Dissertation Sessions
How do they work?
The project groups students according to their area of research, so that they can benefit from the support and assistance of their peers throughout the dissertation writing process. In particular, the Dissertations activity is offered in Semester 2, when students have fewer contact hours.
The pilot project began in February 2011, coordinated by Dora Meade alongside two MA Mentors, Ruth Leahy and Jacob Lawson. It has since developed into a sustainable initiative, receiving some fantastic responses from participating students.
“I am really excited about this SLED, I think it is a genius way to help us with our dissertation and just wanted to thank everyone involved for setting it up.”
These groups are organised around fortnightly/weekly sessions led by trained MA Mentors, who are postgraduate students in the School, who offer support to the level three students.
In 2011-12, the sessions have benefited from excellent leadership skills provided by Masahiko Shizawa, Christopher Lambert and Thomas Considine and inspiring academic support of Dr Mette Wiggen and Dr Christine Harlen.
The sessions are also available through the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) organisation - in addition to regular classroom sessions and the students are able to collaborate with their peers through the VLE platform. This includes individual discussion board and a file exchange function.
By assigning students to thematic groups representing their UG dissertation research interests (for example: International Relations, Middle East, Arab World, Israel), students are provided with yet another opportunity to work collaboratively in the final stage of their student experience at Leeds.
Student-Led Discussion Network (SLED)
SLED is a network of student-led discussion groups that give students a space to engage in open discussion, explore their understanding of module content and benefit from the input of their peers.
The network of groups provides a unique arena for undergraduates to test out ideas and work collaboratively in a relaxed atmosphere.
Operationalisation of the SLED network was made possible thanks to a £4000 award from the Higher Education Academy Subject Network for Sociology, Anthropology, and Politics to develop, administer and disseminate this project.