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The University of Southampton
Geography and Environmental Science

Developing your research project; free online course to support you

Published: 4 July 2014Origin: Southampton Education School

A free, pioneering online initiative to help people develop basic research skills launches today at the University of Southampton.

MOOCs at University of Southampton

This Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) 'Developing your research project' has been devised by Chris Fuller and Emma Thompson and there is still time to sign up for the eight week programme.

MOOCs offer anyone in the world the chance to discover new subjects via the Internet. Many of the world’s leading universities are now showcasing their specialisms in this way and giving hundreds of thousands of people the opportunity to discover a wide variety of subjects, improve their skills and discuss their learning with their fellow students.
"Curiosity is one of humanity’s most important characteristics, enabling us to make the unknown known, to break barriers and to shine a light on all aspects of life, from our day-to- day hobbies to the exploration of the stars," says Chris.

"This course will help people to harness their curiosity and use it to undertake whatever research project they choose in a scholarly manner. It will guide people through all the different stages – drawing on the wealth of experience held by academics at Southampton, one of the top research universities in the UK."

To study this MOOC, you do not need any previous experience of higher education and there is no admission interview. It is intended for anyone who is currently undertaking or planning to undertake a piece of academic research, be that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), International Baccalaureate Extended Essay, coursework or a piece of independent scholarship.

The MOOC will last eight weeks, with one hour of study per week. There will be the opportunity to share ideas with other participants from around the world, as well as receiving peer feedback on research proposals and the chance to review and comment on the work of other like-minded future researchers. It will be repeated in September 2014.
For a flavour of this MOOC, here are some top tips from the end of the course which will help you prepare to present your research findings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koYNHcaitQ8

www.futurelearn.com/courses/research-project-jul-2014 for July intake
www.futurelearn.com/courses/research-project-sep-2014 for September intake

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