SECTION A: Basic Information

❑    Brief Introduction to the Module

The Final Year Project (FYP) allows students to independently develop, design and conduct a research project on a topic that interests them personally, while receiving expert supervision from a staff member in Communication Studies.

The FYP offers students the opportunity to develop skills attractive to employers and vital for postgraduate studies. A successful FYP provides evidence that students can work independently and commit to a project from conception to completion over the   course of an academic year.

The FYP is the most demanding and rewarding piece of academic work students will produce during the undergraduate degree.

❑    Key Module Information

Module name: Final Year Project: Communication Studies

Module code: COM305

Credit value: 10

Semester in which the module is taught: 1 and 2

Pre-requisites needed for the module: N/A

Programmes on which the module is shared:

.     BA Media and Communication Studies

.     BA English and Communication Studies

❑    Delivery Schedule

Lecture room: ES101

Lecture/Tutorial time: 14:00-16:00 on Mondays

❑    Module Leader and Contact Details

Name: Qingning Wang

Email address: [email protected]

Office telephone number: +86 (512) 85186445

Room number and office hours: HS306, Wednesday 11:00-13:00

Preferred means of contact: email

❑   Additional Teaching Staff and Contact Details

You should also communicate with your supervisors.

SECTION B: What you can expect from the module

❑    Educational Aims of the Module

The aims of this module are to:

A.  enable students to carry out and write up a piece of independent research in Communication Studies on a topic that interests them;

B.  extend students’ knowledge, skills and critical understanding to evidence their capacity for independent thinking;

C.  develop a range of transferrable research skills including the ability to

organize time and resources effectively, as well as communicate with their peers and supervisor.

❑    Learning Outcomes

Students completing the module successfully should be able to:

A.  demonstrate an ability to think independently in the context of research questions they set for themselves;

B.  critically appraise and make use of relevant literature as they work through

their research questions, including appropriate academic referencing, in order to produce a clear, coherent and sustained argument;

C.  synthesise and apply relevant theoretical constructs and appropriate research methodology to an original piece of research;

D.  clearly structure and produce a substantial piece of writing as appropriate to an original piece of research.

❑   Assessment Details

There will be two assessments: one in Semester 1 and one in Semester 2.

Assessment One is a Research Proposal. It counts for 20% of the final mark. For    this assessment students will submit a 2,000 (+/- 10%) words proposal containing the following sections:

1.   Introduction, ending with the research question(s);

2.   Initial literature review;

3.   Methodology proposal;

4.   References (not included in word count).

Assessment Two is the final Dissertation. It counts for 80% of the final mark. The dissertation consists of 10,000 (+/- 10%) words. The Dissertation contains the

following parts, with each beginning on a new page:

1.   Title page;

2.   Dedications (if any);

3.  Abstract in English;

4.  Abstract in Chinese;

5.   Table of Contents;

6.   Introduction;

7.   Literature Review;

8.   Methodology;

9.   Findings and Analysis;

10. Conclusion;

11. References (not included in word count).

❑    Methods of Learning and Teaching

Students will identify a research topic and write a short research proposal. They will    then outline the proposal formally, conduct independent research, present their data   and initial analysis in writing and orally, and write a final dissertation. The emphasis in the teaching will be on helping the student conduct original, independent research

through interaction with the supervisor, lectures and workshops.

❑    Syllabus & Teaching Plan

Semester 1

Semester 2 (TBC)

❑    Reading Materials

Required (Essential) Textbook:

None

Optional Textbook:

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (multilingual version) 习近平谈治国理政

Berger, A. A. (2011). Media and communication research methods. London: Sage.

SECTION C: Additional Information

❑    Student Feedback

Student feedback is important to enhance teaching quality and improve

students’ learning experience. Students are welcome to raise their feedback at different stages of the semester. To have your feedback more effectively   and efficiently responded, please follow the instructions below when you

make your first contact.

·     For individual questions regarding this module, please directly contact me as your module Leader via email.

·     For questions regarding modules of the programme, please contact your Module Leader and Programme Director yanning.Huan[email protected]

·     For feedback addressing general issues of the programme and/or student learning experiences, please contact your Academic Advisor and the

School Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) via the student representatives of SSLC.

·     For other feedback, please contact the Head of the Department: ([email protected], or your Academic Advisor.

The University is keen to require student feedback to make improvements for each module in every session. It is university policy that the preferred way of  achieving this is by means of an Online Module Evaluation Questionnaire

Survey. Students will be invited to complete the questionnaire survey for this module at the end of the semester.

❑ Attendance

The University expects students to attend all timetabled learning sessions associated with this module, and to engage with the relevant learning and support resources. Student attendance will be recorded using the Attendance Management System (AMS). Please follow your teacher’s instructions for recording your attendance at each  session.  Students  are   responsible  for  managing  their  attendance,  and should take prompt action to inform the Module Leader in case circumstances beyond their control affect their class attendance. You are advised to read the University’s “Student Attendance Policy” for more information.

❑ Rules of Submission for Assessed Coursework

The  University  has  detailed  rules  and  procedures  governing  the  submission  of assessed coursework. You need to be familiar with the rules and procedures as detailed in the University’s “Code of Practice for Assessment” .

❑ Late Submission of Assessed Coursework

The University attaches penalties to the late submission of assessed coursework. You need to be familiar with the rules as detailed in the  University’s “Code of Practice for Assessment” .

❑ Mitigating Circumstances

The University is able to take into account mitigating circumstances, such as illness

or personal circumstances, that may have adversely affected student performance on a module. Students who believe that their performance on an examination or item  of  assessed  coursework   may  have  been  impaired  by  illness  or  other exceptional circumstances should follow the procedures set out in the University’s “Mitigating Circumstances Policy”. Such students are also advised to contact their Development Advisor for further guidance and support.