PSYCHOL 4300A - Honours Thesis in Psychology Part 1

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

This component involves a series of tasks necessarily for the preparation of the Honours thesis, including the selection of a topic and supervisor, preparation of a research proposal, ethics proposal, seminar presentation and various other independent tasks. Students will be expected to attend a series of seminars relevant to Honours research.

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Course Details

Course Code	PSYCHOL 4300A
Course	Honours Thesis in Psychology Part 1
Coordinating Unit	Psychology
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Contact	12 x 2 hour Seminars
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
Corequisites	PSYCHOL 4201
Assumed Knowledge	PSYCHOL 3020 or equivalent
Restrictions	Available to Honours BPsychSc (Hons) students only
Assessment	Research proposal; ethics application; oral presentation

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Carolyn Semmler

Honours thesis coordinator: Dr Carolyn Semmler

email: carolyn.semmler@adelaide.edu.au

School of Psychology Office: psychologyoffice@adelaide.edu.au; ph +61 8313 5693

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrated original and useful contribution to psychological knowledge;

2. Mastery of the content psychology areas across the discipline

3. Ability to develop clear arguments that justify the research aims and cogently discuss the extent to which the aims have been borne out in the findings of the research thesis;

4. Deep understanding of sound research methodology in psychology

5. The ability to apply appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis; and

6. A critical awareness of the implications of the findings as well as the strengths and limitations of the research thesis.

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)	1,2,3,4,5 & 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	1,2,3,4,5,& 6
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	5,4,3,& 2
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	2
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	2
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	5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The required resources in Honours are defined by supervisors of the research thesis.

Students will be introduced to key resources required to complete their research thesis within the school including;

Test Library
Research Participation Pool
Ethics Committee and Sub-Committee
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The thesis represents an independently directed piece of research conducted under expert supervision. It is expected that students will meet with supervisors on a regular basis and will attend seminars held during semester.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Details will be made available on MyUni.

Learning Activities Summary

The seminar series provides an opportunity for us to address a number of issues specific to the honours year. Thus, the initial seminars in Semester 1 will include:

·       discussion of assessment procedures

·       issues and procedures pertaining to ethics applications

·       use of computers in the School and access to statistical advice

·       managing stress and mental health during honours

·       use of the School research participation pool

·       use of library facilities

·       writing an honours thesis

·       tips on how to present a talk

In the second half of Semester 1 each student will present their research proposal to the rest of the class and invited academics.
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary

Assessment for the thesis component is outlined in Honours Thesis in Psychology Part 2

Assessment Detail

Assessment detail on the thesis is provided in the Honours Psychology Handbook and in Honours Thesis in Psychology Part 2

Submission

Details will be made available on MyUni.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

NOG (No Grade Associated)

Grade Description

CN Continuing

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 Access Adelaide.
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.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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’s disciplinary procedures.

NOG (No Grade Associated)
Grade	Description
CN	Continuing

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator