Module Information

Module Identifier
EDM3260
Module Title
Dissertation
Academic Year
2022/2023
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 3 (Dissertation)
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Dissertation  15000 Words  100%
Supplementary Assessment Dissertation  15000 Words  100%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Identify an issue or question that is suitable for a small-scale piece of research/enquiry and formulate a suitable research question/or research questions.

Undertake a critical review of the literature of relevance to the selected focus of research/enquiry.

Articulate an appropriate research/enquiry methodology within the design of their study.

Undertake appropriate planning of research so that it aligns with BERA (2018) ethical guidance.

Plan, execute and present a small-scale piece of research/enquiry.

Reflect critically upon their experience of conducting a research/enquiry project.

Disseminate their research in a way that is relevant and accessible for different audiences.

Brief description

The dissertation module is designed to equip students to undertake a small-scale piece of research or enquiry related to their educational practice. The module will support students to identify an area of their practice that is appropriate for a small-scale piece of research or enquiry, to formulate appropriate research questions, to choose appropriate data collection methods, to collect data and to undertake a critical analysis of the data. This module will prepare students to write up their findings and to present them in various formats. This module builds upon the Advanced Research and Enquiry Skills module which is a pre-requisite for undertaking the dissertation.

Aims

This module aims to support students to:

Plan and conduct a small-scale piece of research/enquiry that is relevant to their educational practice.

Engage critically and ethically with research design and data collection processes.

Critically appraise contemporary research methodologies and enquiry approaches within the social sciences

Undertake a piece of empirical investigation independently.

Present their research in different forms and to different audiences.

Refine their research skills so that they can independent research and lead others through an enquiry/research process.

Content

  • Problematising practice and using evidence to explore an area of professional practice
  • Engaging with a relevant international literature and writing a literature review
  • Ethical requirements and expectations of educational research and enquiry.
  • Research methodologies, methods, and data collection approaches of relevance to educational practice.
  • Data collection protocols and data analysis processes (qualitative and quantitative methods)
  • Data reduction, data interpretation and data representation.
  • Presenting and disseminating research to a range of audiences.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Adaptability and resilience Continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level. All module content is intended to challenge students to reconsider what they think they know, to adopt critical mindsets and to be ready to adapt what they do, in light of the new knowledge and understanding they encounter during the module.
Creative Problem Solving Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level.
Critical and analytical thinking Students will be introduced to, and expected to engage critically with, the core literature, evidence and techniques for enquiry in relation to the module topic. This is in order to demonstrate the appropriate application of research and scholarship in their own practice and their critical evaluation of the same, in order to arrive at an ever-deeper understanding of the topic as it applies to professionals.
Real world sense And holders will have the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring: - the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility - decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations - the independent learning ability required
Subject Specific Skills A systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study or area of professional practice.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7