This course will enable students to construct a viable Dissertation proposal with particular attention to the enquiry methodology, methods and instruments and ethical considerations of students' proposed Dissertation studies.

This course is taught entirely online. The course begins in January and ends in May. There will be a total of 15 weeks (12 teaching weeks and three weeks of assignment preparation). There will be four milestone activities during the 12 weeks of teaching.

Students will be expected to be online at least once a week in this core course and to work online and with the online resources for some 90 notional learning hours, to undertake guided independent and groupwork activity for some 68 notional learning hours and to deploy some 42 notional learning hours to assignment preparation with peer and tutor support. 

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This course is summatively assessed by a written assignment equivalent to 4 - 4,500 words in which participants demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, skills and application of the course via a Dissertation Proposal (approx. 1,500 - 2,000 words) and, which will include a critical discussion (approx. 2,000 - 2,500 words) of their proposed methods and how these will be implemented.

This course aims to extend students' knowledge and understanding of the research process in educational enquiry and to apply this knowledge and understanding to their proposed Dissertation studies.

By the end of this course students will be able to: 

■ formulate a Dissertation proposal that identifies an appropriate and viable enquiry methodology, methods and instrument[s]

■ recognize the relationships between research, policy and practice as these pertain to their own proposed enquiry

■ design a Dissertation study using discourse appropriate to their selected form of educational enquiry

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.