 ug press launches first of its kind geography schoolbased assessment handbook aimed at raising the bar on sbas and student research in general ug press launches first of its kind geography schoolbased assessment handbook aimed at raising the bar on sbas and student research in general ssmith tue 11082022 1645 for immediate release  university of guyana greater georgetown guyana tuesday november 8 2022  ug press launches first of its kind geography schoolbased assessment handbook aimed at raising the bar on sbas and student research in general  the university of guyana press ugp recently launched the first of its kind a guide to the principles and practices of the geography schoolbased assessment now providing caribbean secondary education council csec and other students the opportunity to be exposed to step by step guidelines in producing highquality research projects the book which was launched at the george walcott lecture theatre turkeyen campus is intended to be used as an uptodate resource material and a selfstudy guide that details in a very clearcut and straightforward manner the requirements for the caribbean secondary education certificate csec students to successfully complete the sba and to optimize the scores marks earned for it the book is also designed to assist the teachers of the subject to provide the necessary guidance to the students author ms linda johnsonbhola ug s head of department for geography and lecturer in the faculty of earth and environmental sciences fees said that the idea of preparing the book came as a result of her years involved in teaching geography at the secondary school and university levels examining sbas and observing the difficulties and many missteps encountered by students undertaking fieldbased work ms johnsonbhola provided a detailed overview of the book in her overview she outlined the three sections in which the book is divided into these are  section 1 getting started with the sba  this section introduces the readers to getting their sbas done and outlines the aim and objectives coursework requirements general guidelines and reasons for conducting the sba  section 2 explaining the four stages of the sba preparation stage 1 planning and preparation at this stage the students learn to prepare a structure to guide them as they prepare for fieldwork this stage sets the tone for all that needs to be done from the beginning to the end of the sba and this includes choosing a topic selecting a title formulating the aims or research questions identifying the study location identifying the data collection techniques designing the data collection instruments and selecting the appropriate tools equipment to use  stage 2 data collection  this stage prepares the students to learn how to apply the various methods and techniques outlined in the previous stage they will learn to do field sketching from observing the features being studied administer questionnaires and conduct interviews undertake field measurements and address challenges that might be encountered while conducting the fieldwork  stage 3 data analysis and discussion  for this stage students will learn how to organise present and communicate the data collected in stage 2 here they will learn about the different illustrations tables graphs charts photographs that can be used to present the data collected in the field and how these can be integrated in the discussion how to avoid plagiarism and citing and referencing the information obtained from textbooks and other secondary sources as well stage 4 preparing the sba report this stage provides details about the format of the sba report this information is provided in the syllabus and students are urged to go through this document carefully and use the guidelines provided to ensure that all of the information provided in the report preparation is followed  section three presenting sba samples  the final section of the book presents two samples of sba there is also a glossary of some key terms used in the book in giving brief remarks the university of guyana s vicechancellor xi prof paloma mohamed martin commended the author on her excellent work and for working along with the ug press to have the book published noting that it will transcend through seasons and times in the area of geography for guyana and the caribbean the vicechancellor expressed that the university of guyana is an engine of growth and direction for the entire country ug s 2040 blueprint allows us to be a model for the nation and this is not only for how we behave but for what we produce and what we publish the vc noted further the vc highlighted i am sure the panel on the csec geography board will be very delighted to know that there is now a publication from the university of guyana about how to prepare good passing sbas senior publication officer ug press ms melissa bess in giving her remarks expressed this book is without a doubt a treasure of a compilation it will benefit not only guyanese students but students across the region who wish to excel chair of the ug press editorial board prof george ken danns also echoed his congratulations to mrs johnsonbhola upon seeing this phenomenal book come to fruition prof danns noted that the book has immense practical benefits for students in guyana and the rest of the caribbean especially for students who are doing csec lecturer at the sir arthur lewis community college st lucia mr alexis hubson provided an excellent review of the book which was read by ms shundell durant according to mr hubson the book is a crucial and refreshing addition to the compendium of csec geography resources for over a generation examiners educators and students have grappled with the notion of what constitutes a good sba this book will solve this apparent mystery in a subtle but elegant way it offers a very lucid comprehensive practical guide on how to undertake geography schoolbased assessments deputy vicechancellor institutional advancement dr mellissa ifill in her brief remarks commended the author for plugging a very important gap that exists in our regional textbook offerings especially when it comes to the schoolbased assessment for geography the deputy vicechancellor posited this guide will not just be important for geography students but for research in general for students especially the first two sections of the book that deal with research design and data collection methods dean of the faculty of earth and environmental sciences dr temitope oyedotun provided a profound and encouraging vote of thanks while ug s public relations officer ms krest cummings eloquently chaired the programme you can purchase a copy of the book at the university of guyana campus store turkeyen campus and new era book and gift shop courtyard mall robb street georgetown for 2500 please contact the ug s campus store on 6202865 or via email  campusstore uogedugy and new era book and gift shop on 6182967 to view the zoom recording kindly click here  https fbwatch gvqmigtfuy  to view the photographs kindly click here  https drivegooglecom drive folders 18ognwbn43grklaruewnfnk1rfyqiboq usp sharing     ug in brief the university of guyana now in its 59th year was founded in october 1963 ug as it is fondly referred to offers 150 programmes in over 60 disciplines in online facetoface or blended formats ug delivers in a guyanabased system across eight campuses it is the largest oldest most advanced and only state university in guyana with a student population of over 10000 ug has provided education training and research for over 50000 alumni over its 59year history ug s national and global impact and footprint are significant its graduates have risen to populate the commanding heights of national regional and international organisations of repute in over 150 different disciplines the mission of the university is to discover generate disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community the nation and all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom innovation and universal respect ug s forwardthinking blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the university s future design and institutional response to the changing needs of guyana the region and the world ug will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023 and is stepping up its focus on becoming one of the leading and most soughtafter educational institutions in the world for both staff and students contact   ms krest cummings public relations officer department of events conferences and communications decc 5926235104 ug press launches first of its kind geography schoolbased assessment handbook aimed at raising the bar on sbas and student research in general 50  