ARCT40080 Research and Innovation in the Designed Environment II

Academic Year 2021/2022

The course offers a series of small-group thematic seminars. One of these seminars is to be taken in order to explore through readings, fieldwork and presentation the evolution, production, perception, and innovation of the designed environment. Studies will engage with a range of pressures that have moulded the designed environment in the past and demand changes for the future. These may include: the social and cultural, historical, geographical as well as the environmental and technical. The structure of the programme will involve group seminars, assignments, and lectures on research methods and related topics. Over the course of the module each student will develop an initial research proposal into a long essay of c.5,000 words or equivalent output. Participation in the seminars is required.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:1. Establish individual research skills and develop critical thinking as instruments for appraisal and innovation in the culture of architecture and landscape. 2. Have acquired the skills of communication and documentation of research and critical thinking. 3. Attend, participate and engage in class discussions. 4. Develop a research proposal into a fully-referenced 5000-word essay (or equivalent output) incorporating a literature review and a full bibliography.

Indicative Module Content:

- choosing and defining a research topic
- writing and honing a research proposal
- evaluating quality of sources
- referencing and citation
- structuring a long essay (+5000 words)
-compiling a literature review
- compiling an annotated bibliography
- locating and identifying relevant sources
- accessing and using archives

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

3
Seminar (or Webinar)

15
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Total

108
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module cohort will be divided into 2-3 seminar groups, depending on the module size. These overarching groups have intentionally broad themes. There are two main forms of class meetings. Firstly, students will meet with their tutors in weekly seminars to discuss readings and sources on a core theme and to present research material. The individual tutors will choose the readings and direct the groups as they see fit. Secondly, all students will gather together 2/3 times over the semester for lectures that cover research methods and theory. The model's approaches facilitate the acquisition of essential research methods, enabling a greater flexibility of topics and allowing the cross-fertilization of ideas within the module as a whole.
Approaches to teaching and learning may include small group seminar teaching and learning, task-based learning, peer and group work, critical writing, student presentations and lectures. These will vary across the seminar groups. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Research Proposal, Literature Review and Outline Unspecified n/a Graded No

25
Attendance: Attendance, Engagment and Participation in class Unspecified n/a Graded No

25
Essay: A final research essay of 5000 words Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded Yes

50

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive feedback individually on their research proposal, literature review and outline. General feedback will be given during the seminars.

Name Role
Mr Stephen Tierney Tutor