Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2020-2021 (archived)
Module SPRT3172: DISSERTATION
Department: Sport and Exercise Sciences
SPRT3172: DISSERTATION
| Type | Open | Level | 3 | Credits | 40 | Availability | Available in 2020/21 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- Contemporary Research in Sport and Exercise Sciences (SOCI2432)
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None.
Aims
- To give students the opportunity to undertake an extended piece of research in a specialist area of exercise sciences.
Content
- A dissertation on a topic within a specialist area of sport and exercise sciences, identified by the student and approved on behalf of the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies and the Board of Examiners.
- A log book to document and reflect on research conduct.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Having completed the dissertation, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to formulate informed questions relating to their chosen area of research;
- Display a critical understanding of appropriate methodological and theoretical concepts relevant to their chosen area of research;
- Demonstrate an abiliity to communicate research in written form, in a style appropriate to their chosen method and specialist area.
Subject-specific Skills:
- Having completed the dissertation students will be able to demonstrate a capacity to:
- Plan and devise a research project to investigating defined question(s);
- Survey and appraise literature relevant to the aims and objectives of the research project;
- Demonstrate theoretical and methodological expertise in response to addressing the aims and objectives of the research project;
Key Skills:
- Having completed the dissertation, students will be able to demonstrate a capacity to:
- Conduct a piece of independent research in a scholarly manner.
- Evaluate arguments and evidence;
- Analyse data;
- Communicate research findings and their implications effectively and commensurate with the style of their chosen specialist area;
- Demonstrate high standards in research conduct.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The module encourages independent planning and management of learning, culminating in production of a dissertation within a selected specialist area of sport or exercise sciences;
- Students are offered four general dissertation lectures to recap key themes;
- Individual and / or small group (where appropriate) supervision, for up to a total of 4 hours, occurs with an allocated supervisor;
- Assessment is based upon a 6000 – 8000 word dissertation; This word-count ‘band’ reflects variations in research reporting styles across different disciplines and methods represented within the field of sport and exercises sciences.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous content (e.g. online lectures, directed study tasks, FAQ discussion boards) | 4 | 3 in Term 1; 1 in Term 2 | TBD | 8 | ■ |
| Synchronous / in person content (tutorial sessions with allocated dissertation supervisor) | TBD | By arrangement with supervisor | TBD | 4 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 388 | ||||
| Total | 400 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Dissertation | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Dissertation | 6,000 - 8,000 words | 90% | |
| Research conduct | Completed log book (word count N/A) 750 word critical reflection piece as Appendix | 10% | |
Formative Assessment:
Optional submission of one chapter.
■ 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