Project Progress Chart and Checklists

You will be expected to do the following:

1. Learners develop an initial idea for a project they may wish to carry out and discuss their ideas with their supervisor.

2. Learners initially carry out some research to enable them to develop their ideas sufficiently to make a formal project proposal that includes their project aims and objectives, initial plans and likely format in which to present their project. You will complete a Project Proposal Form. Aims are broad, general statements about what the project will cover. Objectives are specific statements about what the project will cover and should contain action verbs such as ’identify’, ‘contrast’, ‘analyse’ and ‘construct’.

3. Plan, research and carry out your project. This will mean that you have to apply certain organizational skills and strategies to fulfil your objectives. You will also have to obtain and select information from a number of different sources, analyse your data and show that you understand the complexities of the topic you’ve chosen.

4. Provide evidence of all stages of your project process.5. Produce a written report of between 1,000 and 5,000 words as part of your

project product.6. On completion the learners must give a presentation, which should be for

a non-specialist audience using media appropriate to the type of project. This could take a number of forms including slides for a large audience, contributing to a poster session or exhibition, or a witnessed one-to-one ‘viva’ presentation to the supervisor. The presentation must include a live question and answer session overseen by the supervisor.

7. Review and reflect on the whole project process.

Learners complete a production log as they carry out their projects. It records the following key information:

planning review meeting between the learner and the supervisor following project approval

mid-project review with the supervisor end-of-project review with the supervisor summary and evaluation of the project a record of the presentation reflection on the complete project process

Checklists help you to make sure you’re appropriately prepared. You are required to complete the following checklists and submit them, as an appendix, with your final project product:

Am I ready to start my extended project? Are you ready for your initial planning meeting with your tutor? Are you ready for your Project Proposal meeting? Are you ready for your mid-project review? Are you ready for your end-of-project review? Are you ready for your presentation and question and answer session? Are you ready for your project submission?

Am I ready to start my extended project?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared.

My response…The benefits to me of carrying out an extended project…

The implications of committing my time and resources to the project are…

The following teachers/tutors are happy to provide me with appropriate support…

I think that a topic for a good extended project could be…

I will ensure that my extended project has an equal focus on both the project content and its process by…The time I have available to research and complete it appropriately is…

What else do I need to do? (such as people to talk and research on possible topics).

Are you ready for your initial planning meeting with your tutor?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared for meeting your tutor.

Yes No If no, why not? Comment on your next steps.

I have a clear idea of how to completing an EP will be of benefit to me.

I have carefully considered the time I need to make available for completing my EP.I have thought carefully about my topic area and know it really interests me.

I have considered what restrictions I have in terms of the resources and space available to me and to what extent this impacts on my topic choice.I have given sufficient thought to my project title and feel confident it will give me scope to fulfil the assessment criteria.I have a good idea of the financial costs involved with carrying out my project and have considered if this affects my topic choice.I’ve drawn up a draft project title.

I have got a good idea of my project aims and objectives.My project title allows me to make use of high-level research skills, including planning, analysis, evaluation and explanation.The questions I need to ask my tutor in my initial planning meeting are…

As a result of my meeting with my tutor I need to…

Record of initial planning

Make into a form To be completed by the student. This page records initial meeting(s) with your supervisor to agree your project proposal.

Your first idea for topic/title

Your first ideas for research and development of your project

Your supervisor’s main comments and advice

Changes, clarifications or additions you have made as a result of your discussion with your supervisorTutor’s signatureDate

Are you ready for your Project Proposal meeting?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared for meeting your tutor.

My notesI have thought carefully considered which topic area I’d like to form the basis of my research, and it is… My project title is…

The way this project allows me to fulfil the assessment criteria is…

The way I will monitor my progress against my project plan is…

I have carried out a skills audit and the risks involved in organising my project and available time are…I will manage time and resources as part of my project plan by…

The issues involved in working independently are…

The time available I have is…

The questions to ask my tutor in my project proposal meeting are…

What else do I need to do?

Make into a form Project proposal Student’s full nameTo be completed by the studentTitle of the Extended Project Present the topic to be researched in the form of a shortstatement/question/hypothesis with clear focus.

Provide a brief outline of, · the researched or activity/task to be carried out and sources to be consulted· the courses of study or area(s) of personal interest to which the topic relates· your proposed actionStudent’s signatureDate

Make into a form Project proposalCandidate’s full nameTo be completed by the tutor. Please comment below on the validity and feasibility of the proposal as an Extended Project Tutor’s commentsComment on the clarity and focus of the title chosenIndicate the relation to, and development/extension outside of, the main course(s) of study or interest Comment on the suitability of the proposed initial sources and research baseConfirm that the project is feasible in the proposed timescale and/or indicate any potential difficultiesOutline the scope to produce a project that meets the assessment objectives Indicate proposed form and date of the presentationIndicate the expected format of the project product that will be submitted for assessment: Long written report Live performance (e.g. music, drama, theatre, substantial presentation)

plus written report Electronic format (e.g. CD, DVD, video, program) plus written report Artefact (e.g. prototype, model, artwork) plus written report

Tutor signatureDate

Planning review Student’s full name

To be completed by the student. This page records your outline plan at the start of your work.Outline the next steps in your planned research/initial developmentYour tutor’s main comments and adviceChanges, clarifications or additions you have made as a result of your discussion with your tutor Supervisor signatureDate

Are you ready for your mid-project review?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared for meeting your tutor.

Your notesI have evaluated the resources I found, to establish those most relevant to my project by…The way I identified the most reliable sources was…

The range of resources that I have consulted appropriate to my project title include the following types of media…My preferred technique for note-making to record my references is…

My preferred technique for note-making to record useful information and add my own ideas is…The best way I can make use of ICT to support my research is…

According to my risk assessment, the overall risks in my project are…I have taken the following precautions…

Examples of where I have applied the principles of critical thinking are…

Where I have used the techniques of decision-making problem-solving and creative thinking I have recorded these in the following way…

The questions I want to ask my tutor at my mid-project review meeting are…

What else do I need to do?

Mid-project review Student’s full nameTo be completed by the student. This page records your outline plan about half-way through your work.Outline the successes, failures, additions and/or changes you made as you followed your plan at start of projectOutline your planned steps to complete your projectYour tutor’s main comments and advice at this stageChanges, clarifications or additions you have made as a result of your discussion with your supervisor at this stageTutor signatureDate

Are you ready for your end-of-project review?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared.

The best style of presentation for my report is…The different features I will use in my report are…The audience of my report can be described as…The best way to communicate my findings and ideas to my audience is…I will make sure I use the most appropriate language and terminology by…I will avoid plagiarism by…

The planned sections of my report are…The planned word count for each section is…I have backed up my findings by…The most appropriate referencing system for my report is…The questions I want to ask my tutor at my end-of-project review meeting are…What else do I need to do? By when (give dates)?

End-of-project review Student’s full nameTo be completed by the student. This page records the (near) completion of your project product.Outline the successes, failures, additions and/or changes you made as you followed the plan in your mid-project reviewOutline any additional advice or comment that you received from your tutor during this final stageChanges, clarifications or additions you made as a result of discussion with your tutor in this final stageTutor signatureDate

Are you ready for your presentation and question and answer session?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared.

Comments on your next stepsI have discussed ideas with my tutor and the form it will take is…The points of good and bad practice I have considered are…

Good practice Bad practice

PowerPoint will/will not be an appropriate software package for me to use because…The skills I will draw on to create my slide presentation are…The questions I will be prepared to answer during the presentation include…The main points about the content of process of my project, which I will cover in my presentation, are…

Content Process

I’ve rehearsed my presentation either in front of the mirror or in front of an audience, and my reflections on the practice presentation are…

Good points Points I could improve on

I’ve timed my presentation and it takes…

……… minutes

The features of my body language that I could improve on are…The particular needs, areas of interest and level of prior knowledge of the audience are…I’ve had a look at the venue for y presentation, and the points to note are…What else do I need to do?

Presentation record part A Student’s full nameTo be completed by the student. This page records your presentation and its preparation.Planned nature of your presentation (e.g. timing, audience, use of visual aids, slides, use of notes, etc.)Briefly list the main content of your presentationChanges, clarifications or additions you made as a result of rehearsal and/or discussion with your tutor

Presentation record part B Student’s full nameTo be completed by the supervisor. Record and comment below on the delivery of the presentation Tutor’s record/commentsThe nature of the audience (include numbers of staff, students and others present)The nature of the presentation (include use of notes, use of display items, and use of presentation software)Comment on the content and delivery of the presentationComment on the response of the candidate to questions that demonstrated understanding and grasp of the project and/or its production (give examples where appropriate).Outline the nature of any additional presentation evidence that the candidate might add (e.g. speaker notes, handouts, presentation slides, recording).Tutor signatureDate

Are you ready for your project submission?

Use this checklist to make sure you’re appropriately prepared.

Comment on your next stepsThe main points that I have learned about my project’s topic are…What I enjoyed about studying this topic are…

The aspects I thought were less interesting about this topic are…The skills I have developed through the project are…

The skills I will use in the future, and the ways I will use these are…The areas of my project that went really well are…

The areas of my performance that I could improve upon in the future are…If I were to do this project again, the things I would do differently (and the reasons for these changes) are…The advice I would give a friend if they were going to start on a project like this is…My final proof reading of my report for inaccuracies and errors was important because…The sort of changes I made in the quality of language in my report included…I have completed all the checklists and report forms Yes NoWhat else do I need to do?

Reflection Student’s full nameTo be completed by the student. This page records your own evaluation when you have completed your project product and given your presentation.Briefly summarise your main learning from completing this project. You might include new knowledge or expertise that you enjoy or find valuable, a consideration of your planning and organisation, changes you would make if you undertook such work again, advice you would give to others undertaking such a project.