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All there is to know about your assignments as an iQ student

Published On: July 23rd, 20219.3 min readCategories: Study tips

If you are new to iQ Academy, welcome to the family! And, if you are an existing student we hope you are enjoying your journey with us. No matter where you might be in your studies, we know that it is important for our students to have peace of mind. So we have compiled a very useful and informative guide on how assignments work at iQ Academy. We want the process of achieving your goals to be as stress-free as possible.

Read on to understand some important info and FAQ’s. If you still need assistance feel free to reach out to your lecturer on iCan or give us a call on 086 111 5054.

The difference between Short Course assignments and Higher Education assignments
Frequently asked questions
How to submit your assignments
Top tips on preparing for and submitting your assignments

Different types of assignments

iQ Academy offers different types of programmes:

Short Courses;
Higher Certificates; and
The Diploma in Business Management

Each type of programme has a different assignment or assessment requirement. So, you might be wondering, what is the difference between Short Course assignments and Higher Education assignments?

In our short course programmes the assignments make up the entire course mark for the whole programme. Each short course has a specific number of assessments which need to be completed in order for a student to complete an entire course, in a given period. At the moment, our short course programmes are offered over 6 to 12 months. In this time, you will be required to submit the designated number of assessments for the course, and you will be provided with opportunities to submit corrections for assignments that you have not yet passed. There are also no examinations in the short course programmes.

In the Higher Education programmes, your assignments are completed once, and based on the marks you receive you will either qualify for a summative assessment or you will not. You need to achieve a minimum percentage to write the summative assessment in the Higher Education programmes. This will apply to each module in a programme, and all Higher Education Programmes will require you to complete more than one module.

Assignments in the short course programmes are also moderated internally, whilst selected modules in the Higher Education programmes may require external moderation. External moderation is conducted by qualified academics from other Higher Education Institutions, whilst internal moderation is completed by qualified academics employed within iQ Academy. Both types of moderation ensure the highest standard of marking and interpretation of the memorandum, to ensure all of our assessment processes are compliant to CHE (Council on Higher Education) standards related to assessment.

Frequently asked questions about assingments

Where are my assignments?

The assignment guide can be found on iCan under the “Assignments” or “Assignments and Other Resources” sections. The resource will be available to you as a digital e-book that downloads to your computer or mobile device as a pdf document.

Where can I find my assignment due dates?

Your lecturer will communicate all assignment due dates to you via iCan announcements, iCan messenger, and in some cases, you will receive an SMS reminder regarding the due date for a particular assignment. You can also consult the iCan calendar feature where you will find all due dates for assignments for your semester or cohort.

Where do I find my results?

You can view your marked assignment on iCan, by viewing the assignment as a pdf. If you have completed the online assignment you will be able to see the marks for each question when viewing the assignment. You can also check your results under the “Grades” section on iCan.

How do I contact my lecturer?

You can make contact with your lecturer using a variety of methods. Send us a message on iCan messenger, send us an email using the email address specifically assigned to your course, module or programme, Drop us a message in the “Announcements” or “Discussions” section of your module or course page, or you can call us! Our call center number is 086 111 5054. You will need to have the lecturer name or course name available when calling, so that we can ensure you are put through to the correct lecturer.

Can I complete my assignment on iCan?

Great news! For all those modules in the Higher Education qualifications you will be able to complete an online version of your assessment. In the Short Course programmes we have made online assessments available in most, but not yet all, courses.

This assessment requires you to complete the open answer blocks on iCan under each assignment question. For multiple-choice based assessments, you will need to select one correct answer from the available answers. Students completing the multiple-choice assessments online are likely to get their results a lot faster than those who submit pdf copies, due to the administration around the processing of document version assessments.

The neatest part of completing online assessments is increasing your skills with using technology, so don’t be afraid, we have made this process as easy as possible, go on and try to complete at least one assessment online, today!

Do I need to complete the quizzes first before completing the assignment that counts towards my course?

Yes! Continuous assessment is an important part of learning. Completing the assessments loaded to each unit in a module or course allows you to test your own understanding of the content. Where you do not manage to pass a particular quiz, contact your lecturer and request some additional support around the particular area of the content you are not too sure of. You will then be in a much better position to pass the formal assessment the first time around! Your lecturers also use the quizzes on iCan to assess how the class is performing, prior to the assessment. They are then able to create assets that better support your learning.

How to submit your assignments

Before submitting your assessment, make sure to watch the iCan Help Videos located in the blue bar on the left-hand side of the iCan landing page. These videos can also be accessed from your module or course page. We have tried to make your assessment submission process as easy as possible. As such we have created videos that provide detailed instructions on various topics. Please note, you must be logged in to iCan to view these videos:

How to upload your assignment on Desktop
How to upload your assignment on Mobile
Where to find your results on Mobile
How to communicate with your Course or Module Lecturer
How to upload your assignment
Assignment Submission Rules
Where to find your results and feedback
As well as, how to reset your password, should you experience some difficulties along your learning journey.

Having said that, let’s recap on the methods and processes involved in submitting your assignments:

Submission type 1: Online Assessment

Step 1: Ensure you are ready to answer all the assignment questions before attempting the online assessment. You will only have one opportunity to complete the assignment, but don’t let that discourage you, if you prepare your assessment answers beforehand, you won’t run into any problems

Step 2: Complete the open blocks with your answers, or in the case of multiple-choice questions, ensure that you select the answer which is the most correct.

Step 3: Click submit

Submission type 2: Uploading your PDF Assessment to the iCan portal

Step 1: Ensure that you have completed the cover page correctly for your assignment. Be sure to check that you have indicated the module/course and assignment which you are submitting, as well as your student information on the cover page.

Step 2: Go to the assignment submission portal, on the module or course page, for the assessment you would like to submit

Step 3: Follow the prompts on the page and upload your pdf assignment

Step 4: Ensure that you have submitted the assignment completely, assignments saved in draft format will not be marked, as lecturers do not have visibility of these assessments.

Submission type 3: Emailing your PDF Assessment to our Student Support Office

Step 2: Consult your assessment guide for the correct submission email address.

Step 3: Keep a print or pdf copy of your sent email, with a clear indication of the date and time the email was sent, for proof, should there be a query around your submission

Step 4: Relax and wait for the academic team to mark your assignment. This form of submission will incur a standard turnaround time of 21 days for results release, so please be patient and rest assured we will mark your assingment.

Tips for stress-free assignment preperation and submission

It is important to us, that you get the most out of your learning journey. As such we have put together some pointers on how to ensure you succeed in submitting your assessments:

Follow the calendar on iCan and read the messages/announcements from your lecturer each week telling you what activities to complete. The lecturer will also provide you with additional resources which will help you to better understand the content. Make sure you engage with these resources, as they will come in handy when you need to complete the assessment questions.
Schedule time for your studies each week. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail, as the saying goes! Making time for your studies each week allows you to learn on a continuous basis, therefore resulting in your being better prepared for the assessments when the time comes.
Do not leave your assignments for the last minute, prepare in advance. Oftentimes we hear from students that they have missed the deadline because of not planning their time correctly, don’t let this happen to you. Missing your assignment deadlines will put you at risk of falling behind in the entire module/course.
Join the live sessions that your Lecturer invites you to. We want to get to know you as our students, and what better way than to meet online ‘in person’. Your lecturers will remind you of the scheduled dates for the live sessions, and don’t worry, if you miss them, the lecturer will be sure to record the session so that you can watch it when it is convenient for you.
During Orientation week, we want to connect with you as a student and ensure that you are able to use iCan, that all your student information is correct, and that you are able to access the relevant materials. Use this time to clear up any questions you have regarding the system or the course. The better prepared you are at the start of your learning journey, the more likely you are to keep that momentum going, and complete right on schedule!

Most of all remember you’ve got this! If you are feeling a little overwhelmed or de-motivated during your journey remind yourself why you made the decision to study in the first place. Think about the bigger picture and the dreams you are reaching for by furthering your education. The iQ Academy team is here to support you every step of the way, we believe in you and we encourage all of our students to foster a strong sense of self-belief!

self-belief-is-the-secret-to-sucess-iq-academy

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