Just got my dissertation grade back and I am gutted :-(

[Icanonlytry]

I worked so hard on it, thought it was good but only got 56%. All my other marks were 65-79% so it is a big drop. Trying to get my last assignment done at the moment, it was the one that I missed because I was having ds but now I just dont want to do it, feel like quitting. I know 56% is a pass but I did not expect to drop my marks so much. Have lost all confidence in my self and want to give up.
Wish I had never opened the e-mail

Can you investigate it and dispute it? If it is so out of character, it is worth looking into.

Oh dear - please dont give up!

Do you know what the problem was? Is this a masters or undergrad dissertation? Was it double marked? Has it been marked by an external marker also? Was it marked by your supervisor - if not is it possible the markers didnt see the relevance or importance of what you did? Can you speak to your supervisor? You should be able to appeal and it will go to a third marker.

Icanonlytry, When I marked dissertations I was required to give extensive feedback in writing and to explain the mark in some detail, including 'where you could have gained extra marks'. This was written in a constructive way. I was also aware that the marks and comments would be reviewed by the university's external examiner, and/or could be 2nd marked or appealed, so couldn't just be the product of 'a bad day' for me.

I think an unexpectedly low mark in a dissertation also raises questions about the quality of the supervision.

Have you read the accompanying feedback? (I'm assuming there is some.) If you can arrange a meeting with your supervisor, I would. If you are still not happy, ask for it to be 2nd or 3rd marked.

And I'd really make sure I did my best on that last assignment. Do not quit. You have achieved an amazing amount already; you know you have.

I have only got the feedback from the assessment cover sheet, I presume further feedback will be on the actual assignment which I assume will come through the post, her comments seem quite positive, could have developed my findings more.
It is an undergraduate dissertation has been double marked
I was finding this last assignment hard anyway because I missed most of the tutorials and taught sessions when Ds was born and it is a topic I am not familiar with. I have also just looked at the module handbook and there is a 1500 word part of the assignment that I did not know I had to do so as if 3000 words on a topic I have not got a clue about wasnt bad enough it has now jumped to 4500

I would try to digest all the feedback, and then ask for a meeting.

'Could have developed your findings more.' This is not good marking practice IMHO - you could say this about any piece of work. What she should be explaining is in what ways you could have developed the thesis and how these factors affected your mark.

It is fairly normal for a dissatisfied student to ask for a 3rd marker to look at a dissertation, for reasons of X,Y and Z.

IIRC I did a lot a 3rd marking on one particular course (all the students thought the course tutor was a tosser) and took one piece of work from a Fail to a 2:2. The 1st marker had got incredibly huffy about one comment being wrong, the 2nd marker must have agreed the mark in his sleep, and the whole thing was a shambles. Mostly, though, 3rd marking means a confirmation of the mark or an increase of a few per cent. No-one in my experience has ever lost out through the process.

What's your last assignment topic? You could always post on MN for ideas.

Lots of luck.

There should be separate reports from each of your markers and then an agreed feedback sheet to you. I would ask to see them (they cannot be witheld if you ask) as it might throw up discrepancies, or suggest, as Linerunner says that one of them hasnt read it properly.

Normally UG dissertations are not marked externally as a matter of course but you can ask for it to go to a third internal marker as far as I know - most departments would do this. However, it would be better for you if you can put forward some reasons why you believe it deserved more than a 2:2 rather than just complaining. TBH if I marked a dissertation at 56% it would be quite poor and I would need to provide significant reasons why it was marked so low.

I know its hard doing this with an infant - I've been there and you have my sympathies - but after three years you cant throw it away. Ask for an extension and then as Linerunner says, ask on here - its surprising how varied the knowledge is!

Thanks.
The feedback has lots of positives; introduction sets the scene well, literature review is well researched with a wide variety of sources and offers a detailed understanding of theoretical debates and current thinking, Your methods chapter offers a concise, and critical understanding. The only negatives I can see are that I needed to relate it to my practice and develop my findings more.
I was not expecting an amazing mark, it has been hard with a new baby, 9 yr old, moving house and life in general but 56% is even lower than the mark I got for the assignment I did in the middle of 28 weeks of severe morning sickness and an ear infection which tbh could have been written in Chinese for all I knew.
This last assignment critically analyses and evaluates leadership practice within an educational setting in relation to relevant theory and with reference to current policy frameworks (3,000 words). I am a special support assistant in a primary school. My leadership experience is none existent somewhat limited so I am totally lost.
Part B is an individual presentation on the management of change as a professional development session for peers on the effective leadership of change in teaching or mentoring practice. Students submit a professional development resource (1, 000 word equivalent) together with a reflective account (1,500 words).
I am on maternity leave so this will have to be made up

Sounds a very low mark to me given all the positives in the first half of the dissertation Icanonlytry - I know nothing about education research so I could be way off but in science (which is my field) I would be surprised if anyone was marked so low if a large proportion of the dissertation was fine and up to the expected standard. Yes, you should show critical analysis etc but at UG level this doesnt have to be ground-breaking or even publishable new work.

I'd ask why not developing your ideas etc was 44% worth!

I woudl also go back to your module leader and ask them how you can complete this assignment in your current role as a special support assistant in a primary school when on maternity leave - how does he/she see that working? Does it have to based on fact or can you make it up if you are not in such a role? Dont fret on it alone. They cannot set you unrealistic or impossible assignments - go and talk it through with your tutor.

I am a lecturer (not in your field) and I agree with Mytholmroyd, it sounds like there is a big mismatch between the comments and the grade. In my field, a 56 for a dissertation would have comments that were more along the lines of 'your literature review demonstrated some familiarity with the field but the range of sources cited was too narrow and lacked engagement with theoretical perspectives' etc. I would get hold of a copy of the assessment criteria, map the comments against them, and query this.

IME most students get their best mark for their dissertation, and it is very unusual for the mark to fall this far below their average. If it's not that an error has been made in marking it, then you might well have grounds for complaint about the adequacy of your supervision.

when I was choosing my title my supervisor said that certain types of dissertations cannot be marked high because the marking criteria was biased to other types

so you could do a flawless lit based dissertation but never get a first in it because the criteria is aimed more at lab/field/survey based ones

does that ring any bells?

Completing it whilst on maternity leave is partly my fault. The assignment was due in in June but I got an emc extension because ds was due in May. I had a really rough pregnancy and this assignment got put on the back burner because it was the one I knew I would struggle with. I did all my practical tasks (apart from this one obviously) before I started my maternity leave so I could concentrate on the theoretical aspects whilst I was off.
I just keep reading and re-reading the guidance and suggested texts but none of it is going in, I just keep thinking I am not going to get it done which is the worst thing to do. To be honest I am resenting every second I spend/ have spent sat at this computer as it is time spent away from ds that I will never be able to get back
I know I should speak to the tutor but the way I am feeling I will just make a complete fool of myself by sobbing over the phone to her.

I imagine that leadership doesn't need to be you leading but also being led, if that helps?

The reflective account do you have notes of things you've done? As its reflective it can be based in the past and ML would be an understandable reason for it to be a fairly long time ago.

That assignment's not about your leadership, it's about your experience of leadership in general.

So I'd be picking the policy, getting the theory that ties in with it and then either showing how well it works in practice or how i've seen it going wrong either because it's flawed or through bad implementation.

I can't give you any ideas about which theories might be easiest to tie in because I've never even opened any of the books that are dealing with leadership but that's how I'd be approaching it.

There are quite a few books on reflective writing, if that helps.

I have just received my UG dissertation result and I am devastated. The feedback has not been issued yet but I got 58% and this is 20% lower than my marks for the rest of the year. In the days leading upto the deadline I had a massive dispute with the old programme leader regarding the supervision and I feel really sabotaged... Surely I can't have got 20% less in this assignment than every other assignment this year! I was predicted a first class degree and now it's down the drain.....