foundation degree in events management Essay Example

foundation degree in events management Essay Example foundation degree in events management Essay foundation degree in events management Essay Contents Introduction Foundation degrees are a recognised HE qualification. The degree is made up of both academic and work based learning. The purpose of this report is to explain about the course, work placement and academic requirements. It will also explain why events are created and the purpose they serve in society. Findings The course The course consists of a number of core modules and may include optional modules. These are taken over two years which are based on a value of 1 5 credits, with one credit representing 10 hours of student study time (Warwickshire College, 2013). In ear one the modules are; Academic and professional development Developing professional practice Exploring customer service MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) Principles of event management Event appraisal Principles of business Introduction to business operations and activities The modules for year two are as follows; Business accounting Human resource management Principles of marketing Professional competence Project management for events Evolving sectors in the event industry Work-based project This course specifically benefits my chosen career path as it involves important odules based on events management. For instance the project management for events module will be particularly helpful as it includes some key skills I am keen to learn and will give me an understanding theoretically and practically on managing events. As noted in the course handbook Project management is a discipline for organising and managing the resources to complete a project. The subject includes a project This is a subject area that is essential for an event manager and will involve investigation and application of the skills and knowledge acquired to both real and simulated projects. : The module will include the management of an event. (Warwickshire College, 2013, P. 5) All the modules are assessed by a variation of coursework such as: role play, written reports, presentation, debates, seminars, essays, leaflet production and written assignments. The assignments have been carefully designed to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge which can be transferred to a working environment Assessment is a crucial aspect of the learning process are was taken to ensure that both in-course and end of module assessments test the skills and knowledge needed in the working environment Formative assessment methods are diverse and include practical assessment of advanced techniques used in the workplace. (Warwickshire College, 2013, p. 36) For example, assignments which are delivered as presentations will help increase and develop skills such as: Presenting skills, communicating, engaging an audience and confidence. This is useful as presentations are often used in the workplace. The course requires independent learning to be successful. Study skills which will enhance independent learning abilities are: Self-management, you must organise and manage time working on your own, there are far less taught sessions than school r a further education course. Taking control, you are responsible for making choices, advice and guidance is available, but its up to you to find this out and to book appointments when necessary. Personal planning, you will benefit by taking control of your time and finding out what skills are necessary for employers. Knowing the essentials, knowing deadline dates, academic regulations, and assignment briefs is essential, read any College documentation thoroughly and keep in a safe place. Finding resources and support, you will be given a list of books to read which is vital for the course. However you are expected to further your knowledge by reading and researching additional sources. You are also expected to find out what support is available. Structuring your study, you are required to work with little guidance, a good assignment will be a result of independent study Keeping going, you must keep motivated and focused when working alone, most people use have the support of other people for this. (Stella Cottrell, 2013) Work placement Work placement is an important element for the foundation degree programme and involves 10 weeks placement spread across the two years. A large proportion of ssessments are designed to be completed through work placement. Warwickshire College, 2013) There are a number of things to make the most of a placement: Set some objectives, decide what you want to achieve and discuss expectations with the employer before you start. Make sure both you and the employer know what you want to gain out of the placement. Show what you are capable of doing, show enthusiasm and be reliable. Dont be afraid to ask questions. Show that you are proactive, ask to attend meetings. Make some suggestions although dont be critical of colleagues or your employer. Keep a diary or learning log, Record experiences and skills and attributes gained Build a network, Identify the colleagues whose work interests you, ask for advice. (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2013) Warwickshire college work in partnership with University of Gloucestershire (I-JOG) the foundation degree is validated by the I-JOG. The University overseas the quality and ensures a high standard of education and have set academic regulations of which Warwickshire College must abide by. The regulations set can affect the assessment scores if deadlines are not met or the required standard is not met. Each piece of coursework will have a submission date and criteria which must be met in order to pass. Late submission or failure to meet the required criteria without approved mitigating circumstances is penalised. For example if the work is less than seven days late the highest mark achievable is capped at 40%,if the work is more than seven days late the assessment is marked at and is failed. This can have a huge effect on the course both financially and academically because if you fail a module below 30% you must retake it, this will cost an extra E700. You are not allowed to rogress on to the second year with more than one restudy. Warwickshire College, 2013) In some circumstances external problems/issues may affect the performance in assessments and a student may feel they failed or underachieved because of the problem. The course manager or personal tutor must be notified as early as possible, ideally before the deadline date, or its likely to be too late. Examples of exceptiona l mitigating circumstances may be: Personal serious illness or accident Death or serious illness of a very close relative Serious family or personal problem Sudden deterioration of a chronic health condition Circumstances which are not likely to be considered are: A minor illness Death or serious illness ofa pet Normal family or work commitments Chronic or long standing illness Pressure of study arising from reassessment Computer difficulties (Warwickshire College, 2013) If it is agreed the circumstances surrounding the student have affected the assessment, the student will either have their results re-considered or have another opportunity to retake that piece of work. (Warwickshire College, 2013) Another requirement for all written assessments is the use of Havard referencing. This ystem is used to acknowledge the work of other writers or to enable other researchers trace the original source. It is allows the work to checked and verified and avoids plagiarism. (Warwickshire College, 2013) The use of the referencing shows research has been carried out giving credence to the subject being studied. For example, to achieve higher marks in assignments a range of sources will be used with correct citation and referencing Excellent use of sources with highly accurate and effective use of citation and referencing. (Warwickshire College, 2013, p. 4) That is one of the criteria to achieve a mark. To achieve the best mark possible it is important you use module guide and contextualised grading descriptor. The module guide will provide an essential reading lists, this will list the recommended books to read in order to complete an assignment to a satisfactory standard. More received for an assignment. Also in the module guide is a contextualised grading descriptor, this can be used to see what level of work is required to achieve a certain grade. For instance for this assignment to achieve a 55%-69% grade you must meet the following criteria: Evidence of some effective self-guided study Good understanding of using of using of sources with largely good understanding of citation and referencing Sources used are academically sound Sources used are academically sound with minimal use of the internet Content is reasonably thorough in its coverage of key areas of induction topics and possibly covering some related issues Good presentation that in the main follows the informal report structure with automated features (Warwickshire College, 2013, p4) Field of study Events have become a huge part of our lives, the public, governments and businesses are all involved. Each event is created for different reasons. Due to an increase of eisure time and discretionary spending have led to a rise in public events such as celebrations and entertainment. Governments support events for their economic development and nation building. Businesses use events for marketing and promotions. Increases in leisure time and discretionary spending have led to proliferation of public events, celebrations and entertainment. Governments now support and promote events as part of their strategies for economic development, nation building and destination marketing. Corporations and business embrace events as key elements in their marketing strategies and image promotion (Bowdin, 012, p. 3) Conclusion References Bowdin, G (2012) Events management 3rd edition. Oxford. Butterworth-Heinemann Cottrell, S (2012) Study Skills, (online), Available from algrave. com/ skills4study/studyskills/learning/independent. asp (accessed 20th September 2013) Manchester Metropolitan University, (2013) making the most of work experience, (online), Available from mmu. ac. uk/careers/students-and-graduates/ resources/guides/making-the-most-of-work-experience-and-placements. pdf (accessed 20th September 2013) Warwickshire College, (2013) Course Handbook