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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023

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

Undergraduate Course: Community Based Research 1: Understanding the Community (EDUA07007)

Course Outline
SchoolMoray House School of Education and Sport CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe content of this course will provide a basic grounding in research methodology through an examination of investigative techniques applicable to the collection of data in diverse community education settings. It will enable students to explore the theoretical influences and identify practical strengths and weaknesses of established research approaches. The values and ethics of community-based research will be explored and the course will aim to develop an appreciation of the role of inquiry in the professional setting.
Course description 1) Academic Description

The content of this course will provide a basic grounding in research methodology through an examination of investigative techniques applicable to the collection of data in diverse community education settings. It will enable students to explore the theoretical influences and identify practical strengths and weaknesses of established research approaches. The values and ethics of community-based research will be explored and the course will aim to develop an appreciation of the role of inquiry in the professional setting.

2) Indicative Content
Introduction to Community-Based Research
Ethical Approaches to Community- Based Research
Observation, listening surveys and Community Mapping
Collecting and analysing Secondary Sources
Interviewing and Active Listening
Designing Your CBR Project
Prepare a community profile report


3) Learning Experience
The course is a mixture of theoretical in-put in online taught sessions and practical workshop sessions both in class and in the field. This course is taught in parallel with the first-year professional practice placement and students will have the opportunity to try out the research techniques they are being taught while on placement. The course design is cyclical with a theoretical input delivered in the form of an online lecture, followed by a training in-put around a particular phase of the research process. Students are then invited to try-out the technique on placement and then return with their results to a workshop session the following week. This pattern lends an applied experience that the students can relate clearly to the practice setting. Students knowledge, understanding and skills are evidenced throughout the process through the feed-back workshops. The students complete their learning through the presentation of a research proposal for a piece of small-scale research that they intend to carry-out during the placement.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  0
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 163 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Feedback Formative feedback on the development of the student's research proposal and the student's understanding of research methods will be given on an on-going basis through methods workshops. These workshops help the students to develop their research proposals.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Articulate basic principles and methods of, and approaches to, social research
  2. Identify the relevance of social research in the professional field of community learning and development.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to develop a community-based investigation
  4. Analyse the context and purpose of community education practice through empirical data.
  5. Apply ethical principles to community-based research
Reading List
Boyd, M.R. (2014) Community-Based Research: Understanding the Principles, Practices, Challenges, and Rationale in Leavy,P. (ed) The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research.

Cohen, L., Manion, L and Morrison, K (2013) Research Methods and Education. 5th Edition. London: Routledge-Falmer.

Henderson, P and Thomas, D N (2000) Skills in Neighbourhood Work. 3rd Edition, Oxon: Routledge.

Robson, C. and McCartan, K. (2011) Real World Research (fourth edition). Chichester: Wiley.

Family Health International: Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector's Field Guide. Participant Observation http://www.fhi360.org/NR/rdonlyres/ed2ruznpftevg34lxuftzjiho65asz7betpqigbbyorggs6tetjic367v44baysyomnbdjkdtbsium/participantobservation1.pdf

Participatory Action Research Handbook. https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/beacon/PARtoolkit.pdf
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1) Apply Knowledge Skills and Understanding
Plan and carry out a small-scale investigation
Present a profile of the community

2) Generic Cognitive Skills
Identify dominant indices of economic, political and social development in a community setting
Audit community resources
Engage local people in a process of research

3) Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others
Plan and develop their own research project
Present the find
KeywordsResearch,Community Profiling,Mapping,research ethics
Contacts
Course organiserMr Gary Fraser
Tel:
Email: gfraser4@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Alta Mene
Tel: (0131 6)51 6381
Email: amene@ed.ac.uk
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