2021/22 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 2021/22

Pre-requisite qualifications

None

Pre-requisites

PECI2702

Researching Theatre and Performance

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, including practice-led 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 an awareness of the performance and the cultural industries. The focus of individual study, methods of research and outcome are determined through a learning agreement between student and supervisor via a formal research proposal. This research proposal will have been developed and assessed through PECI 2702, and will be refined through negotiation with supervisor at the beginning of this module. Students undertaking an Industrial or International year will have the opportunity to renegotiate this on their return.
Resources supporting the module will be available on-line from Semester 2 in Level 2 to complement online provision for PECI 2702.

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. Students following this route should agree a learning contract with their supervisor including criteria to be marked against and what elements will be assessed (by tutorial 3, November).
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. Students following this route should agree a learning contract with their supervisor including criteria to be marked against and what elements will be assessed (by tutorial 3, November).

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	4	1.00	4.00
Seminar	4	1.00	4.00
Tutorial	5	0.50	2.50
Private study hours			389.50
Total Contact hours			10.50
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 - 82
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
Submission of final proposal via VLE
Final proposal - Written feedback (pro-forma)
November tutorial
Submission of draft

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	A 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 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

A 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 words

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 26/07/2021 16:46:20

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