I thought the best way to begin the project would be to dissect the unit brief so that I can ensure my learning (or learning objectives) is clear and directed.
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge: Identify a topic for enquiry, justifying its professional significance
Process: Investigate methods of enquiry appropriate to the specific contexts of the topic
Enquiry: Conduct a scholarly enquiry
Communication: Present project findings in a coherent, context-sensitive manner.
Assessment Format:
- 10-minute oral presentation of project findings
- Accompanying presentation materials (including visuals or script) and relevant appendices (e.g. questionnaire responses, ethics form, data collection tools, references). // Workflow page
Brief:
- create a Workflow page to document your work for the SiP
- choose a focus for your action research project that relates to your teaching practice, disciplinary practice, research interests or academic leadership. Find and use relevant literature to justify your choice and to develop and articulate your understanding of your chosen topic.
- complete an ethical enquiry form. Your project will comply with UAL’s Code of Practice on Research Ethics, which invites you to consider ‘the ethical implications of how and where the research is to be conducted, who’ll be involved and what they’ll be expected to undertake’.
- consider and select appropriate methods of enquiry, which may include observation, journaling, visualisation, narrative enquiry, interview, questionnaire and more. Experiment with different methods.
- document all your project work, including your evolving thinking around your topic and methods, and emerging findings, on your Self-initiated Project Workflow page.
- attend fortnightly sessions with your tutorial group and/or the wider group
- at the end of the unit, present your project for summative assessment to your peers and tutors. Your presentation should not exceed 10-minutes and should be in a form appropriate to the project’s content and context. Aspects to cover include:
- original context / background;
- rationale for selecting the topic;
- reflection on research method/s used;
- summary of project findings;
- references to relevant literature (using the Harvard method).
Deadline:
ISA+EC deadline: Wednesday 2 February 2022, submit Workflow page by 10am.
Keywords from Unit Assessment Brief:
Small-scale scholarly enquiry
Keep it realistic within the timeframe given (4 months to plan, research, execute and analyse)
Action Research (philosophy & methodology) – seeking transformative change in practice […] experiment with creative and novel research methods.
Research should consist of at least two methods of research (e.g. questionnaire and focus group) which considers transforming something within your teaching/disciplinary practice/research interests.
Presentation day […] present project findings for assessment
10-minute presentation summarising research and key findings as part of assessment.