Title of Access to HE Diploma: Nursing

Unit title:  Mental Health and Illness

Unit code:  CBA928

Learner:   

Tutor/Assessor: 

Description of Assignment: 

Task 1: Spider Diagram [AC 1.1]

Draw a spider diagram highlighting possible difficulties in defining abnormality and normality. Then choose 2 of these difficulties and, in about 300 words, explain them in more detail.

Task 2: PowerPoint Slides [AC 2.1]

Create PowerPoint slides explaining the causes of a particular mental illness from 3 different perspectives within psychology e.g. medical/biological, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic. The mental illness that you can choose from are: Schizophrenia, Depression, Eating Disorders or OCD. If you’d like to look at a different mental illness, speak to your tutor about your choice beforehand. 

The PowerPoint slides should consist of about 10 slides with no more than 50 words per slide. Think carefully about how you use text, diagrams and images to convey information. Include references and provide a reference list. You will not be presenting this in class.

Task 3: Mini Essay [AC 3.1]

Produce a mini essay of about 800 words where, using the mental illness you looked at in Task 2, you explain two different approaches for treating the mental illness from different psychological perspectives e.g. medical/biological, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic.

• Across all three tasks, where you use information from your further reading, this should be referenced in-text using the Harvard System. Provide a reference list at the end of each task.
• Work that exceeds the word limit by 10% will not be assessed. This may impact on whether you meet the assessment criteria and the grade you receive.
• Read the grade guidance carefully to see what is required at Merit and Distinction.

Learner declaration:

 The explanations and evaluations in this work have been developed and written by me.

 I have not submitted material copied from the Internet, textbooks or other sources in place of my own thinking and writing.

 When I have referred to the work of others I have done so to discuss, comment on or argue their ideas.

 I have kept quotation and paraphrasing to an absolute minimum and only to support points I have made.

 I understand that referencing the names of authors whose ideas I have used without including my own interpretation of those ideas, does not meet the assessment criteria and cannot attract the Pass, Merit or Distinction grades.

 I have not copied the work of my peers.

Learner comments: (please use this space to comment on any aspect of the assignment when handing in your work)

Signature:

Date: 

Level 3

Unit title:  Mental Health and Illness

Learning outcomes

Assessment criteria

This is what you will learn on the unit.

This is what you must be able to demonstrate that you can do in your assignment in order to achieve the unit.

The learner will:

The learner can:

1. Understand the problems in defining abnormal and normal behaviour.

1.1. Explain the difficulties in defining abnormality and normality.

1. Understand the different psychological explanations given for the cause of a particular mental illness.

2.1. Explain the causes of a particular mental illness from different perspectives within psychology e.g. medical, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic.

1. Understand the different approaches for treating a particular mental illness from different psychological perspectives.

3.1. Explain the different approaches for treating a particular mental illness from different psychological perspectives e.g. medical, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic.

Level 3 units only:

Learners achieve a Pass if they meet all Level 3 Assessment Criteria for a unit.  You will achieve a Merit or Distinction by meeting the following Grade Descriptors.  Your tutor will give you feedback for all three grades.

Grade Descriptor

Merit

Distinction

GD 1: Understanding of the Subject

The student, student’s work or performance: demonstrates very good understanding of the different perspectives or approaches associated with the area of study. 

The student, student’s work or performance: demonstrates excellent understanding of the different perspectives or approaches associated with the area of study.

GD2: Application of knowledge

The student, student’s work or performance: makes use of relevant ideas and facts with very good levels of insight, analysis and accuracy.

The student, student’s work or performance: makes use of relevant ideas and facts with excellent levels of insight, analysis and accuracy.

GD7: Quality

The student, student’s work or performance: taken as a whole, demonstrates a very good response to the demands of the brief/assignment.

The student, student’s work or performance: taken as a whole, demonstrates an excellent response to the demands of the brief/assignment.

Grade Guidance: Learners must carefully read the guidance below which is linked to the components above

MERIT:

GD1: Understanding of the subject

In task 1, your understanding of the subject must present a clear discussion of the possible problems with the psychological definitions of abnormality. Your use of technical terms will demonstrate that you understand their significance.  Whilst using any literature you should not entirely rely on it; use it to form your own ways of illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the definitions. 

In task 2, you must explain one mental illness from 3 psychological perspectives. One way you can approach this is to discuss what can be learnt from a particular approach and what questions it leaves unanswered. In this way you will be able to evaluate the methods for yourself. You must use the relevant literature, but, again, use it as a springboard for your own ideas.

In task 3, you are being asked to explain how different psychological approaches treat the mental illness you discussed in Task 2. You will be expected to select and use relevant points to evaluate the different approaches.

GD2: Application of knowledge

To achieve a Merit, your work will show how focusing on relevant insights can be integrated with specific details from studies which are relevant to the line of argument you are pursuing. You should select specific facts from studies which help you support a particular point and then seek to find information which might cast doubt on it. From such contradictory points you can then develop an evaluative discussion. The key word is “application” which means that that you have to explain the extent to which knowledge can be applied to specific examples and where, in contrast, the theory might fall down.

GD7: Quality

For a Merit you will generally write concisely, grammatically, use a clear structure with a logical development and form a conclusion which refers to the body of the argument.  Your answers should be relevant, clearly linked to the tasks set and be supported by appropriate references to the literature. You will have generally used accurate citation and referencing using the Harvard System of Referencing.

DISTINCTION:

As well as meeting the Merit criteria:

GD1: Understand of the subject

In task 1, your work will show insight into the complexities of defining normality and abnormality. You will show consistent judgement in your selection of the two difficulties to explain further.

In task 2, your work will be consistently relevant and tightly linked to the psychological approach and mental illness that you have chosen to cover. You will demonstrate an excellent understanding of how the psychological approaches interpret the mental illness, including but going beyond the main similarities and differences between the approaches.

In task 3, you will show an excellent understanding of how the psychological approach and treatment methods are linked and how particular treatments function

Across the tasks you will use specialist language appropriately and in the correct context.

GD2: Application of knowledge

To achieve a distinction your work you will use accurate and closely relevant examples to support your explanations and your analysis and evaluation of the different aspects of the issues and difficulties with mental illness. For task 3 your essay should include a critical evaluation of the balanced research included.  

GD7: Quality

To achieve a distinction your work will demonstrate that you have read and engaged with the recommended reading and other sources of information, that you are able to discuss the issues without paraphrasing textual sources too closely and, where appropriate, are citing your sources accurately according to the Harvard System of referencing. Your writing will be evaluative throughout and combine the literature with your own insights in a logical and fluent style. In task 2, your slides will be laid out clearly, with careful consideration about how they might be used in a presentation – for example, using diagrams and images to avoid multiple slides with long paragraphs of text.

Part A: Feedback on credit level

AC no

Credit achieved (L3)

Location of evidence

Tutor/Assessor comments on assessment criteria

(the assessor may also indicate on the work itself where each AC is met)

1.1

Task 1

1.2

Task 2

1.3

Task 3

Resubmission (if applicable) If any of the assessment criteria for this assignment have not been met at Level 3, a resubmission may be permitted.  Resubmission must follow the QAA guidelines and be permitted only once.

Requirements for resubmission/new Task set:

Date Set:

Date due:

Date Submitted:

Feedback on resubmission:

Level achieved

after resubmission:

Tutor/Assessor’s signature:

Date:

Part B: Feedback on grading (Applicable only if all assessment criteria achieved at Level 3)

Grade Descriptor

Tutor/Assessor comments against grade descriptors

Grade indicator

(P/M/D)

GD1: Understanding the Subject

GD2: Application of knowledge

GD7: Quality

Tutor/Assessor’s reason for final grade decision (if applicable)

Areas for development (how will the learner be able to use and improve on what they have learnt on this unit and the skills that they have used in their further studies?)