| Unit name | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MEDIM0300 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Steve Jennings |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Students will need to have completed the Certificate and Diploma before registering for their dissertation. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
The dissertation is intended to allow students to conduct more in-depth studies of a particular educational issue of interest and importance to them. The project will be supervised by a tutor at the University who will provide academic guidance and quality assurance.
The Unit will develop students’ ability to:
· Conduct literature searches and retrieve relevant sources.
· Appraise this literature critically.
· Plan and enact data collection and analyse this data appropriately.
· Plan, structure and write a thesis making appropriate use of the literature and their data.
· Construct meaningful arguments / discussion / recommendations for inclusion in their thesis.
This is a 60 Credit Unit and therefore requires 600 hours work to be associated with it. This will mainly consist of individual study, data collection, analysis and writing up of the dissertation but will also include 1:1 tutorial time with supervisors.
The principle teaching and learning methods will be self-directed learning through the writing of the dissertation. The student will also have access to tutorial support with their supervisor/s on a regular basis
The dissertation shall comprise 15,000 words.
The topic will be negotiated between the student and their supervisor(s). It must be relevant to education in the health professions and could be of the following types:
· Empirical.
This type of dissertation involves carrying out a piece of original research on a small scale. It entails planning a small research study, collecting and analysing primary data and presenting the results in a systematic way.
· Library based
A library based dissertation is an investigation using secondary data which is already in the public domain. This can involve the re-analysis of an existing data set, a review of the existing research on a particular topic, the study of the development of a specific concept in the literature, or a critical investigation into an area of government policy. Library based studies must have research questions as carefully developed as any other kind of study. These properly formulated research questions which are used to critically evaluate the sources used. It also requires a clear and coherent research design which outlines and justifies the search strategy for the evidence selected.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MEDIM0300).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
