IA195-3-FY-CO:
Research and Academic Development Skills

The details
2024/25
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Foundation/Year Zero: Level 3
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
26 March 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA V31B Art History (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA V350 Art History (Including Foundation Year),
BA V531 Continental Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
BA W808 Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA M903 Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA W408 Drama (Including Foundation Year),
BA WQ28 Drama and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA QX41 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (Including Foundation Year),
BA QQ16 English Language and Linguistics (Including Foundation Year),
BA QQ24 English Language and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q320 English Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9R9 European Studies with Spanish (Including Foundation Year),
BA PW88 Film and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA W628 Film Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA PQ38 Film Studies and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA V102 History (Including Foundation Year),
BA QV2C History and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV38 History and Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1W8 History with Film Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1L8 History with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L921 International Development (Including Foundation Year),
BA L250 International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA LR59 International Relations and Modern Languages (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA Q143 Language Studies (4 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA T7N3 Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7N4 Latin American studies with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7M8 Latin American studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA LQV0 Liberal Arts (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q900 Liberal Arts (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA Q102 Linguistics (Including Foundation Year),
BA P300 Media and Digital Culture (Including Foundation Year),
BA V144 Modern History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VL18 Modern History and International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV28 Modern History and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA R999 Modern Languages (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA RQ99 Modern Languages and English Language (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA RQ98 Modern Languages and Linguistics (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA R8T8 Modern Languages and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA R8T9 Modern Languages with Latin American Studies (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA V502 Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
BA V508 Philosophy (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MVC8 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM58 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VQ52 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA VQ58 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LV2H Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LV8M Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA VLM8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L0V2 Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV58 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV59 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L202 Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2M8 Politics with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2CH Social Sciences,
BA LFCH Social Sciences,
BA L304 Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA LMHX Sociology and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA RT99 Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA C848CO Psychodynamic Practice (Including Foundation Year),
BA C89C Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA V359 Curating (Including Foundation Year),
BA V35B Curating (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L908 Global Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA QW38 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q218 English and Comparative Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA L523 Childhood Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA QP13 English Language with Media Communication (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L313 Sociology with Data Science (Including foundation Year),
BA L913 Global Studies with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L916 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA W353 Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L401 Social Change (Including Foundation Year),
BA P403 Film and Drama (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV21 Philosophy with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA L934 Global Studies with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q121 Linguistics with Data Science (Including Foundation Year),
BA R101 Art History and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R103 Art History with Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R105 Global Studies and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R109 European Studies and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R107 Language Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R111 International Relations and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R115 Language Studies and Linguistics (Including Foundation Year),
BA R117 Language Studies and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Including Foundation Year),
BA LY13 Social Sciences (Including Foundation Year),
BA L995 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L991 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA V306 Curating with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA V310 Curating with History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV41 Art History, Heritage and Museum Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA V302 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V201 History and Heritage (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM11 History and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA WW81 Drama and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA P566 Film and Journalism (Including Foundation Year),
BA C901 Global Studies with Sustainability (Including Foundation Year),
BA L351 Sociology and Health (including Foundation Year),
BA Q912 Modern Languages Translation, Interpreting and Cultural Mediation (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5L6 Philosophy, Ethics and Sustainability (Including Foundation Year)

Module description

This module is designed to support students in their academic subject disciplines and to strengthen their confidence in key skills areas such as: academic writing, research, academic integrity, and collaborative and reflective practices.


The students are supported through the use of subject-specific materials tailored to their chosen degrees with the alignment of assessments between academic subject modules and the skills module.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:


  • To develop students’ ability to operate effectively, in both written and spoken language, in a range of academic settings.

  • To develop students’ basic research skills, encouraging a critical approach to source materials and appropriate use of sources as supporting evidence.

  • To encourage independent learning strategies and develop students’ confidence to make judgments and be evaluative.

  • To equip students with appropriate and effective language and study skills applicable to their various disciplines.
    •

    Module learning outcomes

    By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



    1. Produce academic writing which is well-structured, relevant and clearly reasoned.

    2. Communicate ideas, information and arguments with clarity, both orally and in written form, and which demonstrates the ability to integrate students’ own ideas with those of others.

    3. Deliver effective presentations using an appropriate range of visual aids.

    4. Comprehend texts on a range of subjects identifying main points from listening and reading material, and demonstrating critical reading skills to assess the usefulness of information.

    5. Make full use of academic libraries and a range of appropriate electronic media for independent research purposes.

    6. Demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of academic and referencing conventions.

    7. Develop time management strategies, employ self-directed learning and show an ability to reflect on one’s own goals and progress.


    Skills for your professional life (Transferable Skills)


    By the end of this module, students will have practised the following transferable skills:



    1. To improve your written and oral communication skills.

    2. To develop your online and independent learning skills.

    3. To develop your analytical, critical thinking skills.

    4. To enhance your reflective practice and develop a growth mindset.

    5. To develop your research and planning skills.

    6. To enhance your teamwork and interpersonal skills.

    Module information

    Syllabus


  • Develop research techniques

  • Reading and note-taking skills development

  • Academic writing skills development

  • Planning, editing and redrafting skills (including effective use of feedback)

  • Referencing and how to avoid plagiarism

  • Listening skills development

  • Taking notes from lectures

  • Summary writing

  • Presentation skills including the effective use of visuals

  • Revision and exam strategies

  • The reflective process for university students

    • The skills identified above will be developed using topics which may include:


  • Topics of particular relevance to specific pathways.

  • Topics linked to Education for Sustainable Development.

  • Topics of generic relevance to university students and studying.

  • Current affairs topics which offer opportunities for the development of critical thinking/discussion.

    • Sources will be included within the syllabus which support the decolonisation of the curriculum through offering a wider range of source materials.

    Learning and teaching methods

    The module will be delivered through a range of seminars, study centre writing and support sessions:

    • AU and SU Terms: 2 x 2-hour seminars
    • SP Term: 1 x 2-hour seminar and 1 x 2-hour tutorial

    Teaching and learning on Essex Pathways modules offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills, and competencies to study at the undergraduate level, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience.

    All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.

    Bibliography*

    The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
    The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
    Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

    Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

    Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
    Coursework   IA195 - Academic Integrity Online Quiz    15% 
    Coursework   IA195 - Formative Summary Task - 500 Words    0% 
    Coursework   IA195 - Summary Task    25% 
    Coursework   IA195 - Scaffolded Assignment     30% 
    Coursework   IA195 - Reflective Presentations    30% 

    Additional coursework information

    Formative assessment

    • Students will submit a 500-word reading-to-write summary in the Autumn Term.

    Summative assessment

    • Academic Integrity Online Quiz (40 mins) taken in the Autumn Term to raise awareness of plagiarism.
    • Summary of a subject-specific text (500 words) to be submitted in the Autumn Term after formative feedback has been provided.
    • Scaffolded assignment (1,000 words) to be submitted in the Spring term. The assignment will develop the student’s ability to produce an extended piece of writing in the most relevant for the Humanities pathway. The topic is selected in consultation with subject Module Leaders on the pathway.
    • Reflective presentation (7-10 mins) to take place in the Summer Term. Presentations are delivered individually but include an element of reporting on collaborative group or peer reflective exercises. The presentation aims to develop student’s oral communication skills and to become more reflective learners.

    Reassessment strategy

    • Failed coursework - Resubmit a piece of coursework (1,000 words) which will be marked as 100% of the new module mark. The reassessment task will enable the relevant learning outcomes to be met.
    • If the group presentation has failed or has not been attempted, students will also be required to submit a recorded presentation (7-10 minutes). The weighting will be divided equally between the assignment and the 500-word presentation.

    Exam format definitions

    • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
    • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
    • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
    • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

    Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

    Overall assessment

    Coursework Exam
    100% 0%

    Reassessment

    Coursework Exam
    100% 0%
    Module supervisor and teaching staff
    Miss Judith Holverson, email: jholver@essex.ac.uk.
    Judith Holverson
    Becky Humphreys (becky.humphreys@essex.ac.uk or 01206 872217)

     

    Availability
    No
    No
    No

    External examiner

    No external examiner information available for this module.
    Resources
    Available via Moodle
    Of 131 hours, 127 (96.9%) hours available to students:
    2 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
    2 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

     

    Further information
    Essex Pathways

    * Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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