We want to encourage you to reflect on your personal and academic skills, and how these might be best developed whilst you are studying with us. This exercise will also provide the stimulus for discussion with your personal tutor in your first tutorial.
Please complete the self-assessed skills audit (SASA) below, by following the instructions provided.
Please note that there are no right or wrong answers, and you will not be formally graded or assessed (the score is only for your benefit). This is purely a formative to best identify sources of strength and areas for development. Therefore, it is important you are honest with yourself when completing the SASA.
Upon completing the SASA, you will be provided with; a) summative scores of your answers b) a summary of your written answers and reflections. You do not have to share your scores with other students during the first tutorial, but please be prepared to discuss the summary of your written answers. Please email a copy of your completed assessment to your personal tutor. You will be able to save a PDF of your answers once you have completed the SASA.
This is an important first exercise, and will need time for you to carefully consider and reflect on your answers. Please leave up to an hour free for completing this exercise.
The SASA is comprised of 4 sections:
| Basic | Competent | Skilled | Expert | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1. Use of electronic tools and resources | ||||
| Q2. Use of bibliographic software | ||||
| Q3. Word processing | ||||
| Q4. Thinking and writing critically | ||||
| Q5. Time management |
The box below is for you to reflect carefully on your answers and scores. Try and answer the following questions:
| Basic | Competent | Skilled | Expert | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1. General Assessment writing | ||||
| Q2. Literature review | ||||
| Q3. Research proposal | ||||
| Q4. Empirical report | ||||
| Q5. Critical essay | ||||
| Q6. Funding proposal |
The box below is for you to reflect carefully on your answers and scores. Try and answer the following questions:
Your dissertation is a major component of your M.Ed, and you will need to start planning for it as soon as you begin the course.
Do you have any idea what your dissertation topic might be (don’t worry if its rather general)?
How might you go about refining your ideas into a focused research design with clear and coherent research questions?
What advance / special arrangements or requirements might you need for your ideas? Will you be able to access these type of resources?
What are your future career plans (e.g. training as an educational psychologist? What role does completion of the MEd play in these plans?
What other activities have you engaged with in the past to support your career plans (if any)?
What further plans do you have? How do these fit with your current study?
This question is just for fun, but is designed to highlight some of the important aspects of the University environment and ethos in which you will be studying:
The M. Ed is most like:
We will discuss your answers in your first tutorial.
Thank you for completing your SASA.
Please save and email a PDF copy of your answers to your personal tutor.
A list of personal tutors can be seen on Blackboard under “course documentation”.
For any difficulties with the SASA please email michael.wigelsworth@manchester.ac.uk