Unit information: Research and Report Writing in 2017/18

Unit name	Research and Report Writing
Unit code	LANG00022
Credit points	20
Level of study	QCA-3
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Mr. Jenkins
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Essential Academic Writing & Essential Text Response or IELTS writing component 5.5 (minimum) or equivalent.
Co-requisites	LANG00020 - Intercultural Communication
School/department	Centre for Academic Language and Development
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This mandatory 20-credit unit forms part of the September and January pre-sessional courses, which explore the way in which subject knowledge is communicated in English across a range of disciplines at and beyond Master’s level. Students will leave the course fully equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to succeed at this level at a top British university and the confidence to communicate ideas with academics, peers or the public. This unit aims to: review essential features of academic style and functions; explore the differences between essays and reports; introduce and practise the use of different voices in academic written work; develop research and library skills; encourage collaborative group work and independent study; introduce and practise academic vocabulary; develop editing skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module students will be able to:

1. Work collaboratively and independently on a research project;
2. Read, analyse and write a report;
3. Use data and other voices in writing;
4. Edit work to improve grammatical accuracy;
5. Recognise and use vocabulary from Academic Word List sub-lists 1-4;
6. Reflect on learning and set developmental goals.

Teaching Information

Learning will be facilitated in classroom groups involving a group research project leading to the writing of an individual research report. Grammar and vocabulary materials will also be available on Blackboard.

Assessment Information

This mandatory 20-credit unit involves:

Coursework (40%)

• Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRD) - a report of 1,500 words (20%) (ILO 1, 2, 3, 4);
• Reflective journal (10%) (ILO 1, 6);
• Vocabulary log (10%) (ILO 5).

Examinations (60%)

• Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation (SPSE) - a timed writing task of 500-700 words in 90 minutes (40%) (ILO 2, 3, 4);
• Academic vocabulary test (20%) (ILO 5).

Reading and References

Example articles for analysis include:

• Dooey, P (2010) Students’ perspectives of an EAP pathway program Journal of English for Academic Purposes 9: 184-197
• Huang, R. (2005). Chinese International Students’ perceptions of the Problem-Based learning Experience. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education 4(2), 36-43
• Lebcir, R.M., H. Wells & A. Bond (2008). Factors affecting academic performance of international students in project management courses: A case study from a British Post 92 University. International Journal of Project Management 268-274
• Myles, J. & L. Cheng (2003). The social and cultural life of non-native English speaking international graduate students at a Canadian university. Journal of English for Academic Purposes 2: 247-263