Unit information: Pilot Project (Double Unit) in 2013/14

Unit name	Pilot Project (Double Unit)
Unit code	EDUCD0080
Credit points	40
Level of study	D/8
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Crossley
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Education
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides participants with an opportunity to undertake substantial preliminary work towards their dissertation or concerning the application of research to their area of practice. It entails a clear statement of aims, undertaking the proposed work and a self-evaluation of the work undertaken. This unit is particularly suitable for participants wishing to test the feasibility of a specified field of study or to conduct exploratory work on a topic with few directly applicable publications. It also provides opportunities to experiment with the acquisition of new techniques for data collection, analysis or methods of presentation.

The unit may be used to assist in the preparation for a dissertation proposal but the assessed work may not be simply re-used in the dissertation without some significant modification appropriate to its context and use in the dissertation. The dissertation would be expected to advance any relevant pilot work undertaken for this unit.

Aims:

This aims to provide participants with an opportunity to:

• acquire and critically reflect on the deployment of new areas of knowledge and /or skills relevant to the pilot project

• undertake preliminary work towards a professionally or academically relevant application of research

• develop a preliminary statement of aims for the project and a self-assessment of achievement and areas for development against the aims on completion of the project

• consider feedback elicited by any presentations of the pilot work

Participants who are not already experienced or skilled in making presentations of their work will be supported with the aim of making them more proficient in demonstrating these skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate:

• undertaking a substantial piece of preliminary research as a pilot for more demanding research

• critically evaluating that research against its aims

• engagement with any responses to presentations about the pilot project

• an ability to audit relevant skills and knowledge in order to identify any areas requiring further professional or personal development.

Teaching Information

Tutorials, individual and group seminars, student presentation to departmental research seminars and doctoral conference, or other relevant audiences.

Assessment Information

The submission of a written account, supported by other appropriate media, for assessment. The account must contain a clear statement of aims, the work undertaken and a self-evaluation of the outcome and implications for personal, academic and or professional development. The research report should be 8000 words long or equivalent where other modes of presentation are used.

Candidates are not normally permitted to gain more than 40 credits towards their award from any combination of published work, pilot project or special individual study.

Reading and References

To be negotiated according to the pilot project being undertaken.