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2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PECI3700 Independent Research Project

40 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr Phil Kiszely
Email: p.kiszely@leeds.ac.uk

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

Year running 2019/20

Pre-requisite qualifications

None

Module replaces

PECI 3108

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The PCI Independent Research Project module is an extended Final Year Project where students identify research questions pertinent to knowledge and engagement in performance and the cultural industries. Students devise and carry out an agreed, identified strategy addressing pertinent questions. The IRP demonstrates the skills involved in conducting independent research which involves dealing with a range of material and complex ideas and that you can communicate the outcome of your research effectively and convincingly using appropriate academic conventions.

Objectives

On completion of this module students should be able to:
• Define an area of study and generate appropriate research questions
• Devise and carry out independent research with tutorial support and guidance
• Select and deploy research method (s) appropriate to a particular study
• Demonstrate an ability to critically synthesise knowledge and understanding aligned with the particular field/s of investigation and range of materials
• Demonstrate the ability to contextualise and interpret the findings of the study in relation to development in the particular field/s of practice.

Learning outcomes
Students successfully completing this module will have developed:
• Ability to negotiate and plan an independent research project appropriate to undergraduate level.
• Knowledge and understanding of research skills allowing them to identify a research topic and question/s, identify appropriate methods to address the question/s and pursue those methods as an independent scholar.
• Research skills appropriate to a final year undergraduate in processing information (selecting, evaluating, analysing, synthesising) and in conveying the outcomes in an appropriate form (considering structure, coherence and clarity of their work and making confident use of academic conventions)
• Knowledge specific to the particular agreed area of study/theme/question they have chosen to investigate.


Syllabus

To be negotiated with each student.
Students identify the topic/theme/ area of research interest drawn from awareness of the performance and the cultural industries. The focus of individual study, methods of research and outcome are determined through agreement between student and supervisor via a formal research proposal.
Resources supporting the module will be available on-line from Easter in Level 2.
Indicative Timeline
Lecture 1. The introductory lecture for this module will be in the period between Easter and the Summer exams in Level 2.
It builds on prior learning, in
PECI2702 Researching Theatre & Performance and PECI 2703 Performance Project 2 ,where discussions will include the development of draft proposals for independent project. In this period seminars will be planned for students to discuss their developing ideas with staff and peers. Students will receive preliminary advice from staff as they prepare their proposals.
Students will be required to make an initial research proposal by the end of Semester 2, Level 2. This proposal will be used to inform decisions about allocation of supervisors to students. This will allow time to identify the use of resources in the school as part of the annual planning round.

Semester 1
Sept - Lecture 2 – Review the research proposal and refine ambitions for the project. The focus will be on the literature review, engagement with research methods and management/planning of supervisory meetings.

Sept - Tutorial 1 - Verbal feedback on individual research proposals and resource/planning. Discuss managing the research process in the initial stages and issues around refining research proposals.

Tutorial 2 and 3
Dec/Jan - student submits Agreed draft work to supervisor. Dependent on type of project.

Semester 2
Tutorials 4 and 5
Jan/Feb - Tutorial 4 – feedback on individual progress
Feb/March Tutorial 5 - student submits draft of final submission
Final submission directly following Easter break.

The final submission for the Independent Research Project is based on the completion of work following one of the following routes;
1. A written Submission of 10,000 words (negotiated max 12,000). This route requires the identification and submission of draft research questions, an outline of the intended area of investigation, reasons for your interest in the subject and an indicative bibliography.
2. A Practice Research Submission. This route requires the identification and submission of draft research proposal, to be negotiated in order to determine the precise area of investigation and the nature of the project.
The intended aspirations of the study must be identified, for example – investigatory performance and/or studio practice; exploratory delivery of devised scripts; development of video/web based performance work/resource; portfolio of a series of rendered images/storyboards, photographic portfolio, devised scripts, video documentation, journal records,
A final practice research submission will include a written contextual element that addresses contextual review of the investigation and critical review of the overall process and outcomes (5,000 -6,000 words).
3. A Lecture/Lecture-Demonstration/Exhibition/ Participatory Event/ Publication. This route can include an element of practice-led enquiry (within allocated resources). The manner of dissemination would be negotiated at the proposal stage. A final submission will typically include a written contextual element including a contextual review of the investigation and critical review of the overall process and outcomes (no less than 5,000- 6,000 words). In these cases elements of non-written documentation (e.g. edited video) may be included as part of the submission.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture21.002.00
Seminar21.002.00
Tutorial50.502.50
Private study hours393.50
Total Contact hours6.50
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)400.00

Private study

Research context (literature survey) – 40 hours
Preparing dissertation proposal – 20 hours
Preparing for seminars – 10 hours
Gathering data - 80
Analysing information - 83
Writing draft – 120 hours
Revising draft – 37.5 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Because of the weighting of this module it will be important to identify at an early stage where students are not making sufficient progress. The points at which progress will be monitored will be:

Initial proposal - Verbal feedback on the in Week 1 of Semester1
Submission of final proposal via VLE (Semester 1 Week 1)
Final proposal - Written feedback (pro-forma) Week 3 Semester 1
November tutorial
Submission of draft (March)

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
AssignmentA written assignment of 10,000-12,000 words OR a practice research submission including a written contextual element of 5000-6000 words OR a lecture/lecture-demonstration/exhibition/participatory event/publication including a written contextual element of 5000-6000 words100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

The final submission for the Independent Research Project is based on the completion of work following one of the following routes; 1. A written Submission of 10,000 words (negotiated max 12,000). 2. A Practice Research Submission. A final practice research submission will include a written contextual element that addresses contextual review of the investigation and critical review of the overall process and outcomes (5,000 -6,000 words). 3. A Lecture/Lecture-Demonstration/Exhibition/ Participatory Event/ Publication. A final submission will typically include a written contextual element including a contextual review of the investigation and critical review of the overall process and outcomes (no less than 5,000- 6,000 words). In these cases elements of non-written documentation (e.g. edited video) may be included as part of the submission. Resits can take any of the forms of presentations of research (1,2 or 3) indicated above.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 16/10/2019

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