GUIDE TO MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COURSEWORK

It might seem obvious, but following these simple tips can maximise your marks.

You may ‘get by’ with just regurgitating those aspects of your course materials which are relevant to

the coursework. You often won’t get extra marks for irrelevant diversions. You won’t be thanked to

quoting the tutor’s notes back to her.

You will gain more marks for being original, carrying out your own research, finding articles and

books which develop the ideas further and for teaching the marker/your tutor something they did

not know.

Before you start

Read the facts, scenario and questions several times.

Read the “assessment criteria” and have these in mind when preparing your first draft.

Remember that your work is assessed not merely on technical content or knowledge but on

how it is structured.

You need to do a little showing off to demonstrate that you have understood the topic

properly, can apply it to the coursework question(s), can develop an argument and draw

conclusions.

Remember Bloom’s taxonomy: you need to show not just repetition and comprehension,

but analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Read the “grade descriptors”. For top marks, students often have to show

o Exceptional level of research

o Well-structured

o Proficient spelling, grammar, citations and referencing

o Clear analysis

o Original work and thought

o Application of study topics and concepts to real-life

o Conclusions drawn based on analysis

o Clear and succinct expression

Read all relevant lecture notes, text books, supporting material to get a good feel for the

subject of your coursework.

Undertake any preliminary research, above and beyond the course materials – this is where

the extra marks are gained.

Think about how you can tell the marker something new and original.

Preparation

Prepare an outline (skeleton, mind map, bullet list) before you start.

Gather your evidence for your views.

Analyse that evidence

o Internal information from the coursework brief

o Course materials

o Texts and other reputable sources

o Your own research

Write your own conclusions (or executive summary) based on your research.

Writing the First Draft

Make life easier for your marker by checking spellings, layout, grammar, flow.

Read it out aloud – if it sounds clunky, too full of jargon or uses terms you don’t actually

understand, then rewrite.

Use plain language and only use technical terms you really understand.

Use references properly:

o Where relevant to your opinion

o To support your analysis

o To provide primary evidence.

Use the correct referencing system - OSCALA or HARVARD.

Answer all of those questions, exactly as asked

o Eg if it says “five issues” write down five issues. There are no marks for extra and if

you have less than five, you lose marks.

o If it says “discuss by reference to X” then make sure you refer to X.

Keep within the word count (if any).

Minimise the use of footnotes (they are not a way round the word count).

Revising Your Coursework

After the first draft, leave it, re-read materials if you need to, but walk away.

Revise the draft before you submit it to anyone for a review – your tutor is not a spell-

checker!

Ask your tutor, if possible, to review your second draft and give you feedback.

Don’t expect a tutor to review your coursework at the last minute or review more than a

couple of drafts.

Don’t expect your tutor to tell you the answer, or tell you about poor grammar or spelling.

Submit the coursework early to make sure you have a chance to meet the deadline if

computer systems fail.

After Marking

Read all feedback and make a note of what you would change next time.

If you don’t understand why your mark is high/medium/low, ask to see your tutor or the

marker to discuss it.

If you know someone who got a better mark, ask to see their coursework and learn from it.

Sarah Fox www.500words.co.uk

Resources

Many Universities have their own Guides such as this from the University of Salford.