| Unit name | Dissertation in Physics for Joint Honours |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS30043 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Carrington |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Core physics at levels 4 and 5, physics laboratory units at level 4 and 5. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is an opportunity to put all of your physics knowledge to bear on a singular problem in research. It is your opportunity to validate your development as a physicist and to feel part of the wider Physics community.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
A significant proportion of all that you have done in the course of your studies will be relevant to your pursuit of the defined research problem; your technical laboratory skill, your coding skills, your ability to search for and to find appropriate literature and data to support your research findings are all clear skills which will be applied. You will also have studied a relevant topic area which is readily applied in your research context, however the reasoning skills and the physics intuition you have developed through the study of all other units in your programme are also relevant.
An overview of content
You will be assigned a project, which as far as possible, reflects your preferences submitted as part of the project allocation process. Normally, projects are done in pairs. Some projects are however, suitable for single students working alone. The project is student led and at the end of the work you will write a substantive report detailing the project, how it was approached, and the results obtained. The project may involve practical experimental, theoretical or computational work, or may involve an original literature-based study of a research area.
As there are no defined ‘hours of work’ for a project, please note the University Workload Statement; this 20cp unit should equate to around 200 hours of work to complete (from start of work to the end of assessment).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
The project is a substantial exercise in which you will learn and demonstrate initiative and independence, bringing your diversity of knowledge and skills to bear on a particular topic. You will gain insight into tackling real problems rather than simply assimilating knowledge, and you will have an opportunity to realise your place in Physics, recognising the application of your skills in an appropriate context.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
Throughout the project students will be directed by their academic supervisor and will also receive advice and feedback from a named assessor. The quantity and nature of contact with the supervisor will vary depending on the nature of the project. However, students would be expected to meet with their supervisor at least weekly.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Throughout the project you will be directed by your academic supervisor and will also receive advice and feedback from a named assessor. The quantity and nature of contact will vary depending on the nature of the project, however you are expected to meet with your supervisor at least weekly. You should expect to gain feedback for example, on your experimental design, the results obtained, and your record keeping. Your feedback will be self-directed; if there are areas in which you feel you need feedback, you should discuss this with your supervisor.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Assessment is through a dissertation report of about 4,000 words together with an evaluation of the laboratory notebook which you have kept throughout your project. There is also a viva-voce (30 mins) which will give the opportunity for the assessors to ask question about your project and report. This covers all learning outcomes.
The mark will be split into the following headings
Research Output (60%). This will assess the quality and quantity of the research outputs produced during your project. It will take into account your approach to the project, decisions taken during the project, analysis of results and understanding of the science. It will be assessed by drawing evidence from your final report (see below), laboratory notebook and the viva-voce examination. Assessment will be made jointly by your supervisor and an independent assessor.
Final Report (40%). Your final report (4,000 words) will outline the aims of the project and its context in terms of the scientific background, the methods used to conduct the investigation, the result and their analysis and final discussion of the conclusions which can be drawn from your research. The assessment of the final report will not take into account the quality of the research outputs obtained in the project but rather your ability to report and explain the results, put them into context, and draw conclusions from them. Assessment will be made jointly by your supervisor and an independent assessor.
When assessment does not go to plan:
If you do not pass the unit, you will usually be offered reassessment where permitted by the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. The reassessment may not be in the same form as the original assessment but will test the same learning outcomes.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHYS30043).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
