IL1PAPGPN: Academic Practices and Genres Postgraduate

Module code: IL1PAPGPN

Module provider: International Study and Language Institute

Credits: 0

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Summer (vacation) semester

Module convenor: Mr Julian Yeo, email: xn932179@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE 1 MODULE FROM (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 February 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to prepare international students for success in their postgraduate studies. It is the final module of the Pre-sessional English Programme (PSE) and for students with at least a B2 English level or those who have completed earlier modules in our extended PSE courses. The summative assessment in this module, and those in IL1PALC will determine the final score and academic outcome of PSE.

Students will develop understanding of genre expectations and associated academic values, practices and processes, e.g. academic integrity, planning and reading-to-write.  The module will also develop students’ awareness of the features of research articles within their intended disciplinary field and how to critically evaluate published research. Self-awareness and reflection are also integral features of the module.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Select and read research articles and/or reports on specialised academic topics appropriate to the task at hand, identifying the relevance and usefulness of particular sections.
2. Write a critical review of the above research articles and/or reports showing suitable text selection, organisation, and laguage to describe, compare and evaluate research
3. Acknowledge sources accurately within texts produced, using appropriate in-text and end-of-text citation methods
4. Demonstrate a good degree of grammatical control and range of appropriate academic and topic-specific vocabulary/structures where mistakes do not lead to misunderstanding

Module content

The module will help students to acquire the skills and knowledge to engage effectively with tasks common to UK postgraduate degree programmes by:  

• Raising students' awareness of the range of coursework genres used for assessment on UK university degree programmes focusing on their social/communicative purposes, and their structure and language. 
• Applying given evaluation criteria for analysing research articles/studies 
• Selecting appropriate articles from a reading list 
• Producing sections of the tasks with guided supported practice i.e. improving the response through tutor feedback on draft work 
• Practice of language appropriate for the context of the written (a Critical Review) genre and topic. 

The module will also focus on developing key academic skills such as: 

• Exercising autonomy and initiative in time management for coursework tasks 
• Reflecting on the skills and language needed to continue developing 
• Recognising what academic integrity is and taking steps to engage with this. 
• Becoming a confident user of the university’s VLE (Blackboard), submission and assessment tools e.g., Feedback Studio, and other learning technologies (e.g., Microsoft 365) 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Whether students have chosen on campus or online delivery mode for this module, it will run over 6 weeks and is taught in small groups of on average 16 students. In both the on campus and online courses, students will spend approximately 60% of their time in a classroom (virtual or physical) with other students and a teacher. The rest of their time will be spent working independently on guided tasks. The guided tasks include a review and expansion of taught material. Students are also expected to work outside of class on the draft and final version of their written coursework . Appropriate e-learning technologies will be used for the guided independent tasks, as well as work in class.

Students will be expected to take an active part in classroom tasks which will include pair and group work, peer review, and small group discussions.

Study hours

At least 37.5 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve the minimum pass mark in the module assessment which constitutes their language sub skill grades for writing.
Students also need to achieve the minimum pass mark in the module assessment for IL1PALC which constitute their language sub skill grade for speaking, reading and listening.
The above four assessments contribute to the overall PSE pass. There are two categories of pass marks depending on students’ English language entry requirement for their intended degree programme.
1.A standard pass mark for students with an English language offer of 6.5 overall (6.0 subskill) or below.
These students must achieve a minimum of the expected English language level of an overall 55% [6.0] at the end of the PSE, and no less than 45% [5.5] in any one sub skill: Listening, Speaking, ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, and Writing.
2. A higher pass mark for students with an English language offer of 7.0 overall (6.0 subskill) or above.
These students must achieve a minimum of the expected English language level of an overall 65% [6.5] at the end of the PSE and no less than 55% [6.0] in any one sub skill: Listening, Speaking, ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, and Writing.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will receive feedback on a draft of a section of the critical review. 

Reassessment

Additional costs