University of Technology Sydney

013098 Independent Study Project 1

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Education: Professional Learning
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): ((013952 Research Perspectives OR 013228 Research Practices)) OR (010070 TESOL Practicum AND 028253 TESOL: Methodology AND 013991 Research Literacies AND 013102 Introducing Knowledge about Language AND 013105 The Multilingual Learner)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 013356 Independent Study Project 1 AND 013710 e-Learning Research and Development Project

Description

This subject enables students to extend their skills and knowledge in an area of interest to them. Students design and carry out, in consultation with a member of academic staff, an individual course of study such as an in-depth review of the literature of a particular subject. Enrolment in the subject is contingent upon the student identifying a project they wish to pursue and finding a member of academic staff willing to supervise the project. The student must then submit an e-request for approval by the Subject Coordinator to be enrolled in the subject; the e-request must indicate the project topic and the name of the supervisor who has agreed to be the supervisor.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a. Design and implement a self-directed learning process
b. Develop critical and contextual analyses of chosen area of inquiry
c. Demonstrate scholarly rigour in analysing and writing about a chosen topic
d. Document their learning using appropriate academic genres and conventions

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject addresses the following FASS Graduate Attributes:

2. critical and creative inquiry

6. effective communication.

Teaching and learning strategies

Students will be supported in their learning through consultation with their ISP supervisor prior to each assessment task, and formative feedback on the Learning Proposal and Progress Review.

Students will, in consultation with their ISP supervisor, determine a learning strategy that is most appropriate for accomplishing the specific learning objectives of their ISP.

The ISP can be used as an opportunity for students to develop independent learning strategies that will help to prepare them for higher degrees by research.

Content (topics)

The content of ISPs includes:

  1. Learning process/project management content – learning about how to plan, monitor, accomplish and reflect on independent learning (relating to SLO a)
  2. Substantive content – learning about the chosen area of inquiry / topic (SLO b,c)
  3. Communication content – learning about appropriate academic genres and conventions (SLO d).

The specific content of (1), (2) and (3) above will vary depending on the ISP and its topic area. The student proposes the topic and suggests a learning process as part of securing the support of an ISP supervisor prior to enrolment. This is then refined through discussion with the ISP supervisor as part of work on the Learning Proposal. The content focus can shift during the project (i.e. over the course of the teaching session) and such shifts will be discussed with the ISP supervisor and reflected in the Progress Report and final project product (Assessment Task 3).

Students can take this subject as part of several different courses, so no single set of Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) applies. The FASS Graduate Attributes (see below) have been taken as the point of reference here. Other FASS Graduate Attributes may be applicable depending on the chosen area of inquiry. Students are encouraged to discuss the CILOs that relate to their particular course, and to map SLOs and/or their specific Final Product criteria to these where relevant.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) has six Graduate Attributes (GA) that apply to all courses across the Faculty. These are:

  1. professional readiness
  2. critical and creative inquiry
  3. international and intercultural engagement
  4. Indigenous competencies
  5. active citizenship
  6. effective communication.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Learning Proposal or equivalent as negotiated with the ISP supervisor

Objective(s):

a

Weight: 10%
Length:

500 words (excluding references)
Criteria:

* The FASS Graduate Attributes (see Content section) have been taken as the point of reference here, as not all students doing this subject are enrolled in the same course. Other FASS Graduate Attributes may be applicable depending on the chosen area of inquiry. Students are encouraged to discuss the CILOs that relate to their particular course, and to map SLOs and/or their specific Final Product criteria to these where relevant.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
a. Clarity and focus of learning objectives 25 a 2.
b. Relevance of strategies and resources 25 a 2.
c. Appropriateness of evidence to be produced 25 a 2.
d. Coherence of specific project assessment criteria 25 a 2.
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Progress Report and updated Learning Proposal or equivalent as negotiated with the ISP supervisor

Objective(s):

a and b

Weight: 10%
Length:

500 words (excluding references); plus updated Learning Proposal

Criteria:

* The FASS Graduate Attributes (see Content section) have been taken as the point of reference here, as not all students doing this subject are enrolled in the same course. Other FASS Graduate Attributes may be applicable depending on the chosen area of inquiry. Students are encouraged to discuss the CILOs that relate to their particular course, and to map SLOs and/or their specific Final Product criteria to these where relevant.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
a. Relevance of steps taken as per Learning Proposal 20 a 2.
b. Depth of critical reflection on progress made 40 a, b 2.
c. Alignment of changes to Learning Proposal with reflection on progress to date 40 a, b 2.
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Final Project Product or equivalent as negotiated with the ISP supervisor

Objective(s):

a, b, c and d

Weight: 80%
Length:

4,000 words (excluding references) or equivalent

Criteria:

* The FASS Graduate Attributes (see Content section) have been taken as the point of reference here, as not all students doing this subject are enrolled in the same course. Other FASS Graduate Attributes may be applicable depending on the chosen area of inquiry. Students are encouraged to discuss the CILOs that relate to their particular course, and to map SLOs and/or their specific Final Product criteria to these where relevant.

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
a. Clarity of links between learning process and achievements on project-specific learning objectives 15 a 2.
b. Depth of critical and contextual analysis of chosen area of enquiry 30 b 2.
c. Coherence of argument 30 b 2.
d. Relevance of resources referred to 15 c 6.
e. Persuasiveness of expression within relevant genre and conventions 10 d 6.
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Required texts

As this subject is focused on self-directed learning, there is no required reading. However your ISP supervisor may suggest key texts that can form a starting point for students’ independent work.

References

Students will mostly read texts relating to their chosen area of inquiry. The ISP requires students to take initiative in searching for and selecting what to read in this regard. The list below gives examples of references that may be of use with generic aspects of the ISP (e.g. reviewing literature, reflective writing).

Anderson, G., Boud, D., & Sampson, J. (2013) Learning contracts: A practical guide. London: Routledge.

Boote, D. N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: on the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15.

Chenail, R. J. 1997. "Keeping Things Plumb in Qualitative Research." The Qualitative Report, 3(3).

Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2006). "They say / I say": the moves that matter in academic writing. London: W W Norton & Company.

Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The action research planner?: doing critical participatory action research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4560-67-2

Morley-Warner, T. (2009), Academic writing is… A guide to writing in a university context, Association for Academic Language and Learning, Sydney.