Course Catalogue

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This course has been designed to offer students an applied and workplace relevant research project as an alternative to the traditional dissertation model.

The model allows students to tackle an organisational, social or issues-based challenge. Challenges will be topical and relevant to the broader academic learning of the programme and will be identified by academic staff, external organisations or from students themselves with support from College Student Experience Team. The challenge-based dissertation remains a major piece of independent work and will include the delivery of an academic report (or mini dissertation), an applied Executive summary or Policy Brief, and a short presentation on the methodology, arguments, and findings of the research

Training:

Training on the writing of the academic report/mini dissertation will be provided by the subject area in line with their existing dissertation training schedule.

Additional training will be provided by the College Student Experience Team. In particular, there will be compulsory training to support the production of the Executive Summary/Policy brief and of the final presentation. This training draws on existing College Employability Programme courses. (ie. "Writing a Policy Brief"; "Practical Presentation Skills"). Students can complete these online, asynchronous. tutor-moderated courses in either Semester 1 or 2. Each course will require 8-10 hours of student learning.

Research:

Approximately 10 weeks of self-directed research.

Students would normally select/be assigned to a challenge around March/April

Supervision:

Supervision meetings will take place between May and August

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The aim of this course is to allow students to apply the diverse knowledge and skills gained throughout their studies to "real world challenges". Students will analyse and synthesise relevant literature and will undertake research to solve a live real world or conceptual challenge. These challenges may be set by academic staff or by external organisations or developed by the students themselves.

The students will also develop practical communication skills through their development of executive summaries/policy briefs for non-academic audiences and their presentation of their findings to their peers.

Aims:

■ Enable students to connect theory and practice

■ Enable students to apply their knowledge to address an issues-based or organisational challenge relevant to their academic programme

■ Develop students' professional competence and creativity to find new and effective solutions to contemporary social issues or organisational challenges

■ Develop students' standards in writing and communicating the findings of their research to non-academic audiences (ie. through executive summaries/policy brief)

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Identify creative and innovative research-based approaches to respond to issues-based and organisational challenges and provide practical solutions which draw on the available evidence

2. Identify, analyse and synthesise a range of data sources (including from research databases and other academic and industry sources of information)

3. Formulate appropriate research questions and hypotheses

4. Produce an academic report linking theory and practice and critically discussing the available evidence

5. Apply consistent rules of presentation of bibliographical materials, appendices and footnotes, using recognised academic standards.

Produce an evidence-based Executive Summary/Policy Brief and Presentation which effectively communicates key research findings and proposes clear recommendations to a non-academic audience.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.