EAPA3004 Portfolio Assignment: UK University Study

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Summer 2019
English for Academic Purposes 1 (EAP 1) Portfolio (EAPA3004) RESIT
Name:
Student Number:
Tutor name:
This is your EAP 1 Portfolio which you must submit via the student portal byTuesday 20th August by
14.00please save a copy on your computer and back it up regularly (e.g. by saving it on your computer / in
the cloud (e.g. Google Drive) / emailing it to yourself. Please refer to suggested word counts for each task
included within this portfolio.
Assessed Learning Outcomes (LOs):
1. Produce cohesive and coherent elements of academic writing.
2. Read, compare and summarise written academic texts.
Week Contents Page Learning
Outcome
1 Task 1: Self-evaluation checklist
p.3
LO 1 & 2
1

2
Task 2: Paragraph writing task [The differences between
secondary school and university study in The UK]
(Recommended word count: 150)
p.4 LO 1
3 - 5
Task 3: Literature Research
(Recommended word count: 400 excluding references)
p.5
LO 2
5 - 7 Task 4: Paragraph Outline or Mind-mapping p.6 LO 1 & 2
7 - 10
Task 5: Academic writing [The differences between
secondary school and university study in The UK]
(Word count: 500 words)
pp.7-8
LO 1 & 2
9 -10
Task 6: Reflective writing
(Word count: 300 words)
p.9 LO 1 & 2
9 - 10
Task 7: Self-Assessment
(Recommended word count: at least 50 per section. Total
word count: 150)
p.10
LO 1 & 2
Total word count: 1500 (+/- 10%)
Task 1: Self-evaluation checklist
Below is a list of the skills you will need when working on extended pieces of writing during
your university career. The work you do on the EAP 1 course will help you develop these skills.
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Tick the appropriate box for each skill, according to how well you think you can do this at the
beginning of this course. Look again at the checklist throughout the course in order to identify
areas for independent study.
Skills
I don’t know
how to do
this.
I find this
difficult.
I can do this
quite well.
I can do this
very well.
Looking for information
Identify which sources (e.g.
books/journals/websites) to use ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Select relevant parts of a text ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Using sources
Acknowledge sources of information ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Avoid plagiarism ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Planning/ writing
Brainstorm ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Plan written work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Link ideas effectively ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Paraphrase & summarise ideas ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write in clear paragraphs ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Write a topic and concluding sentence ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Personal study
Work independently ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Manage my time ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Reflection
Identify strengths / weaknesses in written
work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Think of ways to improve written work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Think about experiences and describe in
writing ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Oral presentation
Discuss ideas in a group ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
IT
Access the internet ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Use search engines ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Create and save Word documents ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Task 2: Paragraph writing task
Please type your answer on this page about the following question:
“Discuss the differences between secondary school and university study in the UK”
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You should write at least 150 words. This task does not require prior research on the topic. You
only need to draft your initial ideas about the question.
The main difference between university study and school study in UK is the factor of self-motivation
(idea developed from successatschool.org, 2019). In school, the teachers usually teach the students and
provide home task so that the students can learn the material effectively. In this time, if students do not
want to learn, parents or teachers motivate them to complete this study. On the other hand, in the
university study, professors provide lectures along with materials. Professors do not provide that much
of pressure to complete it and learners need to learn the discussion by their own. Another difference is
the independent study. For example, in schools in UK, before exam, teachers take mock exams so that
students can score very well. However, in the university, students start to take preparation by their own
for securing remarkable result. The number of students is bigger in the university class than the
secondary school.
Reference list
successatschool.org 2019, Difference between secondary school and university, Available at:
https://successatschool.org/blog/491/What-are-the-Differences-Between-Secondary-School-and-
University%3F# [Accessed on: 12th June, 2019]
Task 3: Literature Research
(recommended word count: 400 excluding references)
Find four texts for your research about the differences between secondary school and university study in
the UK (three texts can be taken from GSM Learn). For each, answer the following questions:
Text 1 (100 words excluding references)
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1. What have you read? Type the references in Harvard style.
In-text citation:Walker et al., 2017
Reference list:Walker, D.I., Thoma, S.J., Jones, C. and Kristjansson, K., 2017. Adolescent moral
judgement: A study of UK secondary school pupils. British Educational Research Journal, 43(3), pp. 588-
607.
2. What does it say? Summarise the main points of the text.
The article highlights the students’ interest on study, which is developed by the help of the schools.
The secondary schools also help the students to build their characters by providing proper knowledge
related to honesty, courage and many others. Students of around 33 UK schools have been taken and
it is found that secondary schools play the mail role for developing the ethical character of the
students.
3. Which paragraph could you use this information in and why?
The information could be used in the diversity portion as in this paragraph, the difference between the
secondary school study and university study would be discussed. The students’ behaviour would be
discussed properly.
Text 2 (100 words excluding references)
1. What have you read? Type the references in Harvard style.
In-text citation:Taha and Cox, 2016
Reference list:Taha, N. and Cox, A., 2016. International students' networks: a case study in a UK
university. Studies in Higher Education, 41(1), pp. 182.
2. What does it say? Summarise the main points of the text.
This article has focused on the network of international students and the way, they study in the
universities. In order to examine the network, a case study of UK University has been considered. In
order to analyse the network, two theories have been discussed, which are CoP (Community of
Practice) and SN (Social network). In the university, it is found that co-national factors play the
important role in students’ learning and effective network with professor helps to progress in the
university.
3. Which paragraph could you use this information in and why?
This information could be used in the diversity and independence portion as in the university study,
international students are found and their behaviour is also different. Hence, social network theory
could help to understand the study process of the students in the University.
Text 3 (100 words excluding references)
1. What have you read? Type the references in Harvard style.
In-text citation:Salciccioli et al., 2017
Reference list:Salciccioli, J.D., MarshalL, D.C., SykeS, M., Wood, A.D., Joppa, S.A., Sinha, M. and Lim,
P.B., 2017. Basic life support education in secondary schools: a cross-sectional survey in London,
UK. BMJ Open, 7(1), pp.45-100.
2. What does it say? Summarise the main points of the text.
It says about the life support education, which is provided by the teachers of the secondary schools to
the students. The survey is conducted for understanding whether students receive life support training
from schools or not. It is found that very low number of students is aware of the life support training.
Therefore, it is clear that they only gather knowledge from the study material. Extra curriculum activity
related to basic life support is not conducted.
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3. Which paragraph could you use this information in and why?
This information could be used in the independence paragraph as out-knowledge of students is
required along with the knowledge in the academic course.
Text 4 (100 words excluding references)
1. What have you read? Type the references in Harvard style.
In-text citation:Bird, 2017
Reference list:Bird, E.L., 2017. Student and Staff Perceptions of the International Postgraduate
Student Experience: A Qualitative Study of a UK University. Journal of International Students, 7(2), pp.
329-346.
2. What does it say? Summarise the main points of the text.
It has said about the perception of international students and their relation with the staff of the
university. The experience of international students and staffs in the UK university has been
elaborated in an effective manner. It is found that they face discrimination in the university due to
their cultural difference.
3. Which paragraph could you use this information in and why?
This paragraph could be used in time of discussing about the diversity in the university study as
various types of students and staffs (international students and professors) are observed in the
university.
Task 4: Paragraph Outline or Mind-mapping
After you collect the information from the four sources and identify the relevant points in the texts, it is
necessary to organise these points to start planning your paragraphs.
Copy and paste a photograph of your outline or mind-map with the ideas you will include in your
paragraphs. These should be in note form and not full sentences. Include in-text citations where
necessary.
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Task 5: Academic writing
(Word count: 500 words +/- 10%)
Please type your answer to Task 5 below.
“Discuss the differences between secondary school and university study in the UK”
Choose two of the following areas:
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 Independence
 Student choice(Use 2 of the options from the ones given)
 Diversity
 Funding and Finance
Make sure that:
 It is clear which two areas you have chosen to write about.
 You discuss the differences between secondary school and university study based on
what you have chosen to write about.
 You have used all of your four references (included as in-text citations) and that you
include a full reference listin Harvard style (you may include more references in your
writing if you want to)
 You have used a point by point approach.
 You have written two well-structured paragraphs.
PLEASE REMEMBER you should NOT write an introduction or a conclusion
Title:“Discuss the differences between secondary school and university study in the UK”
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This paragraph is focused on the independence area in order to determine the differences between
university study and secondary school study in UK. In the secondary schools, along with academic
course, extra curriculum activities are also conducted so that students can lead their life in an
appropriate manner. Basic life support education is also provided in few secondary schools in UK and
these activity help the students to lead their life independently (Salciccioli et al., 2017). On the other
hand, in the university, international students are found that they need to stay near the university for
attending their class (Taha and Cox, 2016). In university, no such education related to basic life support
education is provided to the students. In university, students need to communicate independently with
other learners and professors for achieving their aim. As commented by Kidger et al. (2016), secondary
schools in UK work as a guideline for the students, from where, they can learn about the academic
courses as well as the way of handling the live events. On the contrary, in the University study,
students only learn about the academic courses, however, behavioural education is not provided in this
time. Hence, it can be deduced that secondary schools provide the guideline of how the students can
be independent in their life. During university study, they need to apply this knowledge as international
students are fund in this course. In the university, students are independent, whereas in the school,
learners need to take permission from the teachers, when they want to do anything.
Another area that is chosen for examining the differences between secondary school study and
university study is the diversity. It is known to all that diversity in a place is required in order to earn
positive outcome from the specific area. In the secondary school, so much diversity is not noticed,
whereas in university, international students are found out. As per the viewpoint of Walker et al. (2017),
in the secondary schools, teacher provides education related to ethical behaviour so that students can
easily mix with the environment of the university. On the other hand, in the university study, students
and staff both face discrimination due to the cultural and language diversity (Bird, 2017). It is clear that
due to having discipline, in the secondary school, everyone is treated equally. However, in the
university, that many rules are not followed and as a result, few times, due to diversity, international
students are not able to continue their study in the UK universities. For instance, as per the report of
guardian, it is noticed that racism is found in the universities of UK and it leaves negative impact on the
students (theguardian.com, 2019). Diversity creates the positive as well as negative impact on the
students in secondary school and university study. In the University, due to diversity among students,
they can learn various languages and aware of the different culture. In the secondary school, teachers
help to build the character so that students can mix in the diverse situation.
Reference List:
Walker, D.I., Thoma, S.J., Jones, C. and Kristjansson, K., 2017. Adolescent moral judgement: A study of
UK secondary school pupils. British Educational Research Journal, 43(3), pp. 588-607.
Salciccioli, J.D., MarshalL, D.C., SykeS, M., Wood, A.D., Joppa, S.A., Sinha, M. and Lim, P.B., 2017. Basic
life support education in secondary schools: a cross-sectional survey in London, UK. BMJ Open, 7(1),
pp.45-100.
Taha, N. and Cox, A., 2016. International students' networks: a case study in a UK university. Studies in
Higher Education, 41(1), pp. 182.
Bird, E.L., 2017. Student and Staff Perceptions of the International Postgraduate Student Experience: A
Qualitative Study of a UK University. Journal of International Students, 7(2), pp. 329-346.
Kidger, J., Brockman, R., Tilling, K., Campbell, R., Ford, T., Araya, R., King, M. and Gunnell, D., 2016.
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Teachers' wellbeing and depressive symptoms, and associated risk factors: A large cross sectional study
in English secondary schools. Journal of affective disorders, 192, pp.76-82.
theguardian.com 2019, Racism related experience, Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/21/what-are-your-experiences-of-racism-at-uk-
universities [Accessed on: 12th July, 2019]
Task 6: Reflective writing
(Word count: 300 words +/- 10%)
Please type your answer to task 6 below.
Make sure that you:
 Write about your own individual situation.
 Follow the word count
Based on your own experiences and what you wrote in task 5, what differences do you see
between secondary school and university study?
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As per my own experience, I have noticed that secondary school helps to generate students’ knowledge
related to academic department as well as the behavioural context. However, in the university study, the
main highlighted area is the academic aspect. In the secondary school, teachers guide or motivate the
students for learning, whereas in the university, students are able to take their own responsibility. In the
task 5, I have found that in the universities, students as well as staff face discrimination. Though I am
aware of the concept of self-motivation and independence in the university, I did not have knowledge
related to the discrimination. As per the viewpoint of David et al. (2018), discrimination can ruin the
academic environment completely.
On the other hand, I know that teachers always help to develop the knowledge of the students in the
secondary schools. However, from the discussion in the task 5, it is monitored that life support education
is not provided to the students by the secondary school. It is known that teachers need to provide life
support education to the students. Hence, the violation of basic instruction is monitored. It is monitored
that classroom in secondary school is lower than the university. However, all students are treated
equally. The difference is monitored in this concept. Though, teachers of secondary school provide
knowledge on moral behaviour, this knowledge is not followed in the university study. As a result, many
students face discrimination in the university.
The main difference is related to the discipline. I know that both-secondary school and university,
students need to maintain discipline. However, from the task 5, it is found that due to diversity, many
students are the victim of discrimination. Not all students learn their regular study materials properly. It
affects their academic career.
Reference list
David, M., West, A. and Ribbens, J., 2018. Mother's Intuition?(1994): Choosing Secondary Schools.
Routledge.
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Task 7: Self-Assessment
(Recommended word count: at least 50 per section. Total word count: 150)
Think about the work you have done on this module and answer the following questions:
What went well? (approx. 50 words):
In time of writing, I was able to express my own viewpoints clearly as my knowledge is clear related to
the university study and secondary study. Moreover, I was able to discuss the main points of the
articles that were found out in order to conduct the literature review appropriately.
Think about the work you have done on this module and answer the following questions:
What areas do I still need to improve? (approx. 50 words):
I need to improve the searching skills for finding out appropriate articles and the planning of writing.
As I have faced difficulties for searching relevant articles, I have faced obstacle in time of planning
about the writing process. Though I have tried to write the content in an efficient manner, I am not
highly satisfied with the answer.
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