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Expectations of students as they move from level to level

As you work your way through your undergraduate business and management degree, you will experience three separate levels.

Each level is approximately equivalent to a year’s study as a traditional campus university.

Each level builds upon the preceding level and in increases in complexity.

Students often struggle when they move from level 1 to level to and from level 2 to level three.

Understanding the different requirements and expectations is useful in making these changes.

To help make these expectations clearer we will explore learning outcomes at the three different levels.

The following learning outcome examples have been taken from the following modules:

Learning outcomes have been slightly simplified and modules specific tasks have been removed. The idea is that this will give you a sense of the range of knowledge and understanding you are expected to gain and skills you are expected to demonstrate that each level.

The following table demonstrates how the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at a level of then utilised and developed further by the next level.

 

Level 1 B100 An introduction to business and management

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:

 

Skills:

 

 

 

Level 2 B207 Shaping Business Opportunities

Knowledge and understanding:

·       Develop knowledge and critical understanding of the theories, concepts and models of different business functions.

·       Develop a critical appreciation of the interactions between business functions and the integrative complexity that shapes business innovation.

·       Develop a critical understanding of why new products and services are imperative to contemporary business practice.

·       Develop knowledge and understanding of external issues affecting the successful running of organisations, including how they compete in a global context.

·       Develop knowledge and understanding of the elements required to build long-term success in organisations, and how students can contribute to the fostering of long-term value creation.

Skills:

·       Evaluate and compare competing perspectives, theoretical models and concepts in the context of practical situations.

·       Select and critically analyse information relevant to a particular problem or issue related to business and management.

·       Gather and synthesise material from a variety of sources in constructing arguments applied to business and management.

·       Compare critically and use different approaches to issues and problems within business management.

·       Engage in critical reflection.

·       Consolidate an understanding of academic language and literacy practices in order to effectively engage with the academic knowledge and skills of Level 2 study.

·       Search for and use relevant digital and non-digital information from sources other than the module materials.

·       Communicate in a professional manner in written work, face to face and online.

·       Plan, monitor and review progress as an independent learner, including a focus on personal skills development.

·       Develop an awareness of ethical issues and professional standards relevant to business and management.

 

Level 3 B327 Creating futures: sustainable enterprise and innovation

Knowledge and understanding:

·       Create and manage sustainable forms of innovative and entrepreneurial ventures within a range of specialist areas, such as Engineering, science and information technology; Creative, leisure and cultural industries; Health and social care.

·       Research entrepreneurship and innovations within a specialist real world setting, recognising that specialist areas have to be explored at multiple levels of analysis.

·       Apply core theories, concepts and frameworks of innovation and entrepreneurship to understand the strategy, process and operations of enterprises at different stages of their life cycle.

·       Discuss the impact of innovation and entrepreneurship on society, both at a conceptual and a practical level, including ethics and sustainability, economic and social benefits to you, the economy and local communities.

Skills:

·       Differentiate the distinctive roles played by start-ups and established enterprises in the process of developing and commercializing various forms of innovations.

·       Distinguish the responsibilities of founders, managers, employees and directors within particular types of sustainable enterprises and innovations, including roles and rewards.

·       Use concepts from enterprise and innovation to critically analyse and evaluate solutions to a variety of societal challenges.

·       Select and apply conceptual thinking for the process of enterprise development.

·       Critically analyse and design competitive and sustainable strategies for developing and introducing innovations into particular markets.

·       Negotiating, influencing, and agreeing roles and rewards within founder teams in entrepreneurial settings, doing so in a legitimate ethical manner.

·       Appropriately plan and solve problems in entrepreneurial and innovative settings.

·       Work independently and as part of a collaborative virtual team to develop attributes and capabilities for entrepreneurial success in a complex and changing environment.

·       Undertake independent research to inform practice within your area of specialism.

·       Critically evaluate and reflect on your own career development objectives.

 

 

In the following table, learning outcomes have been slightly simplified and modules specific tasks have been removed.

This will give you a sense of the range of knowledge and understanding you are expected to gain and skills you are expected to demonstrate that each level.

The table demonstrates how the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at a level of then utilised and developed further by the next level.

In the section on differences in assessment, you will see how the progression in learning outcomes are reflected in the assessment practices, particularly when it comes to marks being awarded.

 

	Level 1 examples (B100)	Level 2 examples (B207)	Level 3 examples (B327)
Knowledge	the nature of………	of the theories, concepts and models…..	create and manage sustainable forms of…..
	the principles of……	a critical appreciation of the interactions between…….	research within a specialist real world setting, recognising that specialist areas have to be explored at multiple levels of analysis
	the external environment of ……	external issues……..	Apply core theories, concepts and frameworks to understand the strategy, process and operations of……
		the elements required to build………	discuss the impact on society, both at a conceptual and a practical level
Skills	selecting and analysing information relevant	Evaluate and compare competing perspectives, theoretical models and concepts	Differentiate the distinctive roles played by……
	applying theories, models and concepts to practical situations	Select and critically analyse information relevant to a particular problem	Distinguish the responsibilities of….
	framing and addressing questions	Gather and synthesise material from a variety of sources in constructing arguments	Use concepts to critically analyse and evaluate solutions to a variety of societal challenges…
	using academic and business and management language appropriately and effectively	Compare critically and use different approaches to issues and problems	Select and apply conceptual thinking for the process of
	interpreting, using and presenting	Engage in critical reflection	Critically analyse and design competitive and sustainable strategies for developing and introducing…….
		Consolidate an understanding of academic language and literacy practices	Negotiating, influencing, and agreeing roles and rewards within founder teams…
		Search for and use relevant digital and non-digital information from sources other than the module materials	Appropriately plan and solve problems
		Communicate in a professional manner in written work, face to face and online	Work independently and as part of a collaborative virtual team to develop attributes and capabilities
		Develop an awareness of ethical issues and professional standards	Undertake independent research to inform practice within your area of specialism
		Plan, monitor and review progress as an independent learner	Critically evaluate and reflect on your own career development objectives.

 

 

At the start of your university study there are some basic skills and knowledge you need to gain in order to progress. As you move from one level to the next there is the assumption that certain skills and knowledge have been gained and are available to use in the next level.

To explain this in a little more detail we will look at a model developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956.

This is often referred to as “Bloom’s taxonomy” (taxonomy means  “classification”). Blue suggested that there are a range of educational objectives that should be met. There are arranged in order of complexity. In this discussion we will use a slightly adapted version of the model.

The most basic level we look at is “remembering” and that goes all the way up to “creating”. In the following discussion we shall have the three levels of the undergraduate business of management degree broadly fit onto this taxonomy.

 

 

Bloom’s Taxonomy applied to study levels

Based on Anderson and Krathwohl’s adaptation of Bloom’s Taxonomy cited in (OU nd)

OU, (nd) Open Learn ‘Facilitating learning in practice’ Week 3 4.1 Bloom’s Domains [Available online] https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ocw/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=20108&section=4.1

Accessed 25/08/2019

 

 

 

Remembering: Recall or retrieve previous learned information.	Level 1 - you learn and remember a range of essential basic principles and ideas that are presented to you.
Understanding: Comprehending the meaning, translation, interpolation and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's own words.	Level 1 - you begin to interpret some of the basic ideas and concepts. Ready to develop your understanding further in level 2.   Level 2 - you begin to restate and explain the ideas more in your own words. These ideas are taken further in level 3.
Applying: Uses a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the workplace.	Level 1 - you get to try out the models in basic case studies with fairly clear boundaries and guidance.   Level 2 – your application of the models and concepts is taken further with looser boundaries and more personal choice.   Level 3 – you are expected to apply models critically, justifying your choices. The guidance is much looser and the boundaries much broader.
Analysing: Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organisational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences.	Level 2 – you are analysing situations, issues and problems using models you have learned. You are expected to present recommendations and solutions based on your analysis. At level 2 you are expected to discuss any strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the analysis.   Level 3 – your analysis will be chosen to be appropriate for the problem, issue or argument being made. Any recommendations or conclusions presented will be fully justified and considered from multiple perspectives.
Evaluating: Makes judgements about the value of ideas or materials.	Level 2 - as part of your analysis you will be making judgements as to the value of the models, concepts and theories being used along with the information being included. You will be considering the validity of your sources.   Level 3 - the validity of models and frameworks will be considered as part of your analysis. You may well combine models to form new models. The use of models will be adapted to suit the purpose and the value added to the argument or conclusion will be considered.
Creating: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Puts parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure.	Level 3 – Through the formative assessment process you are expected to create new and personal outcomes. Much of the focus on level three is the creation of new solutions to problems.