BM4105 Critical Issues in Sustainability and Management Research Assessment Brief 2025/26 | UCLan

Academic Year: 2025/26

BM4105 Assessment Introduction: 

This assessment is worth 40% of the overall module mark.

This Assessment Pack consists of a detailed assignment brief, guidance on what you need to prepare, and information on how class sessions support your ability to complete successfully. You’ll also find information on this page to guide you on how, where, and when to submit. If you need additional support, please make a note of the services detailed in this document.

How, When, and Where to Submit:

Assessment Release Date: Monday 29th September 2025.
Assessment Deadline Date and time: Friday 6th and 7th  November 2025 in person

If your work is submitted via the Turnitin link on Blackboard, the link will be visible to you on: Monday 29th September 2025.
Feedback will be provided by: 15 working days from submission.
You should aim to submit/ work on your assessment in advance of the deadline.

Note: If you have any valid mitigating circumstances that mean you cannot meet an assessment submission deadline and you wish to request an extension, you will need to apply online, via MyUniversity with your evidence prior to the deadline. Further information on Mitigating Circumstances via this link.

We wish you all success in completing your assessment. Read this guidance carefully, and any questions, please discuss with your Module Leader.

Additional Support Available: 

All links are available through the online Student Hub

1. Academic support for this assessment will be provided by contacting: please see the Module Information Pack and contact your seminar tutor.
2. Our Library resources link can be found in the library area of the Student Hub or via your subject librarian at SubjectLibrarians@uclan.ac.uk.
3. .Support with your academic skills development (academic writing, critical thinking and referencing) is available through Study Skills at the Student Hub.
4. For help with Turnitin, see Blackboard and Turnitin Support on the Student Hub 
5. If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty, long-term health or mental health condition, and not yet advised us, or would like to review your support, Inclusive Support can assist with reasonable adjustments and support. To find out more, you can visit the Inclusive Support page of the Student Hub.
6. For mental health and wellbeing support, please complete our online referral form, or email wellbeing@lancashire.ac.uk. You can also call 01772 893020, attend a drop-in, or visit our University Wellbeing Service  Student Hub pages for more information.
7. For any other support query, please contact Student Support via studentsupport@lancashire.ac.uk. 
8. For consideration of Academic Integrity, please refer to detailed guidelines in our policy document . All assessed work should be genuinely your own work, and all resources fully cited.  

Preparing for Your Assignment:

The classes will include a session dedicated to assignment support (please see the Module Information Pack for the date and time of this session). In addition, we have arranged International Support Sessions throughout the module and will arrange on-line support sessions during the semester to help you deal with the assessment.

Students will have the opportunity to undertake a formative or practice discussion. The tutor will give feedback on how students can improve their performance in time for the summative assessment. 

This formative assessment will take place during the sessions on campus in September/ October 2025. 

At this level, you are expected to make full use of the academic sources provided on-line by the University. You need to make full use of the Reading List. 

Please remember that the Reading List is a starting point, and you should make use of the Internet search engines provided by the university. We do not recommend reliance on Google or Google Scholar – these engines will not provide full access to the academic material which you will need for this assessment.

BM4105 The Brief/Instructions:

This assignment will assess your ability to articulate your ideas relating to an issue in sustainability and management research.

Learning Outcomes Assessed: 

You will be allocated to a group of around five students from your class.  Your group will be given a topic to analyse and discuss based on material from an academic journal. Each group member will present a short overview of the topic lasting around 5 minutes where each student will highlight the main issues of academic debate. 

The assignment is designed to test students’ ability to discuss matters in a live setting. After each student has presented, the tutor will facilitate a discussion asking a series of questions to the group. Tutors will send each group several questions in advance of the assessment. These questions will refer to the journal article, related issues and their application to your likely research. The tutor may also ask the group some questions based on what students have highlighted in their initial overview.

In the discussion (which will also be assessed).

• Each student will contribute by answering the tutor’s questions, and by giving their opinions on critical issues in business and management research. 
• To allow each student the opportunity to contribute, the tutor may ask specific students to comment particularly where that individual has said comparatively little. 
• Equally students who have made significant contributions to the discussion may be asked to restrict their input to allow others to speak. 
• The discussion is an opportunity not only to present your own views, but to respectfully listen to the opinions and views of others. 
• Students may be asked to respond to issues raised by other students in the group: this means that the activity involves full levels of concentration throughout the assessment.

In advance of the assessment, the tutor will ask students to familiarise themselves with a journal article to which students will refer in the discussion. Students are expected to have read or studied the material highlighted, but they are also encouraged to refer to other appropriate sources relevant to the topic. While students may wish to refer to their personal practical experience, the tutors will give greater weight to students who demonstrate how they have researched and understood the academic issues.

While tutors will take into account any issues or preference, the tutor will have ultimate discretion to decide the composition of each group.

We will be arranging an additional support session after the grades and feedback have been released where we will provide general feedback on the assignment. If a student wishes to receive specific feedback on the assignment, the student should make an appointment with the module tutor. It is strongly recommended that if you failed the assessment that you contact the module tutor for feedback.

Feedback Guidance:

Reflecting on Feedback: how to improve.
From the feedback you receive, you should understand:

• The grade you achieved.
• The best features of your work.
• Areas you may not have fully understood.
• Areas you are doing well but could develop your understanding. 
• What you can do to improve in the future - feedforward.

Use the Study Skills. Study Skills can review feedback and help you understand your feedback. You can also use the Study Skills Feedback Glossary

Next Steps:

• List the steps have you taken to respond to previous feedback.
• Summarise your achievements 
• Evaluate where you need to improve here (keep handy for future work):