Undergraduate Course: Community-Based Research 2: Understanding Organisations (EDUA08124)
Course Outline
School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
Summary | This course focuses on exploring the organisational structure and management of resources in community-based organisations. Participants will apply class based learning to the investigation of the management and decision making structure of the organisations where they are either based on placement or with whom they are working. |
Course description |
1) Academic Description
Building on the learning outcomes of CBR 1 participants on this course will further develop their knowledge of community-based research theories and techniques. Deeper understanding of the purposes of research will be explored. Consideration will be given to a range of qualitative data gathering techniques and students will be introduced to the process of data analysis. The fieldwork focus of CBR 1 was understanding the wider community as a context for practice. This course will focus on understanding community based organisations and how they work.
2) Indicative Content
The Purpose of Research in Communities
Data Collection Techniques
Designing your Research Project
Data Analysis
The Ethics of CBR
Models of Organisational Structure and Decision Making
Management and Managerialism
Resource Management - Funding, Staffing and Accountability
3) Learning Experience
The course is a mixture of theoretical in-put during online taught and practical workshop sessions both in class and in the field. This course is taught in parallel with the second-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.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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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 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative task: In class there will be an opportunity for tutor & peer feedback on drafts of the four assessments described below.
Feedforward is also given on each of the summative tasks
Summative task: Through the use of research techniques students will study the management practices of their placement agency. This will involve four discrete tasks (equivalent to approximately 625 words) undertaken and submitted over the duration of the course.
Using secondary sources describe and analyse the organisational structure of the agency.
Using secondary sources, explore and explain how the organisation is funded and the systems
of financial accountability.
By collecting primary source data (via a staff interview) describe and analyse the organisational policy and approach to the recruitment, support and supervision of staff.
By collecting primary (via a staff interview) and secondary source data describe how the organisation sets its ongoing priorities for practice. How are organisational aims and objectives established and who is involved?
The combined assessment tasks will be equivalent to 2500 words in total.
Compensation is allowed across the four individual elements with an average grade of 40%.
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Feedback |
Students will receive verbal & written tutor feedback as each of the four tasks are submitted. |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify a range of different research purposes
- Understand the application of different research techniques
- Apply methods of data analysis
- Articulate the importance of ethical practices in research
- Understand community-based organisational structure and systems of decision making and accountability
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Reading List
Research Texts
Boyd, M.R. (2014) Community-Based Research: Understanding the Principles, Practices, Challenges, and Rationale in Leavy,P. (ed) The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research.
Robson, C. and McCartan, K. (2011) Real World Research (fourth edition). Chichester: Wiley.
Organisations Texts
Bratton, J. & Gold, J. (2017) Human Resource Management: theory and practice, 6th Edition, Basingstoke, Palsgrave Macmillan.
Clegg, S.R., Kornberger, M., Pitsis, T.S. (2016) Managing and Organizations: an introduction to theory and practice, 4th Edition, London, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications.
Grey, C. (2017) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Organizations, 4th Edition, Sage Publications.
Hudson, M (2017) Managing Without Profit: Leadership, governance and management of civil society organisations,4th edition, London; Directory of Social Change.
Mullins, L. & Christy, G. (2016) Management and Organisational Behaviour, 11th Edition, London:
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Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1) Apply Knowledge Skills and Understanding
Plan and carry out a small-scale investigation of organisational structure
Present Research Findings
2) Generic Cognitive Skills
Understand a range of organisational structures, funding and systems of accountability
Understand the application of different research purposes and techniques
Understand methods of data analysis and ethical practice in research
3) Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others
Plan and develop their own research project
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Keywords | Qualitative data,Data Analysis,Ethics,Community Organisation.,Community Based Research |
Contacts
Course organiser | Mr Gary Fraser
Tel:
Email: gfraser4@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Eleanor Terry
Tel: (0131 6)51 6812
Email: eterry@ed.ac.uk |
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