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BA (Honours) Business Studies With Spanish - Learning Outcomes

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Educational aims

This is a broad-based business studies degree with a language strand which aims to provide you with:

  • an introduction to the world of business, including an understanding of markets and market economies
  • an understanding of the structures, cultures and functioning of business organisations and the complex nature of key business functions and processes
  • a recognition of the processes and outcomes of organisational decision-making, how organisational strategies both develop and diversify and the nature and role of policies which impact on business
  • a range of important business graduate skills, which you can bring to your employment in businesses or organisations
  • an opportunity to concentrate on the study of Spanish within this general framework
  • an opportunity to learn about key aspects of Spanish culture
  • support and guidance to develop as independent learners.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this degree are described in four areas. The emphasis is on realisable outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds, learning at a distance and who have chosen a broad-based degree which combines the study of business with another discipline.

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this degree, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • the use of the target language (Spanish) to communicate fluently and appropriately, maintaining a high degree of grammatical accuracy in the target language with competent or native speakers of the target language, and exploit for a variety of purposes a broad range of materials written or spoken in the target language.

Explicit knowledge of language

  • have a detailed knowledge and effective understanding of the registers and varieties of the target language, and some understanding of the linguistic principles required to analyse target language productions.

Intercultural awareness and understanding

  • have an awareness and understanding of the cultures and societies where the target language is used, and an understanding of the similarities and dissimilarities of aspects of those cultures or societies in comparison with their own.

Cognitive skills

On completion of the degree, you will be able to:

  • use language creatively and accurately for a range of purposes and audiences, engaging with and interpreting layers of meaning within texts
  • organise and present ideas as part of a structured and reasoned argument, demonstrating a capacity for critical reflection and judgement in the light of evidence and argument.

Language and generic skills

On completion of the degree, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

Reading

  • have an understanding of a wide variety of texts, including texts of general, semi-specialised and specialised knowledge, as well as an understanding of the structure and conventions of different text types.

Writing

  • write coherent and cohesive texts of different types (including academic) following their structure and conventions.

Listening

  • have an understanding of a wide variety of authentic audio-visual sources, an ability to identify features of formal and colloquial oral registers, and a critical awareness of the perspective of the speaker.

Speaking

  • be able to take part in an oral presentation, a one-to-one conversation or a group discussion, with the ability to inform, discuss and negotiate as appropriate.

Practical and/or professional skills

  • use and present material in the target language in written and spoken form in a clear and effective manner
  • edit and self-correct in the target language
  • demonstrate accurate and effective note-taking and summarising skills
  • demonstrate techniques for using target language source materials
  • demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills related to academic tasks
  • write and think under pressure, meet deadlines and prioritise
  • work autonomously, manifested in self-direction and self-discipline
  • use reference material successfully, including bilingual and monolingual dictionaries and grammar books
  • use communication tools, such as recordings, telephone conferencing, ICT-based tools.

Key skills

On completion of the degree, you will also be able to:

  • communicate effectively in the target language in everyday situations and semi-specialised contexts, using standard oral and written means of communication and showing awareness of communication purpose and intended audience
  • recognise and use successfully meta-communication strategies (e.g. requesting repetition or clarification), compensation strategies – in order to ensure successful communication – and interactional strategies (e.g. signalling the wish to talk, taking the floor, taking turns, interrupting politely, etc.)
  • demonstrate problem-solving abilities (through task-based language activities)
  • interpret and use numeric information in the target language and translate it to non-numeric textual language (and vice versa) where appropriate
  • carry out self-assessment strategies for self-monitoring of performance.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

Knowledge and understanding are acquired at all levels through published distance-learning materials, including specially written study materials, study guides, assignments and project guides; through a range of multimedia material; through work on original texts; and through feedback on assignments. The key teaching vehicles are supported open learning materials which comprise a range of compulsory reader texts and specially prepared study guides directing your reading and illustrating key teaching points. Your learning is supported by a tutor who is your first and main point of contact, answering your queries, grading and commenting on your work and facilitating group learning

To support the development of your group-working and ICT skills, you are required to participate in computer conferencing. This also provides you with an additional environment in which to share learning and resolve module-related problems.

Assessment of the knowledge and understanding components of the programme is achieved through a combination of continuous assessment and exams. These assessments are central to the teaching of each module, enabling tutors to identify and comment on your knowledge and understanding.

At Level 1, the approach is interdisciplinary. You may choose modules from a range of disciplines, developing knowledge and understanding in a range of subject areas. At Levels 2 and 3 the three core modules are rooted within the business studies discipline, but the elective modules can be chosen from a range of significantly related subject areas more rooted within individual academic disciplines (in this case, a language).

Knowledge of the language is assessed at both Level 2 and 3 through a mix of essay questions, short-answer questions and formal examinations. In some instances, you are assessed through project work and extended assignments. Assessment will occur at both Levels 2 and 3. Similarly, systematic understanding of the key aspects of Spanish culture is taught through appropriately chosen texts in Spanish included within the module books, and is assessed through a mix of written examination questions, short-answer questions and more independent work. The most significant portion of this work will be assessed at third level. Knowledge and understanding of this aspect are assessed via essays and oral tests, and which are also used as part of the end-of-module examination.

Cognitive skills and processes are introduced at a very simple level at Level 1, primarily via material specifically designed to develop social science, technological or mathematical skills in a progressive way. Although modules at Levels 2 and 3 continue this work, there is significant variation between core and elective modules in the degree to which skills are taught explicitly in the study materials. Significant teaching is, however, maintained through the assessment strategy and tutor feedback.

In the three core modules you are encouraged to develop specified skills. In each module the specific components of the skills is identified, mapping out where each skill will be developed and practised. As the module progresses these skills are sign-posted and you are offered an opportunity to practise them in association with your work on the study materials. Initially, the module study guides offer you advice and guidance with these activities, but as you progress through each module, the extent of this guidance decreases so as to encourage independent learning

In the Level 2 modules, you are asked to analyse your progress with skills associated with your current work, submitting this assessment as part of your assignments. This allows you to develop a systematic and self-conscious approach to your skill development, assisted and supported by your tutor. These activities culminate in an assessment solely concerned with skills development where you are asked to reflect on your skills progression and achievement.

The Level 3 module expects you to show application of skills developed earlier. In requiring you to work with fellow students in a virtual group using computer conferencing, it also aims to develop your ability to conduct independent research using a variety of databases and websites, and to develop online group-working skills.

In addition, depending on the modules taken, other more discipline-specific skills will be developed and assessed. Generic language skills are indirectly assessed within the use of standard oral and written means of communication, by showing awareness of communication purpose and intended audience, by demonstrating problem-solving abilities (through task-based language activities). You are encouraged to carry out self-assessment strategies for self-monitoring of performance.

The first two practical and/or professional skills (listed above) refer to the vocational relevance of the degree. Whilst not all occupationally specific, all teaching and assessment strategies will help you develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to the workplace, whatever combination of modules you take.

The final three business studies outcomes are at the heart of the business studies, developed as a consequence of module work throughout the programme and implicitly built into assessment.

Communication

The open nature of entry to the OU means there is considerable emphasis on reading and writing skills at Level 1. At subsequent levels there are assumptions about your basic abilities in these areas, although tutor feedback on writing skills continues to be important. However, the material from which you work becomes increasingly complex and diverse, and more sophisticated skills of interpretation, selection and synthesis are required.

Application of number

Again, you are taught these basic skills at Level 1 and at least one of the assessment items will use these as a focus, with more opportunity for learning by tutor feedback. The extent to which you continue to develop these skills will depend on modules taken, with modules from the economics discipline, mathematics and accounting modules taking you considerably further.

Information technology

Although you are introduced to issues related to information technology in a range of modules from Level 1, the ability to work with information technology is a compulsory element in two of the three core modules and in the two strand modules in the named degree, although you may also select modules (at Level 1) that give you further opportunity to develop skills in this area.

Learning how to learn

Because OU students are part-time and studying at a distance, there is strong emphasis on helping you to develop as an independent learner. At Level 1 this means helping you to develop basic skills (e.g. time planning, using feedback and support), but also laying the foundations for the increasing emphasis on reflection at Levels 2 and 3. This is not assessed directly but will be demonstrated by an increasing ability to study autonomously.

Other

The written and reading skills are taught by means of a wide range of exercises, using a variety of discourse types – such as narration, description, reporting, argumentation and speculation – demonstrating knowledge of the subject and using appropriate rhetorical devices. The listening skill is taught through a variety of exercises based on authentic and semi-scripted recordings of differing length and content. The spoken skill is taught through a variety of exercises in which students practise and present work on tape. The interactive oral skill is taught via Summer School role-play and debating activities at Level 2.

Assessment, in the majority of cases, is via tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) and examination. The assessment strategy at Level 1 also has a strong focus on cognitive skills development for which students obtain detailed feedback. Key skills are central to the presentation of assignments, consequently they are assessed throughout the programme both via continuous assessment and examination.

There is increasing emphasis at Level 3 on the selection and use of material from a range of sources including original texts. Assessment of subject knowledge and understanding is linked to the benchmarking standards of individual disciplines.

All four language skills are assessed at both levels, in continuous assessment and through examinations. Forms of assessment include a variety of written exercises, based on reading or on listening, spoken outputs recorded by a student on tape. The oral skill is examined via a group or oral test. There are also opportunities for extended writing and independent work for assessment. At Level 3 this includes an academic essay of up to 3,000 words, selecting and making critical use of written and audio sources. It also includes an extended (5’) taped presentation.

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