EDUC 1013PA - University Research

Port Augusta - Semester 2 - 2014

This course is the second core course of the University Preparatory Program, and can be considered the capstone course of the Program in that it gives students a final preparation for their degree studies. It is also available for students who already have entry into their degree program or have started it, as it builds their capacity to undertake secondary research in a variety of disciplines. This course revolves around a single major research project which draws in all the facets of research activity at the University of Adelaide. Students will build on their skills in critical analysis, note-taking and the systematic collection and analysis of data in the form of scholarly written sources. They will conduct a solo guided enquiry with assignments which build incrementally towards a major research essay in response to a partly self-defined research question.

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Course Details

Course Code	EDUC 1013PA
Course	University Research
Coordinating Unit	School of Education
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Port Augusta
Units	3
Contact	Up to 36 hours
Assumed Knowledge	Students should have completed EDUC 1008PA University Culture prior to enrolling in this course.
Restrictions	This class is only open for students in the University Preparatory Program or Wilto Yerlo Preparatory Program.
Assessment	Research activity portfolio; Essay plan; Draft paragraphs; Major research essay

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Chad Habel

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

Approach a major research area by exploring its explicit and implicit aspects, and by developing secondary research questions;
Identify a series of keywords to form a basis for research, and develop broader and narrower search terms in case of insufficient findings;
Effectively use the University Library, with a focus on electronic databases, to find sources which inform an approach to the broad area of research;
Use Firefox as an alternative browser to Internet Explorer, as well as Zotero or an alternative bibliographic management tool for collecting reference information
Read and critically analyse a large number of sources for credibility, reliability and relevance to the research question;
Develop a thesis argument comprised of a claim linked to evidence, and organise this argument using a plan or outline;
Compose an effective introduction and conclusion for an essay, as well as body paragraphs that fully develop a main point using evidence;
Complete a major Research Essay from conception to communication with a systematic and structured strategy for the process of research;
Assess thier own work and that of other students, and provide appropriately constructive feedback on how to develop each stage of the research process.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	2, 3, 5, 6, 8
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	1, 6
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	9
A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies.	3, 4
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	1, 8

Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

No information currently available.

Workload

No information currently available.

Learning Activities Summary

No information currently available.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

No information currently available.

Assessment Detail

No information currently available.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
This course (and the UPP itself) is still quite new, and so there is not a lot of long-term data on which to base evaluations. However, SELTs so far have shown broad agreement with most of the important points. Open-ended responses have been very useful and deserve some comment, as
follows:
- All students commented that they would recommend the course to other students, indicating a perception of value;
- Some comments indicated that the expectations regarding assignments could be made clearer earlier on; this has been responded to in the Course Profile for “University Research” with much more detail on assignments, and rubrics to be made available on MyUni;
- Some general comments and anecdotal feedback indicate that some people would prefer more groupwork, and more time in class to work on assignments due to conflicting priorities in life. There are several aspects of a response to this:
  
  Time to actually work on assignments in class is unlikely to be expanded; this is because much of the workload for University courses in general is comprised of independent study time (the statement on workload is available in course profiles to clarify this). In regular University courses no class time at all is given to working on assignments and it is expected that this will all be done independently; therefore the UPP will reflect this.
  
  Having said this, we acknowledge that it is important to allow time for discussion of assessment requirements and questions to be answered in a face-to-face setting. This will be established at the beginning of the course and time given to it several (2-3) weeks before each assignment is due.
- Groupwork certainly is important for learning, and although “University Research” has no groupwork component itself, lots of opportunities for collaborative learning will be built in. In particular, feedback has suggested the value of critical discussionof journal articles, and there will be multiple opportunities for peer review and feedback on major assignments.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator