LIDIS5260 Intermediate Research Assistance Experiential Project Course Descriptor 

Course Overview

This course provides a framework and resources for the student to develop, apply, reflect, and refine a range of discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills based on participation a real-world research project relevant to the student’s aspirations, interests, and goals.

In order to take this course, the student needs:

1. To submit confirmation from an authorised research project lead that across a specified period (typically not shorter than 2 weeks or longer than 12 weeks), the student will work on the project – virtually or on-the-ground – for a period of 75 hours to a specified role title and brief; and that a member of the research team (the mentor) will (a) provide appropriate (to specified baseline standards) induction and mentoring for the student during this period; (b) attend a brief tri-partite virtual meeting with the student and their tutor at the mid point and at occasional other points if requested; and (c) complete a brief final feedback report.
2. Approval from the course leader, who will assign the student a faculty tutor for this course who is independent from the research team.

The student on this course is not summatively assessed directly by the research team, but rather by their assigned faculty tutor, based on the summative assignments they submit.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Employability Skills

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and detailed guidance to orientate and engage students in their studies.

Directed Study

• 5 scheduled hours:
  • 1.5 tutorial hours
  • 30 min mid-point meeting with faculty tutor and research project mentor
  • 3 workshop hours
• 70 private study hours
  • A preparatory online tutorial on ethical and professional research practice
  • Regular assignments that support students to reflect on and adapt their practice across the course
• 75 in-the-field hours
  • Working to the agreed brief with the research project lead

Faculty hold regular Office Hours, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups.

Students are expected to attend and participate in all the teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and private study.

Indicative total learning hours: 150

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and the VLE.

Summative Assessments

Portfolio typically to include:

• Overview of the research project and the role title and brief
• Reflective report
• Appendix (Evidence Log) – non-assessed and not included in the word count
  • Samples of work completed for the research project
  • Confirmation from the student that the report is accurate and work samples correctly attributed
  • Supporting signature and Final feedback report from the research project mentor

Further information about the assessments (including rubrics) can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. through the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Bell, J. and S. Waters (2018) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers. Open University Press.
• Mullaney and Rea (2022) Choosing a research project that matters to you (and the world). University of Chicago Press.
• [The research project mentor will supply readings specifically relevant to the research project at the start of the course.]

Indicative Topics

This course emphasises learning by doing and encourages students to apply knowledge gained elsewhere in their studies, and through the research assistance itself, to help add value to a real-world research project.

• Research question definition and refinement
• Ethical and professional research practice
• [The research project mentor will indicate topics specifically relevant to the research project at the start of the course.]