2017/18 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

JUSY5555M Working Beyond Disciplines

15 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Stuart Lister
Email: lawscl@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

This module is only available to students who are enrolled on the MA Social Research (Interdisciplinary) having successfully secured research council funding for postgraduate research study through the White Rose Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership.

Module replaces

NA

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to interdisciplinary study, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to research. It actively engages students with the thematic training pathways that are central to the WR DTP vision at Masters level, introducing them to the ‘grand challenges’ within the thematic fields of each pathway, developing their analytical, research and critical thinking skills.

Objectives

The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to interdisciplinary study at postgraduate level, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to research. It actively engages students with the seven interdisciplinary pathways that are central to the WRSSDTP vision at Masters level, introducing the ‘grand challenges’ within each thematic pathway.

You will undertake three one-day workshops alongside students and staff from across the White Rose universities. Assessment will be by reflective portfolio, evaluated - within Schools - by supervisors (as part of supervision duties).

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

- Understand the range of approaches to interdisciplinary study, and their theoretical and epistemological underpinnings
- Be familiar with the cross-disciplinary social science ‘grand challenges’ in a thematic are of the social science relevant to their own research.
- Use their understanding of interdisciplinary working to inform the development of their own research projects.

Skills outcomes
Interdisciplinary social science research skills

Syllabus

The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to interdisciplinary study for research students in the social sciences, highlighting the importance of research which reaches beyond disciplinary boundaries, and highlighting the differing approaches through which such research can be achieved. By linking students to the specific thematic pathways that are central to the intellectual project of the White Rose Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership, it introduces students to ‘grand challenges’ for the social sciences that relate to their own proposed research areas. Through this, it grounds the study of interdisciplinary approaches to its practice and application in the context of their own proposed research projects.

The workshop topics are:

Workshop 1: Understanding Interdisciplinarity: An introduction to the intellectual and practical importance of interdisciplinary study, outlining academic debates on the differences between inter/multi/post-disciplinary approaches to research and knowledge production.

Workshop 2: Interdisciplinary Research Challenges: An exploration of the grand challenges in themes across the Social Sciences.

Workshop 3: Practical and Methodological Dimensions of Interdisciplinarity.

Support for students to reflect on the content of the workshops and their relevance for their own research topics and development as a researcher will be provided through tutorial meetings within the School in which students are supervised for their Independent Research Project (normally by the future PhD supervisor).

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Group learning	3	6.00	18.00
Tutorial	6	0.50	3.00
Private study hours			129.00
Total Contact hours			21.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Students will be expected to prepare ahead of the three workshops via directed reading material (with online support e.g. suggested readings) to enable them to engage with discussions and reflect better on the content of the workshops and their relevance for their own research topics. Students will be directed to reflect on their learning and development by producing a written reflective diary, to be updated regularly during the module, ideally soon after completing relevant activities. The diary should record and reflect the student’s engagement with the module’s aims, as well as chart their progress against its learning outcomes.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

One-on-one tutorials with supervisors will provide opportunity for students to raise, discuss and reflect on the issues raised during the module. They will also allow supervisors to feedback on the students learning via discussions and the student’s reflective diary.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 3,000 words	100.00
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: 30/11/2017

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