Module Information

Module Identifier

BR12410

Module Title

Study and Communication Skills

Academic Year

2017/2018

Co-ordinator

Mr Ian Keirle

Semester

Semester 1

Mutually Exclusive

BG12410

Other Staff

Course Delivery

Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Lecture	5 x 1 Hour Lectures
Tutorial	7 x 2 Hour Tutorials

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Formative essay (1200 words, fully referenced)	10%
Semester Assessment	Project report (1500-2000 words, fully referenced)	60%
Semester Assessment	Seminar presentation	20%
Semester Assessment	Curriculum vitae PDP task	10%
Supplementary Assessment	Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to failure of the module.	100%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Communicate information and ideas in the form of oral and written presentations.

2. Develop a reasoned argument and challenge assumptions.

3. Formulate hypotheses and research questions, undertake data collection, and make academic arguments.

4. Identify appropriate data sources and information resources.

5. Instill appropriate academic conduct (e.g. avoiding unacceptable practice).

6. Interpret and use data.

7. Demonstrate basic computer literacy.

Brief description

The module is intended to prepare students with the key skills necessary for a successful academic and professional career such as time management, critical thinking and reflective learning. An important aspect of the module is an introduction to a range of research issues such as literature evaluation, qualitative and quantitative data assessment and oral, visual and written communication. The module content is delivered through a range of formats including lectures, workshops, e-learning and tutorials.

Aims

Through a combination of formal introductory lectures, supplemented by tutorial session with personal tutors, the module aims to introduce students to and enhance their key study and communication skills. These include but are not limited to:

Writing and presentation skills
Evaluation of information sources
Critical thinking, inductive and deductive reasoning
Research ethics
Data handling and analysis

Content

5 x 1h formal introductory lectures over the first 5 weeks of the Semester
6 x 2h tutorial sessions across the Semester (not centrally timetabled)

Module Skills

Skills Type	Skills details
Application of Number	Students will be required to generate and present data within their project report, though at this level they will not be expected to engage in high level statistical analysis of such data.
Communication	The formative essay, project report and seminar presentation, with the detailed feedback provided by personal tutors, are deigned to help develop and improve these skills.
Improving own Learning and Performance	Students will be required to identify and use appropriate literature sources to underpin their essay and project report. In addition, the formal tutorial sessions embedded within the module allow personal tutors to review and comment upon the work plans and progress of their tutees in meeting the requirements for the various assignments.
Information Technology	Across the various assignment, students are required to demonstrate effective use of a range of relevant IT software packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Personal Development and Career planning	PDP is fully embedded within this module, with personal tutors required to introduce and comment upon the individual PDPs of their tutees. PDP is assessed by a 10% weighted CV task.
Problem solving	Students may be introduced to the concepts of problem solving in developing the hypothesis to underpin their research project, but problem solving will not be an important element of skills development within this module.
Research skills	Students will be required plan and undertake a mini research project and produce an academically appropriate report in which they will also be expected to comment critically upon the experimental approaches adopted.
Subject Specific Skills	While individual students may well undertake a research project and produce an essay on a topic related to their particular degree scheme, the emphasis of the module is on the development of generic transferable study and communication skills not on subject specific skills.
Team work	The research for the project is undertaken in personal tutor groups to introduce students to the concepts of team-working, and, based on feedback from the group, tutors are required to comment upon the contribution of individual group members towards achieving the required group outputs.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4