Module FOUD02F8: Advanced Scholarship in Higher Education

Department: Foundation Year (Durham)

FOUD02F8: Advanced Scholarship in Higher Education

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Programme Aims:
• Foundation students have 3 or 4 core components to their programme, depending on route. The CMT modules are designed to introduce students to concepts, methods and theories within the student’s chosen discipline, and provide a lens through which students engage with knowledge and knowledge creation in their chosen discipline. Meanwhile the Scholarship in Higher Education (SHE) module provides the tool-kit for their engagement and communication of knowledge; whereas the Advanced Scholarship in Higher Education module provides an iterative experience of bringing toolkit and lens together to provide students with the opportunity to actively engage in the process of knowledge generation and communication by completing a research project within the student’s chosen discipline. All students apart from Arts & Humanities also have a maths component.
• This module contributes to the overall aims of the Foundation Programme, which are aligned to FHEQ level four descriptors. By the end of the programme, students will have demonstrated
• knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated with their area(s) of study, and an ability to evaluate and interpret these within the context of that area of study
• an ability to present, evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data, in order to develop lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts of their subject(s) of study.
• evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related to their area(s) of study and/or work
• communicate the results of their study/work accurately and reliably, and with structured and coherent arguments
• undertake further training and develop new skills within a structured and managed environment.
• the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility.
• Module Aims:
• to extend the development of effective academic skills and communication;
• to extend and develop a range of foundation concepts and knowledge introduced in the SHE module to support learning in Higher Education;
• to develop an understanding of academic conventions (norms, values and expectations) in order to prepare students to join the community of practice of their chosen discipline.
• to give students an experience of conducting a small-scale primary research project using the conventions of their academic disciplines in a structured and supported way, culminating with dissemination of results using a range of methods of academic communication (e.g. presentation, poster, dissertation)

Content

• Theories of Research
• The structure and purpose of different means of communicating about research (e.g. a proposal, abstract, literature review, thesis, hypothesis, etc) relevant to progression route
• Research Ethics and Research Methods, appropriate to discipline area
• The structure and purpose of the different sections of a dissertation, typically a research report or extended essay, depending on progression route
• Writing evidence-based, conclusion-driven research narratives, appropriate to progression route

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students will have demonstrated they have knowledge of:
• 1. Theories of Research, articulated through the choice of an appropriate topic and methodological approach
• 2. Their chosen topic area, the understanding of which will become increasingly sophisticated as the project progresses
• 3. The structure and purpose of different means of communicating about research (e.g. a proposal, abstract, literature review, thesis, hypothesis, etc) relevant to progression route
• 4. Research Ethics and Research Methods, appropriate to discipline area
• 5. The structure and purpose of the different sections of a research report or extended essay, depending on progression route

• By the end of the module students will have demonstrated that they can:
• 1. Select, read, analyse and critically evaluate academic texts
• 2. Extract ideas and information from academic texts and synthesise them to construct and support an evidence-based, conclusion-driven research narrative presented in appropriate academic format, appropriate to progression route
• 3. Take an analytical rather than descriptive approach to their topic
• 4. Understand specialist vocabulary from academic texts and use it in appropriate ways in their writing

• By the end of the module students will have demonstrated that they can:
• 1. use academic conventions for communicating and disseminating research, appropriate to their progression route
• 2. construct a coherent, logical and persuasive research narrative, supported with evidence in order to arrive at a meaningful conclusion
• 3. make accurate and appropriate use of grammar, suitable vocabulary, academic style, and academic conventions, including appropriate presentation
• 4. present quotations, paraphrases and references accurately and correctly, and that they can use the Harvard referencing system as set out in Cite Them Right

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

• This module will be delivered using a combination of on-line lectures, seminars/ workshops and tutorials on a weekly basis.
• Each week students meet online for a one-hour core lecture which provides an introduction to the theme for the week, which is then developed in a 2-hour seminar or workshop according to programme hub (i.e. Arts & Humanities, Business or Social Sciences routes). These are supplemented by self-access materials, such as introductory videos or readings, alongside weekly tasks to support tutorials which are posted on the VLE.
• In addition, students will have up to two hours allocated for tutorials with their Foundation Fellow(s), which may take place in small groups in order to work on common areas, or may be individual depending on need and as the time for submission draws nearer. Group Tutorials focus on problem-based exercises in small groups and may include completion/ peer review of weekly tasks set on the VLE. Individual tutorials focus on discussion and feedback between students and tutors in a one-to-one supervisions as they make progress with their individual research project and toward assessment submissions.
• Summative Assessment: Assessments within this module are designed to provide opportunities to engage in an iterative process to develop students’ epistemological maturity, self-regulation, and essential academic communication skills relevant to progression route. Early assessments are used to provide detailed tutor and peer feedback and scaffold later assessments.
• The primary function of the first assessment is as a mechanism to ensure that students are making progress with their chosen topic towards a realistic and manageable research project, which is grounded in current academic literature surrounding their topic area, and that students are able to communicate that effectively in a brief online proposal in response to a series of online prompts. The second assessment, the presentation, ensures that students have responded to feedback from their first assessment and made further progress towards their completed dissertation, and are able to communicate that effectively in an oral presentation supported by PowerPoint. The main assessment, the dissertation, is worth sixty percent of the module mark and is due at the end of the term, accompanied by a short poster which summarises key findings.
• The three assessments allow students to demonstrate the range and sophistication of their understanding of the module’s content and how they can apply this within the context of study in Higher Education, with the secondary focus on effective academic communication through the medium of Academic Writing (as they are likely to experience in their subsequent years of study).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A range of weekly formative tasks are used to help students work towards module outcomes and to iteratively build competency towards each respective summative assessment. These support the weekly tutorials with Foundation Fellows and are designed to ensure that students manage their workload effectively in order to complete summative work adequately and on time. In their tutorials, students will be asked to identify a topic area, complete a formative action plan, and submit a formative annotated bibliography which is then updated as the term progresses. There is also a formative project proposal of 1000 words that provides a basis for the presentation.

■ 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