Concepts & Skills

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• identify and debate theoretical issues in psychology
• identify weaknesses in research and find solutions
• critically evaluate published research

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• plan and manage practical aspects of conducting research with human participants

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• produce high-quality oral presentations
• work as part of a team, self-monitor competences/training needs, and personal career management

This module comprises of weekly, 2-hour sessions. These sessions will cover topics such as current research issues in psychology, writing and presentation skills, critical evaluation of published work and of research proposals, project planning, time management, and making use of the available online research resources. These sessions will also serve as tutorials in which students can discuss issues that arise in relation to their research plans and professional development, such as attending suitable training courses, etc. Skills will primarily be developed in a “hands on” manner; students will be asked to choose research papers that they are interested in for critical evaluation, as well as providing feedback to other students in the group on a regular basis.

Teaching and learning methods

The teaching methods are varied, but all emphasise active learning and encourage students to apply their acquired skills to their own experience and research interests. The weekly sessions typically consist of small group lectures and/ or staff-led seminars in which students are asked to work with self chosen examples to develop their evaluation and presentation skills. Students are also expected to contribute to the formative evaluation and feedback of other students in the group.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

All resources will be via published research or online documents/guides/information. There will be no set textbook for this course..

Assessment strategy

Individual Presentation

Review: A selection of empirical papers will be provided across a range of subject matters. Students will choose one of these papers and write a review of the article (treating it as if it were an unpublished manuscript that has been sent to them by a journal editor for peer review as part of the publication process).

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal