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2012/13 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

MEDR5110M Handling Data in Research

7.5 creditsClass Size: 55

Module manager: David Owens
Email: d.w.owens@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan), Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2012/13

Pre-requisite qualifications

As per student's parent programme

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

The teaching style for this module will be active and participative. In a lecture, students will be introduced to: data distributions, central measures and spread. A problem-based learning method will be used to lead students to knowledge and understanding of: how to display qualitative data; and how to undertake simple quantitative data analysis and display findings in tables, charts and figures. A quiz format with accompanying mini-lecture will be used to reinforce learning on basic statistics and introduce one new statistical concept. In a practical class students will learn how to use the computer for the analysis of data. The class will work together to appraise critically how research data are introduced, described and dealt with in published research.

Objectives

This module is an introduction to the handling of data in health research. It will include topics on: recording quantitative and qualitative data in suitable formats; using computers in the analysis of data; the importance of the statistics that summarise quantitative data; and an introduction to the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Critical appraisal of published research will underpin theory.

Learning outcomes
Once a student has successfully completed the module and its assignments he or she should be able to:

- collect and record data in a form suitable for its efficient analysis;
- use flexibly a range of methods to enter data into a computer application that is designed for the analysis of research data;- understand the importance of differences between types of data;
- carry out data analysis using a computer application;
-describe data using text, tables, charts and figures;
- calculate and understand descriptive statistics - especially summaries and distributions;
- appraise critically descriptions of data, their distribution, and summary measures of average and spread.

Skills outcomes
This module provides students with a critical awareness of research planning and methods and develops their research skills. It will include topics on: recording quantitative and qualitative data in suitable formats; using computers in the analysis of data; the importance of the statistics that summarise quantitative data; an introduction to the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data; and critical appraisal of published research.

Syllabus

The teaching style for this module will be active and participative. In a seminar the class will work together to appraise critically how research data are described, summarised, explained and displayed in published research.

A problem-based learning method will be used to lead students to a knowledge and understanding of: how data can be set out to tell provide a reader with the answer to the original research question; and how sample data can be described and summarised, introducing central measures, distributions, spread.

Students will work through specially written computer work-books in the University's computer clusters to learn how to enter data into an application (Minitab and/or SPSS) and how to carry out analysis which will provide descriptive summaries of data.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Problem Based Learning	1	2.00	0.00
Problem Based Learning	1	4.25	6.25
Class tests, exams and assessment	1	1.50	1.50
Lecture	1	1.50	1.50
Practical	1	2.50	2.50
Independent online learning hours			3.00
Private study hours			60.25
Total Contact hours			11.75
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			75.00

Private study

Independent online learning will mainly follow on from the formal classes and will make use of a portfolio of materials. In addition, one task must be preceded by viewing an on-line resource before the group session. Students will also be expected to work in their own time, researching taught and online course work, building up their knowledge using the guidance provided by formal taught and online components of the module.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative assessment will involve monitoring students' progress through discussion during and following seminars and group activities. In addition students will complete in their own time an online test (e.g. MCQ/EMQ) with automated feedback that will be marked as a formative assessment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Problem Sheet	Satisfactory completion of problem schedule workbooks	50.00
Problem Sheet	Locating and critically appraising summary statistics in published literature	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

The formative and summative workbooks are tests of learning of knowledge, understanding and skills related to practical research design. The critical appraisal judges students’ ability to apply what they have learned to examples of real health research projects.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/09/2013

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