Module: ENG6000-40 English Project

Credit Value: 40

Module Tutor: Dr Faith Binckes

Module Tutor Contact Details: f.binckes@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

The English Project is the required module for English Single and Major you in year 3. It tests your ability to analyse and synthesise from a range of possible sources, to formulate new ways of reading and judging texts and contexts, and to acknowledge and evaluate existing scholarship and criticism. It also requires you to plan, and execute, a complex piece of work, promoting independent study and research skills. Its content and structure are largely determined by the nature of the subject matter. Some of you will write a formal academic dissertation. Others will construct projects that allow you to extend their knowledge of the subject and enhance their employability by taking their interests out into the world beyond the University. Others take a route somewhere between the two. In all cases, the time frame and contact hours are identical, and the work must be completed and presented with accuracy and polish. After an intensive group Study day, the work is undertaken independently with the guidance of a supervisor, who is also able to negotiate elements of assessment where appropriate. You will complete a Project Plan in the early stages of the module, before submitting the Final Project in a form agreed with your supervisor.

Aims of the module

1. to promote independent study and research skills;

2. to develop skills in dealing with the complexities of self-devised projects;

3. to improve the ability to analyse and synthesize material from a range of possible sources;

4. to advance the aptitude for finding new ways to read and judge texts or contexts;

5. to assess, evaluate, and build upon existing scholarship after in-depth engagement

2. Outline syllabus:

This core module is designed to allow you to move toward, and then work independently on, a topic of your choice with the help of a supervisor or guiding tutor.

You are encouraged to think about possible English Project topics, and are introduced to the module, during sessions in Critical Reading 4 (L5). You then submit a rough proposal during the Vacation between L5 and L6. This is approved by the module co-ordinators, allowing you to read and study independently during the Vacation. At the end of your second year, you will attend a preparatory group Study Day, to allow you to discuss ideas and approaches with one another and with a member of staff.

All students present initial ideas and a research programme to a supervisor/guiding tutor and respond to advice and feedback. The emphasis is always upon guidance, support and advice, as your work must remain your own throughout. The first short assessment - the Project Plan - outlines your topic, aims, scope and intended methodologies. This is assessed on its merits, and does not constitute a binding commitment in all its elements, thus allowing you to develop ideas in different directions if necessary. In the latter part of the module you will present drafts at appropriate intervals and seek to develop your argument, culminating in the submission of the Final Project. You are also encouraged (as you have been throughout the degree) to attend specific study skills workshops, and to take advantage of university-wide resources designed for more advanced research projects. Relevant material is also mounted on Minerva.

3. Teaching and learning activities:

Introductory seminar and lecture (in Critical Reading 4)

Study Day

Tutorial feedback (including on drafts)

Writing and Learning Centre and Library Workshops

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Project Plan (2000 words)

• % Weighting: 20%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Final Project (8000 words or equivalent)

• % Weighting: 80%