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Week four review amcs on line ug course

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This document is a newsletter from a course tutor providing updates on an online university course. [1] It introduces the assignment which asks students to analyze the HSBC money laundering case and consider whether Kaplan's Balanced Scorecard would have helped. [2] It provides details on the format of the assignment which includes a 2000 word written piece and a 10 minute video presentation with 4 slides. [3] It encourages students to research the HSBC case using various resources and to familiarize themselves with the university's academic databases and library guides.

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AMCS Module of the CIMA BA (Hons) Sustainable Performance Management Degree Week Four Review 21st October 2012 From: David C Roberts - Course Tutor To: All Participants in the course Hello Everybody (especially those who havee just joined us). I think that we are all here now  and I have decided to circulate this week’s newsletter via email. For those just joining the course I have also included copies of the first three newsletters. This week’s newsletter introduces us to the assignment task and acts as an opportunity to start to answer any questions you may have around assessment. I am very aware of the diversity of our student base and the diverse reasons for entering this course; I am very aware that many of us have not studied in a University setting before; and I am also very aware that distance learning/ on-line learning can be, for some, challenging as it lacks the social interaction that a face to face course offers. Introduction to the Assessment Before I introduce the assignment/assessment I want to do some scene setting. At University level your assessed work is seen as an opportunity to demonstrate your learning about the specific context (i.e. the course that you are studying) and it is also seen as an opportunity to demonstrate your wider skills as a University Graduate. It is the combination of these two measures (we call them subject relevancy and academic rigour) that make university degrees so valuable. It is also important to remember that we are very early into the course and it is almost impossible at this stage for you to complete the assessment! At this stage then I will concentrate on the format of the assessment, the philosophy behind the task that has been set, and start to make some suggestions about how you might commence your research.
Format of the Assessment The assessment is in two parts. You will be required to produce a written piece of around 2000 words and then make a video recording of yourself talking to camera for no more than 10 minutes. The video recording can be made in private as if you were presenting to a group of fellow practitioners – there is no requirement to present to an audience. Your video recording will be supported by a set of four slides. You will need to have completed both parts of the assessment and uploaded your files on or before the 4th of March 2013. Your provisional results, which will still be subject to external examination, will be returned to you on the 2nd April 2013 or sooner. In learning session 4 we run through some comprehensive instructions about the assessment – can I ask you to go to this section (or for those of you galloping through the course please return to this section) and familiarise yourself with its contents. Relevancy and Rigour The assignment draws on the HSBC money laundering case which emerged this summer -- highly relevant -- and asks you to consider the work of Kaplan and Norton and their balanced scorecard. In the written piece the assignment asks “Would Kaplan’s Balanced Scorecard have helped?” It is for you to decide if the balanced scorecard would have helped or would not have helped – there is no right or wrong answer to the question! You answer gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your learning on the course, your academic rigour, in the way you explain your answer and bring together your research. Planning At this stage your main job is to understand what the assignment is about. A suggestion may be to undertake research about the HSBC money laundering case. See what you can find in the media, in professional magazines, on the HSBC website etc. Research is an interesting word - look it up and see what definitions you find. As we work through the course and as you get further into the reading matter many ideas will spring to mind about how you might answer the detail of the assignment. It is too early at the moment to have an answer.
University Library and Academic Databases As students of the University you have access to a near unlimited amount of research material. This material is stored on a myriad of publisher’s data bases. A skill that a University student needs to develop in the ability to find and access relevant pieces of research and data. In addition to the time that you are spending in the specific course material please also visit the University web site and browse through the many library guides around navigating research databases. Next week my intention is to look more closely at the available research data bases and share some guides about how to use them. Next Steps I have set up a forum thread called “questions around assessment.” Once you have worked through lesson four please do post any, and every, question that you have there and I will attempt to answer them. If you would rather write to me privately about assessment questions then please do so. Can I ask though that before you post or write please can you read the questions from the other students and check that a similar question has not already been asked? Student of the Month Award The forums are very busy and to newcomers to the course they can sometimes be a little bit confusing. Deep within the forum threads though there is some hidden treasure in the form of comments and contributions from your fellow students. These hidden gems (and there will be more) can be used as research material for your assignment, they can stimulate your thinking, and in some cases they can offer very practical help. Take some time to read through the different threads and the comments on the posts. Please do add a comment to a post that you think is interesting (even if it’s just an “I like this!”). If there is a particular student who you feel that has been helpful, provided useful information, insightful, or interesting then please nominate her/him for our student of the month award. Technical Issues
I recall my period as Managing Director of an organisation that was contracted by pharmaceutical companies. In this role I learned that technology came with two hands. In the first hand there was a gift and in the second hand there was also challenge/issue/problem to be faced. Sometimes the challenges were technical, sometimes cultural, and sometimes socially constructed. Technology has given us the gift on on-line learning and access to an affordable degree course that can be completed in less than a year and as your module tutor it has given me the opportunity to interact with a considerable number of practitioners from around the world who have an interesting Accounting and Management control systems. Technology is also giving us some minor -- yet irritating -- challenges around web browsers/ pop up screens and exit buttons. I know that our engineers are working to resolve these difficulties. Please keep reporting issues in the appropriate thread and accept my apologies. And Finally Can I draw you attention to a discussion that is emerging in the forum around Barclays and the Libor Scandal? The discussion is taking place in the general forum and the thread is titled “What Happened? Cultural, Personnel, Action or Result?” Thanks to Issy and Paul for starting this one off. Have a great week and see you in the forums. David

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Week four review amcs on line ug course

  • 1. AMCS Module of the CIMA BA (Hons) Sustainable Performance Management Degree Week Four Review 21st October 2012 From: David C Roberts - Course Tutor To: All Participants in the course Hello Everybody (especially those who havee just joined us). I think that we are all here now  and I have decided to circulate this week’s newsletter via email. For those just joining the course I have also included copies of the first three newsletters. This week’s newsletter introduces us to the assignment task and acts as an opportunity to start to answer any questions you may have around assessment. I am very aware of the diversity of our student base and the diverse reasons for entering this course; I am very aware that many of us have not studied in a University setting before; and I am also very aware that distance learning/ on-line learning can be, for some, challenging as it lacks the social interaction that a face to face course offers. Introduction to the Assessment Before I introduce the assignment/assessment I want to do some scene setting. At University level your assessed work is seen as an opportunity to demonstrate your learning about the specific context (i.e. the course that you are studying) and it is also seen as an opportunity to demonstrate your wider skills as a University Graduate. It is the combination of these two measures (we call them subject relevancy and academic rigour) that make university degrees so valuable. It is also important to remember that we are very early into the course and it is almost impossible at this stage for you to complete the assessment! At this stage then I will concentrate on the format of the assessment, the philosophy behind the task that has been set, and start to make some suggestions about how you might commence your research.
  • 2. Format of the Assessment The assessment is in two parts. You will be required to produce a written piece of around 2000 words and then make a video recording of yourself talking to camera for no more than 10 minutes. The video recording can be made in private as if you were presenting to a group of fellow practitioners – there is no requirement to present to an audience. Your video recording will be supported by a set of four slides. You will need to have completed both parts of the assessment and uploaded your files on or before the 4th of March 2013. Your provisional results, which will still be subject to external examination, will be returned to you on the 2nd April 2013 or sooner. In learning session 4 we run through some comprehensive instructions about the assessment – can I ask you to go to this section (or for those of you galloping through the course please return to this section) and familiarise yourself with its contents. Relevancy and Rigour The assignment draws on the HSBC money laundering case which emerged this summer -- highly relevant -- and asks you to consider the work of Kaplan and Norton and their balanced scorecard. In the written piece the assignment asks “Would Kaplan’s Balanced Scorecard have helped?” It is for you to decide if the balanced scorecard would have helped or would not have helped – there is no right or wrong answer to the question! You answer gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your learning on the course, your academic rigour, in the way you explain your answer and bring together your research. Planning At this stage your main job is to understand what the assignment is about. A suggestion may be to undertake research about the HSBC money laundering case. See what you can find in the media, in professional magazines, on the HSBC website etc. Research is an interesting word - look it up and see what definitions you find. As we work through the course and as you get further into the reading matter many ideas will spring to mind about how you might answer the detail of the assignment. It is too early at the moment to have an answer.
  • 3. University Library and Academic Databases As students of the University you have access to a near unlimited amount of research material. This material is stored on a myriad of publisher’s data bases. A skill that a University student needs to develop in the ability to find and access relevant pieces of research and data. In addition to the time that you are spending in the specific course material please also visit the University web site and browse through the many library guides around navigating research databases. Next week my intention is to look more closely at the available research data bases and share some guides about how to use them. Next Steps I have set up a forum thread called “questions around assessment.” Once you have worked through lesson four please do post any, and every, question that you have there and I will attempt to answer them. If you would rather write to me privately about assessment questions then please do so. Can I ask though that before you post or write please can you read the questions from the other students and check that a similar question has not already been asked? Student of the Month Award The forums are very busy and to newcomers to the course they can sometimes be a little bit confusing. Deep within the forum threads though there is some hidden treasure in the form of comments and contributions from your fellow students. These hidden gems (and there will be more) can be used as research material for your assignment, they can stimulate your thinking, and in some cases they can offer very practical help. Take some time to read through the different threads and the comments on the posts. Please do add a comment to a post that you think is interesting (even if it’s just an “I like this!”). If there is a particular student who you feel that has been helpful, provided useful information, insightful, or interesting then please nominate her/him for our student of the month award. Technical Issues
  • 4. I recall my period as Managing Director of an organisation that was contracted by pharmaceutical companies. In this role I learned that technology came with two hands. In the first hand there was a gift and in the second hand there was also challenge/issue/problem to be faced. Sometimes the challenges were technical, sometimes cultural, and sometimes socially constructed. Technology has given us the gift on on-line learning and access to an affordable degree course that can be completed in less than a year and as your module tutor it has given me the opportunity to interact with a considerable number of practitioners from around the world who have an interesting Accounting and Management control systems. Technology is also giving us some minor -- yet irritating -- challenges around web browsers/ pop up screens and exit buttons. I know that our engineers are working to resolve these difficulties. Please keep reporting issues in the appropriate thread and accept my apologies. And Finally Can I draw you attention to a discussion that is emerging in the forum around Barclays and the Libor Scandal? The discussion is taking place in the general forum and the thread is titled “What Happened? Cultural, Personnel, Action or Result?” Thanks to Issy and Paul for starting this one off. Have a great week and see you in the forums. David