COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT

REQUIREMENT

Using the relevant academic literature you are required to

“Critically examine and discuss the approaches to standard setting in accounting. Illustrate the application of such approaches / your analysis with relevant examples.”

REMINDER ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS

The work you hand in for this assignment must be your own original work. All academic sources must be properly referenced, using a recognised academic referencing system.

Remember to check the University’s assessment regulations. If you are quoting the words of an author / writer directly, put quotation marks around these sections and reference them correctly. If you are discussing, paraphrasing or summarising a writer’s ideas, you do not need quotation marks, but you still need a proper academic reference.

Please, note that plagiarism will be penalised.

The required length of your work / submission is 2,000 ÷ 2,500 words (excluding the title page and reference list). 2,500 words is the absolute upper limit. Do not exceed the word limit. A levy of 10% will be deducted for work exceeding the specified wordage.

ASSESSMENT RATIONALE

The purpose of the coursework is to enable you to deal systematically and creatively with an important issue (i.e. standard setting) in the area of financial accounting policy and practice. The assignment will require a rigorous analysis of the relevant materials, demonstrating a systematic understanding of the issues involved, using appropriate frameworks for analysis, providing appropriate analysis and evaluation, and drawing appropriate conclusions based on logical arguments and supporting evidence. The written piece of work must communicate clearly your analysis, arguments and conclusions.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Marks will be awarded according to your ability to deal systematically and creatively with an important issue (i.e. standard setting) in the area of financial accounting policy and practice. Your work must show evidence of rigorous analysis of the relevant materials, demonstrate a systematic understanding of the issues involved, use appropriate frameworks for analysis, provide appropriate analysis and evaluation and draw appropriate conclusions based on logical arguments and supporting evidence. The written piece of work must communicate clearly your analysis, arguments and conclusions.

A good answer will demonstrate the following:

•    a rigorous analysis and highly developed comprehension of the coursework topic, showing evidence of a systematic understanding of current debates;
•    a well-structured critique of ideas / concepts, answering questions such as, ‘What is said?’, ‘Why it is said?’, ‘Why and how do you react to the points / arguments in the way you do?’;
•    appropriate discussion and evaluation, engaging with financial accounting policy concepts / ideas as well as real life examples;
•    logical argument and supporting evidence;
•    clarity of expression that communicates the points and arguments clearly to the reader.

FORMAT OF SUBMISSION

The coursework must:
•    state your name and registration number;
•    be word processed (Arial, 12);
•    be double-spaced;
•    state the word count;
•    include a proper reference list;

Each student should
•    submit the coursework (as a single file) via the Turnitin section of the blackboard, and
•    keep a copy of the single coursework file in his / her own possession, as well.

HAND-IN DATE

Students should hand in their coursework before 1:00 p.m., on

Thursday, the 3rd of April 2014

via the Turnitin link of the BFIN732 Financial Accounting Policy and Practice blackboard.

Please, note that the University operates a two-tier penalty system for late submission of coursework without an approved claim for Mitigating Circumstances.

This makes it extremely important for you to hand in your coursework in a timely manner.

Submission of Coursework

Unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing by the module leader, all coursework on this module is submitted via Blackboard only. It will automatically be scanned through a text matching system (designed to check for possible plagiarism).

• DO NOT attach a CA1 form or any other form of cover sheet;
• YOU MUST include your name and student ID on the first page of your assignment.

To submit your assignment:
• Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk;
• Go to the relevant module Blackboard site;
• Click on the ‘Submit Coursework’ link in the navigation menu on the left-hand side, as advised by the module teaching team;
• Click on the link for the relevant assignment;
• Follow the instructions.

You will be given details by the module teaching team about how and when you will receive your marks and feedback on your work.

REMEMBER:

It is a requirement that you submit your work in this way. All coursework must be submitted by 1:00 p.m. on the due date.

If you submit your coursework late but within 24 hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that element of assessment will be deducted, as a penalty for late submission, except for work which is marked in the range 50 – 59%, in which case the mark will be capped at the pass mark (50%).

If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours or more than one working day after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question.

The University’s mitigating circumstances procedures relating to the non-submission or late submission of coursework apply to all coursework.

GUIDANCE ON ESSAY WRITING

1.    Consider the question carefully to assess its scope and limitations.

2.    Plan your research and start reading weeks (not days) before the essay is due.

3.    Try to ensure that your essay flows and use appropriate headings to divide the text into logical units for the reader.

4.    Do not plagiarise. If you quote from somewhere, identify the quotation and acknowledge its source.

5.    After an appropriate gap, re-read your draft and revise it. Good work requires a great deal of effort and will usually require at least two drafts.

6.    Ensure that your essay is grammatically correct and check all spellings and make corrections where necessary.

7.    Include a reference list, set out in good scholarly form, to acknowledge your sources.