TG3DS: Dissertation

Module code: TG3DS

Module provider: Typography; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 40

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Borna Izadpanah, email: borna.izadpanah@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: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

In this module you will write a research-intensive dissertation in the field of typography and graphic communication. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Organise visual content: Create effective and engaging design solutions by demonstrating an understanding of how people process and react to graphic and typographic content. 
2. Develop research-based approaches to design: Apply quantitative and qualitative, user-based, participatory, visual and ethnographic research methods. 
3. Identify and analyse graphic artefacts: Interrogate and assess visual communication in its cultural, technical, and historical environments and contexts. 
4. Seek and assimilate new knowledge: Assess and incorporate contemporary discourse into design thinking

Module content

Workshops to help you prepare for the dissertation occur in a separate Part 2 module. As such, the dissertation module itself is largely self-directed, and focussed primarily on allowing you time to complete tasks such as: 

• Literature review 
• Research methodologies 
• Sourcing visual content 
• Primary research 
• Writing and editing 
• Referencing and verification of sources 
• Illustration and design of the finished work. 

You will choose your subject of study through consultation with staff. You may work with primary source materials, conduct interviews, and engage in empirical studies. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is built around tutorial meetings with supervisors, where contact hours will be determined by agreement with your dissertation supervisor, in addition to occasional workshops and check-in points. 

You will be supported in your self-directed work by: 

• Self-scheduled individual or group meetings with your personal dissertation tutor. Drafts will provide the basis for these meetings, and contact hours will be determined by agreement with your supervisor. 
• Occasional additional workshops to reinforce core principles or expand on topics covered in earlier workshops, if required. 
• A summatively-assessed ‘milestone’ submission of a portion of your dissertation at an early stage, to help keep you on track 

Study hours

At least 4 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 assessment will usually fall into two categories: 

• Tasks and feedback that link directly to final assessment, allowing you to build relevant skills and measure your progress towards assessed work. 
• Tasks and feedback that feed into wider learning around the topic being covered. The skills and insights you acquire should help you achieve well in assessed tasks, but application of this leaning may be interpreted, rather than simply repeated. 

Formative feedback will often include: 

• Verbal feedback in class. 
• Written comments on a piece of work. 
• Commentary on drafts and discussion of approaches to specific problems through for a series of tutorial meetings with supervisors, where contact hours will be determined by agreement between student and supervisor. 

Formative feedback will be given: 

• At student-scheduled tutor meetings 

Reassessment

Additional costs