Dissertation
| Module title | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Module code | DRAM080 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 60 |
| Module staff | Ms Cariad Astles (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 7 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
This module offers you a space in which to develop your individual research in an area of deep personal interest that you would like to extend through an advanced research project. The area of research can be linked to your career plans for post-graduation employment, to further and more advanced study; it can be a new area for research or something that you have previously worked on at a different level.
As the culmination of the MA, this module asks you to develop an individual research project partly through practice, or as a fully written dissertation centred on an area of your specific interest related to theatre and performance. You are encouraged to think of this module as a time to synthesise your learning across the degree, and to stretch the creative and academic skills you have acquired to the full. The dissertation module can be a useful space to consolidate or forge networks and connections beyond the University in a variety of fields through placement, fieldwork, workshop or teaching experience, and is a space to develop your ideas and connections with a clear view to your future career.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide an opportunity for you to pursue a single topic or field in depth and to demonstrate evidence of research potential for a master's degree.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evidence an advanced understanding of your chosen area of research, drawing on up to date academic scholarship, and reflecting on past and contemporary performance contexts
- 2. Demonstrate a sophisticated, up-to-date and critical understanding of the contexts in which you are undertaking your research (for example, contemporary pedagogic issues, contemporary professional performance, or current academic scholarship)
- 3. Evidence the synthesis of acquired knowledge across the programme into a focused project
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. To demonstrate the ability to define a research topic (academic and/or practical)
- 5. To demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the area under investigation, employing relevant conceptual frameworks and creative processes to the topic
- 6. To devise and sustain a complex process of independent research into the field of theatre and performance
- 7. To demonstrate an ability to construct concise, structured, analytical academic argument and critique of complex ideas
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. To develop an ability to undertake independent research and further their own professional learning with minimum guidance
- 9. To organise a complex process of independent, advanced research
- 10. To express and communicate complex ideas, clearly and concisely, in written form at a high level of competence
Syllabus plan
Preparation for this component will extend over the entire year of your attendance on the programme. The work for the dissertation cannot duplicate your work in another module; however, it can extend and further that work if you so wish.
During Term I you should select an option for the mode of dissertation (the balance between practical/ written) and begin to develop a specialist bibliography related to key theorists and a resource list of relevant readings. You will also develop a proposal for your dissertation in consultation with the module tutor.
At the beginning of Term II you will meet with your designated supervisor and follow group sessions in the practice of writing and practising research and in developing your dissertation. You will also have several meetings with your supervisor who will read and comment on your research. This may include visits to rehearsals and placements where appropriate and feasible.
During term III you will have further supervisory meetings and will submit for comment chapters of your writing, or will show work for assessment, where you have selected a practical assessment option.
The final written dissertation is submitted at the end of the summer.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 591 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 2 | Tutorials for project or written development 2 visits of up to 1 hour to rehearsal studio-based work where possible; or tutorials of up to 2 hours. |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 6 | Group tutorials on conceptualising projects, focusing research, refining proposals, planning research programme. 3 x 2 hours. |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 1 | Tutorials for written component of dissertation 2 x 30 minutes in late June/ early July. |
| Guided independent study | 591 | Research, critical exercises, studio-experiments, placement activities, fieldwork, self-directed group and solo workshops or seminars as relevant. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft of part or all of dissertation, submitted by no later than four working weeks after the end of Term 3. | Minimum one chapter, maximum one full draft | 1-10 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully written dissertation (15000 words) | 25 | 15000 words (100% credit) | 1-10 | Written and oral |
| Performance of practice or performance script or performance presentation based on research plus 7500 words written dissertation | 25 | 20 minutes and 7500 words (50% practice, 50% written | 1-10 | Written and oral |
| Series of workshops or teaching plus 7500 words written dissertation | 25 | No less than 2 weeks, no more than 6 weeks and 7500 words (50% practice, 50% written) | 1-10 | Written and oral |
| Research-based placement plus 7500 words written dissertation | 25 | No less than 2 weeks, no more than 6 weeks and 7500 words (50% practice, 50% written) | 1-10 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully written dissertation (15000 words) | Fully written dissertation | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Performance of practice or performance script or performance presentation based on research plus 7500 words written dissertation | Performance practice as original assessment plus written dissertation (7500 words) or fully written dissertation | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Research-based placement plus 7500 words written dissertation | Series of workshops or teaching plus 7500 words or fully written dissertation | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Research-based placement plus 7500 words written dissertation | Research-based placement plus 7500 words or fully written dissertation | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Ranjit Kumar Research Methodology: A Step by Step Guide London: Sage, 2005
- Judith Ackroyd, Research Methods for Drama Education Stoke on Trent: Trentham, 2006
- Mark Fortier, Theory/Theatre: An Introduction London: Routledge, 2002
- Peter Barry Beginning Theory Manchester: Manchester University Press 2002
- Original research bibliography to be researched by student according to chosen topic
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 60 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 30 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 2010 |
| Last revision date | 09/08/2018 |