Coursework
From Free net encyclopedia
Coursework refers to work carried out by students while they are studying a course at university or school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. Coursework can, for example, take the form of experimental work, or problem sets in the sciences or dissertations, book reports or essays submitted for arts subjects.
The prospect of having both coursework and exams is daunting to some students. However, continuous assessment of students' progress can also be highly useful, and lightens the pressure of exams. In universities, coursework is often one of many different modes of assessment. Students are required to produce coursework in order to broaden knowledge and enhance research skills, and to put theoretical knowledge learned from a course into practice. Sometimes coursework is given in groups so students may learn both how to work in groups and from each other. But in recent times plagiarism and copying have been major issues casting doubt on the whole system of coursework. There is much controversy over the help students and pupils can receive whilst doing there coursework, often causing the disqualification of students at different levels. The main source of copying seems to be at the heart of technology that being the internet. Easily accessible websites such as coursework sites have given people the opportunity to copy essays' ideas despite the great protective measures used to prevent this. Coursework does give learners the chance to improve their grade but at the same time an opportunity, if you will, to somewhat 'cheat the system'.
Some believe that the stress of coursework can reduce students preformance in other aspects of school-life. Stress caused by the large tasks can reduce concentration in lessons and reduce grades overall. However it can give those that good at the subject but poor in exams a chance to recover their grades.