Failed assignment, last attempt

india

I have failed an assignment in university. I have to re submit and I really worried.

The assignment is on child abuse as a social problem and how knowledge of child abuse can enhance social work practice.

Can anyone reccomend and good books or websites that will help.

Thanks in advance

swstudent

Hiya - try community care forum, free to sign up and you will be able to chat to social workers and students - they are so helpful, I'm sure the child protection social workers will be of great help!

Here's the link

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/carespace/forums/default.aspx

Humphrey10

Can you ask the lecturer what was wrong with the previous assignment? Can you see the comments on the failed one?
Was it an essay? Maybe you could pick up some more marks by improving references and presentation, as well as content.

india

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Can you ask the lecturer what was wrong with the previous assignment? Can you see the comments on the failed one?
Was it an essay? Maybe you could pick up some more marks by improving references and presentation, as well as content.

I've got some feedback, referencing is incorrect, too many quotes, grammer. just want as much pointers as possible.

Oldernotwiser

india wrote: »

I've got some feedback, referencing is incorrect, too many quotes, grammer. just want as much pointers as possible.

1.grammar
2.as many pointers

Hope this helps.

Humphrey10

That's great then, gives you something to work on.

Firstly use the spell checker in Word. It helps with grammar too though it's not as good at that. Any particular grammatical (is that a word?) things you are having trouble with?

Re: referencing, what system does your university use? Harvard? Here are some guides, the Exeter one is quite comprehensive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenthetical_referencing
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm

Re: too many quotes, I'm not really sure what the ratio between quoted and non-quoted text should be. At least you know to put fewer quotes in next time.

Also because so many people use these wrong even in essays:
they're = they are
it's = it is
his, hers, their, its = ownership, none have ' in.

Oldernotwiser

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Also because so many people use these wrong even in essays:
they're = they are
it's = it is
his, hers, their, its = ownership, none have ' in.

Even if you use the apostrophe correctly, abbreviations like this are inappropriate in an academic essay.

Humphrey10

Good point.

I really can't stand it when people use 'it's' instead of 'its' and vice versa. Such an easy rule to remember. I'm more annoyed with their school though, or whoever taught them to write.

And even though I know all these things, and can tell if I'm reading something badly written, any essay I write reads like a poorly educated teenager who doesn't have English as their first language wrote it. No idea what to do about that.

Though if I dictate the next one with Dragon that might help!

foreign_correspondent

india wrote: »

I've got some feedback, referencing is incorrect, too many quotes, grammer. just want as much pointers as possible.

The incorrect referencing and grammar will lose you some points, but I wonder if 'too many quotes' is the main problem...

I suspect it is actually the lack of discussion, and not 'putting things into your own words' enough that has been problematic here. (I could be wrong, this is just guesswork based on what you have said)

In your assignments you need to address the question fully, using materials and evidence that is relevant and drawn from a variety of appropriate sources, and to ultimately show that you have understood the key issues and can discuss them.

Using lots of quotes just shows you can select material, you also need to show that you have understood it and can analyse it effectively.

gizmo111

What University?
is this the social work degree, if so which year and which module? Is it the legal one or another one on childcare in particular, what have been your recommended readings so far?
How many points does this assignment carry?

foreign_correspondent

as for referencing, I think this tool is really handy:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/studyskills/harvard/index.html

Just select the type of source you are referencing from (book, journal etc) using the tabs on the left hand side, then click the appropriate button ('Single author', 'two authors', 'book with editor' etc) and it gives you a correctly formatted example of what the 'in text' and 'end of text' references should look like!

You can then copy the format (the order, where brackets and commas go etc), but do insert the correct information for your sources, of course!