HUM40020 Thesis Planning, Writing & Presenting

Academic Year 2023/2024

The objective of this module is to introduce international students to the planning, writing and presentation skillsets that will be required once they enter their chosen Master’s Programme. The module also serves as a project module for those students requiring projects under their respective partnership agreements. To develop the skills required in thesis planning and writing each student will undertake a desktop project in an area related to either their current major or eventual Masters’s programme area. Students will research this project area and write a 5,000-6,000 project report.
All students will make presentations at various stages of the module – when outlining their project proposal and work plans and also on completion of their project work.
Students will learn the objective of a thesis, the purpose and structure of the various components of a thesis, and gain experience in writing and evaluating these components. Having initially identified a project topic students will produce a work plan and a project outline. They will undertake associated project work and produce a final report which will include an abstract, introduction, literature review, main body chapters and conclusion. Finally they will make a series of presentations centred around learning exercises related to the module and their final written report.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

-Construct a thesis statement
-Complete a literature review
-Assess the merits of contrasting theories and explanations
-Abstract and synthesize information
-Construct and manage arguments
-Critically judge and evaluate evidence
-Identify problems and develop problem-solving strategies
-Collect, analyze and manipulate data of diverse kinds
-Write research reports using the appropriate register and style and with proper referencing
-Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of a theory and of what constitutes an explanation
-Interpret, evaluate and exploit information presented in the form of diagrams, tables and graphs and write competent reports on the information
-Present a focused, directed and clear discussion based on information collected from various sources and synthesized into a coherent and cohesive whole

Indicative Module Content:

Critical Thinking
Metacognition
Thesis prepartaion
Thesis writing
Presenting research

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

10

Seminar (or Webinar)

10

Specified Learning Activities

20

Autonomous Student Learning

60

Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
As a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19, lectures will be delivered on-line initially.
They will involve interaction, class writing and thinking tasks, and discussion.
Students will also be expected to present their research to the class. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Semester workload analysis Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Attendance: Attendance and Participation Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Portfolio: Final portfolio outlining preparations for being a researcher Week 12 n/a Graded No

50

Presentation: Research presentation Week 11 n/a Graded No

10


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback given after submission

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Spring
     
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 13:00 - 13:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
Spring