PHARM 7522EX - Research Project in Addictions
External - Trimester 3 - 2017
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PHARM 7522EX Course Research Project in Addictions Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences Term Trimester 3 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s External Units 6 Contact Online Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Restrictions Available to M.SciAddictSt, GradCert & GradDip in International Addiction Studies students only Assessment Research report 10,000 words Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Femke Buisman-Pijlman
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
COURSE OBJECTIVES
To develop an ability to plan and carry out secondary data analysis OR a systematic
literature review under supervision.
To examine critically the current scientific literature relating to the chosen topic.
To construct a research question and to understand the pertinent issues concerned with
the research topic.
To select and use appropriate methods to analyse data and present findings.
To critically evaluate the value of the project to the field.
Knowledge
At the conclusion of this course/module, students should be able to demonstrate Master’s level competence in:
1. advanced discussion, analysis and critique of scientific information pertinent to the research topic;
2. understanding and evaluation of research design and implementation;
3. management and organisation of small research projects;
4. report writing; and
5. individual time management.
Skills and Attitudes
You will be expected to develop and/or enhance your:
6. knowledge of the scientific evidence in your chosen area of research;
7. competence in critical evaluation and interpretation of data;
8. academic writing skills; and
9. ability to effectively communicate your intellectual curiosity and knowledge to others through the written word.University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
6 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
1-3,7 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
4,8,9 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
1-5, 7,9 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
1 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
The Master of Science in Addiction Studies Programme curriculum has been designed to be self-contained. You will be provided with the following study aids for each course/module:
- Lectures: Lectures are provided online. Lecture duration varies between 30 and 90 minutes. The lectures outline and exemplify core concepts necessary to grasp the topic. Your readings will expand on material presented in these lectures. Lecture handouts are provided online in PowerPoint pdf files that can be viewed, downloaded or printed out.
- Course Handbook/Syllabus: A course handbook/syllabus is available online for each course. These contain specific information about the course/module including course learning objectives, assessments and course timetable.
- Topic Outlines: Topic outlines are provided online for each study topic and include learning objectives, title of the concept lecture, list of readings and revision questions for each topic. The revision questions are provided at the end of each topic outline and are intended to help you revise the content of the topic. You do not need to provide your answers to us.
- Readings: A series of suggested readings are listed in the Topic Outline. Some of these are essential (i.e., their content may be assessed) and others are optional. Readings may be provided in the VCU library course reserve or online (in the form of pdf files or as links to relevant websites). Additional or further readings are not a compulsory component but are a useful addition to the core content. The online readings include both journal articles and book chapters chosen from a variety of sources, which may also represent a wide range of disciplines necessary for the examination of drug-related issues.
Online Learning
The International Programme in Addiction Studies is delivered entirely online; no campus attendance is required. The programme is available to students from all countries, however, online lectures, assignments and correspondence are in English only. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
STUDY MATERIAL
Each week new material is released that you will work through. Your first focus should be on the Topic outline as this describes what you need to master on a certain topic and what information is available to you. Each study topic is comprised of the following components:
- learning objectives
- revision questions
- concept lecture
- readings
- quiz to test your understanding (not graded)
- discussion forum
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The expected workload for the course is 20-25 hours a week.Learning Activities Summary
The following topics may be used during this course to conduct your research and prepare your research thesis. You will work independently on e.g. a (secondary) data analysis or meta-analysis. You will be supervised by an academic from one of the three universities who is an expert on addictions.
Topic 1: Planning
Topic 2: Setting the scene and defining the question
Topic 3: Exploring methods and data
Topic 4: Confirming methods
Topic 5: Compile and assess your data
Topic 6: Analysis time
Topic 7: More analysis and compilation of results
Topic 8: Writing up your results
Topic 9: Discussion and conclusions
Topic 10: Report writing
Topic 11: Final writing and proof-reading -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome Online Tests Formative Weeks 1-11
Research Project Paper Summative Week 12
100% Assessment Detail
FORMATIVE
Formative assessment tasks are provided in the form of online tests to help you learn and improve your level of understanding of the course material. “Formative” means that the result of the assessment is not included in the calculation of the final mark for the course. In this course, students will be required to provide, at minimum, a draft outline of their introduction by the end of week 4, stating the gaps in the existing research and a first indication of their actual research question.
SUMMATIVE
In this course/module, summative assessment consists of the mark for the final research project alone. Your research project needs to be a minimum of 10,000 words in length, and no longer than 15,000 words. These word counts do not include references and/or appendices. It should demonstrate a scholarly knowledge of the literature, but also engagement with the data you have analysed.Submission
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
You will receive and submit your written assignments electronically via the Assignment section in Blackboard or via email if you are instructed to do so. In each course where written assignments are required, you will receive specific instructions as to the manner in which you will be expected to make assignment submissions.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
As this course is part of a joint degree, the IPAS program handbook holds the most important information. Normal University regulations may not apply as another university will be your host university. -
Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
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