Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

To provide an opportunity for clinicians to explore, via appropriate enquiry approaches or other techniques of advanced scholarship, a topic that is of special interest or particular professional relevance.

Summary:
This module provides the opportunity for students to undertake an independent, self-directed project on a medical education topic of personal interest and relevance, supported by a dissertation supervisor. The end product will be a dissertation that synthesises information to offer a new perspective on the topic of study.

Outline Of Syllabus

Generic content - Designing protocols, writing inquiry goals, acting ethically whilst conducting educational studies, constructing and writing a dissertation.

Specific content - Determined by student and the type of enquiry the student chooses to do for their advanced study.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of this module the student should be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced conceptual understanding of the topic
• Explain and justify the decisions made when designing methods for investigating medical education

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module the student should demonstrate:

• Competence in the use of appropriate procedures for investigation of the topic
• Critical evaluation of research relevant to their dissertation project
• Ability to produce a balanced discussion that contributes to the understanding of the topic
• Critical evaluation of their dissertation project

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The majority of this module is self-directed learning with support from a project supervisor. This approach is appropriate for the level of independence in learning and subject specialisation required by this module.

The online content early in semester one will equip the students with the generic skills that they will require to start their project. The seminar presentations at the end of semester two will give the students experience of presenting their studies to other academics.

Optional present-in-person study day (repeated and recorded online) will be offered. Although this is an online programme, there may be additional opportunities to attend optional on campus events. For any on campus opportunity an online equivalent session will also be offered.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The students initially submit a dissertation research proposal. This is a formative assessment, but students are required to have it approved in order to start data collection for their project. If the proposal is deemed unacceptable, they are able to resubmit it as many times as necessary. Dissertation supervisors are assigned only when the proposal has been approved.

As part of the proposal, students must include evidence of any appropriate governance applications undertaken by that point, which may include university ethical approval, School of Medicine Research Management Group, and any NHS approvals which may be required.

The dissertation will be either a literature-based enquiry, focused on specific research questions that can be answered by critical analysis of-existing literature; or an educational evaluation, focused on investigating an aspect of practice within their work context by setting enquiry goals, collecting data and relating their findings to broader educational framework; or a small-scale empirical research project.

This academic enquiry will demonstrate the student’s ability to design, conduct educational investigations and evaluate his/her own work and its place within current professional knowledge.

General Notes

N/A