Module LAW3047A for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3047A: Comparative Law Dissertation
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of the Comparative Dissertation module is to give you the opportunity to develop further your independent research and argumentation skills, and to acquire knowledge on a discrete set of legal issues chosen by you. The module also aims to encourage and inspire you to engage critically with legal research and scholarship on a specific research question. It further aims to give you the opportunity to engage in comparative work, namely to identify, collect, and process research materials from the jurisdiction of England and Wales as compared with the study abroad jurisdiction in which you have spent your third year. It provides particularly good practice in carrying out and presenting legal research if you are considering post-graduate degrees.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Identify, define and construct a critical analysis of a discrete research topic in Law from a comparative perspective and using comparative methodology; 2. Identify and define key research questions and hypotheses about the chosen comparative research topic; 3. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the selected legal issues acquired through independent research and stufy; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Demonstrate ability to integrate and assess information from a comprehensive range of relevant legal materials; 5. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of a range of complex legal issues and their contextual implications, where relevant; 6. Evaluate critically the materials considered and used for the Dissertation; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Demonstrate ability to plan and undertake tasks efficiently, to reflect critically on the learning process and to make effective use of feedback from the supervision process; 8. Demonstrate ability to work independently, to manage time efficiently and meet strict deadlines; 9. Develop and structure an argument over a sustained piece of writing and in an effective manner; |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
You MUST define your dissertation title at the end of your third year and fill in the form that is sent to you by email. You are expected to use the summer months to do some background reading, but no written work is expected of you. No supervision takes place over the summer.
You are expected to confirm your (revised and refined) title at the start of term 1 of your final year. The allocation of supervisors is confirmed by the module convenor at the start of term.
This module is essentially facilitated through individual supervision, which is expected to take place regularly throughout terms 1 and 2 following a schedule discussed and agreed between you (the supervisee) and your supervisor.
As this is a Comparative Dissertation, your topic and research must involve a comparative dimension and comparative methodology.
In addition, three one-hour sessions will provide you with general support and guidance, including in relation to the above comparative dimensions.
A room is booked every fortnight for all students registered on this module to meet and discuss their research and progress during the term - you are strongly encouraged to participate in these research discussion meetings.
ELE is used to provide you with materials and to enable the module convenor to communicate with you throughout the duration of the module.
You will have to keep a 'learning log' to reflect on your research as it progresses. This is a formative part of the module (ie non-assessed) and you are encouraged to write regular entries in your journal each week to monitor and reflect on how your research is developing. As a rough guide you may wish to write one page of reflective notes per week. You and your supervisor may wish to discuss this during supervision meetings.
NOTE: If you think that as part of your research you will need to carry out interviews, issue questionnaries or undertake any other form of interaction with people, you MUST discuss this with your supervisor with regard to research ethics. Any such research may only go ahead with express approval from the module convenor.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 291 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 6 | Individual Supervision meetings - length and frequency to be agreed with supervisor but a minimum of approx. 3 hours of contact are expected each term. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 3 | Three 1 hour group training sessions on research preparation, skills and legal academic writing |
| Guided Independent study | 291 | Guided independent study - the precise nature of individual independent research, drafting and writing up will vary according to your research paper and your needs, but as an indicative guide this work may include:- learning log (12 hours); attending and participating in student research discussion meetings (12 hours); identifying and locating research materials (20 hours); carrying out research, reading and taking notes (123 hours); drafting and writing up (124 hours) |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
There will one joint ELE page with Dissertation LAW3047
Other Learning Resources
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Log | Approx 6 hours per term/ one page per week | 1-2, 4, 6-9 | You may discuss with your supervisor specific issues arising in your research and noted in your log; peer feedback available through research discussion meetings. |
| Draft chapters submitted to supervisor following agreement between you and your supervisor | 1-9 | Individual oral and/ or written feedback from supervisor during supervision meetings |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Dissertation | 100 | 12,000 words | 1-9 | Feedback sheet and (if needed) individual meeting with supervisor |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Dissertation | Comparative Dissertation | 1-9 | August / September re-assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
It is expected that students who fail their dissertation will have to re-submit it on the same topic to reflect on and learn from the feedback they will have received on the dissertation originally submitted. Any derogation from this will have to be discussed with and approved by the module convenor.
