This module is a core module for students studying BSc (Hons) Nutrition (Human Nutrition)*/BSc (Hons) Nutrition and can be taken as an option module by students studying BSc (Hons) Nutrition (Exercise and Health)*/BSc (Hons) Exercise, Nutrition and Health and is a capstone project module designed to enable students demonstrate the academic and transferable skills they have developed throughout their respective programmes and to show evidence of synthesis based on these skills and the knowledge, understanding, application and integration of nutrition gained from taught modules.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Nutrition related projects will either be selected from a list proposed by members of staff or developed by the students themselves in consultation with staff. Proposals from outside organisations will be considered and encouraged. Projects may be laboratory based but some may take the form of a dissertation and involve a substantial amount of literature research and/or computer use. The criterion for deciding the suitability of a non-laboratory project will be that it will make demands on the student's nutrition knowledge and expertise for successful completion.
The project orientation session, laboratory induction and ethics workshops for students working with human subjects will be carried out by both academic (including the project supervisor) and technical members of staff will continue on from students' introduction to, and application of research methodology, on Scientific and Laboratory Skills (LS4003) and Principles in Pharmacology with Research Methods (LS5003). In addition, for students doing laboratory based projects and/or working with human subjects, fulfilling health and safety requirements by completing control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) forms to ensure the proper handling and disposal of chemical reagents, training concerning the collection, use and disposal of biological material, and if appropriate a review of practices concerning the taking, storage and disposal of human tissue, which includes informing students of the Human Tissue Act, are all essential to ensure that students behave in a professional manner, and adhere to the AfN's professional code of conduct where appropriate, when carrying out their projects.
Adherence to good research and professional practices will be reinforced for all students, including those doing systematic reviews, through meetings with the project supervisor and personal tutor. The project supervisor will be focused on facilitating the application and integration of the student's acquired, through the delivery of taught modules, knowledge and understanding of nutrition in a research context by providing guidance on the formulation of the plan of investigation, which will also take into consideration many of the activities detailed above. In addition, the project supervisor will provide guidance and advice concerning the accessing and the appropriate use and acknowledgement of online material including peer reviewed research, the collection, processing, analysis and interpretation of relevant data, whether numerical or obtained from the literature, and writing the report. The personal tutor will collaborate with the project supervisor to facilitate the drawing together and demonstration of all the transferable/professional skills developed by the student as well as helping the student identify skills acquired whilst carrying out their project. In addition, the project supervisor, personal tutor and module leader will provide guidance and advice on the oral presentation and viva voce (both of which are summative assessments).
Ultimately, the project will take the form of independent work by the student under the supervision and guidance of members of academic and technical staff. Showing initiative throughout is strongly encouraged and will help to further develop a number of intellectual, practical, professional skills/AfN competencies and transferable/employability skills including the ability to critically appraise and evaluate research related material, collect and analyse data, become autonomous learners, manage time effectively, solve problems, think creatively and formulate ideas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Project orientation session (2hrs), ethics workshop (2hrs), lab induction (4hrs), data analysis/presentation workshops (8hrs), lecture (4hrs), Writing and Oral Skills (WOS) workshops (4hrs), and meetings with the project supervisor and personal tutor to discuss the plan of investigation, data collection, analysis and interpretation and skills development (6hrs) | 26 |
| Guided independent study | Field/laboratory/library work/literature searches, processing and analysing data and writing the report | 274 |
| Study abroad / placement | ||
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
In order to help students on this module achieve their full potential in the summative assessments, formative assessment will take the form of the orientation session, lab induction, ethics workshop and meetings with the project supervisor and personal tutor and will be focussed on research methodology, including the use of scientific databases, the reviewing, and formulation of research problems/questions from, the literature, health and safety issues, preparing ethics submissions, data analysis and interpretation and report drafts, and the demonstration and further development of professional/transferable skills/AfN competencies. These assessments will provide students with additional feedback on their learning and understanding of research, its importance in nutrition and the need to adhere to correct practices and thus will aid in the completion of the summative assessments.
Summative assessments are of a synoptic nature as they require students to draw on academic skills, and knowledge and understanding of nutrition developed on taught modules. In addition, they provide students with the opportunity to communicate the formulation of their study design, and their findings, in the context of other related nutrition research and practice, both in writing (plan of investigation and the written report) and orally (viva voce or presentation). The latter will allow the student to defend their findings and the ideas they have generated and addresses the importance of effective communication. The summative and formative assessment strategies will also allow students to hone the skills/competencies already acquired and to develop additional ones including the Association for Nutrition (AfN) competencies related to the organisation, management, implementation, communication and application of nutrition research.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Devise and write a concise plan of a proposed research project paying due consideration to health and safety regulations and ethics, if appropriate | Orientation session (F), ethics workshop (F), laboratory induction (including health and safety training where appropriate) (F), plan of investigation (S), and supervisor and personal tutor meetings) (F) |
| 2) Undertake an investigation of the planned topic and compare the outcomes with the original proposal | Final research report (S), health and safety and the ethical treatment of human subjects and tissue where appropriate (F), viva voce/ or presentation (S) and supervisor and personal tutor meetings (F) |
| 3) Write a structured and lucid report of the work carried out that is appropriately analytical and critical | Final research report (S) and supervisor and personal tutor meetings (F) |
| 4) Evaluate and communicate complex information both orally and in writing | Viva voce or presentation (S) |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Viva voce or presentation | Practical Exam | 20% |
| Plan of Investigation | Coursework | 10% |
| Project/Dissertation | Coursework | 70% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
The current editions of the following:
Additional reading will be advised by the supervisor; this would be expected to include project reports, review articles, original research papers and text books as appropriate.