To provide an introduction to UK academic practice, standards and expectations for Master's level students;

To enable the student to complete a comparative study of a recordkeeping process or activity which is common to both their home country and the UK;

To develop the student's ability to undertake research in professional practice through the selection of an appropriate topic;  

To develop the student's appreciation of the extent to which national / cultural norms affect the development of professional practice in specific (national) environments.  

(LO1) Improved personal skills, including time management, planning and organisational skills, formulating relevant questions, problem-solving and decision-making

(LO2) Appropriate understanding of the academic requirements of study at the level of the module, including appropriate use of academic apparatus

(LO3) An improved ability to interrogate the relationship between theory and practice, including the ability to apply subject knowledge, skills and understanding critically and effectively to real-world situations

(LO4) An improved understanding of relevant research methods and their application and utility for purposes relevant to the scope of the module

(LO5) An improved ability to describe, contextualise and offer explanations for the complexity and diversity of events, practices and mentalities in areas relevant to the module

(LO6) Improved understanding of record-keeping systems and processes relevant to the module and assessment of their value in supporting stakeholder needs

(S1) Improving own learning/performance - Reflective practice

(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills)

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Problem identification

(S4) Information skills - Information accessing:[Locating relevant information] [Identifying and evaluating information sources]

(S5) Global citizenship - Cultural awareness

(S6) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

Depending on the size of the class, the module contact hours provide an extended tutorial discussion for students unfamiliar with UK academic practice. Students explore aspects of recordkeeping, typically those with which they are familiar with from their home country, from a comparative perspective, either in comparison with UK practice only, or, in a larger group, from a number of national or cultural environments.
Discussion of the nature and availability of data allow students to assess the feasibility of academic study of the topic; Discussion of the topic from a comparative perspective introduces the student to different (professional) methodologies and encourages evaluation of the exent to which those might be appropriately applied in / be relevant to, the home environment. Introduction to module, nature of assessment, role of assessment; The value of comparison; nature and characteristics of comparative methodologies; Different but the same? Thematic analysis; Sele cting a topic: What’s the question? Feasibility: Where are the resources?

Tutorial:
Individual or small group tutorials.
The module is for international students only. Small group teaching provides a secure environment for introducing aspects of UK academic practice. The focus is on the processes required to complete a dissertation within the UK context; tutorials cover generic identification of research topics / research design and feasibility and good academic practice more generally. The topics are discussed in the context of preparing for the assessment - a comparative study of UK / home country practice and the exercise helps prepare the student for the Master's dissertation preparation in semester two. Feedback from the the short essay assignment (30%) in week six prepares the student for the final assessment at the end of semester one.

The majority of teaching will be delivered face-to-face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.