2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PIED1001 The Politics of Global Challenges: Becoming an Independent Researcher

40 creditsClass Size: 360

Module manager: Dr Pears, Prof Lightfoot, Dr Le Bourdon, Dr Meakin

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

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

How can we respond to the global challenges of the 21st century? These challenges are urgent and wide-ranging. They include environmental changes, wars and conflicts, migration and displacement, questions of global justice and human rights, and our very ability to conduct politics in times of polarisation and a fragmentation of discourse. In each instance the challenge needs to be identified, researched and analysed, and our responses need to be not only persuasive but supported by evidence. On this module students pose and engage with these important questions; but also identify and develop the skills and capacities needed to research and address them. Students are thus set on the path to becoming independent researchers. Becoming an independent researcher means not only succeeding academically – but also being equipped with skills and understanding which will allow you to operate effectively in the wider world.

Objectives

Introduce students to themes and topics within the fields of Politics, International Relations, and International Development, that are a part of the study in POLIS.
Foster and develop students’ understanding of themselves as collaborators in an academic community, especially focusing in the politics of global challenges.
Furnish students with the means to acquire, develop and practice skills and capacities. To use these skills and capacities in an independent and collaborative way through: (1) critical analysis and enquiry; and (2) to investigate and propose solutions to global challenges. These skills and capacities are appropriate and foundational to academic work, to researching in POLIS, and to scholarly independence.
Connect students to the cutting edge teaching and research of POLIS through an introduction to the themes and questions of the politics of global challenges.

Learning outcomes
1. Explain what it means to be an independent researcher in POLIS and have identified areas of interest and academic goals for the remainder of their degree.
2. Demonstrate a knowledge of foundational concepts and themes in Politics, IR, and ID through engaged discussion and debate.
3. Explain the meaning of terms and requirements of the POLIS marking criteria and be able to demonstrate this in written work and reflection on feedback/feedforward.
4. Search for, identify and cite good quality resources, understand the meaning of plagiarism, and avoid this in academic work.
5. Identify the strands and themes of the wider research of the School, be confident in engaging with this, and be able to make informed choices about modules in their second and third years.
6. Be confident when working in groups and to understand the benefits of challenges of such activities.
7. Approach the task of writing a dissertation (an independent piece of research) with clarity and confidence.

Skills Learning Outcomes
1. Retrieve, organise, and produce basic summaries of information and/or data. Be confident in assessing reliable and relevant data from unreliable and irrelevant data.
2. Assemble basic arguments and be able to evaluate the arguments of others.
3. Work in both small groups and workshops, and discuss and present work with others in a collaborative manner.
4. Use digital technologies to retrieve data and information and to communicate this information to others.
5. Understand and demonstrate the importance of collegial and ethical standards and behaviour in independent activities and when acting as a member of a community.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Peer Discussion	22	1.00	22.00
Group learning	22	2.00	44.00
Private study hours			334.00
Total Contact hours			66.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			400.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative feedback will be integrated throughout the module. For the taught sessions students will be required to prepare tasks and exercises. This will include the production of formative pieces of work such as: Bibliographies, ongoing reflective logs, and essay templates. Feedback will be provided on these during the taught sessions.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	50.00
Assignment	Coursework	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

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

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 11/09/2024

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