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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Moray House School of Education : Sport

Undergraduate Course: Sport Science (Dissertation) 4 (SPRT10033)

Course Outline
SchoolMoray House School of Education CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate)
Course typeDissertation AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryThis course requires the student to devise, conduct, and present a project examining an applied sports science issue. The student will be expected to work mainly independently in order to gain practical experience of research design, data collection and data analysis. The project is submitted in journal article format. Students will be encouraged to work in areas of staff research expertise and interest.
Course description This course requires the student to work independently, with the guidance of an allocated supervisor, to devise, conduct, and present a project examining an applied sports science issue. The student will be responsible of designing the research protocol and carrying out the data collection and analysis of the research project.
During the first semester the student will submit a research proposal and ethics application. Feedback and guidance will be provided by both the supervisor and the ethics committee.The student may commence the project only following approval of the ethics application and proposal.
The final project will be submitted towards the end of the second semester in journal article format. The student will also submit at the same time a log book describing aspects of the research process and pilot studies, as well as outlining the development of the research project throughout the year independently as well as through the meetings with the supervisors.

This teaching and learning is research-led. Members of academic staff the Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Science (ISPEHS) who contribute to this course are all members of one or more of the following research groups hosted by ISPEHS: (1) Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), (2) Edinburgh Sports Research, (3) Human Performance and Aquatics and (4) Physical Education Research Forum (PERF).
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  0
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 4, Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 12, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 366 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) The proposal is worth 10% of the course mark and is submitted at the same time as the ethics application. The word limit for the proposal is 1000 words.
The final submission is worth 90% of the course mark and is done in journal article format following the guidelines of the Journal of Sports Sciences. The word limit is 4000 words.
Feedback Informal Feedback - Generic feedback to all students is sometimes provided by the course organiser during group meetings or through the Learn pages. Given the nature of this course, informal, formative feedback takes place throughout the year mostly through one-to-one meetings with your dissertation supervisor. Your supervisor will comment on your understanding of the research topic you have selected to conduct, and will give you specific advice regarding your progress. Such feedback is intended to help you understand what your strengths and development points are, and to enable you to take informed responsibility for your learning and progression.

Discussion forum - Throughout the course as a whole the students are encouraged to use a discussion forum in LEARN. Any questions posted by students about teaching, learning and assessment are be responded to by the course tutors for everyone to see.

Cohort feedforward - Detailed cohort feed-forward from previous cohorts of students is provided for all assessments on this course.

Formative Feedback - See top of this section about informal feedback. Additionally, your supervisor would normally provide once his/hers detailed formative feedback on one of your dissertation sections. Formative feedback will also be provided by the institutional ethics committee on the ethical aspects of your project.

Summative Feedback- Summative feedback will be provided by your supervisor for your proposal, which will then help you to decide how to progress with your dissertation. Summative feedback on the final submission will be provided by two different staff members who will mark your dissertation.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical and detailed understanding of theoretical concepts and current research in your chosen dissertation topic
  2. Identify and delineate a suitable research problem in sports science and propose a justified project
  3. Demonstrate initative and autonomy in designing and conducting a research experiment
  4. Use a wide range of academic and lab skills to collect and analyse original data
  5. Synthesise and present large amounts of information in a written format which contributes to knowledge and which might serve as a basis for further research or study
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Course URL http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/ug/sport-sci.html
Graduate Attributes and Skills This course addresses all of the graduate attributes developed on the BSc Applied Sport Science degree

RESEARCH AND ENQUIRY
(1) Understand the philosophy of scientific methods of enquiry in order to critically evaluate evidence and analyse research literature.
(2) Search for, access, critically analyse, evaluate and synthesize information from literature in order to answer research questions in sport and exercise sciences.
(3) Plan and execute research projects, involving data collection and analysis, which answer research questions in sport and exercise sciences.
(4) Interpret data collected or reported in sport, physical activity and exercise studies
(5) Synthesize knowledge from various disciplines so as to understand the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of sport and exercise sciences.
(6) Develop logical arguments surrounding issues within sport science, physical activity and exercise

PERSONAL AND INTELLECTUAL AUTONOMY
(7) Be independent learners who can take responsibility for their own learning
(8) Be able to respond to unfamiliar problems by extrapolating their existing knowledge and understanding

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
(9) Be able to communicate clearly using oral and written methods, including posters, presentations, essays, web pages, in order to critique, negotiate, create or communicate understanding
(10) Be able to use communication as a means for collaborating with and relating to others including staff, other students and research participants.
(11) Be able to engage in critical discussion demonstrating listening skills, effective use of evidence and their own experiences to articulate points and defend their own assertions
(12) Be able to initiate communication with non-university agencies connected to sport and exercise

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
(13) Be able to plan and execute substantive research projects in sport and exercise sciences (including but not limited to the dissertation and mini-project)
(14) Have developed their organisational, time management and decision-making skills
(15) Be able to work effectively in a team; overcoming and discussing problems and recognising the diversity of contributions different individuals can make to collaborative work
(16) Be able to transfer knowledge and ideas between different contexts within sport, exercise and health
(17) Be able to engage effectively with outside agencies to foster or develop research, consultancy or support initiatives

TECHNICAL/PRACTICAL SKILLS
(18) Be able to use the test, measurement and analysis tools appropriate to sport, physical activity and exercise, including for example laboratory or field tests.
(19) Be able to design, deliver and analyse the effects of training interventions in sport, physical activity and exercise
(20) Be able to select and apply the appropriate statistical procedures to analyse empirical data
(21) Be able to present data and report research findings according to standard scientific conventions
Additional Class Delivery Information To be arranged with supervisor
Keywordssport science research project dissertation
Contacts
Course organiserDr Stelios Psycharakis
Tel: (0131 6)51 6587
Email: Stelios.Psycharakis@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Laura Francis
Tel: (0131 6)51 6571
Email: Laura.Francis@ed.ac.uk
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