The aim of this module is to expose students to research level studies in a number of areas related to the function of the nervous system, necessary to understand the pathophysiology of neurological conditions. The course will describe CNS development, and the structure and functions of neural cell populations. Following this, research into the mechanisms underlying learning & memory will be discussed, as will analyses of neural circuits controlling behaviour.
This module seeks to expose students to research level studies in a number of areas related to the function of the nervous system, necessary to understand the pathophysiology of neurological conditions. The course will describe CNS development, and the structure and functions of neural cell populations; research into the mechanisms underlying learning & memory; and analyses of neural circuits controlling behaviour. Following this module, students will be expected to be able to integrate their understanding of cellular properties into coherent concepts of system level functions and be able to evaluate examples of current research in this field.
The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) states that “the fundamental principles of systems engineering have an important role in the education of all engineers … [in] recognition that most of today’s engineering tasks are performed in multi-disciplinary teams”. In the complex, safety-critical systems that are increasingly prevalent in everyday life, it is crucial to understand how to adopt and apply systems thinking throughout the lifecycle, from design, through operation, to decommissioning. This module introduces systems thinking as a perspective on engineering, safety and performance. Systems thinking takes a macro view of complex sociotechnical systems, considering how all the elements (people, processes and technology) interact within the context of their environment. It uses bespoke methods to analyse systems at a holistic level and to understand how to optimise overall performance. Both the subject and the module are transdisciplinary and applied in nature, with the module content being rooted in real-world examples from defence and security, plus cross-domain case studies from other relevant safety critical industries including transportation, nuclear and construction, delivered by a range of lecturers from industry and academia.
Homelessness results from different individual and systemic issues. Often, the systems put in place to help those who experience homelessness can miss crucial gaps or have policy that actively excludes those they intend to support. Lived experience of homelessness is key to understand and consider as a resource for homelessness services. Those with lived experience can provide understanding of the systems of support and help understand where things can be improved. Peer mentoring, where those with lived experience of homelessness help those who are currently experiencing homelessness, is becoming a standard practice within homelessness services.
This module offers a practical introduction to leading music ensembles within education contexts. Skills covered include arranging for, rehearsing and performing with ensembles of singers and instruments from beginners to professionals. It is particularly aimed at helping students interested in developing skills and techniques for working in community music or music education settings.
This module focuses on the principles and practices of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and its application in language education. In this module, we will explore the theoretical foundations, task design, classroom implementation, learner factors, and assessment in TBLT.
This module will develop your critical knowledge and understanding of aspects of the work and lives of teachers in schools and relate this to your own experience. You will develop an understanding of key themes relating to teachers, teaching and classroom practice. Themes might include recent research on effective teaching and teacher development, education policies which affect teachers and portrayals of teachers in popular culture.
In this module students will explore the fundamentals of teaching and learning at work. They will examine learning theories, theories of assessment, evaluate teaching methods and identify and evaluate appropriate educational resources. They will explore the context of professional development and key policy areas that effect how this takes place in practice. This module is taught at M level.
The module examines the techniques of process, product, context, and instruction of writing in a second language. The first deals with composing and the writer in relation to the text; the second deals with the text produced, its structure and organisation; the third with the text and the writer in relation to social context; and the fourth with the teaching, assessment, and acquisition of writing in a second language.
This module will introduce you to key issues, concepts and methods in teaching English as a second/foreign language.
This module will address the implementation and adaptation of language teaching methodologies to address the unique challenges inherent in instructed, early foreign language (FL) learning. The novel aspect of the module will lie in its systematic exploration of emerging theoretical issues and their links to developing practice. Theoretically and empirically early classroom FL learning is an emerging field. It has been problematized by both limited evidence and global assumptions which are grounded in existing evidence relating to L1 acquisition in naturalistic settings (e.g. the critical period hypothesis). However, field-specific evidence is accumulating which suggests that early FL learning is a vastly different process and therefore requires reconceptualization. Regardless of theoretical challenges, early FL classroom learning (and more specifically, English language in the primary school) is a global phenomenon. This module which combines the latest empirical evidence with regular opportunities to develop context-specific teaching skills alongside critical analysis and evaluation of existing global language education policies, curricula and resources will complement and extend current ELT postgraduate provision.
Many of our postgraduate students teach their subjects and pass on their knowledge to their peers and to students with no formal training. Using recognised pedagogical methods, this module offers you the knowledge and expertise to enable you to design, deliver, assess and evaluate teaching sessions for your colleagues, your students and your patients. The module will also enhance your ability to critically reflect and improve on your educational activities and teaching practice. Our module is accredited by the Advance HE, formerly the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and during this module, you will engage with the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) and work towards achieving Associate Fellowship of the HEA. This fellowship is recognition of the professional standing of your teaching practice and is internationally recognised and valued by Universities and across the HE sector, as a measure of your expertise and accomplishment. Our online module is delivered using a blend of live teaching and pre-recorded sessions. You are expected to attend all live sessions which allows you to engage with our expert teachers and your fellow students and benefit from rich discussions. Interactive groupwork in our live sessions will allow you to explore designing a teaching session in a supported environment. Our recorded sessions allow you to learn at your convenience within each teaching week. Most of our students continue to work while studying and benefit from this flexibility. Engaging with our blended learning each teaching week allows you to build on and synthesise your learning as you go. This module is taught once a year and typically involves approximately 10 hours of student engagement per week. The module will take place during the following weeks (exact timetable to be confirmed): •Teaching & guided learning: 20/01/26-05/03/26 •Self-directed learning: 06/03/26-25/03/26
This module introduces you to the concept of ‘techno-harms’ from the disciplines of sociology, criminology, and social policy, with a particular focus on zemiology, to investigate the infliction and perpetuation of technologically induced social harms. The module will enable you to think critically about the ways in which racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, Anti-Gender politics, environmentalism, extremism, conspiracy theories, human trafficking, and border control manifest in cyberspace and how technologies can help accelerate and prevent the subsequent harms.
In this module you will examine the intersection of AI with technologically induced harms ‘techno harms’ such as extremism, discrimination, and mis and disinformation in the context of international criminal justice. You will explore AI’s dual role in both causing and combating these harms, as well as its potential for predicting future threats. Drawing from multiple disciplines, the module equips you with the tools to critically analyse AI’s impact on online harms and its use in prevention and mitigation strategies. Understanding AI-enabled cyber harms helps in developing effective countermeasures and policies, while also raising important ethical questions about surveillance, privacy, and civil liberties.
Technological innovation is increasingly recognised as one of the most important sources of sustainable competitive advantage for businesses around the world. However, building an organization which can successfully and repeatedly create technological innovation for markets is a daunting managerial challenge, with many businesses failing to deliver. This module looks at the practices and processes of successful technological innovation management. This module will be of interest to students seeking to develop their own business, or who plan on working in dynamic, technology-driven businesses. Over the duration of the module, five main aspects will be covered: the general aspects of technological innovation, the process of diffusion of innovation, strategies to effectively protect technological innovations, barriers to innovation activity and innovation failure. The focus will be on new and established companies, in addition to firms that have been successful and unsuccessful in the introduction and diffusion of new technological innovations.
This module will be first delivered in 2021/22. How can we provide clean, safe, sustainable energy for the world during the twenty-first century? This module delivers a integral treatise on the fundamental processes and theories underlying the technologies of modern sustainable energy development. The discussion and learning is underpinned by problem solving using the essential theory and engineering analysis. This module provides an overarching introduction to energy resources, energy demand, and technology for sustainable power generation.
This module offers an introduction to the scholarly study of television as an audio-visual medium and cultural practice. By the end of the module you will be familiar with a number of key themes, critical approaches and theoretical debates within television studies, as well as having developed skills in the critical textual analysis of both fictional and factual television programming. The module is primarily concentrated on theories of television as a medium and its specific audio-visual forms, but we will also touch on questions of ideology, circulation and reception. While drawing on some examples from other national contexts, the primary focus of the module is the British and US television landscapes. Similarly, while the module provides some basic knowledge of certain specific histories of the television medium, and may include screenings of some older programmes, the main focus is contemporary television.
Narrative non-fiction is one of the most exciting areas of contemporary writing. After many years of being seen as having lower artistic status than fiction, a hugely diverse range of memoir, autofiction, essay collections, and historical writing has drawn a great deal of popular and critical attention – and has decisively shifted perceptions of writers who don’t work by making things up. The awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Svetlana Alexievich (2015) and Annie Ernaux (2022) is a powerful confirmation of this. Texts such as Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts and Jesmyn Ward’s The Men We Reaped have been hugely influential on writers of both non-fiction and fiction. This module will offer you the chance to explore the world of narrative non-fiction, looking at the ways it is explanatory (often in literary journalism), exploratory (usually in memoir), and sometimes polemic (in personal essays) while at the same time looking at when each of these modes of thought are encompassed across the forms on narrative non-fiction. At the same time, you will learn how to construct a “true” story – a piece of narrative non-fiction – by looking at the fundamental techniques of telling a true story and how it steals from the craft of fiction, using ideas of character, voice and plot in order to bring these stories to life. We will also study how to conduct research (through interviewing, immersion, for eg.) and publish creative non-fiction.
