Outdoor Education: Honours Dissertation (U02472)

? Credit Points : 40 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : EDU-4-OEDis

The dissertation involves undertaking a substantial piece of research in outdoor education. It will provide course members with the opportunity to identify, reflect on and explore a topic that has implications for their own professional development. It will be characterised by independent study, in-depth analysis, critical pro-activity, professional relevance and knowledge of relevant research and enquiry approaches. The dissertation will combine issues of academic theory with those of professional practice within a context of sustained individual investigation. The dissertation is characterised by a high degree of self-directed study, the ability to be critically analytical and showing a clear understanding of conceptual issues. Students will draw on the work undertaken in the research methods components of Outdoor Education: Critical Perspectives taken in year three.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Costs : Printing the dissertation and submitting two soft bound copies.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Sport, (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 4 hour(s) per week for 21 weeks

? Additional Class Information : Students will be able to attend tutorials with staff throughout semesters one and two. The total staff contact time will be 88 hours.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

1. develop an enquiry orientation towards their academic and professional concerns;
2. involve examination of the values and assumptions which underlie the way professional issues are defined for investigations and which underlie particular approaches to investigating them;
3. engage them in the critical appraisal of a variety of examples of relevant research and appropriate literature for a literature review;
4. encourage methodologically rigorous collection and analysis of information;
5. stimulate critical reflection on the process including recognition of any limitations their project might have;
6. draw justifiable conclusions and recommendations which inform theoretical issues, professional practice or policy and strengthen the theory-practice link.

Assessment Information

A dissertation of 12,000 words (excluding appendices) on a topic drawn from the broad area of outdoor education:-The form of the Dissertation may be a presentation of facts or ideas from published material followed by a critical observation and research on which conclusions may be based. Alternatively, a choice can be made of the philosophical development of a theme that is then supported by facts and other evidence. In whatever form, it is expected that original thought and research into the chosen subject will be demonstrated, together with a reasoned discussion, with attention paid to the avoidance of a one-sided argument or failure to reach conclusions.