Announcements

Academy Documents

Kindly access the Students' Policies & Forms by clicking on the button below. The following documents, among others, can be found there: Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Students' Privacy Notice, Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation Policy, Assignment Extension Policy, Re-Sit Policy, Complaints Procedure Policy, Equality Policy, and Student Disciplinary Policy.

Students' Policies & Forms

 

Online Sessions' Link

To join the online sessions for this module, please click on the button below. If you are not already signed in to your Zoom account, you will be prompted to register your attendance. You will also need to enter the password provided below.

Join Session

Meeting ID: 976 0406 7980
Passcode: 365651

Please ensure that your name and surname appear as registered for the study programme, as this is essential for recording your attendance.

 

Lecture Schedule & Notes

Lecture notes will be available during the week following the respective lecture. Schedule dates are indicative and may change. All changes, if any, may be communicated via email, SMS or telephone calls.

LectureDateTimePresentationNotes (If Any)Session Recording
Lecture 016 October 202617:30 to 20:00hrsPresentation 01Request
Lecture 0219 October 202617:00 to 19:30hrsPresentation 02Request
Lecture 0327 October 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 043 November 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 054 November 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Quiz Session6 November 202617:30 to 18:30hrs
Lecture 0610 November 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 0717 November 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 0824 November 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 091 December 202617:30 to 20:00hrs
Lecture 1015 December 202617:30 to 20:00hrs

Lecturers 

Ms Darine Aboulezz

Dr Erika Azzopardi Taliana

Mr George Steve Darmanin

Ms Denise Griscti

Mr Antoine Portelli

Mr Angelito Sciberras

 

Lecture Summaries & Suggested Reading

 

Lecture 1 - Basic Bookkeeping - Mr Antoine Portelli

Learning Outcomes

The lecture will provide a walkthrough of the financial aspects encountered by Administrators and Office Management officers during their daily work.  It will cover the areas of basic book-keeping; the major concepts of accounting; the standard terminology used in day-to-day accounting work; and the necessary documents required to be able to operate an efficient accounting function.

Additionally, the lecture will also provide practical examples of financial recording systems; management accounting reporting; and the published financial statements of various entities, with special focus on those of limited liability companies as presented to the Malta Business Registry.

Core Reading List

  • Bauerle, J., (2018). Accounting Quickstart Guide. ClydeBank Media LLC.

Supplementary Reading List

 

Lecture 2 - The Basics of Employment Law -Dr Erika Azzopardi Taliana

Learning Outcomes

During this session, we will cover the main rights of employees, such as protection from discrimination; the right to be paid regular wages; the right to be provided with certain information; as well as the main considerations surrounding termination of employment.

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Emir, A. (2022). Selwyn's law of employment. OXFORD UNIV PRESS.

 

Lecture 3 - Employee Onboarding -Ms Denise Griscti

Learning Outcomes

In this lecture, students will be given the opportunity to develop an understanding of the key principles tied to recruitment and selection, starting off from understanding company requirements for a role, formulating a job specification and then carrying out sourcing and assessment of candidates. A brief overview of selection methods will be carried out looking into interviews and testing in particular. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to look into the process to be undertaken post-selection leading to the employee to be onboarded in the company, with emphasis being placed on the steps to be undertaken for this to be carried out in a successful way. Reference will be made to tools that can facilitate the process.

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

 

Lecture 4 - Working with and protecting data - Mr Angelito Sciberras

Learning Outcomes

The students will be introduced to to GDPR while being able to comprehend the power of data. They will be able to distinguish between data and personal data and also exposed to definitions in the legislation. Participants will also be exposed to data processing principles, data subjects rights, and lawful processing.

By the end of the session they will be able to understand the principles of data processing, gain more awareness on how to protect the data being processed and to limit the processing to what is necessary. They will also be able to identify whether the company is acting as a Controller or Processor and also explain essential office management and data privacy implications.

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Borg R., Gonzi P., Sciberras A., (2018) GDPR for HR Professionals

 

Lecture 5 - Health & Safety Essentials - Mr George Steve Darmanin

Learning Outcomes

During this session participants will  be able to understand, the basics of occupational health and safety. They will also be exposed to the most relevant Health and Safety legal requirements including the Display Screen Equipment Regulations and will also comprehend the definition of hazards and risks.

The participants will also be able to identify common hazards related to the office environment and successfully manage and control the associated risks.

Core Reading List

  • Principles of Health and Safety at Work - Holt, Allan St. John, and Jim Allen. CRC Press LLC, 2014.

 

Lecture 6 - Office Communication (part 1) - Ms Darine Aboulezz

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand what communication is, the roots of miscommunication and its power if used properly.
  • Understand different office tools
  • Organize effective online meetings
  • Identify ways of researching a company before an interview.
  • Understand ways to increase team collaboration
  • Discuss how to dress for an interview.
  • Explain the risk of not speaking up at meetings.
  • Describe how to use notes effectively in a meeting.
  • Recall how to ask questions when a person is speaking.
  • E-mails etiquettes.
  • Tackle difficult conversations
  • Manage Conflict

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

 

Lecture 7 - Office Communication (part 2) - Ms Darine Aboulezz

Learning Outcomes

  • Identify the reasons why people don’t speak assertively and its underestimated importance
  • Explain how to ask for a raise at the right time.
  • Discuss the procedures of asking for an appointment with your employer.
  • Recall the common mistakes people make when asking for a raise.
  • Summarize the steps involved in asking for a raise.
  • How to increase our Emotional intelligence

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

 

Lecture 8 - Events Management - Ms Darine Aboulezz

Learning Outcomes

This session, will provide participants with the knowledge to effectively, proactively and innovatively understand the complexities that goes with event planning.

How to implement event management and event planning strategies, provide good customer service, create a credible event plan. What is involved when working with multiple clients and vendors, and how to safeguard the wellbeing of performers and attendees, how to safely process personal data in accordance to data privacy legislation and deliver overall exceptional results.

Core Reading List

  • Event Planning by Judy Ellen
  • Into the heart of meetings: Basic Principles of meeting design by Mike van der Vijver
  • Brains on Fire: Igniting powerful, sustainable, word of mouth movements by Robbin Phillips

Supplementary Reading List

 

Lecture 9 - Public Speaking and Presentations - Ms Darine Aboulezz

Learning Outcomes

  • Why are we scared of public speaking
  • Is it your fear
  • Beating this fear
  • Why is public speaking such an important skill
  • Start with the why
  • How to ace at public speaking
  • Body Language
  • Engaging with your voice
  • Storytelling in action
  • Powerpoint Presentations – Should you use slides,
  • Websites from where you can get images
  • 10/20/30 rule
  • Focus
  • Impromptu Speaking Success and Impromptu Speaking Prep
  • Speech Writing Process
  • Different type of speeches

Core Reading List

  • The art of public speaking by Dale Carnegie
  • The quick and effective way to public speaking by Dale Carnegie
  • Talk like a TEDx by Carmine Gallo

Supplementary Reading List

  • A dialogue to kill the fear of public speaking by Animesh Gupta
  • The skill of self-confidence by Dr Ivan joseph
  • How I overcame my fear of public speaking by Danish Dhamani

 

Lecture 10 - Time Management - Ms Darine Aboulezz

Learning Outcomes

  • Goals
  • Our life and time are of upmost importance
  • Pareto Principle
  • Plan breaks into your day
  • Specific Time management techniques
  • My travelling university
  • Learn speed reading
  • Web surfing
  • Use productivity apps
  • Cancel your subscriptions
  • Get a mentor
  • Networking
  • Utilise online resources
  • Strategies to not waste time
  • Use the TRAF system
  • What to do

Core Reading List

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey
  • The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch
  • Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
  • The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: David Allen at TEDx

Supplementary Reading List

  • The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss.

 

Methods of Assessment

There will be one online class group quiz after the 5th lecture on Friday 6 November at 17:30 hrs. Information on how this will be carried out may be obtained by clicking on the button below. The Quiz will carry 20% of the final score.

Quiz Notes

For your final assignment, you have to choose 1 out of the 3 questions which has been made available in the Assignment Submission form below. Assignments should be submitted by not later than Thursday 29 January 2027. Assignment has to be submitted together with the Assignment Submission Form. The assignment will carry 80% of the final score.

 

Assignment

You are required to choose one of the three questions available in the Assignment Submission Form made available by clicking the button below. The assignment must be submitted no later than Thursday, 29 January 2027, along with the Assignment Submission Form. Please ensure that you indicate the question you have addressed on the Assignment Submission Form.

The Assignment Submission Form will be made available here at a later date.

For guidance on how to plan, draft, and submit your assignment, please refer to the 21 Academy presentation on Writing and Submitting Your Assignment by clicking the button below.

Writing and Submitting Your Assignment

By clicking the button below, you may download a copy of the slides used during the 17 October 2025 tutorial on planning and submitting your assignment.

Download the Presentation

We are also providing the 21 Academy's Assignments Rubric for your reference. This rubric is a performance-based assessment tool that tutors will use for grading, and it will help you understand the requirements of the assignment and how it will be assessed.

Assignments Rubric

 

Referencing Style

Your assignments, presentations and reflective notes should be referenced using the Harvard Referencing style. Please follow a short video, by clicking on the button below, to understand this referencing style.

Harvard Referencing Style

 

Submitting Assignments - Turnitin

The Academy will notify you via email when the assignment questions become available. Shortly after, you will receive another email from Turnitin, likely on the same day, confirming your enrolment in a "class" where you can upload your assignment(s).

Please ensure that your assignments are submitted no later than 23:59 on the assignment submission deadline, as indicated on the Assignment Submission form or in the Turnitin "class."

At 21 Academy, you have the option to submit multiple drafts before the final submission deadline. The version uploaded at the deadline will be treated as your final submission for assessment.

Assignment Preparation and Submission Instructions

All students must follow the procedure below when preparing and submitting assignments. Please read these instructions carefully to ensure that your assignment is completed, formatted and submitted correctly.

1. Write Your Assignment Using Turnitin Clarity

You must write and complete your assignment using Turnitin Clarity. All drafting and development of your assignment must take place within this platform.

For guidance, watch the following video:

Clarity for Students

 

Ensure that you click Submit to complete the required submission process.

2. Transfer Your Completed Assignment to Microsoft Word

Once you have finalised your assignment in Turnitin Clarity:

  1. Copy the complete text of your final draft.
  2. Paste it into a Microsoft Word document.

3. Format Your Assignment in Microsoft Word

Use Microsoft Word to only format your assignment in accordance with the official Assignment Guidelines.

Ensure that you include the following, where applicable:

  • Submission form: Complete the submission form and tick the question you are answering.
  • Cover page: Add the required cover page.
  • Table of contents: Include a contents page where required.
  • Headings and subheadings: Format these appropriately.
  • Document layout: Apply the required font, font size, line spacing and margins.
  • Page numbering and referencing: Ensure that these are correct and consistent.
  • Refernce List on a fresh page
  • Final checks: Verify that the assignment meets all the requirements specified in the Assignment Guidelines.

Refer to the official guidelines here:

Assignment Submission Guidelines

 

Important: Microsoft Word should be used for formatting and presentation purposes only. Do not add, remove or substantively change any assignment content after completing your work in Turnitin Clarity. If you do please make sure that these changes are also made on Turnitin Clarity and resubmit.

4. Submit Your Assignment Through Turnitin Standard As Well

Once you have completed the formatting, upload your final document to the relevant Turnitin Standard assignment submission area.

This is the formally submitted version that will be forwarded to the assessor.

File naming convention

Your file must be named using your full name followed by the question number answered.

For example: Joseph Borg Q3

Before uploading, check that your document is complete, correctly formatted and saved under the required file name.

5. Important Rules for Turnitin Standard Submissions

Please observe the following submission rules:

  • Multiple drafts: You may submit multiple drafts before the final submission deadline.
  • Final submission: The version uploaded at the submission deadline will be treated as your final assignment for assessment.
  • 24-hour restriction: Turnitin evaluates the same assignment twice within a 24-hour period. Any additional submission made during this period will not be reviewed until the 24-hour period has elapsed. Plan your submissions accordingly.
  • Similarity threshold: Your final submission must not exceed 20% similarity. Pay particular attention to the use of direct quotations and ensure that all sources are properly acknowledged.

6. Consistency Between Turnitin Clarity and Turnitin Standard

Both the version in Turnitin Clarity and the version uploaded to Turnitin Standard will be used for assessment purposes.

It is therefore essential that the assignment text in both versions is identical.

The only differences should relate to formatting and presentation, such as the submission form, cover page, table of contents, headings, page numbering and overall document layout.

Do not introduce new content, remove existing content or make substantive changes to the assignment in Microsoft Word after completing it in Turnitin Clarity. If you do, please update the version on Turnitin Clarity and resubmjit from there too.

Final Checklist

Before considering your assignment complete, ensure that you have:

  • Written and completed the assignment in Turnitin Clarity.
  • Clicked Submit in Turnitin Clarity.
  • Copied the final assignment into Microsoft Word.
  • Formatted the document in accordance with the Assignment Guidelines.
  • Completed the submission form and ticked the relevant question.
  • Checked the assignment's content against the version in Turnitin Clarity.
  • Confirmed that the similarity score does not exceed 20%.
  • Saved the file using the correct naming convention.
  • Uploaded the final, formatted document to Turnitin Standard before the deadline.

Please note: Failure to follow these instructions may affect the assessment process. Students are responsible for ensuring that both versions are consistent and that the final assignment is submitted correctly and on time.

Follow this very short video to understand how to submit your assignment through Turnitin - Submitting a Paper

To understand the similarity report generated by Turnitin follow this 1 minute video - Understanding the Similarity Report