How to Do the Reports
- Report assessment instructions
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While completing your distance learning higher education degree program, you are required to read specific textbooks and write corresponding reports (in English), following the instructions outlined in your Academic Assignment Control (AAC) form. Not all textbooks assigned to you for your home study entail submitting reports; some serve only as supporting material. All this (and other information) will be specified in your AAC form. Reports can be sent to Bircham International University by regular mail or by email (as a PDF attachment).
Examination Unit = Report
Exams consist of writing reports.
Just as anybody would do in their professional life.
Reports must follow a specific format consisting of a title page, table of contents, minimum and maximum length, numbered pages, etc. The instructions and requirements for writing reports are not open to discussion. They correspond to the careful and pedagogical plan of the BIU distance learning higher education system in order to maximize your capacity of online learning and facilitate your academic work assessment.
- Report structure
Report ranges from a minimum of 20 pages to a maximum of 35 pages and should be worked out in the following way:
Table of contents
During his adult home study, the student is required to extract from his reading, a list of main concepts or key ideas. These key ideas must be organized in a table of contents ranging from 2 to 5 pages in length.
Analytic summary
A comprehensive synopsis has to be developed according to the organization and hierarchy established by the table of contents. This essay must range from 15 to 25 pages.
Case study
One to three case studies from the assigned textbook have to be critically analyzed by the student. Depending on his/her own preference, a student may choose one single complex case study with several interrelated issues or three simple ones. The student is encouraged to provide his own solution or opinion based not only on the principles learned from the textbook but also on his/her own criteria such as personal conclusions or professional application of the theoretical concepts. The case study section should range from 5 to 10 pages.
Final version
The student has to submit for final evaluation a report ranging from 20 to 35 pages that must integrate in a harmonic way the previously described steps: the table of contents, the analytic summary, and the case study. It might be necessary to re-write the work to match the format and length requirements and to improve the style, content flow, and continuity.
- Report format
Front page
Each report should be written in English (unless another language is authorized by BIU) on white paper and typed or legibly handwritten on one side of the page only. The front page should include the student’s first and last name, degree program and field of study, title of the book, and date. The student’s signature and the following statement must appear at the bottom of the front page: "I do hereby attest that I am the sole author of this report and that its contents are only the result of my reading of the above mentioned textbook."
Table of contents
Following the front page, please include a table of contents detailing the structure of the report and listing its main concepts. This index should not be over three pages long.
Body of the report
The report’s length ranges between 20 pages (minimum) and 35 pages (maximum). Your report may not be accepted if the length limits are not respected. Students have to understand that the length limitations set forth for an important purpose. Fitting the report's content within these limits oblige the student to process the information several times. In certain cases, a summary reaches the maximum number of pages allowed; in other cases, the key concepts are developed to meet the minimum number of pages. Either way, the active processing of the textbook information to meet the report requirements will definitely consolidate the knowledge without the need of excessive memory effort. This is one of the learning foundations at Bircham International University.
A report that exceeds the length limits set above will not be accepted by Bircham International University. The report will be mailed back to the student for rewriting until the format requirements are met. Only then will the report be considered for resubmission.
- Content of the report
The report usually consists of a summary or synthesis of each of the textbooks studied during home study. In addition, the student is encouraged to add his/her own comments, thoughts, or opinions about the contents. Reference to the cases studied and professional experience provide good illustrations of the application of the concepts learned. The report has to reveal the student's level of understanding and knowledge. Any personal conclusion or demonstration of knowledge applicability will be highly appreciated. For scientific disciplines: charts, formulas, figures, and exercises may be included in a report, but only as a complement to the written text. The report must always be elaborated in full written form; an outline will not be accepted. The only section that will be accepted in outline format is the table of contents.
The BIU Office carries out a fast revision to ensure that your work fulfills the format and length requirements. Then, it sends the work to the members of the Bircham International University Academic Board for evaluation of the content. This process may take from one to two months. A teacher will correct your assignment and you will be notified of the result by means of the Academic Assignment Control form. The final mark will only appear in the transcript. If your work does not qualify, you will be asked to repeat the assignment or to present a different one. Bircham International University will always explain to you how to improve your work.
Reports can be sent to BIU by regular mail or by email as a PDF attachment.