Modern Languages Teaching Centre ISR Guidelines

Independent Study Record Guidelines

What is it (for)?

Simply put, the Independent Study Record (ISR) is an account of some of the learning
activities that you undertake throughout the semester in addition to weekly class activities
and set homework so as to improve your language skills and cultural awareness.

As an indication, a 10-credit module at the University of Sheffield is equivalent to 100 hours

of study. MLTC modules are roughly broken down into a third for contact hours, another
third for guided, set homework, and a last third for independent study.

The ISR is intended to help you reap the most from this last third of independent study, and,
more specifically, to:
- explore a topic not covered in class and of particular interest to you in relation to the
culture(s) of the language you are learning
- focus, through the study of this topic, on specific language skills which you would
like to improve according to your own needs and priorities, working in your own time
and at your own pace
- develop as an independent and life-long learner of the language and culture you have
chosen, setting your own goals and identifying the techniques and materials that work
best for you.

All in all, the ISR has been designed so that you can complete it in 6 hours, but you can spend
more time on it if you want to. The benefits of independent learning are not measured by the
hour

Should I do it?

Of course, for the excellent reasons mentioned above, but also because the ISR is a
requirement for students:
- taking the module for credits
- wishing to meet continuation criteria on the DDP and LfA fee-waiver scheme
- wishing to obtain an MLTC Certificate of Completion or to add the module to their
HEAR.

The ISR is not marked, but penalties apply for unsatisfactory submission, late submission
and non submission for students taking the module for credits or wishing to obtain the
Certificate of Completion: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mltc/faq#ISR

How it works

1. At the beginning of the semester, you are asked to:

- choose a topic
- identify the skills you would like to work on

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- select at least two tasks which will enable you to explore the topic and develop
the skills you have chosen. The third task is optional and does not count as a
compulsory element of the ISR.

Notes:
- The topic is entirely up to you, but it should be of a level of complexity commensurate
with your level of proficiency in the language.
- A diagnostic tool is available in the ISR section on MOLE to help you assess which
skills would be appropriate for you to focus on, but you may already have your own
goals and priorities.
- The tasks are chosen from a Task Portfolio. However, you can also suggest different
tasks if you think they would be more appropriate to your goals.
- Before choosing a task, try and anticipate the availability of the materials you will
need to complete it. Please also bear in mind that you are not allowed to re-use any
materials from previous language courses at the University of Sheffield or elsewhere.

2. In Week 4, you bring to the lab hour (or to the class if your module does not include a lab
hour) a printout of the completed Section 1 of MyISR in which you have indicated
your choice of topic, skills and tasks, and these are vetted by your tutor after further
discussion if necessary.

Notes:
- You tutor will keep the printout as a record of what you have agreed to work on as
part of your ISR.
- If you change your mind with regard to the topic or tasks after that week, you should
discuss it with your tutor and submit a new Section 1 for their approval.
- If the topic and/or tasks in your final ISR submission are blatantly different from those
agreed with your tutor, your completion of the ISR will be regarded as unsatisfactory.

3. During Weeks 5 to 11, you complete the tasks (at least two) and record the output in
Section 2 of MyISR.

Notes:
- As a guide, each task should take you a minimum of two hours to complete, but it is
ultimately up to you if you want to spend more time on them.
- Mid-way through the semester, you tutor will check with you how you are getting on
with the tasks, providing you with further guidance if necessary, and asking you to
share your progress so far with fellow class-mates.

4. Once you have completed the tasks, you answer questions in Section 3 of MyISR in
which you are asked to reflect on your independent work throughout the semester and
how effective it was.

Notes:
- Dont rush through this section as it is an important one that should inform any
independent language learning work that you will be undertaking in the future.
- Ideally, we actually recommend that you reflect on these questions throughout the
semester so as to maximize how you benefit from your current ISR work.

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5. By the Friday of Week 11, midnight, you submit your completed MyISR on MOLE,
with any accompanying audio or video files if appropriate.

Notes:
- Submission deadline:
- It is crucial that you respect the above submission deadline. Failure to do so will
result in penalties being applied: See http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mltc/faq#ISR
- If you have extenuating circumstances for submitting you work late, you should
apply for these to be considered: See
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mltc/faq#SpecialCircumstances. However, please also
note that the ISR ought to be based on the independent work that you did
throughout the semester and that it would not usually be regarded as acceptable
not to submit it, or part of it, on time because of extenuating circumstances
affecting you in the few days prior to the submission deadline.
- The ISR must be entirely Word processed. Please do not upload a pdf.
- Audio and/or video recordings should be uploaded in standard formats. If in doubt,
please ask your tutor.
- You will need to acknowledge all sources for your work in the Sources sub-section of
each task, and all work handed in must be your own; otherwise you will be in violation
of TUOS plagiarism regulations. In the same way, documents that you use must not be
documents used as part of other class activities.

Feedback & Assessment

- Neither your ISR as a whole nor individual tasks are marked or corrected, but you will
receive informal feedback throughout the module in class or during the lab hour if you
have one.
- The work done in your ISR will also form the basis of your oral exam in the Autumn
semester and of the second essential homework in the Spring semester. Thus, you will
be able to demonstrate, and receive formal feedback on, your knowledge of the topic
that you chose and the language that you acquired in relation to it. The work done on
the skills you set yourself to improve through the ISR will also be extremely
beneficial to you in your other exams.

And dont worry; the ISR is part of your independent learning, but this does not mean we
wont be there to help and guide you through the process!