Module FOUD02G1: Project

Department: Foundation Year (Durham)

FOUD02G1: Project

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• Communication

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Project is the culminating research module of the Durham Foundation Year. It gives you the opportunity to carry out a small-scale research project in your chosen discipline - moving from learning about how knowledge is created, to creating it yourself. 
• The module runs alongside Communication and what you learn about academic communication in that module feeds directly into how you present and disseminate your research in Project.

Content

• Theories and purposes of research 
• Research ethics and research methods appropriate to your discipline 
• The structure and purpose of different research communication formats (e.g. proposals, abstracts, literature reviews, hypotheses) 
• How to write evidence-based, conclusion-driven research narratives 
• Practical laboratory skills (where relevant to your progression pathway)

Learning Outcomes

• Theories of research, shown through your choice of topic and methodological approach 
• Your chosen topic area 
• The structure and purpose of different research communication formats relevant to your pathway 
• Research ethics and research methods appropriate to your discipline (including laboratory research limitations, where relevant) 
• The structure and purpose of the different sections of a research report or extended essay

• Select, read, analyse and critically evaluate academic texts, data sets and other sources relevant to your pathway 
• Construct and support an evidence-based, conclusion-driven research narrative in an appropriate academic format 
• Take an analytical rather than purely descriptive approach to your topic 
• Understand specialist vocabulary from your discipline and use it appropriately in academic communication

• Use academic conventions for communicating and disseminating research appropriate to your pathway 
• Construct a coherent, logical and persuasive research narrative supported by evidence (including laboratory data where relevant) 
• Use grammar, specialist vocabulary, academic style and conventions accurately and appropriately (including data tables and figures where relevant) 
• Present quotations and references accurately and correctly, using an appropriate referencing system (e.g. Harvard as set out in Cite Them Right)

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

• Project is delivered through seminars and workshops. All sessions are held in discipline-specific groups (streams), and in appropriate teaching facilities, so you will be learning alongside students who share your subject interests. The specific format of each stream’s seminars and workshops, like the content, will differ between streams.   
• In seminars, you will develop your academic skills within the context of your own subject area and engage in teacher-led discussions and group activities.
• In workshops you will be given space to consolidate and apply your learning in a more hands-on, interactive way. This may include problem-based exercises in small groups or individually and include orientation tasks to help you reflect on your own learning, identify your strengths and areas to develop, and plan your future study. The exact content and activities of your workshops will depend on the discipline area of your future degree.
• If you are studying a science-related pathway (for example, Biological Sciences with Foundation), your module may include laboratory workshops. These are designed to help you develop practical laboratory skills, confidence and competency in a science setting.
• As well as timetabled sessions, you are expected to take responsibility for your own learning outside of class. Independent study may include: completing orientation and preparation tasks set by your tutor; undertaking pre-reading before seminars and workshops; answering practice questions and consolidating your understanding; and reading more widely around your subject.
• The module is assessed by portfolio. You will build up a portfolio of work across the module that reflects the conventions and expectations of your chosen degree discipline - so the assessment tasks you will be set, and the way you write and present your work, will be appropriate to your subject area. Assignments such as Essay plan, Essay, Laboratory report, financial impact report, learning log, project blog, presentation may contribute to the portfolio.
• Feedback from each formative and summative assignment is designed to help you improve for future assignments, so it’s important to engage with the feedback you receive.
• Project runs alongside the Communication module. The two modules are closely interwoven: Communication develops the writing and communication skills you need to present your research, while Project gives you the research experience to apply them. Together they represent the research-focused capstone of your Foundation Year.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Throughout the module, you will also complete a range of formative tasks and exercises. The exact type of formative assessment you will complete depends on your chosen degree route, but some indicative examples include essay plans, maths progress tests, literature reviews, learning logs, etc. These are not formally graded, but they are designed to help you develop your skills and build towards each summative assignment. Engaging actively with formative tasks will support your progress and help you perform well in the assessed work.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.