Module Identifier | EA30330 | |||||||||||||||||
Module Title | INDEPENDENT PROJECT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE | |||||||||||||||||
Academic Year | 2004/2005 | |||||||||||||||||
Co-ordinator | Dr Tony Jones | |||||||||||||||||
Semester | Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters) | |||||||||||||||||
Pre-Requisite | EA20510 , Available only to Environmental Earth Studies students. | |||||||||||||||||
Course delivery | Practical | Practicals / Field Days. No set classes. The data collection should normally occupy six weeks, during the summer vacation between the 2nd and 3rd years. | ||||||||||||||||
Seminars / Tutorials | No set classes. With the associated follow-up work and thesis preparation, during Semester 1 of the third year, the total work should be equivalent to a triple module. The supervisor acts as Academic Tutor; discussions with the supervisor are equivalent to level 3 tutorials and are assessed as part of the dissertation (see below). | |||||||||||||||||
Assessment |
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Objectives
The objective of this module is to give the student experience in the formulation, execution, and communication of a piece of scientific study. The information and content of projects will vary widely, but skills of work-planning, systematic data collection and original interpretation are common to all. Qualities of self-discipline, scientific rigour and innovative thought are fostered. A variety of professional skills are involved in producing the formal thesis.
A list of suitable projects and their respective supervisors will be posted, normally by the beginning of semester 2 of year 2, but students are not confined to these possibilities. Enterprise and initiative are encouraged, but students should bear in mind that a suitable project:
1. must fall within the Institute's safety guidelines,
2. must be academically suitable, in particular having the potential of allowing a first-class dissertation to be produced from it,
3. must be logistically feasible (e.g. accommodation, transport),
4. must be agreed with a supervisor. If the project involves fieldwork, the supervisor will probably not be able to pay a field visit, and may not know the area closely.
After confirming the choice of project with the supervisor, the student arranges and executes the project, and prepares the dissertation, independently, but under the guidance of the supervisor. The completed dissertation should fall within a standard prescribed length and be submitted before a specified time. Each student also presents a verbal report on their project, to an open audience which includes their peer students. Normally the presentations are given in early December, with each taking 15 minutes including a 3 minute discussion period.
This module is at CQFW Level 6