Module FOUD02O1: Enquiry

Department: Foundation Year (Durham)

FOUD02O1: Enquiry

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• Practice

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Enquiry is one of the core modules on the Durham Foundation Year. It introduces you to the key concepts, methods and theories used in your chosen subject area and helps you begin to think and work like a scholar in your discipline.
• The module is streamed by disciplinary area, so you will be learning content and skills suitable to the subject you plan to progress into - whether that’s in the sciences, humanities, social sciences, or another field.

Content

• The content of Enquiry is tailored to your disciplinary pathway. Across the module, you will cover:
• An introduction to study in your chosen disciplinary area
• Examples of the concepts, methods and theories used in your discipline
• An introduction to knowledge itself — what it is, how it is created, and how it is applied in higher education

Learning Outcomes

• A range of academic concepts relevant to your chosen disciplinary area 
• A range of academic methods relevant to your chosen disciplinary area 
• A range of academic theories relevant to your chosen disciplinary area 
• Key vocabulary used in your discipline

• Apply discipline-appropriate concepts in response to a task 
• Apply discipline-appropriate methods in response to a task 
• Apply discipline-appropriate theories in response to a task 
• Use subject-specific vocabulary effectively in academic writing and communication

• Find and use academic sources relevant to your subject area 
• Express your ideas clearly, logically and in an appropriate academic style 
• Demonstrate critical thinking in your work

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

• Enquiry 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 learn about the key concepts, methods and theories of your disciplinary area; 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.
• Enquiry runs alongside a companion module called Practice. These two modules are co-requisites, which means you take them at the same time. While Enquiry focuses on the knowledge and theory of your discipline, Practice gives you the opportunity to develop and apply academic skills and develop yourself as an effective learner in higher education. Together, the two modules are designed as part of the full foundation year programme to prepare you for progression to your chosen degree.

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.