Unit information: Independent Study in 2022/23

Unit name	Independent Study
Unit code	SPOLM0012
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Demi Patsios
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

This unit will cover the core materials and ideas within any of the optional units offered within the MSc in Disability Studies: Inclusive Theory and Research. The aim is to achieve skills and understanding in the particular unit topic, and to pursue independent, guided study in order to achieve the unit learning outcomes.

Your learning on this unit

On completion of this unit, students will be able to:

• Explain and explore the social model of disability
• Identify the key debates and issues relating to citizenship for disabled people, and/or personalisation
• Analyse and explain the benefits of disabled people participating in matters concerning their own education, social care or policy.
• Use research evidence in assessing and evaluating aspects of the life experiences of disabled people, or disabled children within the education system.

How you will learn

The core method will be distance learning; materials and tasks for a chosen optional unit will be made available to the student via Blackboard. Independent study will be supplemented by at least 3 hours of tutorial time, split into two sessions. This will include, as necessary, contact with members of the co-tutors' group.

How you will be assessed

Summative assessment: 4000 word essay (100%), relating to the content of one of the optional units in the programme, in which students will be expected to demonstrate that they can:

• Explain and explore the social model of disability
• Identify the key debates and issues relating to citizenship for disabled people, and/or personalisation
• Analyse and explain the benefits of disabled people participating in matters concerning their own education, social care or policy.
• Use research evidence in assessing and evaluating aspects of the life experiences of disabled people, or disabled children within the education system.

Students will have a choice of two alternative approaches to the assignment:

• Review the research literature about the topic they have chosen, and write a critical review, giving evidence of the learning outcomes above.
• Carry out practice-related discussions with disabled people, which relate to the topic they have chosen, and incorporate their findings within a critical review of the research literature.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOLM0012).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.