GV3GED: Geography & Environmental Science Dissertation

Module code: GV3GED

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 40

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Mike Simmonds, email: m.j.simmonds@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 5 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

All students taking Geography and Environmental Science as their main degree subject are required to produce a dissertation as part of their degree. The dissertation is an original piece of research carried out by the students independently, with the support of an allocated staff adviser known as a ‘Supervisor’, and contributing to knowledge in a particular field of study. Students have a choice of dissertation topic within the range of expertise available in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science.

The dissertation module aims to give students the experience of carrying out an original research project where they can put into practice the skills of information/data collection, analysis, and presentation gained during their degree programme. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate that they can select a methodology appropriate to their investigation and outline and discuss its philosophical basis, including attention to research ethics as appropriate.

The module also aims to develop students' project management skills and oral communication through seminars and meetings, singly and in groups, with members of academic staff. Depending on the chosen topics and methodologies, students will gain additional practice in (among other things) using equipment, carrying out field or laboratory experiments, interviewing or qualitative field techniques, skills in statistical and qualitative analysis and computer modelling.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Independently design, plan and carry out a research project;
2. Locate and critically evaluate literature relevant to their chosen empirical research project;
3. Collect, analyse and draw conclusions from empirical evidence, using appropriate research and data analysis methodologies and assess the limitations of the research undertaken and implications for the findings;
4. Produce a well-presented, clearly argued written report of their research and conclusions in the light of research aim and objectives/ research questions.

Module content

Students choose a dissertation topic from a list of themes provided by dissertation tutors or propose their own topics providing that these are within the research expertise of the pool of dissertation tutors. Students refine their topics in consultation with a dissertation tutor. Students meet with their dissertation tutors in groups or as individuals in Part 2. Dissertation tutors advise on academic literature, data sources, research methods and ethics. Data collection typically centres on the collection of original primary data, but detailed analysis of secondary sources may be approved by advisers. Reading requirements depend on the dissertation topics, however, the students should aim to include about not less than 30 peer reviewed research papers or monographs into the literature review. The Internet is an important source of data including statistical data and the latest governmental, inter-governmental, NGO and business reports. The students meet individually with their dissertation tutors in their final year at regular intervals to review progress and discuss the organisation of the dissertation. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 100 hours on data collection and analysis, and the data presented in the dissertation should be commensurate with at least this level of effort. The maximum word limit is 10,000 words, including references, excluding any appendices.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students work with their allocated supervisors in individual and/or small group meetings.

A programme of whole cohort guidance sessions are provided each semester, focusing on project management and preparing for poster presentations in Semester 1, and on preparing a draft literature review for formative feedback, plus sessions on varied types of data analysis and preparing the dissertation for final submission in Semester 2.

A series of briefing and guidance classes are provided for students by the module convener and other staff offering specialist support. Students also attend meetings individually or as part of a group with their dissertation tutor to discuss and evaluate initial ideas and to refine topic aim and objectives. Thereafter, students meet on an individual basis with their dissertation tutors at mutually convenient times, with students recording key discussion and action points from meetings in their Supervision Log. The frequency and duration of the meetings vary according to the research needs and are student-led. Additional guidance lectures and support sessions focusing on frequently used data analysis techniques and frequently asked questions are provided, drawing on staff expertise. The exact topics and number of lectures depend on the needs of the students.

Study hours

At least 28 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback on:

1. draft poster content
2. draft literature review chapter   

Reassessment

Additional costs