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ECA – July Semester 2014
FIN307e
End-of-Course Assessment – July Semester 2014
Financial Institutions
__________________________________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:
1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises EIGHT (8) pages
(including the cover page).
2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Title, Your
PI, Your Name, and Submission Date.
3. As the End-of-Course Assessment is in lieu of an examination, late submission
will NOT be accepted by the University.
IMPORTANT NOTE
ECA Submission Deadline: 3 September 2014, 12 noon
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ECA – July Semester 2014
ECA Submission Guidelines
Please follow the submission instructions stated below:
A - What Must Be Submitted
You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading:
? A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage).
? A Video Presentation:
o UniSIM conducts Walk-in Clinic Sessions on how to record ECA video presentation
for SBIZ students every semester. Please see MyUniSIM Blackboard L01 group for
details.
o ECA video recording and submission online tutorials/guides are also available in
MyUniSIM Blackboard at the FAQs tab under the category “Submitting End of
Course Assessment [ECA]”.
? The set of Powerpoint slides upon which the video presentation is based.
Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items.
B - Submission Deadline
? The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be submitted by
12 noon on the submission deadline.
? You are only allowed a ONE-TIME submission for each of the THREE (3) items.
? As the ECA is in lieu of an examination, late submission of any of the THREE (3) items
will NOT be accepted by the University.
? It will be taken that you have withdrawn from the course if
o you failed the ECA due to late and/or non-submission of any of the THREE (3)
items.
o the Report is not submitted on time.
C - How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted
? The Report: submit online to MyUniSIM (Blackboard) via TurnItIn (for plagiarism
detection)
? The Video: submit online to MyUniSIM Blackboard (refer to MyUniSIM Blackboard at
the FAQs tab under the category “Submitting End of Course Assessment [ECA] )
? The Presentation Summary: submit online to MyUniSIM (Blackboard) (TurnItIn
submission not required)
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ECA – July Semester 2014
? Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using
public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter
a break in the connection when sending large files.
D - Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows:
1. Report
? Please ensure that your Microsoft Word document is NOT of the
type .docx as this is generated by Microsoft Word 2007 or higher
version and it is NOT readable by earlier versions of Microsoft
Word.
? If you are using Microsoft Word 2007 or higher version, kindly
ensure that you save your Report in .doc format so that your
marker can read your Report.
2. Video
Showing your powerpoint projection in the background is NOT
required.
Your video file should be readable by current video player
applications such as Windows Media Player and QuickTime Player.
Do ensure that your video file conforms to these requirements:
a) Time Duration: a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 6
minutes
b) File Size: No more than 50MB
c) File Formats:
? .wmv (recommended)
? .mov
If we are unable to view your video file, we will treat it as nonsubmission of the video component.
Note: Please refer to the FAQs in MyUniSIM Blackboard under the
category “Submitting End of Course Assessment [ECA]” for the
following online tutorials/guides:
a) MyUniSIM Blackboard ECA Submission
b) Windows Movie Maker.
Under the sections “Online Tutorials”, computer-based training are
available on how to use Windows Movie Maker to record ECA
presentation video on your PC.
3. Presentation
Summary
? Please ensure that your Powerpoint slides are NOT of the type
.pptx as this is generated by Microsoft Powerpoint 2007 or higher
version and it is NOT readable by earlier versions of Microsoft
Powerpoint.
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ECA – July Semester 2014
? If you are using Microsoft Powerpoint 2007 or higher version,
kindly ensure that you save your Powerpoint slides in .ppt format
so that your marker can read your Powerpoint slides.
? The maximum number of slides is fifteen (15).
? Please do NOT download and use PPT slide design templates
from the Internet.
E – Please be Aware of the Following:
Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be
accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with
your ECA.
You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be
particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot
be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work no later than the day before the
date of submission deadline. MyUniSIM (Blackboard) will allow you to submit your work
late but your work will not be marked. You should therefore not jeopardise your course
result by submitting your ECA at the last minute.
Once you have submitted your ECA, the status is displayed on the computer screen.
Any extra files, missing appendices or corrections received after the cut-off date will also not
be considered in the grading of your ECA.
F - Plagiarism and Collusion
Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a
student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others
or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid
plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s ideas, words or
pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about
quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based
on your own individual effort.
The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by a plagiarism detection software.
For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student
Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that UniSIM takes a tough stance against
plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to
UniSIM’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or
expulsion from the course will be imposed.
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ECA – July Semester 2014
Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria
Note: Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of the
video recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio clarity.
Showing your powerpoint projection in the background is NOT required.
Organisation of Presentation /8
• Logical flow of presentation
Posture & Body Language /5
• Posture: Standing, straight back etc…
• Body language:
– Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc…
Eye-Contact /5
• Looking at the video camera
• No reading of slides or notes or cue cards
Pace & Articulation /7
• Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow
• Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation.
TOTAL /25
Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria
Format and Style of Slides /3
• Layout, clarity of text elements, colour blends, graphical enhancements
Clarity and Coherence /4
• Proper flow - title page, introduction, body, results, recommendations /
discussion points, conclusion/summary; quick to understand, free from
grammatical errors
Creativity /3
• Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation so as to
enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts
TOTAL /10
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ECA – July Semester 2014
Instructions
(Please read the instructions carefully before starting the ECA)
Please read the questions carefully before writing your responses. There is no ‘model’ or
‘unique’ answer to the discussion questions. The questions require brief, considered,
responses. A premium will be placed on cogent, well-reasoned responses. Grades will be
based on:
? Structure and coherence (i.e. the answer should flow as a narrative),
? Analytical strength (e.g. the extent to which you draw upon theoretical paradigms
discussed in the course),
? Illustrations with examples,
? The synthesis of different viewpoints,
? Originality (including reasoning and structuring of your responses) and
? Professionalism (i.e. the extent to which you follow rules of writing papers, e.g.
referencing, formatting, editing for grammatical and other errors).
For each answer you should cite at least four references. Marks will be deducted for those
not following these rules and following the suggested word limit. Please make sure you cite
every reference you use in your answer. The reference should be cited in the main body of the
text as well as in the list of references at the end of the answer.
At the end of each response, you must mention the number of words used in your answer.
Please feel free to use graphs, diagrams, tables, etc. to substantiate your responses. These do
not count towards the word limit.
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ECA – July Semester 2014
SECTION A (Total 65 marks)
Question 1
In many countries, governments have for long been important stakeholders in banks. In
Singapore, in their early years, DBS and POSB banks were state-owned banks. In China, the
big four banks, ICBC, CCB, ABC and BOC, and ownership of banks is deemed problematic
by most liberal economists. In India the banking system is dominated by state-owned banks.
Discuss how the operations of a typical state-owned bank differ from those of a commercial
bank. In your response, debate the drawbacks and benefits of state ownership of banks. You
must take a stand on what you advocate – state ownership of banks or privately owned banks.
Substantiate your viewpoint with empirical evidence. (Maximum of 750 words)
(20 marks)
Question 2
Economic recovery across most of the world remains uneven and fragile. Lean economic
growth coupled with heightened volatility has presented a challenging environment for
investment managers. Furthermore problems in the insurance industry have been
compounded by massive payouts following natural disasters, such as cyclones, floods and
earthquakes. Analyse the operations of insurance companies and describe how their
profitability has been affected by the prevailing economic environment. How are insurance
companies responding to these challenges? (Maximum of 750 words)
(15 marks)
Question 3
Research in recent years has highlighted the conflicts of interest that exist between the
managers of mutual funds and those who invest in mutual funds. Assess the operations and
performance of mutual funds to show how these conflicts of interest manifest themselves, and
how they affect the interests of investors. (Maximum of 750 words)
(15 marks)
Question 4
In a move that was considered controversial, Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of
the International Monetary Fund, withdrew from giving the convocation address at Smith
College, a prestigious liberals arts college in Northeasten United States. The withdrawal was
in response to sustained protests from students contending that Ms. Lagarde led an institution
that through its policies had further impoverished the economically vulnerable and focused
on the interests of banks, rather than the broader population.
Evaluate the performance of the International Monetary Fund over the past three decades and
provide reasoning on whether you believe the criticism is justified. In your answer, you
should first identify the points on which the IMF is criticised and then assess the merits or
otherwise of the critique. Illustrate your response with a specific country or country
experiences. (Maximum of 750 words)
(15 marks)
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ECA – July Semester 2014
SECTION B (Total 25 marks)
Prepare a video recording of your response to Question 4. The presentation should be of at
least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes.
(25 marks)
SECTION C (Total 10 marks)
Prepare a set of Powerpoint slides upon which the video presentation is based.
(10 marks)
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