Designing and Communicating Research
| Module title | Designing and Communicating Research |
|---|---|
| Module code | ERPM005 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Shirley Larkin (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Through this module you will develop your knowledge and skills in designing different kinds of research projects. You will also practise communicating research to an academic audience through a number of different media (oral and written). You do not need any prior educational research experience before taking this module. In the formative work you will be required to work collaboratively to develop a research design to a brief. This aims to mirror the real world of educational research where we often work with others, be that other researchers, education professionals or our research participants. Group discussions and activities throughout the module will enable you to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different ways of conducting educational research. You will be introduced to different and innovative ways of conducting research which should stand you in good stead for designing your own future research projects. The one summative assignment involves producing a portfolio of work based on the module sessions and which reflects the learning objectives of the module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to develop your knowledge and skills in designing and communicating educational research. Designing research will involve formulating different kinds of research questions and cover various design and methodologies. Communicating research includes skills and knowledge about literature searching, and communicating research to different audiences through different mediums. Throughout the module visiting speakers including previous students will share their experiences of designing and communicating research. This module forms a foundation for work on the other three modules in the MSc in Educational Research programme.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Use and critically appraise a variety of educational research designs, dealing with complex issues, both creatively and systematically
- 2. Communicate research clearly in different formats and media for specialist and non-specialist audiences
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Demonstrate a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline
- 4. Identify the needs of different kinds of audience, the needs of different kinds of publication/media and adopt appropriate styles for these to communicate research;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate sound personal judgment, even in the absence of complete data, but particularly in respect of ethically sensitive issues;
- 6. Clearly communicate and present ideas when writing and speaking and to listen effectively and persuade rationally;
- 7. Use a wide-range of IT effectively including specialist software for retrieval and storage of literature, critical appraisal of internet sources, and appropriate use of IT for communication and dissemination of research
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Searching for and reviewing literature; systematic search strategies, recording and summarising identified sources, examining what is meant by critical analysis
Formulating different kinds of research questions and how they relate to different methodologies
Designing research using different design frameworks
Evaluating research and its contribution to knowledge in the field
Written formats for different audiences and dissemination: writing for academic, professional and other audiences, needs of the audience, needs of publication or medium, procedures for getting published, informal peer review
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 30 | 10x3 hour teaching sessions (lectures, workshops and seminars), including on campus teaching and recorded sessions |
| Guided independent study | 170 | Reading and assignment preparation |
| Guided independent study | 100 | Writing summative assignment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set exercise - oral presentation of research designs | 15 minute oral group presentation (1000 wds) | 1,2,3,6,7 | Oral and peer feedback |
| Draft sample of Research Design | 1,500 words | 1,2,3,5 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A summary of an academic article re-written for a lay audience | 50 | 2,500 words | 1-7 | Written |
| A research design for an educational research project | 50 | 3,000 | 1-7 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A summary of an academic article re-written for a lay audience | A summary of an academic article re-written for a lay audience | 1-15 | 6 weeks from notification of failure or re-entry onto programme |
| A research design for an educational research project | A research design for an educational research project |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
BERA (2000) Good practice in educational research writing.: admin.bera@btclick.com
Fink, A. (1998) Conducting research literature reviews. London, Sage
Hart, C. (1998) Doing a literature review. London, Sage
Hart, C. (2001) Doing a Literature Search. London, Sage
Holliday, A. (2001) Doing and Writing Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Kroehnert, G. (1998) A Handbook for Presentation Skills. Basic Presentation Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Locke, L. F, Spirduso W W and Silverman S J (eds) (1998) Reading and Understanding Research, London, Sage.
McInerney, D. M. (2001) Publishing your Psychology Research: A Guide to Writing for Journals in Psychology and Related Fields. London. Sage
Redman, P. (2001) Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide (2nd edition).London, Sage with Open University
Robson, C. and McCartan, K., (2015), Real World Research (4th Edition), West Sussex, Wiley and Sons Ltd
Silverman, D. (2000) Doing qualitative research. London: SAGE.
Thomas, G., (2013), How to do your Research Project (2nd Edition), London, Sage
Wolcott, H. (1990) Writing up qualitative research. Sage: Newbury Park, CA
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
www.ncrm.ac.uk/TandE/restore.php
ELE:
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2485&topic=1
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3161
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3162
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Last revision date | 19/08/16 |