| Unit name | Group Work 301 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS38013 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Hayden |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
120 credit points of units at level I in Physics, Physics with Astrophysics, joint honours Mathematics and Physics or Physics and Philosophy, or Chemical Physics programmes. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Each group of around eight produces a written report on an allocated topic. The total length of the report should not exceed 10,000 words and should include a group photograph, an abstract, a general introduction, some illustrative examples chosen from the Laboratory modules, a theoretical section, and a popular account of the subject. Each group will appoint an Editor and a Deputy Editor who will co-ordinate reports and select material for inclusion in the final report. All material will be assessed by the group advisers in conjunction with the Group Work organiser. The group will also prepare a presentation for the Group Conference at the end of the element.
Aims:
To develop a capacity for independent work as part of a larger group. To encourage collaboration in achieving a set goal within a defined period of time. To develop interpersonal skills, particularly the presentation of written work. To interpret a body of physics knowledge into a coherent them which transcends the traditional divisions of the subject.
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
Have a greater awareness of the different styles of presentation of scientific material. Able to work successfully on a specific task within a larger group seeking to achieve a set goal. Have improved confidence in presenting material both written and within a conference-style presentation.
Students are assigned to groups of about 8, and choose an editor and deputy editor. The group selects a topic from a list and each group has an advisor who gives the group guidance about where to find appropriate information and monitors the progress of the group. Each group member keeps a personal dossier of their submissions including drafts and notes. The editor is primarily responsible for the technical report and has secondary responsibility for the popular account and progress report. The deputy editor has primary responsibility for the popular account and the progress report and secondary responsibility for the technical report. The 30 minute presentation is given by one or two members from each group.
Assessment is done by the supervisor of the group and one other supervisor from another group. All material is assessed including the individual dossier (45% for team member, 20% for editors), Progress report (10% team members, 25% deputy editor, 15% editor), abstract (5% team member, 10% editors), popular account )(10% team members and editor, 20% deputy editor), technical report (15% team members, 10% deputy editor, 30% editor), Conference (15% all group members).
Input material is part of this unit to produce.
