The capstone module is designed to further your skills in writing and presenting economic analysis, together with achieving a higher level of understanding in a chosen economic subject area. You will refine your ability to communicate economic subjects to a broad audience in an academically sound fashion.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Students are offered a variety of broad themes derived from the various Economics fields. Each theme will comprise a number of topics, such that any theme may be addressed from the perspective of any of the fields. Possible themes (with parent field in brackets) are:
The focus of the module is on the practice of communication skills with respect to the writing and presentation of economics, and the development of knowledge in chosen specialist areas. Practice is an important component in the development of clarity and unity of composition, and effective presentation.
The module is organised into lectures and workshop meetings; the format and extent of the classes varies over the course of the year. The module is primarily self-directed learning.
After having chosen a theme, at the beginning of the module the student is given a list of essay titles to choose from. The individual essay titles are part of a broader topic within the theme.
Weeks 1-5 normally consists of lectures to introduce and provide an overview of the chosen theme(s) to the students. The theme(s) are further subdivided into several broader topics. Students who have chosen their essay titles from a particular topic are divided into groups to prepare a literature review of the topic.
Weeks 6-10 members of a topic group prepare and make their group presentation.
During the second term, students work on their chosen essay. A number of workshops are given to provide guidance and feedback on their essay.
At the end of the second term, for each theme a 2 day conference takes place where students present a poster and give a PowerPoint presentation on their essay to an audience consisting of the students of the same theme group.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lecture (sem 1) | 10 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Workshops (sem 1) | 10 |
| Guided independent study | Preparation for essay, presentations and background reading. | 264 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Conference Presentation (sem 2) | 16 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
The learning outcomes of the module will be assessed through a 5000 word essay and a presentation portfolio. The presentation portfolio consists of:
Formative assessment and feedback is a critical part of the learning strategy. Major elements of assessment include:
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Communicate an appreciation and in-depth knowledge of a specialist economic topic; | Essay, Presentation Portfolio. (F/S) |
| Write an academically sound essay, source data and, theoretical and applied material relevant to the specific topic. | 5000 word essay. (S) |
| Present succinctly and clearly to a group. | Presentation Portfolio. (F/S) |
| Respond effectively to questions from an audience. | Presentation Portfolio. (F/S) |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Practical exam | Presentation portfolio | 40 |
| Coursework | Essay | 60 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module
Theme dependent.
Bell, J., (2005). Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science 4th ed., Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Open University Press.
Coyle, D (2007), The Soulful Science. What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Edinburgh Napier University, (2009), Get ready for university/Academic Posters, (ONLINE) Edinburgh Napier University. Available online.
Neugeboren, R. and M. Jacobson (2005). Writing Economics. Available online.
Strunk and White, (1999), The elements of style, 4th ed, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Thomson, W (2001), A Guide for the Young Economist. Writing and Speaking Effectively about Economics, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
University of Exeter (2007) A guide to writing-up theses, dissertations and projects [Online] School of Business and Economics. Available online. [Accessed 31st March 2008]