NES3013 : Dissertation
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Ankush Prashar
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 15 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 15 |
| ECTS Credits: | 15.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To give students the opportunity to conduct a detailed individual investigation of a subject related to their honours option and to present the findings in a typed and bound form as a scientific dissertation.
Outline Of Syllabus
Students select and investigate a topic of their choice which is related to their final year Honours option. They will work together with a member of academic staff who will support the research process. Students will have the option of either a) a research based dissertation based on the collection and interpretation of primary or secondary data or b) a literature based dissertation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Oral presentation of Research Proposal (5%) |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Module Talk |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 120:00 | 120:00 | Preparation of dissertation report |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 27:00 | 27:00 | Includes background reading and reading notes for a full understanding of material. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 137:00 | 137:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 6 | 0:30 | 3:00 | N/A |
| Total | 300:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The dissertation provides a unique opportunity for assisted private study of a topic selected by the student. Students are allocated a supervisor with whom they are encouraged to interact at all stages of the work. They should discuss aspects of the work with their supervisor. The opportunity exists to receive individual assistance with information retrieval, interpretation, report writing skills, verbal presentation skills and occasionally with statistical analysis of data.
The majority of the project work is done individually with the support of a member of academic staff as supervisor. Interpersonal skills will be developed during this phase and the students will take responsibility for the development and running of their own project, with support from the supervisor.
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 | 90 | Written dissertation - 7000 words |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | 10 | Poster presentation to summarise findings of the dissertation |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | Oral presentation covering project subject area, rationale and implications . 10-15 minutes duration. Peer feedback |
| Report | 1 | M | Review of Literature for formative feedback from Supervisor |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The oral presentation provides the opportunity for a student to clearly define the aims and objectives of the study together with the structure that the dissertation is likely to take.
The written dissertation encourages students to research a topic, to acquire, organise, interpret and present the relevant information. This helps to develop a student's information gathering and written communication skills.
The poster presentation assesses the availability of the student to summarise a large volume of material, identify the key points and present approaches, data and conclusions in a succinct manner understandable to the non-expert.
Formative Assessments: 1) presentation of project proposal': at the start of the semester for academic and peer feedback', 2) 'Literature review: directed and feedback by your supervisor
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES3013's Timetable