Developing Academic and Research Skills module (NB30145)

This module is designed to support you in developing your academic and research skills. It will inspire you to refine your way of thinking and become an independent learner who thinks creatively and innovatively to solve problems using evidence-based approaches.

The module will guide you through producing an academic piece of writing to foster core skills development, including academic skills, digital literacy, research, and critical understanding.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn how to support writing with appropriate evidence
• learn how to construct an academic essay
• refine your literature searching skills
• learn how to determine the reliability and validity of evidence sources to support practice
• refine your critical thinking and decision-making skills
• learn how to use social media as a communication platform
• share your skills and experience through written communication and e-technology
• develop a critical understanding of healthcare research and the research process
• learn about introductory qualitative and quantitative research processes and methods, including methods of data collection
• learn how to make sense of data
• gain critical appraisal skills and learn to make use of critical appraisal tools
• learn about research terminology
• learn about research governance
• explore health care research topics in practice
• learn about dissemination and implementation of research findings

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

• critically explore research methods and their use in the research process
• critically appraise research evidence
• apply research evidence to health care practice
• demonstrate the ability to search for literature
• demonstrate ability to make sense of data
• demonstrate decision making skills
• solve problems and develop creative solutions
• articulate an effective and literate argument
• use evidence accurately to support academic writing
• use alternative forms of technology to communicate effectively

Assignments / assessment

• two-part assignment 3,000 words (100%)
  • part one: annotated bibliography (30%)
  • part two: in-depth exploration of a data collection method (70%)
  • both parts are assessed and submitted together and one grade is awarded overall

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

• online face-to-face lectures
• guided independent study
• individual lecturer support where required