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The UK’s European university

A novel approach to running final year research projects: empowering students to manage their own projects through embedded employability

Dr. Chris Shepherd

School of Physical Sciences

The module: PS620

• Final year project module (30 credits)

• 15% of final degree classification.

• Applicable to all BSc(Hons) degrees in

Forensic Science with/without a year in

industry.

• Main process takes 22 weeks across the two

teaching terms.

• Assessed by Progress Report, Presentation,

Supervisor’s Mark and Final Dissertation.

• Compulsory course component.

The Motivation – Inside SPS

• In 2013, SPS had just launched a new

Chemistry degree.

• Staff workloads needed to be re-distributed to

facilitate the growth of the new course.

• Chemistry project supervisor were given

teaching on the Chemistry programme.

• Staff available for BSc Forensic Science

projects was significantly reduced.

The Motivation - Personal

• Employability!

• Forensic Science in the UK has changed since

the Forensic Science Service (FSS) shut in

2012.

• Change from central government laboratories

to free market.

• Potentially more jobs, but also more

competitive with the range of relevant degree

programmes nationally.

• Need to make Kent graduates stick out from

the crowd.

The Motivation - Personal

• Kent graduates should be strong candidates

due to the nature of the Forensic programme

offered here.

• One of the heaviest science-based Forensic

programmes in the country.

• However, BSc students’ abilities to carry our

research and problem solving was not as

strong as it could be.

• Students lacked independent thought.

• To plug the “skills deficit” that industry seems to

have acknowledged twinned with weaknesses

in the academic accreditation processes.

The Old Project System

• Classic science system of project allocation

based on choosing preferred projects from a

long list of options written by academic staff.

• Students hope they get their first choice but no

guarantees can be made.

• There’s a chance students aren’t truly

motivated by any of the topics.

• Had to choose a range of supervisors, even if

they wanted a specific one.

• Each supervisor was limited to a specific

number of students based on WAM.

• Lack of laboratory space for all of the students.

The New Project System

• Starts much earlier – During stage 2 rather than

at beginning of Stage 3.

• Briefed before Easter in Stage 2.

• Students now develop their own project from

start to end, coming up with their own ideas.

• The ideas are developed by communicating

with me during the Summer break by email

and/or through personal meetings.

• Takes a lot of work for 60+ students.

• Students should be ready to start project work

in Week 1 (compared to week 4-6 previously).


• Students are supervised by a team of just 2

academics in the teaching laboratories.

• The academics are available in the laboratories

with the students all day every Tuesday for 22

weeks.

• Projects are further supported by 2 laboratory

technicians that help provide practical support

and order all required consumables/kit.

• Projects are supported by a good, sustainable

budget of £150 per student (totalling c.£9k+).

• Some students will work in groups for parts of

the project to carry out preliminary experiments

and share resources/budget.


• The onus is on the students to drive the project

forward, supported by academic staff.

• The idea is to be closer to research projects in

industry.

• Students run their own budgets (with academic

sign-off) and must keep track of costs

throughout + learn about hidden costs.

• Budget report must be produced as part of a

progress report in week 12, to also include a

critical review of work to date and a clear plan

of future work through the use of a Gantt chart.

• The emphasis is on project management skills

and good science.

Advantages for SPS

• Saved an entire FTE of workload in the WAM to

allow growth of the Chemistry programme.

• Mark profile has not changed – average mark is

still mid 2:1. Supported by 10% being

moderated internally.

• External examiners have praised the new

project process.

• Accrediting body CSoFS also has supported

the process.

• Has meant that we have not yet had to make

the transition to group projects, which are

becoming ever more present in science

programmes – good for NSS?

Advantages for students

• Increased employability and a new range of

transferable skills for graduates.

• Employers I have discussed this with think it is

really useful process and is very applicable to

industry.

• Increased independence and ownership

towards the research project process.

• Particularly rewards students that really engage

with the process and those that are extremely

capable.

• The marking process is more consistent that it

has ever been.

Thoughts So Far…

• Generally a big success.

• Students are being held to higher and more

consistent standards than previously.

• It can be easy to lose track of the couple of

students that do not engage with the process,

so some have to be chased and encouraged to

be more independent.

• The large of number students means a lot of

background work for the module convenor – it’s

all in the preparation!

• Loss of a key staff member has meant that it is

difficult to find an appropriate second staff

member.

Thoughts So Far…

• Year in industry students do best in the process

showing that they have learned related skills

whilst on placement.

• Students still struggle at times with the concept

of research project Vs experiment and the level

of detail required in this process.

• Research project success is very much dictated

by the confidence of the student and this

process looks to boost confidence.

• A sense of genuine project ownership is

regularly observed amongst students.

• Great skills to discuss at future job interviews.

Future developments

• Considering the introduction of group seminars

by generic project area to get groups of

students together to talk about progress.

• This might help reassure the top students they

are doing well as well as encourage students

that aren’t working hard enough.

• New member of staff to assist next year.

THE UK’S EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

www.kent.ac.uk

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