Dissertation
| Module title | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Module code | DRAM080 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 60 |
| Module staff | Professor Heike Roms () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 7 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
This module offers you a space in which to develop your individual research in an area of deep personal interest that you would like to extend through an advanced research project. The area of research can be linked to your career plans for post-graduation employment, to further and more advanced study; it can be a new area for research or something that you have previously worked on at a different level.
As the culmination of the MA, this module asks you to develop an individual research project partly through practice, or as a fully written dissertation centred on an area of your specific interest related to theatre and performance. You are encouraged to think of this module as a time to synthesise your learning across the degree, and to stretch the creative and academic skills you have acquired to the full. The dissertation module can be a useful space to consolidate or forge networks and connections beyond the University in a variety of fields through placement, fieldwork, workshop or teaching experience, and is a space to develop your ideas and connections with a clear view to your future career.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide an opportunity for you to pursue a single topic or field in depth and to demonstrate evidence of research potential for a master's degree.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evidence an advanced understanding of your chosen area of research, drawing on up to date academic scholarship, and reflecting on past and contemporary performance contexts
- 2. Demonstrate a sophisticated, up-to-date and critical understanding of the contexts in which you are undertaking your research (for example, contemporary pedagogic issues, contemporary professional performance, or current academic scholarship)
- 3. Evidence the synthesis of acquired knowledge across the programme into a focused project
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. To demonstrate the ability to define a research topic (academic and/or practical)
- 5. To demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the area under investigation, employing relevant conceptual frameworks and creative processes to the topic
- 6. To devise and sustain a complex process of independent research into the field of theatre and performance
- 7. To demonstrate an ability to construct concise, structured, analytical academic argument and critique of complex ideas
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. To develop an ability to undertake independent research and further their own professional learning with minimum guidance
- 9. To organise a complex process of independent, advanced research
- 10. To express and communicate complex ideas, clearly and concisely, in written form at a high level of competence
Syllabus plan
The work for the dissertation cannot duplicate your work in another module; however, it can extend and further that work if you so wish.
The Dissertation builds on your work in the 1st term of your studies, in particular DRAM102 Research Preparation and Writing Skills, which you will complete with a proposal for your dissertation; and an annotated bibliography related to key theorists and a resource list of relevant readings for your dissertation project.
The Dissertation module is taught over two terms: 2nd term and 3rd term of your studies.
In the 2nd term of your studies: you will
- agree with the module convenor your chosen submission route (Option A: fully written dissertation; Option B: performance and written critical reflection; Option D: workshops and written critical reflection; or Option D: placement and written critical reflection). Performance, workshops and placements may take place face-to-face or on a digital platform; subject to government guidance and University health and safety measures
- be allocated a supervisor for your project, based on your proposal; and you will agree a research programme with your supervisor. You will have up to 4 x 30-minute supervision meetings during the term, during which your supervisor will advise on the direction of your research. This may include visits to rehearsals, workshops or placements where appropriate and feasible.
- be offered four 2-hour skills training workshops in areas such as academic writing skills; research ethics; practice-based-research; and finding sources.
In the 3rd term of your studies: you will
- have up to 4 x 30-minute meetings with your supervisor; you will submit a substantive chapter of your writing or a rehearsal or workshop to the supervisor for formative feedback in June/July
- you will be offered two 2-hour further skills training workshops on writing skills and dissertation formatting.
Supervision meetings will take place face-to-face or online as agreed between students and supervisors. Skills training workshops will be delivered via blended learning.
Those following the Option B: performance and written critical reflection submission route will present the practice part of their dissertation project during a Degree Show (for October entry: June 2021; for January entry: September 2021).
Submission of Option A: fully written dissertation; the written component of Option B: performance and written critical reflection; Option D: workshops (in full documentation) and written critical reflection; or Option D: placement (in full documentation) and written critical reflection will take place at the end of your study year (for October entry: August 2021; for January entry: December 2021).
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 591 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 4 | Up to 8 individual tutorials (supervision meetings) of approx. 30 mins each over two terms; must include at least 2 tutorials for written component of dissertation; and for practice options must include visit to rehearsal of performance or placement or workshop where possible |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 12 | Group skills training workshops on academic writing skills; research ethics; practice-based-research; finding sources, dissertation formatting; etc.; 6 x 2 hours across two terms |
| Guided independent study | 584 | Research reading and preparation of dissertation; may include viewing, archival research, studio experiments, placement activities, fieldwork, self-directed group and solo workshops or seminars as relevant to project. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing sample: research questions | 150 words | Written or oral | |
| Writing sample: paraphrasing and summarizing theory | 300 words | Written or oral | |
| Writing sample: Exploring writing styles | 600 words | Written or oral | |
| Writing sample: Ethics statement | 300 words | Written or oral | |
| Draft of part of dissertation, submitted by no later than four working weeks after the end of Term 3 | Equivalent of one chapter (ca 2,000 - 3,000 words) | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully written dissertation (15,000 words) OR | 25 | 15,000 words (100% credit) | 1-10 | Written |
| Performance of practice or performance script or performance presentation based on research plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection OR | 25 | 20 minutes presentation (live or online) and 7,500 words (50% practice, 50% written) | 1-10 | Written and oral |
| Series of workshops or teaching plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection OR | 25 | No fewer than 2 workshops, no more than 6 workshops and 7,500 words (50% practice, 50% written) | 1-10 | Written |
| Research-based placement plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection | 25 | No less than 2 weeks, no more than 6 weeks and 7,500 words (50% practice, 50% written) | 1-10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully written dissertation (15,000 words) | Fully written dissertation | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Performance of practice or performance script or performance presentation based on research plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection | Performance practice as original assessment plus accompanying written critical reflection written dissertation (7,500 words); or fully written dissertation of 15,000 words | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Series of workshops or teaching Research-based placement plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflectionwritten dissertation | Series of workshops or teaching plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection; or fully written dissertation of 15,000 words | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Research-based placement plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflectionwritten dissertation | Research-based placement plus 7,500 words accompanying written critical reflection; or fully written dissertation of 15,000 words | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Judith Ackroyd, Research Methods for Drama Education Stoke on Trent: Trentham, 2006.
- Peter Barry, Beginning Theory Manchester: Manchester University Press 2002.
- Martin Bauer and George Gaskell, Qualitative Researching with Text, Image and Sound – A Practical Handbook. London: Sage, 2000.
- Peter Elbow, Writing with Power, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
- Nigel Fielding, Raymond M. Lee, Grant Blank, G. (eds), The Sage Handbook of Online Research Methods. London: Sage, 2008.
- Mark Fortier, Theory/Theatre: An Introduction London: Routledge, 2002.
- Baz Kershaw and Helen Nicholson (eds) Research Methods in Theatre and Performance, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011.
- Patricia Leavy, Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2015.
- Robin Nelson, Practice as Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistance, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
- Geoffrey Patriarche, et al.(eds), Audience Research Methodologies. Between Innovation and Consolidations. Abingdon: Routledge, 2014.
- Patrice Pavis, Analyzing Performance: Theater, Dance, and Film, translated by David Williams, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 2006.
- Gillian Rose, Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. 4th ed. London: Sage, 2016
- Robert Yin, Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 5th ed. Los Angeles: Sage, 2014.
- Research bibliography to be researched by student according to chosen topic.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 60 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 30 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 2010 |
| Last revision date | 10/07/2020 |
