2016/17 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

GEOG5210M Collaborative Research Placement

30 creditsClass Size: 25

Module manager: Deirdre Conlon
Email: d.conlon@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

Pre-requisites

GEOG5030M	Thinking through Global Urban Justice
GEOG5120M	Qualitative Research Methods
GEOG5205M	Reclaiming the City (Short)

Module replaces

GEOG5350M

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module enables students to step beyond the traditional boundaries of the university classroom to gain experience in undertaking collaborative research projects based on the core ideas and methods in global urban justice with a choice of academic, public, voluntary, not-for-profit and community organisations working within the field of urban, spatial, social and environmental justice. The core of the module is a collaborative research placement or at distance project in which students work collaboratively with either academics or academic research teams at the University of Leeds or with a variety of public, voluntary, and civil society organisations and practitioners based in the UK or internationally that will be linked to the Masters programme. Indicative partners include: Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau, Migrant Rights Network, the Co-Housing Network, Corporate Watch, the Centre for Investigative Journalism, Friends of the Earth, Red Pepper magazine, and Medact in the UK, Abhivyakti Media for Development in India, the Public Science Project in New York, and the international network La Via Campesina. Students will identify and negotiate a collaborative research plan with their chosen partner, supported by dedicated teaching sessions from staff. The topic and form of collaboration are decided by the student and collaborative partner but could include the creation of a new data set or review of existing evidence, a report, an action research project, helping to make a film or documentary, website development, a play, cartographic outputs, or a campaign strategy. Placements are self-financing and are geographically flexible and thus can be based on campus, in local or regionally-based organisations, in other parts of the UK, and potentially abroad. International placements are possible in two ways: through virtual communication with students and partners working via email, phone or video-conferencing; or through students travelling to placement partners located overseas. By the end of the placement, students submit a 5000 word Critical Reflection Report on their experience of the placement - which will include examples of the research outputs they produced - and give a Presentation on the research experience with the collaborative partner.

Objectives

1) To enable students to gain experience in undertaking collaborative research projects with a choice of academic, public, voluntary, not-for-profit and community organisations working within the field of urban, spatial, social and environmental justice
2) To promote academic rigor in applied settings by fostering intensive immersion with pressing geographical issues through community engagement, and field-based praxis and research
3) To provide a real world context in which students can draw on theoretical ideas and methodological tools from Semester 1 in advance of dissertation research
4) To nurture professional and practitioner experience in students post-degree aspirations
5) To develop students skills in networking, collaborating, action research and writing
6) To develop students professional dialogue and correspondence skills
7) To foster collaborative research partnerships between the University of Leeds and civil society

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should have acquired:

- The ability to engage in collaborative research with an academic or external partner organisation
- The ability to co-produce a collaborative research project plan with key aims and intended outcomes
- The ability to undertake a collaborative research project to a professional or similar relevant standard
- Practical experience of research design, management and reflecting on progress
- Subject-specific knowledge from the research project
- Presentational and communication skills

Skills outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
Real world application and learning of theoretical ideas and methodological tools of global urban justice
Subject-specific knowledge from the research project

Cognitive skills
Abstraction and synthesis of information from a variety of sources
Assessment and critical evaluation of the merits of contrasting theories, explanations, policies
Critical analysis and interpretation of data and text
Developing reasoned arguments

Practical/professional skills
Plan, design, execute and report geographical research
Collect, interpret and synthesise different types of geographical data
Recognise the ethical issues involved in geographical debates and enquiries
Professional dialogue and correspondence skills

Key skills
Learn in familiar and unfamiliar situations
Communicate effectively (in writing, verbally and through graphical presentations)
Use information technology effectively (including use of word processing programmes; Internet and e-mail)
Work as part of a team and to recognise and respect the viewpoints of others
Manage time and organise work effectively
Networking, collaborating, action research

Syllabus

The core of this module functions as a collaborative research placement. Students will be able to choose either to partner with an academic or academic research network in the School of Geography, or to partner with an external organisation drawn from a diverse set of public, voluntary, not-for-profit and community organisations twinned with the MA Global Urban Justice programme.

The module runs from weeks 14-27 to facilitate greater flexibility for students and collaborative partners, and to enable placements to be taken up outside of Leeds or abroad. To maximise the opportunity for meaningful collaboration and placements outside of Leeds, teaching on the other core Semester 2 GUJ module, GEOG5200M/GEOG5205M Reclaiming the City, has been designed to run over the first 8 weeks of Semester 2 only.

During weeks 14-18, the students, supported by the module staff, will focus on finding and arranging their placement and producing a 1500 word collaborative research plan with the collaborative partner. Teaching to support this process includes:

-Introductory lectures and seminars to orient students to the course objectives, assessment requirements, health and safety, ethical review and the collaborative process
-Seminars based on key readings on collaborative work to stimulate discussion and prepare students for projects;
-Supervision meetings with individual mentors
-a group learning session based on informal presentations and collective feedback.

Collaborative research placements are expected to begin after Week 19 but cannot do so until the formal collaborative research plan has been approved and signed off by the module convenor, the student and the partner, along with an ethics review form and a health and safety risk assessment form (these are all Pass to Progress elements).

The placement represents the foundational learning experience of the module and the collaborative research process will be highly specific to each partnership.

By the end of the placement in week 27 the student must submit a 5000 word Critical Reflection Report on their experience of the placement - which will include examples of the research outputs they produced - and give a Presentation on the research experience with the collaborative partner.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Placement	1	160.00	160.00
Supervision Meetings	4	1.00	4.00
presentation	1	4.00	4.00
Group learning	1	4.00	4.00
Lecture	2	2.00	4.00
Seminar	2	2.00	4.00
Private study hours			120.00
Total Contact hours			180.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Private study

Private study and independent learning will include:

Reading directly related to project
Wider reading around project
Writing of collaborative research plan
Compilation of reflective report
Preparation of presentations for group learning and assessment
Production of research outputs for pass to progress

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress is monitored via regular supervision meetings, and the Collaborative Research Plan, which must be approved by the convenor before a placement can start

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Report	5000 word reflection report	70.00
Oral Presentation	1500 word equivalent powerpoint	30.00
Research Proposal	1500 word plan- Pass to progress	0.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 06/03/2015

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