Module LAW3910 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3910: Psychology and Law Research Project
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of the Psychology and Law Research Project is to give you the opportunity to work in a research environment and to draw on your experiences in this research environment to develop and complete a research project. This is different from a traditional doctrinal dissertation that is closely linked to the study of specific legal rules and / or principles. The aims of the project are to enable you to develop individual independent research skills, to obtain a good knowledge of the issues pertaining to your placement or experience, to develop your abilities to explore legal and/or socio-legal issues in-depth and to present legal/socio-legal arguments and opinions in relation to your chosen area of law/socio-legal study through fieldwork or other relevant study.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the issues which form the basis of the research project subject matter; 2. demonstrate an ability to reflect on your learning from the psychology and law lab; 3. demonstrate an ability to apply skills and knowledge of the law in a research environment; 4. handle and analyse legal and/ or socio-legal research data and materials. |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. demonstrate the ability to conduct effective research and to critically evaluate your internship experience 6. demonstrate knowledge of legal concepts; provide detailed knowledge of the academic background to your experiential learning. |
Personal and Key Skills | 7. organise independent study; 8. demonstrate an ability to research; 9. digest and organise relevant materials and use these cumulatively in the preparation and presentation of a research paper. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics.
In term 1, you will undertake an internship in a psychology and law research lab in the University of Exeter Law School. As part of this internship you will receive training in research methods, applying psychological theory and research to the law, and basic data analyses. You will be involved in a current project in the lab and will be actively involved in research work, including data collection and analysis.
In term 2, you will continue to work in the lab and will draw on your experience in order to develop and complete your own research project with support from the lab director. You will receive training in the choice of research project topic and dissertation skills. You will work on your own project throughout term 2, culminating in the production of a research report and research poster.
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 |
---|---|---|
10 | 290 | 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 | 5 | 2 x 2.5-hour introductory seminars on psychology and law research, with a focus on research methods and general protocols for working with data, e.g. ethics. |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 2 | Introductory lecture on choosing a research topic and research skills. |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 3 | Regular tutorials to guide and monitor the student's progress and offer appropriate supervisory advice where deemed necessary. |
Guided Independent study | 290 | Work in the research lab, and developing and completing own project. To typically include: independent research and literature review (80 hours); research project design and piloting (40 hours); data collection (80 hours); and data analysis, interpretation, and communication with practitioner partners (90 hours). |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology briefing on Improving Witness Testimony: https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/POST-PN-0607#fullreport
- Fair Trials International, The Disappearing Trial: https://www.fairtrials.org/publication/disappearing-trial-report
- Psychology and Law Resources: https://sites.google.com/site/teachpsychlaw/
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Research reflection paper on term 1 work (to include introduction, methods, results, and discussion section). | 1500 words | 1-9 | Individual written and oral feedback |
Research plan | 1000 words | 1-4,7-9 | Individual written and oral feedback |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Research project report | 75 | 4000 words | 1-9 | Written feedback |
Research poster | 25 | 1000 words equivalent | 1-4,7-9 | Written feedback |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Research project report | Research project report (4000 words) | 1-9 | August/September Reassessment Period |
Research poster | Research poster (1000 words equivalent) | 1-4,7-9 | August/September Reassessment Period |