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ED3537: EMPLOYER-LED INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT (2023-2024)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:43


Course Overview

This course involves students working together in a small group to undertake a consultancy-style project hosted by a micro-business, organisation, or charity. It exposes students to real-world tasks, enabling them to apply their transferable skills, for example project management, problem-solving, communication and leadership, in different contexts. The combination of on-campus employability workshops with project-based learning offers students an opportunity to engage with authentic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning to develop key workplace skills.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Stuart Durkin

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme
  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course involves students working together in a small group to undertake a consultancy-style project hosted by a micro-business, organisation, or charity. It exposes students to real-world tasks, enabling them to apply their transferable skills, for example project management, problem-solving, communication and time management, in different contexts. It also involves students participating in a range of workshops to develop their employability skills. Workshop topics include, consultancy skills and creative problem solving, using social media for research, communication & professional networking and effective teamworking skills.

An initial meeting at the start of the course, enables each project group to meet their host organisation in order to clarify the project aims and to initiate project planning. Each group also meets regularly with their host virtually to discuss their progress and next steps during the project period. By working in partnership with a range of external organisations and employers to develop the course content, this innovative course enables students to develop their awareness of key project management skills and core competencies sought by employers, such as innovation, commercial awareness, and digital literacy. Wider benefits for students undertaking the course include the opportunity to:

  • Link academic study and theory to address real world problems.
  • Help students understand how effective teams operate.
  • Raise self-confidence and developing students’ transferable skills and attributes.
  • Encourage reflective learning and self-development.
  • Enhance personal development and future career paths.
  • Network with individuals beyond the University.

Together this combination of on-campus workshops with project-based learning offers students an opportunity to engage with authentic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning –all crucial for success in the modern workplace.

The course also enables students to engage with career development activities and to build their confidence through collaborating with external organisations. During the course, students experience the issues that surround project work, including the pressures of working to a deadline and the challenges of working with a group of colleagues towards a common aim. A unique and key part of the course is the opportunity for students to reflect upon their own strengths and areas for development through a range of formative and summative assessments. These assessments help to build students’ self-awareness of their knowledge, experience, and competences and how to articulate these to future employers or postgraduate recruiters. At regular intervals in the course students also reflect on their achievements and set goals, to enable them to explore opportunities and to understand their own skills, attributes, and experience, which can help to boost their employability.

Overall, this award-winning course is designed to help students engage in career development learning, boost their self-confidence, and build their business acumen. Previous students have commented that this employability-focused course has been extremely beneficial to enhance their CV, provide work experience, and support their career thinking at this critical stage in their studies.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Report: Individual

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks 39 Feedback Weeks 41

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Feedback

Individual reflective report.

Written feedback from academic markers.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ProceduralApplyApply the key principles of interdisciplinary project management and working collaboratively to complete a project.
ProceduralUnderstandUnderstand the time and resources required to plan effectively a team project hosted by a start-business, SME, or charity.
ReflectionCreateCreate high quality communications, both verbal and written to convey learning and skills development from a research project.
ReflectionEvaluateEvaluate own strengths and areas of development from a consultancy-style team project.

Oral Presentation: Group

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 35 Feedback Weeks 38

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Feedback

Recorded 10-minute presentation.

Written feedback from academic markers.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ReflectionCreateCreate high quality communications, both verbal and written to convey learning and skills development from a research project.
ReflectionEvaluateEvaluate own strengths and areas of development from a consultancy-style team project.

Individual Personal Development Letter

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks 40 Feedback Weeks 42

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Feedback

Individual personal development letter to outline the impact of the course on short-term and long-term career aspirations.

Written feedback from teaching team.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ReflectionCreateCreate high quality communications, both verbal and written to convey learning and skills development from a research project.
ReflectionEvaluateEvaluate own strengths and areas of development from a consultancy-style team project.

Formative Assessment

Group progress report

Assessment Type Formative Weighting
Assessment Weeks 29 Feedback Weeks 30

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Feedback

A short group summary of project plans, progress and any problems encountered.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ProceduralAnalyseAnalyse relevant research literature and articles for an interdisciplinary project inquiry.
ProceduralApplyApply the key principles of interdisciplinary project management and working collaboratively to complete a project.
ProceduralUnderstandUnderstand the time and resources required to plan effectively a team project hosted by a start-business, SME, or charity.

Oral Presentation: Group

Assessment Type Formative Weighting
Assessment Weeks 32 Feedback Weeks 33

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Feedback

Oral Presentation: Group (10 mins).

Practice group video presentation to build student confidence.

Students will receive oral feedback from their host organisation and peer written feedback. Both will identify presentation strengths and development areas prior to the summative group presentation

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ReflectionCreateCreate high quality communications, both verbal and written to convey learning and skills development from a research project.
ReflectionEvaluateEvaluate own strengths and areas of development from a consultancy-style team project.

Discussion Board Post

Assessment Type Formative Weighting
Assessment Weeks 26 Feedback Weeks 26

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Feedback

At the start of the course introduce yourself and your reasons for undertaking the course via an individual discussion board post.

Peers and staff will provide comments on the student posts.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ProceduralUnderstandUnderstand the time and resources required to plan effectively a team project hosted by a start-business, SME, or charity.

Resit Assessments

Report: Individual

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 80
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Individual Reflective Report

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Personal Development Letter

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ProceduralApplyApply the key principles of interdisciplinary project management and working collaboratively to complete a project.
ProceduralAnalyseAnalyse relevant research literature and articles for an interdisciplinary project inquiry.
ReflectionCreateCreate high quality communications, both verbal and written to convey learning and skills development from a research project.
ReflectionEvaluateEvaluate own strengths and areas of development from a consultancy-style team project.
ProceduralUnderstandUnderstand the time and resources required to plan effectively a team project hosted by a start-business, SME, or charity.

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