Entrepreneurial Action
Assessment Brief
MOD007666
Use of Artificial Intelligence in this module
It is imperative to note that use of generative AI tools in the project submission/s is explicitly forbidden.
This means that the inclusion of any AI-generated or AI-paraphrased text (even if referenced) will be considered as academic misconduct, resulting in the submission/s being referred for formal investigation.
In line with the University Library guidance on use of AI tools in learning, it is permissible to use AI as a ‘study buddy’ as detailed below, mindful that the formal assessment brief and guidance must be observed:
# To generate possible areas of research for your EA project focus
# Help identify academically reputable sources, articles and books pertinent to your research area
# Planning, organising and structuring your work
# Language translation (to translate difficult passages into your preferred language to better understand the content).
Section 10 of the 17th edition of the Academic Regulations addresses academic misconduct and use of AI.
The University Library publishes guidance on the use of AI tools in learning and assessment for students. Another useful resource is ARU’s module Good Academic Practice.
1. Assessment on this Module
You will undertake an action research project focused on understanding and supporting entrepreneurial action in practice.
This is an individual project.If possible, it should be based upon your own organisation as this will grant you better access to research resources and stakeholders.
You will conduct secondary research to support the development of:
- A new entrepreneurial proposition for an organisation
- Or an idea for an entrepreneurial start-up
- Applied/engaged research project.
The ‘proposition’ could relate to a new product or service; a new way of doing things; resolution of an issue; a new department; implementation of something that will change the way the organisation operates e.g., software and systems; the introduction of a new philosophy relating to human resources, production, or quality.
You should provide a strong argument for this opportunity in terms of market justification, exploring relevant issues/context behind the idea, the business model/context of successful innovation, and the size and nature of the opportunity.The evidence for this justification is secondary research and academic literature.
There are two formal summative assessments for this module:
Element 010: At module end Components 1 and 2 are submitted to the submission points in Canvas:
Component 1: Individual written action research project report (10,000 words & weighted at 80%).
Component 2: A 10-minute oral video presentation reflecting on learning (equivalent to 2,000 words & weighted at 20%).
Element 011:
Ethical approval to conduct secondary research is sought at module start.This entails completing an application form online via the ethics HAPLO system to conduct secondary research. Successful completion of the online ethics course needs to be evidenced when making this application by uploading the Completion Certificate to HAPLO when making the application.
At module end, evidence of ethical approval being granted needs to be provided.See the Module Timetable and Announcements for the specific deadline. To provide this evidence you should download the Decisions Letter granting ethical approval and upload this to the Element 011 submission point in Canvas.
No marks are awarded for this, it is simply graded as a PASS/FAIL.Neglecting to submit the Decisions Letter to Canvas by the specified date will result in module failure. A failure would be classed as an Academic Offence as this pertains to ethics, and thus may also require formal investigation.
Evidencing engagement with the Supervision process is also required at module end. Submission of a Supervision Log to Element 011 in Canvas is required. No marks are awarded for this, it is simply graded as a PASS/FAIL. Neglecting to submit Supervision Log to Canvas by the specified date will result in module failure.
The Decisions Letter & the Supervision Log are submitted to a single submission point in Canvas for Element 011.
Please click on the link which follows to apply for ethical approval.
Applying for ethical approval - Undergraduate and Masters students
[The URL to apply for ethical approval is: https://myaru.sharepoint.com/sites/student-learning-assessment/SitePages/ethical-approval-for-undergraduate-and-masters-students.aspx]
Screenshot 1 – Applying for ethical approval – Undergraduate and Masters students
Key points to note include:
- The online research ethics course (link 3 in screenshot 1) is compulsory, and needs to be undertaken at module start, followed by completion of the quiz. You are automatically taken to the quiz at the end of the course.
There are two links for the online research ethics course, you should select the second one for FBL, Arts and Humanities (as per screenshot 2).
Research ethics training for FBL, Arts and Humanities
[The URL for the course is:
https://anglia-ruskin-university.learnworlds.com/course/researchprofethics]
Note if you are prompted to login, it is NOT your ARU login.Please either login via your existing personal LinkedIn, Facebook or Google accounts. Or alternatively, create a new login for the LearnWorlds platform that hosts this course.
Screenshot 2 – Online Research Ethics Course
Pass mark for the quiz is 70%.There is no limit on the number of times you can complete the quiz.
Please screen shot your certificate of successful completion of the quiz to append to your online ethics application form.
- Having completed the online research ethics course, and successfully completed the quiz, the next step is to apply online for ethical approval. This is normally done within the first 2-3 weeks of commencing the module, having agreed an appropriate project topic with your Supervisor. As per screenshot 1, you should click on the first link, online research ethics system. Having done so, you will be invited to click on researchethics.aru.ac.uk to access the online system.
It is important to ensure that ARU’s Heron is open when accessing the ethics system.As you come to the end of your online application you need to confirm that you have completed the compulsory research ethics training and are required to upload your Certificate of Completion.This is clearly explained in the student guidance (details of this follow).
[The URL for the online ethics system is: https://researchethics.aru.ac.uk/do/aru-login/login]
- Guidance is provided to assist you in completing the Online Ethics Application. Please see link 2 in screenshot 1 on the second page of this assessment brief. The second link in screenshot 3 (below) is what you want. The guidance is 15 pages long and it is called: Making A Research Ethics Application Online for Students.
[The URL for this guidance is: https://myaru.sharepoint.com/sites/student-share/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2Fstudent%2Dshare%2FShared%20Documents%2FMaking%5Fa%5Fresearch%5Fethics%5Fapplication%5Fonline%5Ffor%5Fstudents%2Epdf&parent=%
2Fsites%2Fstudent%2Dshare%2FShared%20Documents&p=true&ga=1.]
Screenshot 3 – Online Ethics System Guides
- Supervisor review of your application is the next stage. Your Supervisor will be automatically notified that your application requires review within HAPLO (the online ethics application system).It is highly likely that your Supervisor will require you to make amendments.The system will automatically notify you if this is the case.You must regularly check your ARU student email account for such notifications.
- All secondary research categorised as green (low risk), thus your Supervisor can approve. You should download the Decisions Letter granting ethical approval to upload to Element 011 in Canvas.The deadline for uploading to Element 011 is module end. See the Module Timetable and Announcements for the specific deadline.
- Military students and students working in health and social care should notify their Supervisors at module start. Secondary research falling into these sectors by default tends to be categorised as higher risk. This means that your Supervisor is not able to approve the application, instead the Ethics Committee that meets monthly will be required to do so. Secondary research cannot commence without this approval being provided.
Neglecting to apply for ethical approval to conduct your secondary research is considered an academic offence which could result in you failing the module. Any such instances where ethical approval has not been sought will be reported to the Faculty’s Director of Studies for consideration under Regulations 10.10 ix (Academic Regulations, 16th edition, September 2023). Equally any instances where application to conduct secondary research was sought, but instead primary research was undertaken, is also considered as an academic offence and will require referral.
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Element
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Type of assessment
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Word or time limit
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% of Total Mark
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Submission method
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Submission Dates
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010
011
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Summative assessment
1. Individual written action research project report (10,000 words)
2. A 10-minute oral video presentation reflecting on learning (equivalent to 2,000 words)
Ethical approval for secondary research
Engagement with Supervision process
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10,000 words
2,000 words / 10 minutes
n/a
n/a
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80%
20%
PASS/FAIL
PASS/FAIL
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Submitted to Component 1 of Element 010 in Canvas
Oral video presentation recorded in MS Teams. Submitted to Component 2 of Element 010 in Canvas
Application made via the online research ethics system to conduct secondary research
Decisions Letter downloaded from the online research ethics system (HAPLO) and uploaded to Element 011 in Canvas
Submission of Supervision Log uploaded to Element 011 in Canvas
The Decisions Letter & the Supervision Log are submitted to a single submission point in Canvas for Element 011.
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See Canvas for specific dates
Module end
Module end
Module end
Module end
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1.2 Summative Assessment
There are two formal summative assessments for this module:
Element 010: At module end Components 1 and 2 are submitted to the submission points in Canvas:
Component 1: Individual written action research project report (10,000 words & weighted at 80%).
Component 2: A 10-minute oral video presentation reflecting on learning (equivalent to 2,000 words & weighted at 20%).
Element 011:
Ethical approval is sought at module start.The Decisions Letter downloaded from the online ethics system (HAPLO) must be submitted to the submission point in Canvas at module end.See the Module Timetable and Announcements for the specific deadline.Detailed guidance on seeking approval has already been provided at the start of this assessment brief.
The Supervision Log must be submitted to the same submission point in Canvas as the Decisions Letter at module end.See the Module Timetable and Announcements for the specific deadline.
Element 010 Summative Assessment
Component 1: Action Research Project Report
You are required to submit a 10,000 word action research project report via Canvas at module end.You submit it to the Component 1 submission point for Element 010, accessed via the ‘Assignments’ tab on Canvas.The report is marked out of 100 marks and is weighted at 80%.
You will undertake an action research project focused on understanding and supporting entrepreneurial action in practice.This is to be undertaken on an individual basis and could be an applied/engaged research project to address an immediate organisational issue, an enterprise consultancy project which addresses an opportunity or challenge faced by an entrepreneurial organisation or researching and developing a new business proposition or idea.
This project needs to provide you with an opportunity to understand and manage how to move from opportunity to idea, to action. This could relate to your study or employability interests and/or current interests within the entrepreneurial management field.
In undertaking the project, students are expected to:
(i) source their own opportunity or idea,
(ii) develop a case for why this opportunity to idea is worthy of consideration as a project, particularly in terms of its value to the appropriate community of practice,
(iii) develop a project plan to ensure completion within the identified timescales,
(iv) acquire the appropriate resources and internal and external support to develop and deliver the project,
(v) manage the project in terms of moving from idea to action and
(vi) reflect on the development of the project against key themes in the academic and grey (i.e. policy and practice) literature related to being enterprising, the role of the individual in moving an idea from concept to action; and the influence of the entrepreneurial task environment.
The deadline for submission of a draft of your completed project report for formative feedback via email to your Supervisor is communicated on Canvas in the form of an Announcement.
As per the Feedback Policy on this module your Supervisor is only permitted to comment on up to 20% of your completed project report draft.
When you email your supervisor with your draft you MUST highlight which areas you specifically want feedback on and why. You should also include your own assessment of your report against the marking criteria.A template is provided as part of the assessment tasks to help you with this.
If you do not specify what 20% you want feedback on (and why), providing a copy of your self-assessment, your supervisor will not provide you with formative feedback.
Component 2: Oral Video Presentation
The oral video presentation should be 10 minutes long and is equivalent to 2,000 words along with the accompanying PowerPoint slides.This is marked out of 100 marks and is weighted at 20%.
The presentation must be recorded in MS Teams and your face must be visible (as well as the PowerPoint slides).
The presentation provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon your learning with the objective of being able to confidently articulate your learning and module outcomes/achievements to current and future employers, thus helping you to develop and hone important skills required in the workplace.
Many employers seek confident candidates and use presentations as a part of their selection procedures.Some organisations use staff presentations frequently for progress reports, staff appraisal and development. Preparing and delivering presentations as a student can help you to be a more competent and confident candidate for interviews.They offer opportunities to develop your team working and project management skills.You will have to work to deadlines and take responsibility for delivering an outcome of your work.You will improve your research, design, and communication skills as well as your general presentation skills.A student presentation such as this helps to prepare you for future employment and your ongoing professional development in the workplace.
Your presentation should address:
# Synopsis of project objectives, the rationale for selection, and summary of outcomes.
# Critical reflection on your experience of undertaking a major project and how your learning might inform your future practice professionally.
# Reflection on the development of your entrepreneurial competency skills, providing evidence to support assertions made.
# What next – to continue to develop your personal and organisational entrepreneurship?
Slide and verbal clarity and coherence are also taken into consideration when marking with marks apportioned as follows:
- Up to 50 marks awarded for the video presentation.
- Up to 50 marks awarded for the PowerPoint slides.
Note:
In a separate document available on Canvas, detailed guidance has been provided to assist with the oral presentation element of the assignment. It addresses:
- Creating PowerPoint slides.
- Recording the oral presentation.
- Uploading the oral presentation to Canvas.
Additionally, the pre-recorded Tutorial 7 and accompanying slides that will be available to you approximately during weeks 10-12 of the module provide additional detailed guidance outlining how to approach your oral presentation and upload it to Canvas for assessment by your Supervisor.
How to approach videoing your presentation
The oral presentation must be recorded in MS Teams.The PowerPoint slide must be clearly visible as you progress through the presentation.
Your video camera must be switched on, so you are visible in the presentation recording.
Submission of the video of the oral presentation
The video file of your oral presentation must be uploaded to Canvas.To access the submission area, click on the ‘Assignments’ tab within Canvas and click on the ‘Oral Presentation’ link contained within Element 010; the oral is Component 2 of Element 010 of the assignment.Click here for some guidance on how to upload your presentation.
For reference, the full URL is:
https://canvas.anglia.ac.uk/courses/1615/pages/how-to-upload-a-file-as-an-assignment-submission-in-canvas
2. Learning Outcomes
It is important that you are aware of the Learning Outcomes for the module at the outset and also throughout your studies.The Learning Outcomes (LO) underpin both the module and your assessment.
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
- Assess entrepreneurial opportunities and practices from the perspective of different communities of practice in order to develop a case for why an issue is worthy of investigation.
- Identify, select and justify the appropriate research techniques, methods and development strategies.
- Articulate a rationale for the case.
Intellectual, practical, affective and transferrable skills
- Critically justify and rigorously apply appropriate methodologies, techniques and practical strategies, being sensitive to the context.
- Critically reflect upon their own experiences of undertaking a major project and how this compares to theories and concepts in the academic and grey literature.
- Present arguments or conclusions clearly in an appropriate form to the intended audience.
3. Assessment Information and Marking Criteria
ELEMENT 010: Component 1
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Mark
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Learning Outcomes
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1. ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT: marked out of 100 & weighted at 80%
1.1 Entrepreneurial Opportunity
- Clear justification of value of idea, opportunity or issue worthy of investigation and subsequent implementation / addressing to the appropriate community of practice / stakeholder group.
- Project objectives and scope realistic in terms of time available and within the researcher’s sphere of influence.
- Project plan developed to ensure completion within identified timescales.
- Evidences management of the project from idea / opportunity to action noting that only secondary research is permitted.
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15
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1, 3 & 6
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1.2 Research Methodology
- Demonstrates a clear understanding of research methods from theoretical and practical perspective, justifying the research approach adopted.
- Only secondary research is permitted.Plans for undertaking any primary research following successful completion of the module should be outlined in the Conclusions & Recommendations section of the project report.
- Successful completion of the online ethics training module ‘Introduction to Research and Professional Ethics’ examined via an online quiz.
- Ethical approval for the project sought and research undertaken complies with the University’s Research Ethics Policy.
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20
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2 & 4
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1.3 Use of Literature / Sources
- Explicit application of the ‘Entrepreneurial Action’ module material and core readings to underpin the research and aid analysis.
- Literature review undertaken to identify relevant academic and grey literature to inform research and aid analysis.
- Evidence of critical thinking in the application of the literature in practice.
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25
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5
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1.4 Analysis of the entrepreneurial opportunity / challenge
- Clear and coherent analysis of the idea, opportunity or issue and of the work undertaken. Appropriate use of secondary research and associated metrics.
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20
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2,4 & 6
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Mark
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Learning Outcomes
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1.5 Conclusions & Recommendations
- Conclusions clearly summarise the outcomes of the project to include any implementation plans as appropriate.
- Recommendations identified as appropriate.
- If further research is required post completion of the module, such as primary research, the next steps to achieve this should be outlined. Similarly, if implementation is yet to occur the next steps to achieve this should be outlined.
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10
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6
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1.6 Academic Literacy Skills
- Report structure, presentation and cogency, correct spelling & grammar, appropriate use of tables, diagrams and appendices.
- Harvard Referencing system correctly applied.
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10
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6
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TOTAL MARKS (80% weighting)
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100
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ELEMENT 010: Component 2
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Mark
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Learning Outcomes
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2. ORAL VIDEO PRESENTATION: marked out of 100 & weighted at 20%
The video presentation reflects upon your learning with the objective of being able to confidently articulate your learning and module outcomes/achievements to current and future employers:
- Synopsis of project objectives, rationale for selection and summary of outcomes.
- Critical reflection on your experience of undertaking a major project and how your learning might inform your future practice both academically and professionally.
- Reflection on development of entrepreneurial competency skills, providing evidence to support assertions made.
- What next – to continue to develop your personal and organisational entrepreneurship?
Slide and verbal clarity and coherence is also taken into consideration when marking with marks apportioned as follows:
- Video presentation – up to 50 marks
- PowerPoint slides – up to 50 marks
The video presentation must be recorded in MS Teams with your face and PowerPoint slides clearly visible and uploaded to Canvas.
Should the above requirements not be met in respect of the Oral Video Presentation, marks may be forfeited, and students could find that they are awarded nil marks for this part of the assessment.
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100
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1,3,5 & 6
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TOTAL MARKS (20% weighting)
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100
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ELEMENT 011: Ethical Approval & Supervision Log
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Mark
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Learning Outcomes
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Ethical approval for secondary research
Application to conduct secondary research made via the online research ethics system (HAPLO) at module start.
Decisions Letter downloaded from the online research ethics system (HAPLO) and uploaded to Element 011 in Canvas at module end. See Module Timetable and Announcements for the specific deadline.
Neglecting to submit the Decisions Letter to Canvas by the specified date will result in module failure.
Engagement with the Supervision process
Evidencing engagement with the Supervision process is also required at module end. Submission of a Supervision Log to Element 011 in Canvas is required. No marks are awarded for this, it is simply graded as a PASS/FAIL.
Neglecting to submit Supervision Log to Canvas by the specified date will result in module failure.
The Decisions Letter & the Supervision Log are submitted to a single submission point in Canvas for Element 011.
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PASS/FAIL
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TOTAL MARKS
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PASS/FAIL
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NOTE: You are required to evidence that you have attended two individual live synchronous sessions, a failure to do so will result in module failure.
6. Re-assessment Information
If you are required to complete a re-sit assessment for this module, please review the assessment requirements carefully and any feedback on your initial submission which you have received.
This assessment is unique to each student; hence students are permitted to revise the original assessment as stated in the Assessment Code of Practice section 6.2.7:
“Where the assessment task is unique to the student (e.g., a case study, artistic artefact or performance, major project) the same assessment task may be used.”
7. Additional resources
- The University’s Study Skills Plus provides a lot of useful academic resources, such as academic reading and note taking, academic writing and critical thinking: https://canvas.anglia.ac.uk/courses/4240
- In respect of acting with academic integrity, please see the guidance regarding using AI Tools: https://anglia.libguides.com/AI/Intro. As already mentioned, it is imperative to note that use of generative AI tools in the project submission/s is explicitly forbidden. This means that the inclusion of any AI-generated or AI-paraphrased text (even if referenced) will be considered as academic misconduct, resulting in the submission/s being referred for formal investigation.
- If English is not your first language, or you need help with punctuation and spelling, there are a range of English language support resources that you may find helpful:
8. Formative feedback on project report
An Announcement on Canvas will advise you of the deadline for submission of your completed action research project report to your supervisor via email for formative feedback.
Given your supervisor is only permitted to comment on a maximum of 20% of your final project report, it is imperative that when submitting to them via email that you outline where they should focus their feedback, outlining any questions or concerns you might have. To help you determine
which areas you require feedback on (within the 20% limit) you should complete a self-assessment of your fully completed draft report against the marking criteria, including this as an appendix.
If you neglect to do as outlined above your supervisor will not provide feedback on your draft.
You will receive feedback within two weeks.
No draft work will be accepted for review and comment after the deadline. Your Supervisor will still however be available to answer questions and provide support.
A template for self-assessment of your project report against the marking criteria appears overleaf.
