Introductory description

Adopting a blended learning approach, the Study, Professional & Analytical (SPA) Skills Module is purposefully designed to meet the complex learning and professional needs of postgraduate students. The module is developed to address the three key requirements in student development i.e. their study, professional and analytical skills. The three forms of skills are embedded within the module material signifying to students the importance and interlinking of the three types of skills. This blended module runs asynchronously and synchronously with the student learning journey providing a programme of carefully designed learning activities, materials, and resources.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

SPA is designed to support student learning and professional needs in the development of research skills. The module is designed to provide students with the required high level of knowledge and skills about research and research methods to enable them to undertake and successfully complete an independent dissertation and original piece of research. In order to achieve this the SPA sessions also cover key transferrable skills required for research as well as to succeed at postgraduate level such as to complete their post-module assignments. This includes critical thinking, academic writing, and academic integrity (including referencing). As the aim of SPA is to also develop student's professional skills, these skills are embedded throughout the module and are constructively aligned with the module content.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Critically evaluate a research problem and draw conclusions from it using literature
• Communicate critical analysis and evaluation of research effectively in verbal and written format
• Select appropriate research design and methodologies for complex problems providing clear rationale for selected approaches
• Analyse ethical issues involved in a research design
• Design a feasible research project to be completed in limited time and resources 

Indicative reading list

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

This module focuses on the development, growth and enhancement of individual analytical and research skills to provide students with the skills and competencies needed to undertake an independent, original piece of research.
In addition, the module materials are also grounded in research and aim to build students' skills to undertake independent research and complete a dissertation. The module has been designed to be underpinned by the principles of scholarship whereby research, teaching and learning are intrinsically linked throughout.

Interdisciplinary

This module is purposefully designed for WMG postgraduate students, irrespective of subject area. SPA is by nature interdisciplinary and is designed to incorporate examples from across the disciplines taught in WMG whilst embodying the intersectionality of everyday professional life. The core teaching team represent a range of different academic backgrounds and disciplines reflective of the interdisciplinarity within WMG. With learning and teaching materials co-designed by colleagues from engineering, science, business and social science backgrounds the module has been carefully designed to be suitable across disciplines to form a broad foundation for successful learning at postgraduate level.

International

The module is designed for a multi-discipline, international cohort. Learning materials and examples are drawn from a range of disciplines, cultures and countries covering the whole range of subjects and disciplines taught in WMG in order to teach specific core and threshold concepts.

Subject specific skills

SPA provides students the opportunity to develop skills needed to successfully undertake their studies and independent research. In recognising the variety in student backgrounds, students will be supported to develop a foundational to advanced level of skill capability depending on their needs. The research skills developed in SPA are supported by students' professional skills development.

Transferable skills

The transferable skills are embedded into the module learning and teaching. Transferable skills which students will acquire in the module include, but are not limited to:
Communication, (including academic writing, referencing, presentations, active listening) Critical thinking, Research Ethics and ethical values, (including academic integrity), Information literacy, (including searching for and evaluating information) and Problem solving.