err on the side of caution and include a reference than not. 24

25 Please remember that although fully referencing your work is an important aim in academic writing, it is also a skill that needs to be developed - don t worry if it takes several attempts before you feel confident in its use. How to reference: In the body of your essay (or other written assignments) include the name of the person who wrote the book, article or paper you are drawing upon for the ideas in that particular sentence or paragraph. You only need to give their surname. You also need to include the year the book or article etc. was published. E.g. o Smith (2011) demonstrated that referencing in the body of the essay significantly increased students marks. or o It has been demonstrated that referencing in the body of the essay significantly increases students marks (Smith, 2011). At the end of your essay give a Reference List. List in alphabetical order all the names you have included in your essay. Then add the full details of the books or articles etc. so that anyone who would like to read them can find them: o Smith, J. (2011). How to Reference Your Essay. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. o In other words: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of book. Where it was Published: Name of Publisher. Notice the punctuation where to use full stops, where to use commas, where to use italics etc. Copy this format exactly if possible. That said, if you are new to writing essays, just concentrate on getting these basics correct. If you are comfortable with the basics, practice using the APA (American Psychological Association) or Harvard system of referencing (preferably the APA system). o You can find further details about how to give references using APA at: Referencing information you found on the web For web pages you should aim to include (where available) the author of the information (a person, group or organisation), date (most web pages have a date at the bottom of the page), title, URL (the web address at the top of the 25

26 page) and the date you used the web page to find that material. It is important to include the date when you last saw the information on the web as the information may change or disappear altogether. For example, the reference for a web page would appear in your Reference List as follows: Germov, J. and Williams, L. (1998) Social Appetite Web (web page) (date accessed: 1 January 2013). If no author information is listed on the web page, you would simply write the reference as follows: Get Great Information Fast, (web page) (1998), (date accessed: 1 January 2013). Reference list or bibliography - what's the difference? A Reference List is a list of the references you have used in your essay or other written work. A Bibliography is a broader list of information sources related to the topic, but not specifically quoted in your work. Further Information Further information on referencing and plagiarism can be obtained from the Birkbeck Library website (including a number of tutorials and more detailed guides) at Your tutor will also be able to provide you with additional advice and guidance. 26

27 5. COMPLETION OF AWARD Requirements and Award Scheme To complete the award of the Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology, you need to successfully complete eligible modules worth a total of 120 credits, including the four core modules Foundations of Modern Psychology, Biological Basis of Behaviour, Research Methods [Part 1] and Research Methods [Part 2]. Overall marks for the award are calculated as outlined in Section 1 Programme of Study, under the heading How many modules should I take? Students who achieve an overall mark of above 70% will receive a Distinction classification. All other marks between 40% and 70% are classified as a Pass. Further information is available at: Discretion Although awards and classifications are determined by the weighted average outlined above, the Sub-Board of Examiners has discretion to raise a classification where a student falls within 2 percentage points of a grade boundary. A recommendation to raise a classification can be made on the following grounds: Preponderance: where a student has achieved a preponderance (greater quantity) of credit in the higher classification. Unrepresentative performance in one module, which has affected the overall classification. Decisions of the Sub-Board with regard to discretion will be fair and consistent and made in accordance with the criteria specified above. However, there should be no expectation that the Sub-Board will use discretion to raise any student who falls within a boundary to a higher classification than that suggested by their classification formula. The Sub-Board can only use discretion to raise a classification, not to change marks awarded. Where discretion has been applied, individual module marks, and the overall award mark, remain the same. Award Ceremony and Issuing of Certificate Students who have successfully completed the Certificate of Higher Education 27

28 will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony in April

29 6. FEEDBACK Providing feedback about your course Students are invited to give informal, verbal feedback to the tutor at any point during the course. Such feedback can be incredibly useful in helping the tutor to tailor their methods and the contents of the course to the particular group. Tutors may also ask for feedback at various points during the course. Students complete course evaluation forms at the end of the course. These are read by the tutor who will include a summary of the feedback in their end of course report. The forms and the tutors report are read by the Award Coordinator. Should you wish to give feedback on a course directly, this can be done by contacting the administrative team by phone, by or by downloading a copy of the course evaluation form and returning it to us directly. Staff-Student Exchange Staff-Student exchange meetings are held each year to enable students to provide feedback about their experience of studying on our Certificate programmes and at Birkbeck in general. Students enrolled on a specific module each term are invited to come to a meeting before or after their normal class time. 29

30 7. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES MY BIRKBECK HELPDESK The My Birkbeck website ( is your gateway to accessing all student support services at Birkbeck. It is also where you can access your student record, via your My Birkbeck profile ( including your timetable, contact details, your financial records and your course results. You may also find the following links particularly useful:- Obtaining your library/id card: Accessing IT Services: Contacting our disability office: Financial support: Study skills support: You can also visit the Student Advice Centre on the ground floor of the main Birkbeck building on Malet Street. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 11.00am-7.00pm, 11.00am-5.00pm on Friday and 12.00am-5pm on Saturday. You can also call the helpdesk on Helpdesk opening hours may vary outside of term time. ADDITIONAL LEARNING SUPPORT To benefit fully from your studies, you should be able to read, write and speak English fluently. If you feel that you need to improve your written or oral skills in English, or if English is not your first language, we recommend that you enrol on an English language or academic writing course. If you would like the opportunity to reflect on your English language skills either because you have been educated in a language other than English or because you have not studied at HE level before, you may wish to consider this FREE online course from the Open University: Am I ready to study in English available on 30