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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Moray House School of Education : Research (EDU)

Postgraduate Course: Dissertation (Strength and Conditioning) (REDU11026)

Course Outline
SchoolMoray House School of Education CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeDissertation AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits60 ECTS Credits30
SummaryThe dissertation is a major piece of work that requires significant time and commitment from the student. Through the dissertation the student has the opportunity to identify a research or professional practice issue related to strength & conditioning, and undertake an independent research study to address it. Where appropriate, students will have the opportunity to link with existing research projects in this area within the Human Performance Science research group or the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre.
Course description The dissertation process will involve the planning, execution, interpretation and write-up of the independent study in the field of strength & conditioning. Dissertation studies may be field, laboratory or desk based.

Students will be supported through specialist research training sessions at the beginning of the process, and by a designated supervisor through individual and/or group tutorials throughout the dissertation process. Additional research training will be provided through completion of the previous Understanding Research Concepts (REDU11010) and Research Process (REDU11011) courses.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students must have satisfied MSc progression requirements according to assessment regulations
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 600 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 2, Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 16, Other Study Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 568 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Total mark for the course will be a weighted average of the two assessments.
Task 1 (20%) - Oral presentation of research plans prior to data collection, including research questions and detailed overview and rationale for the methodology,
Task 2 (80%) - Journal article style submission of research project (max 6000 words including references, figures and tables)
Feedback Students will be provided with on-going formative feedback (where appropriate written or oral) from their individual supervisor throughout the dissertation process. Detailed individual formative written feedback from two examiners will be provided following the assessed oral presentation. Detailed written feedback from two examiners will be provided on the journal article submission.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Undertake a significant piece of work demonstrating substantial autonomy, initiative and decision making
  2. Identify and define a topic of enquiry suitable for a dissertation and justify its theoretical significance showing effective use of relevant literature and other scholarly evidence, ensuring professional relevance and practical feasibility
  3. Identify appropriate methodology and use it effectively to collect data in an ethical and responsible manner
  4. Systematically analyse data collected using appropriate techniques
  5. Communicate the research plans and findings observing appropriate academic guidelines and reflect on how the knowledge can be transferred to a professional context
Reading List
Key texts for this course will be:
Thomas, J., Nelson, J., Silverman, S. (2011). Research Methods in Physical Activity. Champaign Ill.: Human Kinetics.
Field, A., (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS. London: Sage.
Specific readings from various journals include Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research and International journal of Sports Physiology & Performance
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills During this course students will have the opportunity to:
- search for, access, critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant literature and information in order to develop their knowledge and understanding relating to strength and conditioning
- plan and execute a significant research project including undertaking data collection and analysing data systematically
- be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to professional development, self-evaluation and self-improvement
- exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in academic activities, including decision making on the basis of independent thought
- recognise diversity of opinion in strength and conditioning, reflecting and evaluating this range and formulating justified and evidence-based ideas for application
- reflect on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments in strength and conditioning
- use communication as a means for collaborating and relating to others including staff, fellow students, research participants
- engage in critical discussion demonstrating listening skills, effective use of evidence and own experience to support assertions, and clear articulation of points
- plan, execute and critically evaluate a significant research project in the area of strength and conditioning
- have the confidence to make informed decisions relating to problems and issues in strength and conditioning
- identify and manage risks appropriately (e.g., during applied experience, designing a suitable research project)
- use data collection methods appropriate for their research project
Additional Class Delivery Information Research training workshops and individual/group tutorials with allocated supervisor
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Shaun Phillips
Tel: (0131 6)51 4110
Email: Shaun.Phillips@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Cristina Roman
Tel: (0131 6)51 6265
Email: Cristina.Roman@ed.ac.uk
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