Alternative Futures Part 1 module (DJ32004)

This module is one from a choice of three 'Alternative Futures' modules you will undertake at Level 3. The research you do in this module builds your knowledge to take into the Level 4 dissertation module DJ41001: Research & Creative Practice 2.

Research & Creative Practice 1 aims at empowering you as a designer, through building and enhancing your academic research skills.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• develop your knowledge and understanding of key contextual issues in design and creative practice
• learn to work as part of a group, managing your time, workload, and group expectations
• hone your skills in literature searching, critical reading and analysis, writing, and communication

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• plan a group research task, manage the task effectively, and communicate the findings clearly to your tutors and peers
• share the key research ideas with your peers and reflect on the relevance to creative practice(s) today
• engage meaningfully with academic and other research materials, and understand what it means to be critical
• write in a structured way about your chosen research topic/question, using appropriate academic language and conventions
• write up a proposal for extending or expanding your research in Level 4

Assignments / assessment

• Group Assignment 25%
  • includes a presentation, submission of presentation slides and research materials, and peer feedback & self-reflection
  • undertaken during weeks 1-5
  • presentation and submission of slides/peer feedback & self-reflection due in Week 5
• Literature Review 50%
  • 2,000-2,500 words, plus reference list (Harvard Referencing conventions)
  • undertaken during weeks 6-11
  • submission in Week 11
• Dissertation Project Proposal 25%
  • including a suggested timeline of research for Level 4
  • undertaken during weeks 6-11
  • submission in Week 11 as part of the Literature Review document

This module is 100% coursework and does not have a final exam

Teaching methods / timetable

Teaching takes place in Semester 2 and includes a mix of:

• lectures from module staff and other speakers (these are mainly in person, although some may be online depending on speaker availability)
• library searching and academic skills workshops (some sessions are 'Super' sessions including students from all three 'Alternative Futures' modules)
• group seminars
• individual tutorials (optional)
• informal writing sessions (optional)
• group assessment will be in-person where possible, so all students can engage with and ask questions of their peers' projects