Honours Project

This module challenges you to produce an independent, applied research project. You will exercise independence through both your self-selection of research topic and your coordination of project development and delivery. As an applied research project, it is expected that your research will involve utilisation of skills and practices relevant to game design and production, and that documentation and analysis of your practice will lead to the generation of insights relevant to your creative and professional field. Your project should be underpinned by appropriate theories, concepts, and practices within your discipline.

At the end of the module you will present your applied honours project in a format agreed with your supervisor. This will be accompanied by a dissertation that communicates your research and that presents a critical analysis of the final honours project.

By the end of this module the student should be able to:

1. Manage and deliver an applied research project that demonstrates critical engagement with your selected topic and that seeks to address self-selected research questions.
2. Produce a body of work that evidences technical, creative, and professional skills in line with your identified discipline and future practice in the creative industries.
3. Analyse and communicate your research and practice in the context of your subject domain and existing knowledge base.

1 Applied research

Discussing and participating in applied research. Learning about examples of applied research by games & arts practitioners, and producing and communicating independent applied research through engagement in on-campus activities.

2 Independent study and project management

Demonstrating the ability to operate as an independent creative practitioner. Demonstrating the ability to manage a major project, setting milestones, managing time and resources, and identifying and mitigating risk

3 Supervision and self-assessment

Working with your supervisor according to a defined schedule and making maximum use of supervision time to seek guidance and feedback on progress. Committing to regular self-assessment of the quality of work and the progress being made. Demonstrating an ability to effectively and realistically critique your work in relation to your own expectations.

4 Peer feedback and community of practice

Embracing opportunities for peer feedback through regular sharing of projects in the form of peer critiques, demo sessions, or play parties. Capturing and responding to feedback to enhance the quality of your work. Operating within a wider community of like-minded practitioners in games & arts. Striving to carry out project work in collaborative creative spaces and labs, to maximise opportunities for networking, sharing, and mutual support.

5 Personal and professional development

Identifying areas of personal and professional development, and planning to address these through the execution of the applied project. Delivering a project that will support you as you take steps towards employment or entrepreneurship in the creative industries.

6 Critical reading and research context

Carrying out independent, critical reading of key theoretical texts, research articles, and other texts relevant to the subject, discipline, or profession. Understanding and incorporating the wider research context and rationale into your argument, considering artistic and professional practice.

7 Analysis and synthesis

Demonstrating rigour in the deconstruction and scrutiny of sources, data, and practice, and constructing a substantiated argument drawing upon your analysis.

8 Writing and communication Skills

Formalising the structure of your proposed written argument, aligning your research questions with existing knowledge, theory, and selected research methods. Demonstrating the ability to iteratively develop clear, precise and substantiated academic writing, and to utilise your writing skills to effectively communicate the findings of your research to an intended academic, artistic, or professional audience.

9 Presentation

Deliver a final project, presented in a manner that demonstrates professionalism and an understanding of expectations within your field of practice. Demonstrate the ability to deliver presentations on project development and conclusions.