This module provides students with an opportunity to develop their own sociological specialism by conducting an extended and in-depth study on a topic of their choosing. Students will be tutored in the skills necessary to successfully complete a final year dissertation and will work with a staff supervisor to develop a critical understanding of their research topic. These skills, involving an ability to organise and plan work effectively and autonomously will enhance their employability.
This module will be taught by a combination of two hour research skills workshops and one-to-one supervision sessions. Workshops will be interactive in nature and will provide students the opportunity to develop their dissertation through individual and group work tasks. The seminars will give the students opportunities to discuss their own dissertation and how this relates to the material outlined in the workshop programme. Relevant learning materials will be provided on StudySpace, including digitised reading materials, workshop slides and templates. Students will be expected to engage in a significant amount of independent study which will involve reviewing literature, conducting research, analysing data and preparing assessment.
Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
---|---|---|
Scheduled learning and teaching | Workshops (7 x 2 hours) Individual supervision | 14 10 |
Guided independent study | Research and writing of dissertation | 276 |
Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 |
The module will be assessed using a combination of formative and summative assessment. Students will receive individual feedback on formative assessment so that they are able to use this constructively in the summative assessment on the module.
Draft critical literature review (formative) 1,000 words
A1 Portfolio (20%) consisting of: a dissertation proposal including an annotated bibliography (1,500 word) and an action plan (timetable)
A2 Dissertation (80%) 8,000 – 10,000 words
Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
---|---|
Formulate a clearly viable research proposal and extensive literature search appropriate for a Final level dissertation | Draft Critical Literature Review(formative) A1 Portfolio A2 Dissertation |
Demonstrate an ability to organise and plan work effectively over a limited period of time | Draft Critical Literature Review (formative) A1 Portfolio (summative) A2 Dissertation (summative) |
Demonstrate the ability to successfully complete a substantial piece of written work to satisfy the demands of the marking criteria | A1 Portfolio A2 Dissertation |
Demonstrate an ability to work autonomously | Draft Critical Literature Review(formative) A1 Portfolio A2 Dissertation |
Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
---|---|---|
CWK | Portfolio 1500 words | 20 |
CWK | 8,000 - 10,000 word dissertation | 80 |
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
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