Applied Development Economics Project
| Module title | Applied Development Economics Project |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEEM156 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 45 |
| Module staff | Dr Mahreen Mahmud (Convenor) Dr Edwin Ip (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
The aim of the module is to allow students to reflect on their learning and experiences and utilise their knowledge and skills to write an applied research project in a developing country setting. This project involves a variety of aspects of real-world development economics research, including writing outputs to interact with policymakers. With guidance from academics, this module aims to provide students with practical experience in order to produce high-quality work that is implementable in practice. In addition to the applied research project, students will learn to produce a summary in plain language for a general audience.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of the development economics project is to allow the student to develop skills to identify and analyse an economic problem in the context of people living in poverty. The student will acquire knowledge of the existing literature, identify the key economic trade-offs, apply necessary tools to analyse these trade-offs, and analyse the economic problem using appropriate rigorous social science techniques.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. propose a solution to a practical problem informed by development economics literature;
- 2. produce a concise summary as well as a detailed project;
- 3. apply knowledge of research methodologies to developing country issues.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Identify an appropriate intervention to solve core economic problems;
- 5. assemble and synthesise a complex body of relevant, existing research;
- 6. apply appropriate analytical or statistical techniques to reach an answer to a defined research question.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. pursue, under supervision, a sustained program of individual work outside of a classroom setting
- 8. critically evaluate existing ideas and perceive areas of weakness or areas which may be usefully analysed;
- 9. apply enhanced problem-solving abilities and time management skills.
- 10. summarise a research project concisely in plain language for stakeholders on paper and presentation
Syllabus plan
Stage 1: Dissertation/Project proposals as agreed with module convenor
Stage 2: Proposal submission and assessment
Stage 3: Writing and submission of project
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 442 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 2 | Preparatory sessions |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 6 | Individual supervision |
| Guided independent study | 442 | Deciding on topic and research question; Reading, researching, experiments, data analysis (as appropriate); Writing up |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | 1000 words | 1-3,5,6 | Verbal or written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain language summary | 25 | 1000 words | 1-10 | Written |
| Project | 75 | 10000 words max | 1-10 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain language summary (25%) (1000 words) | Plain language summary (25%) (1000 words) | 1-10 | Referral/deferral period |
| Project (75%) (10000 words) | Project (75%) (10000 words) | 1-10 | Referral/deferral period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Students will develop a bibliography/reference list relevant to their particular topic, under the guidance of their supervisor. The literature varies from topic to topic and will include textbooks and recent research articles.
| Credit value | 45 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 22.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | BEEM155 and BEEM160 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 04/05/2022 |
| Last revision date | 07/11/2023 |
