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Extended Project

Qualification

Student Handbook 2017/2018

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Welcome to Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Welcome to the EPQ Student Handbook. We are extremely excited about this project and

hope that you share that enthusiasm. This handbook has been designed to give you the

information needed to undertake the EPQ.

The EPQ is an excellent platform on which to build further academic achievement. It will

also give you a range of valuable skills that are sought after in the workplace, such as time

management, research skills, presentational ability and more importantly the ability to work

to a plan.

Although there will be set periods where we will sit down on a one to one basis, please feel

free to contact us whenever, our contact details are as follows:

Teacher E-mail: ybibi@edmonton.enfield.sch.uk

Co-ordinator E-mail: mapa@edmonton.enfield.sch.uk

Wishing you all the best in your studie

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Project Information

The Extended Project qualification allows you to develop your interests in a particular topic,

experience or skill. It is for students who are interested in problem-solving, designing, managing and

realising projects. You should enjoy taking responsibility for your own learning showing initiative,

creativity and enterprise. To succeed in the EPQ you will have to display the following qualities:

You are able to manage your time effectively to complete a project to a high standard.

You are self-motivated, determined and committed to extending your skills.

You enjoy working independently and with others demonstrating self-reliance and teamwork

where necessary.

Above all, you have a passion for learning, a desire to develop your skills and enjoy a

challenge!

What will I learn?

There will be taught sessions to help you develop the range of skills needed for the Extended Project. These include:

Research methods Presentation skills Project management skills Dealing with ethical issues Action planning Self- and peer-evaluation skills to aid reflection on learning and personal development

I will also act as your personal supervisor to support your work on the project and to help you review and evaluative your personal learning and development. The rest is up to you! You can approach other staff for specialist inputs where appropriate. There will also be other people and experiences to draw upon in your life outside of the sixth form college. The following are a list of titles that have been used in other educational establishments. These show the breadth and diversity that can be achieved with the EPQ:

1. Global Warming – Is the threat real? 2. Aspects of disease 3. All in the mind? – An exploration of the perceptions of mental health & learning disability disorders 4. Cystic Fibrosis – Is gene therapy the answer? 5. What are the inequalities faced by female police officers? 6. Career aspirations and expectations of ethnic minority women 7. A linguistic and literary exploration into 17th Century Religious sonnets 8. Democratic or Autocratic- which is the most effective management style? 9. Thalidomide : Friend or foe? 10. Response to population pressures 11. Antibiotics and the dangers of resistance 12. Thalidomide - the future? 13. Maths and its everyday uses 14. Childhood obesity – What are the problems?

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15. Pancreatic cancer - – Is gene therapy the answer? 16. The application of nuclear fusion to Power Generation 17. Tipping the balance – Terrorism & the 2004 Spanish General Election

Course Expectations

The SHD Faculty endeavours to ensure successful outcomes for all students. An extensive

monitoring programme is in place and regular tracking from teachers, Key Stage

Coordinator and Head of Faculty takes place to support all students. However there are

occasions when students do not make the necessary progress needed to succeed in their

courses. Furthermore, students must ensure they meet the following requirements

before the December mock exam period in order for your project to be considered for

entry.

1) Attendance of a student must be above 80% for the subject, unless there is

sufficient medical evidence to justify the absence.

2) The student is working above a U grade, or has shown sufficient progress on

assessments due to faculty intervention.

3) The student has spent the necessary time on their homework and used

Independent Study effectively and put enough effort in class in order to make the

progress expected of them.

4) The student must consistently meet coursework deadlines set by the teacher.

If a student fails to meet any of these requirements by DW3 there will be requests to

withdraw students from the summer exam series.

Deadlines

There are strict and non-negotiable deadlines throughout the EPQ course. Please see copy of the

overview below with these deadline dates- it is advised that you refer to this often.

Lessons

There will be taught aspects of the course throughout the year- predominantly at the beginning-

as well as one-to one tutorials and time to work independently. It is important that you make

the best use of all of the time given to you and stay up to date with your project. The best grades

always come from those students who work hard all though the year!

Emails

In year 12 it is vitally important that you regularly check your school email account- and keep it

tidy! There will be advice, reminders and changes of classroom etc sent out to you via email. You

are also able to communicate with your EPQ mentor via their email address.

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L1 L2

4/9/17 Introduction lesson- Lesson 1

Introduction Analysis of sample

projects. Understand assessment

objectives.

Lesson 2 – Choosing a topic

11/9/17 Independent research on topic title independent work on topic title

18/9/17 Record of initial planning deadline Independent work on project proposals

25/9/17 project proposal meetings Project proposal deadline

Lesson 3- Time management- create a

gantt chart.

02/10/17 Lesson 4- Reading and note taking Independent work researching on project

09/10/17 Independent work researching on

project

Independent work on planning review

16/10/17 Planning review deadline Lesson 5- Harvard Referencing

23/10/17

30/10/17 Lesson 6- Literature reviews Lesson 7- Writing style

6/11/17 Creation of a project plan project plan deadline

13/11/17 independent work independent work

20/11/17 independent work independent work

27/6/17 independent work independent work

04/12/17 independent work independent work

11/12/17 independent work mid project review meeting

18/12/17 Mid project review meeting

Mid project review deadline

25/12/17

01/01/18

Overview

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08/01/18 Individual mentoring sessions Individual mentoring sessions

15/01/18 independent work independent work

22/01/18 independent work independent work

29/01/18 independent work independent work

05/02/18 independent work independent work

12/0218

19/02/18 independent work independent work

26/02/18 project product review meeting Project product review deadline

05/03/18 independent work independent work

12/03/18 independent work independent work

19/03/18 independent work Final deadline 22nd March

26/03/18

02/04/18

09/04/18 Presentation preparation Presentation record part B

16/04/18 Presentation record part B deadline Peer assessment of presentations

23/04/18 Presentation Summary and reflection form

30/04/18 Summary and reflection deadline Marking time/moderation

07/05/18 Marking time/moderation Marking time/moderation

14/05/18 Marking time/moderation Marks submitted

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Qualification Information

Assessment Objectives

AO1 Manage

• identify the topic

• identify project aims and

objectives

• produce a project plan

• complete the work applying

organisational skills and

strategies to meet stated

objectives

AO2 Use resources

• obtain and select information

from a variety of sources

• analyse data

• apply information relevantly

• demonstrate understanding of

appropriate links

AO3 Develop and

Realise

• problem-solving

• decision-making

• creative thinking

• to achieve planned outcomes

AO4 Review

• evaluate own learning and

performance

• communication skills

• convey and present

evidenced outcomes and

conclusions

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Specific information on the marking of the EPQ can be found within the specification on the AQA website.

•Project Proposal

•The first step is the initial planning meeting with your supervisor, in which you will discuss your initial ideas and consider the scope of your project.

•In formulating your project proposal, you should consider the definition of scope and the stakeholders.

•You will then submit your project proposal for approval.

•Project Plan

•There needs to be a project plan. This plan should show the key dates (milestones) in your project. The milestones will vary from project to project but they should definitely include the review meetings, the presentation and the final submission date.

•The plan should show awareness of resources, threats, constraints, dependencies and contingencies.

•You should have a detailed list of clear project objectives.

•Project Diary

•Throughout the diary, you need to show evidence that you have used your project plan as a working document, adjusting the plan where necessary.

•You should keep a record of meetings with your project supervisor.

A01 Manage - 20% weighting

•To achieve a good mark:

•You need to show that you have used a range of resources.

•You need to show that you have used the resources effectively.

•You need to show that you have critically analysed the sources and the data, rather than taking information at face-value.

•You need to show how your use of resources has helped you to understand the complexities of the topic.

•The evidence of this will be in your bibliography, which should show the resources used and how they have been used.

•It is also important to reference your use of sources formally.

A02 Use Resources - 20% weighting

•The Outcome

•This will be in the form of either the extended essay or the the artefact plus a 1,000 word report.

•Artefacts, demonstrations, etc. should be evidenced through designs, images, video clips and/or audio files.

•The Presentation

•This could involve printing out PowerPoint slides or through the use of photographs or video clips if the presentation is in a different form.

•The key aspect of the presentation is that you can communicate with an audience and that you can respond to probing questions about both the product and the process of carrying out your project.

A03 Develop and Realise - 40% weighting

•Project Review

•You need to evaluate the product, the presentation and the process.

•You need to refer to your original project objectives in your evaluation.

•Your evaluation should be evidence-based.

A04 Review - 20% weighting

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Overview of the process;

Malpractice

You must not: • Submit work which is not their own; • Lend work to other candidates; • Allow other candidates access to, or the use of, their own independently-sourced source material (this does not mean that candidates may not lend their books to another candidate, but candidates should be prevented from plagiarising other candidates’ research); • Include work copied directly from books, the internet or other sources without acknowledgement and attribution; • Submit work typed or word-processed by a third person without acknowledgement.

These actions constitute malpractice, for which a penalty (eg disqualification from the examination) will be applied.

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Grade Descriptors

The following award descriptions indicate the level of attainment characteristic of the given grade at Level 3. They give a general indication of the required learning outcomes at each specific grade. The descriptions should be interpreted in relation to the content outlined in the specification; they are not designed to define that content. The award will depend in practice upon the extent to which you have met the Assessment Objectives. Shortcomings in some aspects of the project may be balanced by a better performance in other aspects.

Grade A You clearly plan and execute highly organised and independent extended projects. There is clear evidence of how the advice given by the supervisor has been used or interpreted. You have used a wide range of resources critically and to good effect and show a clear link between the sources and the themes of your project. Problems and issues are identified and fully explored, with conclusions drawn and the intended outcomes of the projects are fully realised. The conclusion is clearly presented and well argued leaving no doubt in the audiences’ minds of the success of the venture. In your evaluation, you have show a high level of insight into how you have conducted your project.

Grade C The plan is sufficient to enable you to achieve the overall objectives but limited in terms of being able to demonstrate the higher level organisational skills. There is some evidence of how the advice given by the supervisor has been used or interpreted. A range of resources is used but you do not fully exploit the material. You have met the goal of producing a project but have missed opportunities to develop the material more fully. The project is clearly expressed and the conclusions are well argued in the presentation. In your evaluation you reflect effectively on your

strengths and weaknesses in carrying out your projects. Grade E You have produced a workable plan, however there is little evidence of how you have used or interpreted the advice given by the supervisor. You use a limited range of resources to enable the projects to be realised but there is no clear link between the resources and the themes of the project. Appropriate use is made of resources but they are not greatly developed in the final project. The final project is adequate to communicate the intentions but there is limited reflection on the way the final outcomes have emerged and your own strengths and weaknesses in carrying out your project. Conclusions tend to be asserted rather than argued in the presentation.

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UCAS

The extended project is equivalent to half an A-level or to one AS-level. You can make effective use of your extended project in interviews for higher education or in your UCAS personal statement.

The following table1 highlights the UCAS points available for the award.

Extended Project (Stand alone)*

Grade Tariff points

A* 70

A 60

B 50

C 40

D 30

E 20

Useful Resources & Information

Library and Resource Area – Helping with Your Research Once you have chosen your broad topic area you are ready to begin your research. Your initial research will help you focus on your topic and should guide your project development. Remember 20% of the total marks are awarded for your research. Listed below are some useful starting points for your research and obviously your starting point will be governed by the topic area you have chosen. College Library: Use the Library catalogue for keyword searches or to find specific resources by author/title etc.

• DVDs and videos are useful for general background. • Textbooks for theory

1 http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables/#exp

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• Journals (Magazines) and Newspapers for the most up-to-date information. • Statistics collection for authoritative facts.

University of Cumbria Library: At some stage you should all visit the University Library.

• More details to follow

Area/Subject Remarks and Link

AQA

The following link will take you to the AQA website that deal specifically with the EPQ. Here you will find the specification and other useful documents http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993

Greenhead College

This college has some useful information and you will also be able to see a couple of completed projects. http://www.greenhead.ac.uk/subjects/epq/index.htm

Finding and Evaluating

Information on the Internet

It is vitally important that you plan and record any web search that you undertake. See the following handout: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/internetinfo.pdf

Various

Resources you use from the web must be reliable academic sources. By all means use Google but why not try some of these alternatives first – listed in no particular order.

• New Scientist Archive - http://www.newscientist.com/home.ns - Log in as an “Institutional subscriber” • Try some of the higher education gateways. Intute - http://www.intute.ac.uk/ is a good place to start. Try their ‘Internet Detective’ – a very good training site for internet research - http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index.html Other specific subject gateways are listed at the Pinakes site - http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html

Other trustworthy sites for general information and often a good place to start (depending on your area of research). All of these

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resources provide reliable links toother related websites. o BBC – http://www.bbc.co.uk/ o NHS – http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx o National Statistics - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ - government statistics. Easy to get lost in this site – please ask for help if required. Search Engines • Google Scholar - http://scholar.google.co.uk/ - link from the Google homepage. Only searches academic resources. Probably a good site to try when you have a reasonable grasp of the topic you are researching. • Kartoo - http://www.kartoo.com/ - an alternative search engine. Provides results in the form of mind maps and suggests alternative search terms. A good place to try if you’re starting from a broad topic area.

Study Skills

Lots of information in the Library at Enfield/Edmonton on study skills – note taking; essay writing; making presentations. This website at Manchester University is a good guide – especially the sections on essay writing and presentations. http://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/studyskills/

Harvard Referencing

This is a key component of any further education writing. The following is a link to a PDF guide from the Anglia Ruskin University: http://pebblepad.wlv.ac.uk/download.aspx?oid=2516380&useroid=0

Edexcel Information

Although the awarding body is AQA the following is information and guidance from Edexcel. I feel that should you use this as a framework for your project then you will be heading in the right direction. Structure of the research report The research report will be word-processed and structured under the following headings.

• Abstract • Introduction • Literature Review • Discussion • Conclusion • Bibliography

Each of the sections needs to be headed separately and individual word counts for each must be provided. It is advisable to ask students to prepare their research projects in these sections. It is unlikely that students will have a well-defined grasp of their entire project from the outset. Therefore, it makes sense for them to begin working on the literature review. In the course of working on the literature review, their ideas will begin

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to take shape and they will be able to begin writing the discussion section. This section requires them to build up arguments both for and against a particular point of view. It forms the single most substantial part of the project. It may well be that in preparation students are asked to prepare more specific pieces of work. For example, they might be given a starter sheet containing an interview with a prominent writer, and asked to provide a summary and evaluation of the arguments contained in the article. The skills that they will need are those that they will have gained from work in the analytical skills section of the course. Once the literature review and discussion sections are well advanced, students will be in a position to assemble the bibliography, and write the introduction and conclusion to the project. The introduction will draw on the work they have done in preparing their research proposal. The final part of the project to be produced will most probably be the abstract. Plagiarism It is important that students are made aware of the issue of plagiarism. Students are required to sign a declaration stating that the work they are submitting is their own. Project reports must not contain material which has been taken, without acknowledgement, from web-sites, text-books or any other sources. Students should be made aware of the serious consequences of submitting work as their own that has been plagiarised from other sources. Each case of malpractice will be considered and judged on an individual basis in the light of all information available. The outcome should be commensurate with the gravity of the malpractice as determined by the awarding body. Edexcel may withhold certification in cases of plagiarism. Students should be taught how to make proper use of published material in support of their arguments. It is expected for all use of source materials to be properly referenced and that transcribed material from books or web sites is only be used in the form of explicit quotations. Project reports Structure of the report (5000 words) The definitions below detail the requirements for each section and a word count is given for each. The figures below represent a guideline that would result in a report of 6000 words, a level we would suggest is appropriate for this piece of work.

• The bibliography should not be included in the total word count. • Footnotes must be included in the final word count.

Abstract (200 words) The abstract will summarise the point of view and the conclusions reached in the research project. It is suggested that, as with professional papers, consideration should be given to the abstract once the main body of the report has been drafted. The abstract will focus the reader on the purpose, findings and conclusions of the report. Introduction (750 words) The introduction will include an explanation of the research question, the rationale for the choice of this question, an identification of the controversial aspects of the question and of the relevant literature sources and explanations of key terms that will be used in the report. This will be based mainly on work the student produced for the research proposal. In the example discussed previously the introduction would consist of a re-draft of the research proposal together with discussion of key terms (eg what counts as vivisection, definitions of utilitarianism and notions of animal rights) and the pertinent legislation. Literature review (1850 words) Students should use information gathered from their research to give an outline of the literature that underlies their project; stating key dates, developments and the people involved. They should relate the developments to their social context and discuss the influences on the key figures.

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They should also use skills gained from looking at the case studies in the course to comment on the reliability of sources (eg by distinguishing between primary and secondary sources, as well as distinguishing between facts, speculation and subjective opinion). For example, students should note whether the source of the data comes from a newspaper summary of original research (and may therefore be abridged or even misrepresented). They should also be sensitive to the fact that particular sources will offer biased information (for example, the focus and emphasis of a scientific report on vivisection may be affected by the organisation or group that funds the report). For example, this section would outline the history of the use of chimpanzees in the UK for vivisection and explain the changes in society, which have led to growing concern about this. Discussion (2650 words) In this section students should advance a case for a particular answer to their research question. This will mean stating their point of view clearly and identifying central arguments both for and against. There should be an effort to critically evaluate these arguments. Students should identify crucial assumptions from the arguments and assess them critically, paying attention as to whether or not the arguments are logically valid. They should consider arguments for and against their point of view and offer defences against objections. Throughout their discussion, they should be aware of the importance of clear and consistent use of language, paying careful attention to key technical terms used in their chosen topic area. A student might wish, for example, to look at the argumentative framework for the practice of vivisection. They might then go on to explain to what extent current practice in the UK with chimpanzees meets these conditions. They could offer a justification for their approach by considering alternative views (eg a wholesale ban on vivisection or unrestricted permission of the practice) and criticising the arguments for these alternatives. They would need to pay attention to the way in which language is used in the debate. (For example, is it meaningful to talk about animal rights?) Conclusion (550 words) Students should state their conclusions clearly, having considered how the arguments supported their point of view. They should engage in a reflective study of the research process, explaining how their ideas have developed, and what they have learned about the methodology of research. For example, a student might explain that their study has led them to qualify their initial opposition to/support of vivisection in important ways. They might describe ways in which they learned to criticise literature that is written from a particular point of view (eg animal rights publications). They should explain further possible study (eg comparing UK practice with European). Bibliography (not included in word limit) Throughout the report, students should make use of a consistent system of references to source material. References should make clear which author is being quoted, and from where the quotation comes. The bibliography should include reference to the author, date of publication and publisher. For example, a quotation from Kuhn in the project report could be referenced as follows: “two groups of scientists see different things when they look from the same point in the same direction” (Kuhn 1970, p150) The bibliography should then include the details of the source, for example: Kuhn, T. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd edition (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1970) A full URL should be given for any websites that have been used so that the exact page can be located, the website address alone is not sufficient. Presentation Skills Training The presentation will be a summary of the student’s research work and will take place after the report has been written. Presentation is a daunting task for most students. Before they carry out their assessed presentation, they should have some training in presentation skills. This may include activities such as: Watching (real or filmed) presentations and discussing their strengths and weaknesses Mini-presentation

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exercises (e.g. presenting their work to a friend in a class discussion). A 'dress rehearsal' with feedback from a teacher-assessor With the assessed presentation, it is worthwhile if possible ensuring that more than one teacher-assessor watches each presentation. This helps greatly with the awarding of marks and provides a greater degree of objectivity, as well as providing a back-up if a teacher's individual judgement is questioned. It is also important that thought is given to ensuring that all students present in similar conditions e.g. to a similar sized group of peers. Questioning the student after the presentation is useful, partly as a way of authenticating the originality of their work and partly as a way of providing them with a chance to further demonstrate the extent of their understanding. Suitable questions include:

• Which of the resources used proved to be the most useful to you and why? • What factors influenced your choice of presentation style? • Looking back at your report are there any processes you would change? If so, why? • Did you anticipate any particular difficulties when approaching this subject and how did you/ would you have dealt with them? • What areas of your subject do you think provide opportunities for further exploration and why?

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Learning Contract

The Student

I have read and understand the EPQ handbook.

I understand the requirements of the course.

I will meet the course expectations to the best of my ability.

I am aware of key dates for assessments and examinations.

Student Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Student Signature: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Parents/Carers

I/We have read and understand the EPQ handbook.

I/We will try to ensure that my child meets the course expectations and requirements.

I/We will try to support the Faculty with rewards and sanctions at home.

Parent/Carer Name(s): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Parent/Carer Signature: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…