The assessment for this module is in two parts as follows.

PART 1

On each of weeks 2-9 there will be one or more presentations by participants on the course on the object text or texts set for that week (see session details). Depending on the number on the course each participant should expect to be involved in one or two presentations; participants will be allocated to presentation sessions during the first week of the course. Satisfactory participation in at least one presentation is a compulsory element of the course. Criteria for satisfactory presentations are as follows:
    • Presentations may be designed and given by individuals or groups.
    • Individual presentations must be no longer than 10 minutes and group presentations no longer than 10 minutes per group member.
    • For group presentations, responsibility must be shared on a roughly equal basis.
    • The presentation should:
      • Identify the research question of the research reported in the object text;
      • Identify and discuss issues from the research relating to the theme for the week (see intended learning outcomes and preliminary reading for the week);
      • Refer (briefly) to issues from the research relating to themes for previous weeks.
The presentations will be assessed on a pass/fail basis and not otherwise graded, but a good presentation will be taken into account in the event of a borderline decision on the grading of PART 2 of the assessment and this will be indicated in the summative feedback on the coursework.

PART 2

Each participant is to produce a critical review of one of the object texts set for the course (this may or may not be the same text as one on which the participant makes a presentation). The review should be of no more than 4000 words inclusive of footnotes, but excluding bibliography. A 10 per cent margin in excess of 4000 words will be permitted. There is no minimum length, but candidates should understand that they will be assessed against what is deemed to be achievable in 4000 words. The review should:
    • Identify the research question of the research reported in the object text;
    • Identify the main claims made by the researcher(s) in respect of the findings of their research;
    • Discuss the extent to which and how the claims made are justified in terms of the methodological decisions taken by the researcher(s);
    • Identify any aspects of methodology or presentation that are unclear in the object text;
    • Suggest alternative approaches that might have been taken in the research that would have made it methodologically more sound.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the research methodological issues and language that are introduced on the course and in the main course text by Brown & Dowling.
Candidates may draw on any relevant literature in producing their review, but will not be required to go beyond the object text itself and the main course text, that is, a bibliography of two items is acceptable for this coursework.
The review will be graded according to the grade related criteria for IoE Masters coursework.

In addition, in order to satisfy the requirements of the course, all participants must:

  1. Attend regularly (80% attendance is a minimum requirement for passing the course).
  2. Complete required preliminary reading and tasks.
  3. Produce by week 5 a 500 word summary one of the articles that are listed as ‘object texts’ (you may choose any of the object texts and are not restricted to ones that we will have looked at before week 5). The summary must identify the research question or problem addressed by the object text and must describe the way in which it has been operationalised using appropriate research methodological terminology.

    Summaries must be emailed to ALL of the tutors and will be made available to all participants via this site.
  4. Produce a draft of their 4000 word assignment by week 9. Your assignment may focus on the same object text as your 500 word summary or you may choose another.

    Drafts must be emailed to ALL of the tutors in editable (for comments) Microsoft Word format and will be made available to all participants via the attendance page on this site.
  5. Present their draft assignment as a discussion in week 10.
  6. Submit their final coursework by the date shown on the deadlines page of this site.

    Final versions must be submitted in digital form (rtf , pdf or Microsoft Word attachments to ALL of the module tutors) AND as hard copy (TWO hard copies are required) to the MA ICT Administrator. Final versions of the coursework will not be made generally available on this site. However, work that is judged by the examiners to be of a very high standard may be published on the web with the permission of the author.

Written feedback will be provided on the 500 word summary and on a single draft of the full 4000 word review. Participants must submit a full draft by week 9, but may chose to revise it following discussion in week 10 and submit a second draft for written feedback. If you opt to do this, then you must submit the second draft by the end of the first week of the Summer term. All candidates are required to identify explicitly the version on which they wish to receive written feedback.

In addition to tutor feedback, we are arranging for peer review of coursework. Participants are required to provide sufficient copies of their 500 word summary and draft 4000 word review to distribute to a small group of other participants (email distribution is acceptable provided that the members of your group agree). The groups will be decided on the week before the due dates for these submissions. Summaries and drafts will also be made available on the attendance page of this site.

The presentation of the coursework may be as a conventional essay. Candidates already possessing the necessary IT skills may opt to present their review (but not their 500 word summary) in electronic form (eg as a hypertext file). The form of such work must be negotiated with the course tutors. All work presented in written form should be wordprocessed in 12 point font (quotations and footnotes may be in 10 point for contrast) using one-and-a-half or double spacing. All work must include a full list of the references you have used, giving full bibliographic details.

IN ADDITION TO DIGITAL VERSIONS SENT TO THE MODULE TUTORS AS RTF, PDF OR MICROSOFT WORD EMAIL ATTACHMENTS, YOU MUST HAND IN TWO COPIES OF YOUR FINAL COURSEWORK SUBMISSION TO THE MA ICT COURSE ADMINISTRATOR.