Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)

Module BUSI4ZR15: APPLIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business)

BUSI4ZR15: APPLIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS

Type Open Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Module Cap

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • As specified in the Special Regulations.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To provide a comprehensive and critical understanding of the principles, concepts and implementation of applied behaviour analysis within a business and management context.
  • To equip students with the advanced conceptual and practical skills necessary to identify and develop a professional and ethical behavioural intervention programme.
  • To develop the skills needed to evaluate and critique behaviour-analytical research.

Content

  • The lectures and practical classes within this module will be organised around the following themes/topics:
  • Action research, behavioural research and the Scientist-Practitioner approach;
  • Understanding behavioural change;
  • Accessing, cultivating and managing a research setting;
  • Defining and measuring behaviour;
  • Variable definition and hypothesis-generation;
  • Designing a behavioural intervention programme;
  • Data analysis – quantitative, qualitative;
  • Managing, evaluating and reporting behavioural intervention projects;
  • Ethical issues and debates in behavioural intervention research.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have:
  • a critical awareness of the origins of applied behaviour analysis as a mode of action research and its potential within a business and management context;
  • a critical appreciation of the fundamental principles of applied behaviour analysis.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have:
  • acquired the technical skills necessary to design, plan, implement and evaluate a doctoral-level behavioural intervention programme.
Key Skills:
  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have further enhanced their acquisition of the advanced skills needed to plan, implement, report, and manage a comprehensive programme of research.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • The learning outcomes will be met through a combination of lectures; guided reading; individual exercises and the group discussion of case studies.
  • The assessment of the module, by written assignment, is designed to: test the acquisition and articulation of knowledge and research skills; test conceptual understanding and skills of application and interpretation within a practitioner-researcher context.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 10 hours in total 10
Practicals 8 hours in total 8
Preparation and Reading 132
Total 150

Summative Assessment

Component: Written assignment Component Weighting: 100%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Research project design proposal of 4000 words (maximum) 100%

Formative Assessment:

Student presentations, case studies, feedback on performance in IT practical classes.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University