Second Marking at BNU

Second Marking at Bucks

All the marks given out to students at Bucks New University have to be second-marked. Second Marking is the process whereby students' work is marked by a second tutor after having sight of the original marks. Second markers ensure that the initial marker has applied standards consistently across the group being marked.

Second markers check our grades, making sure we're awarding marks appropriately, and also keep an eye on making sure that our standards are consistent with other universities and colleges in the UK, all in accordance with Bucks New Uni regulations.

Why Something is Better Than Nothing

It's not always good to be a perfectionist

From time to time animation students will get stuck on a project, and will request extra time, or hand their work in late - and then apply for Mitigating Circumstances.

Sometimes this flows from perfectionism, performance anxiety, or even a sense of imposter syndrome - a student feeling that their work isn't good enough. 

In truth though, it is always better to hand in something than nothing; an imperfect submission is always better than no submission at all.

Interruption of Studies at BNU

On occasion students at BNU find that for whatever reason, personal or professional, they need to apply for an interruption of studies (also known as a suspension of studies). 

Interruption of studies means exactly that - you interrupt your studies, typically for a year, then pick up the course in a year's time.  In other words, you press the Pause Button. 

To find out the details of the Interruption of Studies procedure, take a look at this handy PDF, which sets out how it's done. 

Why Students Should Submit Work Early

Deadlines matter, and at BNU the lecturers have little leeway in accepting late submissions. The "No Detriment" policy that was in place following the Covid Pandemic is now at an end, and BNU deadlines are now a lot more rigid than they have been for the past year.

Our recommendation here at BNU is this: Don't wait until the due date to submit your work.  Instead, aim to submit your work the night before. 

BNU "No Detriment" Policy

Last year Bucks New Uni introduced a "no detriment" policy in response to the Corona Virus Pandemic. The policy remains in force, and - in effect - gives students an extra 10 working days (two calendar weeks) to hand in assessments, beyond the formal deadline.

"No detriment" means that the work submitted will not suffer any detriment, ie it will still be graded as if it were handed in on time.

Academic Deadlines MA Animation 2020-22

2020-2022 deadlines

Below is a list of deadlines for the online MA in 3D animation. This list is for our 2020 cohort of students, that is to say all our student animators who are joining us in September 2020, and will graduate "Master of Arts" in the summer of 2022.

Note that this list of deadlines is a draft list only, and is subject to change. Students should always check the appropriate Module Guide and Assignment Brief to be certain of the correct submission date. And, of course, check with your tutor.

However, this list gives our MA students a broad idea of what to expect over the coming 18 months.  But always double-check these dates! If in doubt, email your tutor!

Second Marking with Sydney Padua

Over the Christmas break I have been marking the MA work done by our Master's Degree students at Bucks and, of course, also making sure that the work has been Second Marked.

Second marking at Bucks is part of the process by which we ensure that our academic standards are being rigorously applied. Was the marking fair? Is it reasonable? Were the correct criterial applied?

Looking at your students' work through the eyes of another lecturer is a valuable exercise; it is a reminder of how personal marking can be, and how important it is to apply objective criteria. We don't always get it right, which is why 2nd marking - also known as moderation - is so important.

Marking The Animation Masters Degree at Bucks

How does the Marking Work on our MA in Animation at Bucks? Marking can be appear to be a rather opaque process, so it's helpful to clarify some of the basics for our students.

The Master's Degree at Bucks is worth 180 credits overall, and has two components, academic and practical, with a roughly even balance between the two.

There are five Modules in the MA, each worth 30 credits, apart from the 18 month long dissertation module which is worth 60 credits.

Meet Mike Smith, MA External Examiner

Mike Smith

Meet Mike Smith, our External Examiner for our MA in 3D animation.  Mike is course leader of the BA (Hons) in Animation at Leeds Arts University, making him well qualified to keep an eye on our animation work here at Bucks New Uni.

External examiners ensure that standards are consistent across the animation sector. They check our grades, making sure we're awarding marks appropriately, and that our standards are consistent with other universities and colleges in the UK.

Of course, we also second mark all the grades at MA level at Bucks, but the role of the external examiner is to add a third layer of quality control to make sure everything is done right.

What is APEL? And Why Does it Matter?

APEL: route to post-graduate study

What is the APEL process, and why does it matter? APEL stands for "Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning", and is the formal recognition of prior learning by UK universities.

Why is it important? APEL is the means by which students who do not have an undergraduate degree can gain entry onto a masters' level course, such as our master's programme in 3D animation.

For example, an animator with ten years' experience in the industry might not realise they can apply for our MA course in animation, because they need a BA first.  In fact, this would not necessarily be true.

We can consider a student's body of work, and their professional career, as a route into post-graduate study, permitting them to meet the necessary qualifications for entry onto a masters' programme.

Academic Deadlines at Bucks New University

What happens if a student fails to meet an academic deadline at Bucks New Uni? Or, if a student hasn't yet missed a deadline, but thinks they might miss it? There are two online forms our students need to know about.

The first form is the Deadline Extension Form, which applies when a student needs more time to complete a project - but has not yet missed the deadline.  The Mitigating Circumstances form applies when a student - through no fault of their own - has failed to meet an academic deadline.