Margaret Harrison1, *Dawn. T. Nicholson2 and W. Brian Whalley3
* Corresponding author
1 University of Gloucestershire; 2 Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, UK. E-mail: d.nicholson@mmu.ac.uk Tel: +44 161 247 6232; 3 Queen's University Belfast.
Abstract
The dissertation is an integral part of the UK Honours Geography degree. However, we know very little about the form these dissertations take; how they impinge on students and supervisors or how they are promoted and assessed across the HE sector. In this paper we present some findings from a GEES-sponsored investigation into the nature of dissertations in Geography and associated assessment practices and procedures. We present results from a questionnaire survey of GEES departments. We do not make value judgments but indicate some of the diverse practices in operation, not only in assessment per se but also with respect to attributes such as dissertation length, credit weighting and supervisory arrangements. For instance, there is diversity in dissertation length (from 8-12000 words) but this does not always correlate with credit rating. Some departments provide virtually no assistance from supervisors once the project has been started, others allow considerable aid in both supervision time and in the way assistance can be given (e.g. reading drafts). All of these are likely to impinge upon the quality of the individual dissertation. Although harder to quantify, the nature of the assessment criteria (as opposed to standards) also seems to be diverse and we show examples of this, as well as diversity in marking schemes and assessment procedures (e.g. double, blind and anonymous marking; procedures in the event of a disagreement over marks awarded). We also highlight selected 'good practices' as identified by the departments themselves.