Module name: Individual Project

Assessment title: Write up a small individual project.

Module lecturer: Suranga Perera

Assessment type: Individual Report (2800 words)

Weight: 70%

Module aims

The aim of this module is to provide and support students with the necessary skills base for engaging with Foundation Year modules, and to help students identify and develop a range of transferable skills in preparation for studying at degree level. The module aims to develop a reflective approach by helping students identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and plan for their personal, educational and career development.

Indicative Module Content

You will focus upon issues associated with commencing Higher Education with a primary focus upon personal development and employability. This module content will include establishing pre and quashing misconceptions about university life; the staff-student relationship and expectations; the importance of employability within the HE curriculum and engagement with Career Development Services and the CORE.

Learning and Teaching Strategies

Teaching will be primarily through small group seminars, workshops, VLE/e-learning resources, and regular one-to-one tutorials with personal tutors/supervisors.

Our philosophy of learning and teaching, our understanding of teaching for Foundation years and CCCU policies and strategies have all influenced our specific approach to learning and teaching for the Foundation year. Our teaching methods have been developed with explicit attention to debates pertaining to student learning styles. As such, our teaching methods provide a framework via which students develop the capacity to manage their own learning and
evolve, over the course of their studies, into independent learners, acquiring the knowledge, understanding and skills that are essential to learning in Higher Education and to lifelong learning, post-graduation.

Overview of learning and teaching activities on the module

Teaching will be primarily through small group seminars, workshops, VLE/e-learning resources, and regular one-to-one tutorials with personal tutors/supervisors.

No Learning Outcomes

1 Undertake a basic, subject specific literature review relevant to the focus of study.
2 Employ a simple, discipline appropriate methodology for their investigation.
3 Communicate their ideas, arguments and findings clearly using an individual proposal and individual essay.

Description/Guidance

Topic: The module invites you write up a small individual project
Delivery method: Assignment
Type/format: Report (Individual)
Word count: 2800 words
Weight: 70% Marks

The format for your Proposal/Report should contain the following:

• Cover/title page
• Table of content
• Introduction/Background to the research
• Research Aim and Objectives
• Literature Review
• Research Methodology
• Gant chart
• References

Referencing system:

The Business students are required to use Harvard as the standard referencing convention.

Learning Materials/Resources:

Recommended Reading list:

• Anderson, V. (2013), Research Methods in Human Resource Management. 3rd ed., CIPD.
• Blumberg, B., Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (2011), Business Research Methods. 3rd ed., McGraw Hill.
• Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2014), Business Research. 4th ed., Palgrave Macmillan (available online from CCCU Library).
• Reardon, D. (2013), Doing Your Undergraduate Project. Sage.
• Redman, P. (2006), Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. 3rd ed., Sage.
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012), Research Methods for Business Students.
  6th ed., FT Prentice Hall (available online from CCCU Library).
• Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R. (2013), Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building. 6th ed., Wiley.

Journals, magazines & academic articles related and relevant to the subject:

You are expected to keep abreast of current academic theory and the events and issues that involve or affect international logistics. This may be via published and academic journals, newspapers, trade magazines etc.

Websites:

You are expected to keep abreast of news, both specific to international logistics and general news as well as other information published in websites.

Please note that the format and order of this reading list is for illustrative purposes only. Additional sources can also be found in Library services. Students are requested to submit a single alphabetical order bibliography list containing all sources used for each piece of work submitted. For guidelines on the required Harvard referencing style please refer to: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/library/docs/harvard.pdf

Transferable skills

Cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis:

• Effective problem solving and decision making using appropriate quantitative and qualitative skills
• Effective communication, oral and in writing, using a range of media
• Numeracy and quantitative skills including data analysis, interpretation, and extrapolation
• Effective use of Communication and Information Technology (CIT)
• Effective self-management in terms of time, planning and behaviour, motivation
• Learning to learn and developing an appetite for learning; reflective, adaptive, and collaborative learning
• Effective performance within a team environment
• Interpersonal skills of effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation
• Abilities to conduct research into business and management issues, either individually or as part of a team for projects/dissertations/presentations.

Additional information and support

Remember that you MUST read this module handbook in conjunction with:

• The Programme Handbook(s) available on the student administration Blackboard(s) for your Programme(s). This not only provides general information about matters relating to your whole Programme of study but also provides help and guidance on support relating to personal problems that might be affecting your study as well as rules and procedures and links to academic support and careers and employment guidance and opportunities.
• If you are a Combined Honours student i.e., taking modules from different programmes/departments, you must look at handbooks for both halves of your degree; similarly, students taking a module that is delivered by a Programme other than their own.