GEO3099 : Dissertation
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Stuart Dawley
- Lecturer: Professor Simon Tate
- Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 20.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
1. To allow students to undertake original research in any aspect of Geography
2. To foster an ability to undertake independent research and writing to see a complex project through from start to finish.
3. To support the personal and academic development of Geography students, by providing an ongoing personalised point of contact
Outline Of Syllabus
Students will attend monthly (group and individual meetings) with their dissertation mentors/personal tutors to discuss the progress of their dissertation project as well stage 3 experience more broadly and any pastoral matters.
Lectures and computer workshops throughout the year will address specific aspects of the dissertation project.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Lectures about dissertation process, including induction lecture about stage 3 and employability talk |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Workshops to support GIS and quant methods |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 378:00 | 378:00 | Individual work on dissertation project |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Monthly group and individual meetings about dissertation progress, including personal tutoring discussions |
| Total | 400:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This module is taught through a mixture of lectures, group and individual meetings and computer workshops The lectures provide the basic scaffolding about the dissertation project (eg how to analyse data, how to write-up the various chapters of a dissertation) but also broader developmental points related to pastoral care and employability. Monthly meetings with mentors who also act as personal tutors provide the bespoke guidance students need to develop various stages of their project and also serve as points of contact to discuss pastoral matters and more broadly students' personal and professional development. Computer workshops provide bespoke support for those undertaking and quantitative and GIS-based dissertation, as student feedback in recent years has indicted that this extra support is needed. Overall, contact hours are set to balance support with the requirements of an independent project. In line with the requirement for independent learning, students will also be encouraged to recognize when they need additional support and contact staff - the hours listed represent the minimum contact, but most students exceed this, making use of FGC hours.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | 2 | M | 100 | 8,000-10,000 words expectation (10,000 words maximum) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | Draft chapter of dissertation 0% weighted (formative feedback only) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The Dissertation project is the summation of the student's efforts in undertaking an original research project of their own conception and design. The Dissertation will demonstrate how the students have formulated their research topic, situated them in the appropriate literature, developed a conceptual framework and methodology, undertaken research, analysed, interpreted and discussed findings, drawn conclusions and delivered a well-written, well- presented report to the appropriate academic standard. In line with the ethos of balancing support and independent learning, the draft chapter submission offers formative feedback to students, which will feed-forward to improve their final dissertation.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GEO3099's Timetable