Potential use of an e-portfolio

1. Potential use of an e-portfolio In HND Business assessment

2. Behavioural Skills for Business On completion of the Unit the candidate should be able to: • Analyse the main aspects of the managerial function in organisations. • Analyse behavioural skills/strategies used by managers. • Analyse a selection of techniques used by managers to manage themselves and others.

3. Assessment Guidelines A holistic approach can be taken to the assessment of all three Outcomes. It could be a case study where all the requisite information about an organisation is given to candidates. Alternatively, candidates could be asked to gather information about an organisation for themselves. If this approach is chosen, the tutor should agree with the candidate in advance to ensure all aspects of the evidence requirements can be met. Candidates could be given a series of guidelines and asked to prepare a report based on them. This latter approach may be more appropriate for candidates who are researching an organisation for themselves.

4. Economic Issues: An Introduction On completion of this Unit, the candidate should be able to: • Explain the allocation of resources within the economy. • Explain the theory of National Income. • Explain and evaluate the role of government policy in the UK market.

5. Assessment: Outcomes 1 and 2 will be assessed using specific questions which may be based upon stimulus material and must be assessed under controlled conditions. Candidates are permitted to bring with them a defined amount of notes as source material. Outcome 3 could be assessed under open-book conditions and may take the form of a short investigative exercise with a suggested word guide of approximately 800 to 1,000 words in length excluding any appendices.

6. Economics 2: The World Economy On completion of this Unit, the candidate should be able to: • Explain international trade and the role of trade organisations. • Analyse the balance of payments and exchange rate regimes. • Evaluate world economies

7. Assessment Guidelines Outcome 3 may be assessed with Outcomes 1 and 2 in a single assessment event. An open-book assessment that will allow candidates to develop their research skills. An investigative approach could be taken by candidates to enable them to build a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates an understanding of the world economy. Candidates may find suitable evidence in newspapers, journals, internet or other sources. Candidates could produce a portfolio of evidence which may be written or oral. Written evidence may consist of a response of approximately 1,500 words. An oral presentation may be of approximately 15 minutes duration and be complemented by a suitable checklist to record the presentation of evidence

8. Marketing: An Introduction On completion of this Unit, the candidate should be able to: • Explain the nature of marketing and its importance in organisations. • Explain marketing decisions for a product based and a service organisation.

9. Assessment: The Unit may be assessed in a variety of ways eg by a separate assessment for each Outcome. Both assessments may take place under controlled conditions and designed to encourage candidates to relate marketing theory to relevant examples Alternatively there is the opportunity to integrate the assessment of Outcomes 1 and 2. This could be done under open-book conditions and would be based on a case study, project or other stimulus material.