Programme And Module Handbook
 
Course Details in 2024/25 Session


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Module Title LH Group Studies
SchoolPhysics and Astronomy
Department Physics & Astronomy
Module Code 03 01109
Module Lead Dr Vincent Boyer
Level Honours Level
Credits 20
Semester Semester 2
Pre-requisites LI Physics Laboratory 2 - (03 00943)
Co-requisites
Restrictions Cannot be combined with 06 02389 Project in Mathematics
Contact Hours Seminar-20 hours
Guided independent study-180 hours
Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description

Group Studies runs for 10 weeks during the Spring term and counts as a double module of 20 credits. Students usually spend 8 hours per week working directly on the project with an additional 2 hours spent in group meetings (100 contact hours in total).


Students choose to study in one out of several groups, including Particle Physics, Photonics, Nanoscale Physics, Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology, Asteroseismology and Finding Planets, Medical Imaging, Cold Atoms, Atom Interferometry and Robotics. Groups are chosen after an introductory meeting towards the end of the Autumn term. There are about 15-20 students in each group. All activities are student-led. Each group appoints a leader who co-ordinates the efforts of typically three subgroups that work on separate aspects of the project. The module is assessed
through a Work Management Plan, Problem Sheets, Peer Assessment, Project Talk, Project Report and Viva.

 

All groups are open to students from any programme, although some students have priority access to certain groups (e.g. PwPPC students have priority on the Particle Physics Group Study). There are no formal lecture module prerequisites, but students have the opportunity to take lecture courses in Year 3 that may be helpful to their Group Study project, e.g. Medical Imaging, Nanoscale Physics, Particle Physics, Planetary Astronomy and Extrasolar Planets and The Life and Death of Stars. 

Learning Outcomes

To give students some idea of what it is like to work in a small research group. The major part of Group Studies is an open-ended experimental or design-based project, on which students normally work in sub-groups of about five people. Help is available from members of staff, but initiative, study of the existing literature, and careful research work are expected and required of students if the outcome is to be successful. Planning and presentational skills are also developed.

Assessment 01109-01 : Final mark (m) : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions Work Management Plan, Problem Sheets, Peer Assessment, Project Talk, Project Report and Viva.
Other none
Reading List