Creative Writing Dissertation Project is a year-long 30-credit module which showcases and synthesises students' practical skills, knowledge gained, and creative talent nurtured and developed throughout their creative writing degree. It documents them in a unique portfolio that can be presented to a range of audiences, potential sponsors and employers. The specific nature and dissemination of the project is influenced by the type of joint-honours degree the students are taking and this is reflected in the proposal initiated and developed by students themselves in discussion with their supervisor. The project also builds on accumulated experience in research and creative writing in an inter- and transdisciplinary context, as it encourages students to make use of lateral thinking in order to draw on knowledge from across their course in conceptualising and producing their creative dissertation. It fuses creativity, initiative and imagination cultivated in a practice-based writing course with skills gained in joint disciplines in a way which resonates with the demands of contemporary creative economies and job markets.
In its format, the portfolio of work included in the Creative Writing Dissertation Project reflects stages of project development and execution encountered in a range of creative and research industries (proposal/bid, creative practice, dissemination and evaluation). Specific phases are designed to strengthen initiative and enterprise, in a process which benefits from employability-related skills gained in Level 4 and Level 5 modules such as, but not limited to, Writing that Works and Independent Creative Writing.
Throughout the project, students gain knowledge of the most effective ways of presenting creative work to a wider audience including employers, sponsors, and commissioning bodies. Against the increasing dominance of self-publication, they learn how to operate successfully in the literary market without traditional networks of support. The work on the portfolio emphasises transferable skills and employability, as well as entrepreneurship and self-reliance, whether the students are preparing to enter the job market, work freelance or progress to post-graduate study.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Teaching and learning strategies combine the flexibility required for a highly tailored set of individual projects with a variety of formats aimed at encouraging initiative and creativity, and at improving written and oral presentational skills. The planning stages will involve workshops in which the students will develop their project and produce a written proposal that will be used as a basis for later individual and team work. Subsequent project development, monitoring and delivery will include a number of consultative sessions in mentor-led progress evaluation sessions and tutorials, and peer-led small group consultative meetings, with individual and small group tutorials as appropriate throughout.
Planning workshops 12 hours
Peer-led small group consultative meetings 10 hours
Mentor-led progress evaluation and tutorials 8 hours
Independent creative practice and guided study 270 hours
Total 300 hours
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Workshops, consultative sessions, progress evaluations and tutorials | 30 |
| Guided independent study | 270 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Assessed by a portfolio (100%) which may include:
1,500 project proposal with supporting material
6,000 - 8,000 words or equivalent creative work
2,500 words critical essay or appropriate self-reflective accompanying material
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Design, develop and disseminate a sustained creative project that reflects skills accumulated in creative writing while benefiting from elements of experience gained in their other field(s) of study | Assessed formatively through feedback in workshops, small group consultative meetings and tutorials; assessed summatively by portfolio (100%) |
| Demonstrate creative initiative and critical awareness of the productive interfaces between creative writing and a range of other disciplinary skills acquired throughout their study | Assessed formatively through feedback in workshops, small group consultative meetings and tutorials; assessed summatively by portfolio (100%) |
| Show an ability to work effectively both individually and in a team - developing and presenting own project, and nurturing others' initiatives through brainstorming, peer evaluation, collaborative initiatives, etc. | Assessed formatively through feedback in workshops, small group consultative meetings and tutorials; assessed summatively by portfolio (100%) |
| Show an ability to reflect critically on project originality, performance and impact | Assessed formatively through feedback in workshops, small group consultative meetings and tutorials; assessed summatively by portfolio (100%) |
| Create and record a unique portfolio showcasing a range of multi-disciplinary skills and personal creativity in a format appropriate to a range of audiences and potential sponsors and employers | Assessed formatively through feedback in workshops, small group consultative meetings and tutorials; assessed summatively by portfolio (100%) |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Portfolio | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
A bibliography of specialist core texts and recommended reading will be tailored to each individual student project.