BA (Hons) Media and Cultural Studies/

BA (Hons) Journalism and Media

MED 3000 Independent Project

• Second Teaching Cycle, 2017/18

 

Module Outline

1. Aims

This module aims to enable students to demonstrate, in the execution of a complex and large-scale project, high level academic and/or practical skills, relevant to their field of study and professional interests. It seeks to test the students’ confidence in their intellectual abilities and capacity to organize their time through an emphasis on self-directed learning and independent research. It will enable students to identify and apply relevant critical frameworks drawn from their degree programme and relevant to their professional interests and to demonstrate independent thinking in the application and development of theoretical/practical projects.

2. Intended Learning Outcomes

 

Knowledge

On completion of this module the successful student will have acquired knowledge and understanding of:

1. a specific issue relating to their specialist programme of study and of how to represent this in a sophisticated manner within the framework of their self-devised project;
2. the relationship between the form and content of their work and the critical and ethical considerations involved in addressing the proposed reader/viewer/user of the final work;
3. the complex processes involved in the development of a dissertation project and the professional requirements of a project of this level and scale.

Skills

On completion of this module the successful student will have developed skills in:

1. drawing appropriately on frameworks from previous modules in their programme of study, identifying and applying theoretical, practical and methodological approaches relevant to the development of their self-devised project;
2. managing their own time effectively in the development, planning and production of a sustained piece of self-directed work;
3. negotiating with a supervisor, dealing with criticism constructively and translating this, appropriately, into the frameworks of their project;
4. carrying out advanced independent research from proposal to final realisation, substantiating the quality and relevance of the work within an appropriate body of existing practice/research.

3. Teaching and Learning Strategies

Directed and independent study supported by consultations with personal supervisor

 

Workshops and Study Support

The module will be delivered through a mixture of one-to-one supervisions and workshops. Students will develop their individual research in conjunction with the practical advice and support of group workshops and/or individual consultation sessions. They will be required to present sections of their own case studies in the second semester. Students are expected to work independently on their projects outside of the face-to-face consultation sessions and maintain regular contact with their supervisor.

Each student will be appointed a supervisor soon after submitting a research topic. A student’s supervisor is there to help and advise the student: the supervisor can recommend useful sources of information and aid the student in thinking through the conception and production of his or her work.

However, a student should not expect supervisor to find a topic for him or her, or to tell him or her what sources to use. The supervisor is primarily an adviser and ‘editor’, responsibility for finding relevant materials and collecting data is ultimately the student’s own. As a result, a student should not wait to meet with the supervisor to start or continue working on the project, and the student should be proactive in requesting meetings to discuss the progress.

Attendance

Students are expected to meet their supervisors on a regular basis. A record of attendance should be taken with the use of Student Consultation Record form. Failure in attending all the meetings/ workshops will not get supervisor’s timely feedback. This could result in a very poor grade or a fail in the module.

4. Assessment Scheme

 

The Independent Project, whether largely creative / practical or theoretical / critical will engage with some aspects of the students discipline in an investigative way. The project may take various forms depending on the skills and strengths of the student. The final form of the independent project must be discussed in consultation sessions and approved by the student’s supervisor and the module leader.

Students are required to choose only one option from below.

Type of Assessment	Description	Weighting
Independent Project; Option 1: Dissertation
Dissertation	An original dissertation (Individual: 7,000 words)	100%
		Total: 100%
Independent Project; Option 2: Creative practical work
Creative practical work	a)      A practical media project (e.g. a video, a magazine dummy as approved by the module leader) (Individual) AND b)      Evidence of planning and research (Individual: 2,000 words)	50% 25%
Practical project critical reflection	c) A reflective essay (Individual: 2,000 words)	25%
		Total: 100%

 

Formative Assessment (not to be graded):

Formative Assessments do not count towards the final mark. Rather they are an opportunity to receive feedback and advice from supervisor on how to improve the student’s writing/reasoning/argument in preparation for the final summative assessment.

• A hard copy of the Supervisor Selection Form should be submitted to IC’s counter on or before 23^rd March 2018 (5:00pm).

• While research proposal and outline could be sent to supervisor in the course of study for comment, draft dissertation should be submitted online through Turnitin on or before 30^th June 2018 (5:00pm). This should be a minimum of 3,500 words and preferably a full first draft of the research project. Failure in submitting the draft on time will not get supervisor’s timely feedback. This could result in a very poor grade or a fail in the module.

Summative Assessment (100%):

The completed project should be submitted online through Turnitin on SOUL on or before 26^th October 2018 (5:00pm).

All written parts of the creative practical work should be combined into a single document and submitted online through Turnitin on SOUL with the exception of actual creative projects. For the actual creative projects, students are advised to discuss the most suitable form of submission for their specific project with their supervisor, well in advance of the deadline. For example, students may choose to print a magazine project and hand in the hard copy to IC’s counter.

5. Assessment Submission – Requirements and Regulations

Students should have read the sections concerning assessment in the 2017/2018 Programme Handbook on SOUL and 2017/2018 Middlesex University Guide and Regulations on my UniHub.

 

Students should keep copies of all work submitted until feedback for formative assessment and the grade for the final piece are received. In particular, students are recommended to print the final screen in Turnitin that acknowledges successful receipt of their work.

Note: Lecturers cannot give extensions to the final deadline. Any problems in meeting the deadline must be raised in advance with the student office.

 

Automatic Deferrals

Automatic deferrals are not permitted on this module.

 

 

6. How Will Students’ Work Be Marked?

Students’ final dissertation counts for 100% of their final mark. All dissertations will be expected to meet the Learning Outcomes and will make reference to the Assessment Criteria below. They will first be marked by a student’s supervisor, then all dissertations are double marked by another member of the teaching team, and finally they are moderated by an external examiner in Middlesex to ensure parity.

 

Marking Criteria

Creative Practical Projects will be assessed on the production values of the individual work, for example, a video would be judged on the following elements:

• narrative and editing
• structural and technical realisation of idea
• quality of sound
• aesthetics (quality of images)
• camera work (movement, positioning)

For other kinds of practical project, the work will be judged on the quality or professionalism of the final work.

However, central to the determination of the mark will be the written component, which must include the research and planning documentation, and a critical reflection of the process and the outcomes of the project. You should discuss your plans in some details with your supervisor to ensure that you are clear about what is expected of you, and how your work will be assessed at the end of the process.

 

Written Dissertations will be marked according to usual guidelines for marking essays. Two markers meet to agree on a suitable mark according the criteria below:

 

Grade 1 – 4: First Class

• Demonstrates knowledge that is comprehensive both in breadth and depth.
• Demonstrates an exceptional ability to contextualise, to grasp concepts and their interrelationship, and / or to relate theory to practice.
• Shows an outstanding ability to apply, in right measure, the necessary skills to achieve a desired outcome.
• Shows clear evidence of independent thought with material presented in a focused way, so as to help sustain the argument.
• Presentation is highly literate, fluent and accurate with impeccable citation
• Evidence of high level of commitment and a demonstration of a high level of initiative and independent thinking
• An ability to consistently form and professionally present a coherent body of work that demonstrates a high level of complex engagement
• Excellent command of visual and written expression with an ability to clearly convey ideas and concepts Material is presented in a focused way, so as to help sustain their critical position.
• Demonstrate an exceptional ability to contextualise, to grasp concepts and their interrelationship, and / or to relate theory to practice.
• Wide and deep research relevant to your ideas, discourses and chosen media or working process and the broader context of practical work
• Creative, innovative, informed and professional use of media and materials with a thorough, critical and extended understanding of related discourses and contemporary/historical contexts
• Critical and analytical skills inventively put to use in the evaluation of research, in the use of materials and media, and in the engagement with ideas and related discourses

Grade 5 – 8: Upper Second

• Demonstrates an up-to-date and relevant knowledge-base that may be broad or deep rather than both.
• Work reflects a thorough grasp of concepts and their interrelationship, and a significant ability to relate theory to practice.
• The presentation is very good, the material generally well-focused, reflecting throughout a high degree of literacy.
• Arguments may sometimes be outstanding and reflective of genuine independent thought, but are not always consistently at that level.
• Evidence of commitment reflective of initiative and independent thought, but is not always consistently at that level.
• Ability to form and professionally present a coherent body of work that demonstrates a high level of engagement
• A strong command of visual expression with an ability to clearly convey ideas and concepts
• Work reflects a thorough grasp of concepts and their interrelationship, and a significant ability to relate theory to practice.
• Good research, relevant to materials and media used and related ideas and discourses
• Creative, informed and professional use of media and materials with thorough and critical understanding of related discourses and contemporary/historical contexts
• Evidence of critical and analytical skills in the evaluation of research, in the use of materials and media, and the engagement with ideas and discourses

 

Grade 9 – 12: Lower Second Class

• Arguments may be generally relevant but not necessarily comprehensive.
• Displays an awareness of what concepts are, but the ability to conceptualise and / or to relate theory to practice, is clearly limited.
• Shows a strong tendency toward assertion rather than argument.
• Written work shows sound grammar and spelling but perhaps with occasional lapses.
• Evidence of commitment and a demonstration of initiative
• Ability to form and present a coherent body of work
• Clearly defined & expressed ideas and concepts, but needing further development & clarification
• Demonstration of a clear understanding of use of materials and ideas, but weak in critical and analytical skills
• Evidence of relevant research but is not always consistently in critical thinking or researching.
• Creative, informed and professional use of media and materials with an awareness of related discourses and contemporary/historical contexts

 

Grade 13 – 16: Third Class

• Demonstrates knowledge that is adequate but limited and / or superficial with a tendency to inaccuracy.
• Demonstrates a limited awareness of concepts or the ability to relate theory to practice or to contextualise material.
• Deploys evidence (which may be accurate) superficially, with lack of focus, and offers description / assertion rather than argument.
• Written work shows either poor grammar or poor organisation of material in paragraphs
• Evidence of engagement with, but lacking in full commitment to, the development of work and ideas
• Ideas and concepts are not clearly comprehended and offers description / assertion rather than argument or critical position
• Limited ability to contextualise, and to relate theory to practice.
• Limited research, awareness of concepts,
• Evidence of awareness of relevant historical/contemporary contexts, but limited in understanding, accuracy and depth
• Lacking in critical and analytical skills and the ability to evaluate and make judgement through the process of making and the engagement with ideas and concepts
• Creative and competent use of media and materials that demonstrates the ability to draw upon relevant ideas and discourse

Grade 17:  Fail

• Shows some ability for accurate work but little relevance;
• Shows minimal awareness that concepts exist.
• Communication frequently inarticulate and poorly presented
• Low level of commitment, independent study and project development
• Work may be clearly presented, but limited or lacking in ideas and concepts
• Low level engagement in and awareness of the relationship of theory and practice. Some accuracy but little relevance; very few relevant assertions.
• Poor understanding or awareness of related discourses and contemporary/historical contexts
• Some research in relation, but limited in scope and exploration
• Lack of critical and analytical abilities
• Low level of competence; uninformed use of media and materials

 

Grade 18 – 20:  Fail

• Produces work that is totally lacking in relevance or accuracy.
• Demonstrates no grasp of concepts or of awareness of what concepts are.
• Produces work that is inarticulate and / or incomprehensible.
• Some effort may be evident, but use of media and materials poor and uninformed
• Poor understanding or awareness of related discourses and contemporary/historical contexts
• Work may be clearly presented, but lacking in ideas and concepts
• Work is visually weak inarticulate and / or incomprehensible
• No understanding of how to establish and develop a research project
• Lack of critical and analytical abilities; lacking in focus or direction
• Work is totally lacking in relevance or appropriateness of materials.

7. Academic Misconduct

 

Plagiarism is the presentation by a student, as his or her own work, of a body of material (written, visual or oral) which is wholly or partly the work of another. In fact, plagiarism extends to cover one’s own work previously assessed or published which is also required to be properly referenced. Taking unfair advantage over other authors, students or oneself in this way is considered by Middlesex University and HKU SPACE to be a serious offence. Both institutions will take serious action against any student who plagiarises whether through negligence, foolishness or deliberate intent. Make sure written material, ideas, theories, formulae, etc are acknowledged through the use of quotation marks, references and bibliographies. Information on the correct way of acknowledging work from other sources is available from campus learning resource centres. Academic misconduct also covers cheating in examinations.

The advice is simple: don’t do it, and don’t do it accidentally by incorporating sections from other work without referencing it and making it clear what you are presenting as your own words and what you are quoting or paraphrasing. For information on referencing and plagiarism, look at “Developing Good Academic Practice” on the Middlesex University website:

http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/academicpractice/index.aspx

The Middlesex Library Subject Guides website also has some useful materials on referencing. For more information, you can go to

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/content.php?pid=220238&sid=1828719

You can also ask your supervisors for advice on where to get full referencing guides.

The University Regulations also detail procedures in relation to:

• Infringement of Assessment Regulations – Academic Misconduct (Section F) including collusion and plagiarism
• Appeal Regulations and Procedures (Section G)
• Student Conduct and Discipline
• Student Complaints and Grievance Procedures
• Equal Opportunities

(see http://www.mdx.ac.uk/aboutus/Strategy/regulations/index.aspx )

8. Syllabus

Students will identify a subject for their dissertation. Subsequently there is no set syllabus. A series of workshops will help students to make their decision, and inform them of the academic expectations and assessment criteria connected to writing a dissertation; the ways and means of research, structuring the dissertation; organising time for research, study and writing.

9. Recommended Readings

Since the dissertation topics of students may vary, the reading list is to be arranged by individual supervisor in the beginning of the Teaching Cycle when this module is offered. The reading lists will catch up with the most up-to-date cultural development and media ecology.

There are many books about doing research in the library. Some particularly good ones are:

Anderson, J., & Poole, M. (Ed.). (2001). Assignment and Thesis Writing (4^th ed.). Milton, Qld.: Wiley.

Bell, J. (2005). Doing your research project (4^th ed.). Buckingham: OUP.

Berger, A. (2011). Media and communication research methods: An introduction to  qualitative and quantitative approaches. London: Sage.

Bertrand, I. (2005). Media research methods: Audiences, institutions, texts. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Bhatt, C. (2004). Doing a dissertation. In C. Seale (ed.) (2004). Researching society and culture. London: Sage.

Blaxter, L., B., Hughes, C. & Tight, M. (1996).  How to research.  OUP.

Bonnett, A. (2001). How to argue. Essex: Pearson.

Bouma, G.D. (2000). The research process. UK: Oxford University Press.

Davies, M.M. (2006). Practical research methods for media and cultural studies: Making people count. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Durham, M.G., & Kellner, D.M. (Eds.) (2006). Media and cultural studies: KeyWorks.  Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Durant, A., & Fabb, N. (Ed.). (1993). How to write essays, dissertations and theses. London: Longman.

Greetham, B. (2009). How to write your undergraduate dissertation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Murray, R. (2006). How to write a thesis. London: OUP.

Peck, J., & Coyle, M. (2005). The student’s guide to writing (2^nd ed.). London and New York: Routledge.

Preece, R. (1994). Starting research: An introduction to academic research and dissertation writing.  London: Pinter Publishers.

Stokes, J. (2003). How to do media & cultural studies. London: Sage.

Walliman, N.S.R. (2004). Your undergraduate dissertation: The essential guide for success. London: Sage.

Walliman, N.S.R. (2011). Research methods: The basics. London: Routledge.