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Introduction to Educational and

Social Research (EDUC5410)

COURSE HANDBOOK 2024/25

 Introduction to Educational and Social Research
Course Handbook, Semester 1 2024/25

What this course is for ..................................................................................................... 3

Course overview ............................................................................................................. 5
Course Aims ................................................................................................................... 7
Intended Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................ 7
Course Structure ............................................................................................................. 8
Assessment and feedback .............................................................................................. 12
Timetable ..................................................................................................................... 19
Moodle ........................................................................................................................ 19
Reading ....................................................................................................................... 19
Academic commitment and integrity ................................................................................ 20
Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) .............................................................. 20
Sources of help ............................................................................................................. 22

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What this course is for

Welcome to EDUC5410: Introduction to Educational and Social Research (IESR). This
course introduces you to key principles and practices in educational and social research. It
makes links between theoretical perspectives, research aims and research designs. It also
introduces a selection of methods, through a series of case studies of different examples of
research in practice.

Introductory research courses can never cover all the big issues or the possible theoretical
frameworks and methods available to researchers to address them (although some of them
try!). In designing this course, we have decided to take a different approach. We want to
help you think about what makes something worth researching in education. We also aim to
get you thinking about some important factors and issues to consider when trying to design
research that will generate new knowledge. In particular, we want you to think about these
issues in contexts where that new knowledge may have something important to say for
education, teaching and/or learning. That is, we want to help you develop the mindset of
a careful, critical researcher in the field of education.

The School of Education at the University of Glasgow is internationally renowned for its
research and this course is proudly focused on approaches and practices that are
embraced by the School. This means they are often approaches that are embedded in an
ethos of social justice. In line with this, while we won’t dictate which theoretical framework
you should adopt, we will emphasise critical social theories, together with theories that are
sensitive to the complex interplay between social, cultural, political and material influences.
Similarly, we will focus on ways of conducting research in practice – ways of generating and
interpreting data, and of creating new insights – that are grounded in an ethics of equity and
care for those we do research with and for.

It is important that you understand what this course is not, as well as what it is. It is not a
course that will provide you with “research methods” recipes or how-tos: you will need to
look elsewhere if you want detailed instruction on e.g. survey design, ethnographic
observation, statistical analyses or use of particular software packages. There are entire
textbooks – indeed, library shelves of textbooks – dedicated to these and no single course
can adequately address all of them.

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Instead, the course is an introduction to education research as a broad field. Throughout

the course you will be supported to recognise and understand research as a human,
creative and productive practice; and to locate and develop your own identity as a member
of the School of Education’s researcher community. We look forward to working with you,
and hope that you will enjoy the course.

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Course overview
IESR is a 20 Credit course at Masters level (level 5/SCQF 11)

It is offered to students on the following programmes:

• MSc/MEd Educational Studies
• MSc/MEd TESOL
• MEd Inclusive Education: Research, Policy, and Practice
• MEd Children’s Literature and Literacies.

The course is structured in two Phases. In the first Phase, you will explore some of the key
concepts and practices that characterise educational research. You will also start the
process of thinking about and developing your own unique identity as a member of the
educational research community. In the second Phase, you will learn about different
approaches to researching educational questions by examining, understanding and
critiquing concrete examples of research in practice. You will use this process to refine your
own thinking about the kinds of educational question you believe are interesting and worth
asking, and the ways in which you might go about addressing them.

How to ask questions

The course leader is Bonnie Slade ([email protected]). Bonnie is responsible
for the design of all educational aspects of the course, including resources, seminars and
assessments. We are building on the excellent work done by Dr. Anna Wilson, Course
Leader of IESR for the past two years (you will ‘meet’ her in some excellent videos). Your
weekly seminar sessions will be led by one of a team of experienced tutors and lecturing
staff from the School of Education – you can also ask them about academic issues relating
to this course. We will also be drawing on a team of experienced PhD students who will
contribute to the course as Graduate Teaching Assistants. We will be holding weekly drop
in sessions where you will be able to ask your questions about academic issues and
learning strategies. It is always best to contact the teaching team using email (listed in the
Moodle) or the course Discussion Forums. Please don’t use Moodle’s internal
messaging system to ask us questions.

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Professional administrative support is provided by the Education Studies administrative

support team. They can be contacted via [email protected].

Please note that the course Moodle site includes a Discussion Forum where you can
ask questions – if your question is not personal, it might be best to raise it there, as
other people may want to ask the same thing.

Classes and engagement

IESR uses a blended approach, with online resources and discussion forums supporting
face-to-face seminars and independent study.

Each week, you will have access to required and suggested readings (delivered through the
Library course reading list) and online resources such as pre-recorded lectures, videos and
podcasts. Your engagement with these will allow you to participate fully in the weekly 2-
hour face-to-face seminars.

The seminars are spaces for active learning, in which you will discuss with your peers
the ideas, practices and issues presented in the preparatory resources. Through these
discussions, you will build understandings of what educational research is for, how it is
conducted, how its findings get used, and how research can be limited in what it can tell us.
If you come to the seminars without having engaged in the pre-work, you will
struggle to fully benefit from the opportunities the seminars offer for discussion and
critique.

For a 20-credit course, you should expect to engage in about 200 hours of study. This
includes reading, engaging with online resources and discussion forums, participating in
seminars and working on the assessment/responding to formative feedback. At Masters
level, there is an expectation of a significant amount of independent reading and study to
support your learning in the course.

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Course Aims
The overall aim of the course is to provide students with a fundamental level of educational
and social research literacy. The course aims to:
1. introduce students to key considerations in designing educational research, including
the interplay between purpose, theoretical perspective, ethical issues, reliability and
choices about methods
2. provide students with experience in reading and critically reviewing research papers
3. help students identify educational issues that are both researchable and worth
researching
4. develop students’ ability to critically appraise research designs
5. prepare students to start to design a research project of appropriate scope for a
Masters dissertation
6. prepare students for further study of research methods and methodology

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
ILO1. describe and give examples of a range of different purposes that motivate
educational research
ILO2. identify educational issues and challenges that are suitable focuses for research,
and provide a justification using relevant research, policy and grey literature
ILO3. articulate links between research designs and underpinning
theoretical/paradigmatic perspectives, including the relationship between
research methods and the kind of knowledge that is created
ILO4. identify uncertainties and their implications for knowledge claims
ILO5. demonstrate an ethical approach to research design
ILO6. relate research to their own past and future educational and professional practice
and to wider educational practices and policies
ILO7. understand the purpose of referencing as part of a conversation with other
people’s work, and make consistent use of accepted referencing conventions

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Course Structure
The course has two distinct Phases.

Phase 1: Concepts and principles of educational research (weeks 1-5)

In Phase 1, you will begin to explore key concepts and principles in educational research.

The first week is used to introduce you to the course and the kinds of learning practice that
you will be expected to engage in.

Following this, we adopt a regular pattern of study to help you achieve the intended learning
outcomes described above:

1. Read the book chapters and articles on the relevant section of the reading list.
2. Access any online resources such as videos and podcasts that you are guided to.
Feel free to look for additional learning material that may be helpful.
3. Attend your seminar and take part in the learning activities.
4. Reflect on what you have learned, what puzzles or troubles you and what you would
like to think more about.

This may be different to what you have experienced in the past in Higher Education
settings. You will not attend any live lectures; instead, all your contact time will be used for
discussion and active learning. At the start of the course, you will be allocated to a group of
up to 28 students. Each week, you will meet together for a two hour seminar, led by a tutor
who is a member of staff from the School of Education. The seminars are central to the
course: they are the place where you can discuss, critique and learn collaboratively with
your peers. It is important to understand that EDUC5410 IESR is not a content-delivery
course, or a how-to course. Our aims, as stated above, centre on developing your
capacities to engage with and critically analyse research, and to develop new ideas for
research and knowledge generation. The only way to achieve these aims is through
discussion and deep thinking. This is why we adopt adult learning pedagogies that
encourage analysis, critical discussion and autonomy.

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Following the introductory seminar, Phase 1 continues with each week focusing on different
topics:

Topic 1 An introduction to educational research (week 2 seminar)

Topic 1 provides an overview of the purposes and paradigms of research in the field of
education.

Topic 2 Theory: understanding, belief and the nature of knowledge (week 3 seminar)
Topic 2 is an introduction to some of the key contemporary social theories that inform
current educational research.

Topic 3 Designing research for knowledge creation (week 4 seminar)

Topic 3 introduces a discussion of some of the factors and issues that need to be
considered in designing research that generates reliable, new knowledge.

Topic 4 Ethics and integrity in research and academic work (week 5 seminar)
Topic 4 starts an exploration of some of the ways in which ethical considerations enter into
educational research, including the special concerns that may arise in research done with
children. It links this explicitly to broader discussions of ethics and integrity in academic
work.

At the end of Phase 1, you will complete the first part of the summative assessment.
Activities during Phase 1 will help you build towards this piece of work. See the Assessment
section of this document for more details.

Phase 2: Research in practice (weeks 6-10)

Phase 2 of IESR continues the pattern of study introduced in Phase 1, with preparatory
readings and resources leading up to active learning in seminars, online discussions and
reflections.

In this Phase, the focus shifts from broad concepts, principles and practices to critical
analysis of concrete examples of educational research in practice. Each week, the
readings, online resources and seminars help you to understand and critique these
examples. Educational research is a very broad field. It can involve research in schools and
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other formal educational contexts; informal and community learning; organisational learning
and more. It can involve studies of specific pedagogical practices; broader curricula;
educational structures; policies that impact on education and learning; and educational
outcomes. As noted in the introduction to this document, we cannot cover every type of
educational context, question or approach in an introductory course. The topics covered in
Phase 2 of IESR have been selected to highlight the breadth of the field and the freedom
you have as a researcher to choose between many options. They have also been selected
to illustrate the kinds of research embraced by the community of researchers in the School
of Education, which you are now part of.

Phase 2 consists of 6 topics:

Topic 5 Researching with interviews (week 6 seminar)

Topic 5 focuses on an example of research that involves the use of interviews with research
participants. There are many different ways in which interviews can be conducted: the
particular example here uses stimulus material to elicit teacher reactions to videos of their
own practice. The additional suggested readings explore other ways of using interviews in
research.

Topic 6 Close-to-practice research (week 7 seminar)

Topic 7 introduces you to research that concentrates on education (and other social
interactions) in action.

Topic 7 Further-from-practice research: an example of statistical analysis of

secondary data (week 8 seminar)
Topic 7 focuses on the use of secondary data in a quantitative analysis process.

Topic 8 Conceptual, theoretical and philosophical research (week 9 seminar)

Topic 8 introduces another contrasting type of research – research that does not involve the
generation of empirical data, but instead focuses on conceptual analysis and critique.

Topic 9 Researching documents: an example of discourse analysis (week 10

seminar)
Topic 9 ends our series of case studies with a focus on research using documentary
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sources. We focus on one particular approach, using discourse analysis.

Topic 10 Review and synthesis (week 11 seminar)

The final week of scheduled teaching is an opportunity to bring together ideas from across
the course and to clarify and articulate your own interests in educational research.

Throughout Phase 2, the seminars will include collaborative critical analysis of the selected
research examples. These activities will help you develop your understanding of the
research processes and practices that are put to work to address educational (and other
social) issues. They will also help you to develop your ability to read and critique research
articles, and in so doing, they will help you to improve your own writing and communication
practices.

Links between IESR and your Masters dissertation

IESR helps to prepare you to undertake your final dissertation in several ways.

The course makes you aware of the key dimensions that influence the choices you will
make when you come to design your dissertation research:
• motivations and purposes
• theoretical perspectives, paradigms or knowledge traditions
• different kinds of data and the methods that can generate them
• uncertainty
• ethical decision-making

It also helps you to start to identify and clarify your own interests. You will have plenty of
opportunity to discuss potential suitable research foci during the seminars, throughout the
course. In Phase 2, you will see some examples of research carried out at a much larger
scale than can be achieved by a single Masters student, often by collaborative teams. As
you analyse these, you will be encouraged to think about whether and how they might be
broken down into smaller projects. You will also think about how research in the field of
education is often interdisciplinary and/or interprofessional in character. This will help you to
think about what could be achieved by one researcher, over the timescale of a few months.

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Assessment and feedback

Your learning on IESR is formally assessed through two assignments.

Assignment 1: Developing your position as an educational researcher

This is a 1000 word (excluding references) written piece. It is worth 25% of the total course
grade.
Due: Monday 28th October, 12:00 (midday) UK time

Assignment 2: Developing and critiquing ideas for research in education

This is a 3000 word (excluding references) written piece. It is worth 75% of the total course
grade.
Due: Thursday 5th December, 12:00 (midday) GMT

NB: Alternative forms of assessment are available for students with a formally agreed
record of reasonable adjustments. Please contact the course lead if this applies to you
([email protected]). Make sure you contact Bonnie as soon as possible – do
not leave it until the day before the assignment is due.

Throughout the course, activities in the seminars and online help you construct these two
summatively-assessed assignments. You will get formative feedback on your progress by
participating in these activities. Sometimes, this feedback will come from your seminar
leader, but a lot of the time, it will come from your peers. It is therefore one of your
responsibilities as a learner in this course to provide feedback to others, whether that is
through discussion during the seminars or in more structured peer-interaction and peer-
feedback activities. If you engage in all the activities, you will be well-placed to successfully
complete the assignments.

Details of the formal, summatively assessed assignments are provided below.

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Assignment 1: Developing your position as an educational researcher

This first 1000-word assignment consists of two parts, one mostly looking backwards at
your own journey so far, and the other looking around you in the present.

Part A – An account of your developing theoretical perspective (approximately 500

words)
You are currently enrolled in a Masters course in the School of Education at the University
of Glasgow. Now, and as you work towards the dissertation element of your degree, you
are going through a process of entering into the community of researchers within the
School. In this first part of the assignment, you will reflect on your own educational and
professional journey to this point.
• What paradigms, theoretical perspectives or knowledge traditions have you adopted
and worked with, consciously or unconsciously, before?
• Illustrate your position with concrete, specific examples of your actions and beliefs.
• Use relevant literature to explain why you think particular actions or beliefs are
evidence of a particular theoretical perspective, paradigm or knowledge tradition.

Part B – An initial identification of a research interest in education (approximately 500

words)
This part of the assignment allows you to start to think about what kinds of educational
challenge, issue or puzzle that you are interested in yourself. It does not commit you to
anything in the future! You are not being asked to identify your dissertation topic – instead,
you are being asked to reflect on what interests and motivates you. In this second part of
the assignment, you will reflect on your current interest(s) in education.
• What puzzles or troubles you?
• Why?
• Who are the stakeholders – i.e., who would be affected if research on this puzzle
directly or indirectly eld to changes to the status quo? How might they be affected?

Assignment 1 intended learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Assignment 1 helps you develop ILOs 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. At this point in the course, we do
NOT expect that you will have mastered all the ILOs. What we are looking for is
development towards some of them.

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The assessment criteria and linked ILOs for Parts A and B are:
Assessment criteria Linked ILOs
Section A
• Succinctly describes and reflects on own educational and/or 6
professional background.
• Identifies concrete, specific actions and beliefs that are consistent 3
with a particular theoretical perspective or paradigm.
• Uses relevant literature to support arguments that these 7
examples are evidence of a particular theoretical perspective or
paradigm.
Part B
• Identifies an educational puzzle, challenge or issue, using 1, 2, 7
relevant literature to support the claim that it is an issue that is
worth researching.
• Identifies key stakeholders and articulates realistic potential 6
impacts.
Throughout
• Uses appropriate academic and reflective writing styles. 7
• Consistently uses citation and referencing conventions.

Assignment 1 submission – due Monday 28th October, 12:00 (midday) UK time

1. Download the template and cover page for Assignment 1 (this will be available on
Moodle in advance of the submission date).
2. Complete the cover page.
3. Use the section headings in the template following the cover page to structure your
work.
4. Save your file using the following naming convention:
EDUC5410_A1_1234567.docx
where 1234567 is your student id. Do not include your name in the filename or
anywhere in the file.
5. Upload your file to the assignment dropbox. You can upload as many versions as
you wish; we will mark the last version uploaded before the deadline.

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Assignment 2: Developing and critiquing ideas for research in education

The second assignment is a longer (3000 word) piece of written work in which you will
identify a contemporary educational issue that merits research; review the literature and
identify key studies that relate to this issue; critically analyse these key studies; and suggest
useful next steps. There is no requirement that this is related to the puzzle or
challenge that you identified in Assignment 1 – we recognise that several weeks have
passed and your interests and understandings may have changed.

You should structure this assignment in subsections as follows. Do not get hung up about
the word counts, these are guidance not rules, and will vary depending on whether the
research you are interested in is conceptual, theoretical or empirical etc:

1. Introduction (approximately 250 words)

This section should clearly identify your area of interest. It should also signal to the reader
what to expect in the remainder of the assignment.

2. Summary literature review (approximately 500 words)

This section should briefly review relevant prior research. It should describe the different
kinds of research questions that researchers have asked and the different kinds of
knowledge they have generated. It should identify no more than 3 key studies that you think
are particularly important and that you will discuss in more detail in the following section.

3. Critical analysis of key studies (approximately 1000 words)

This section should present a critical analysis of the key studies identified in the previous
section. You should address the different aspects of research discussed throughout the
course. That is, you should analyse and critique:
• the purpose of the work – what the researchers were trying to achieve
• the theoretical perspective, paradigm or knowledge tradition that the researchers
were working within
• their choice of methods, including any ethical considerations, and why you think they
made these choices
• any claims made by the researchers, and the robustness of these claims

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4. Suggestions for next steps (approximately 1000 words)

In this section, you will put forward your own suggestions for research that would generate
new knowledge about your chosen issue. This section should:
• explain what important questions remain unanswered
• indicate what new evidence or thinking is needed to answer these questions
• suggest how this new evidence or thinking might be generated, justifying your
suggestions with reference to relevant literature
• discuss any difficulties that might be associated with your suggestions, including any
potential challenges associated with:
o ensuring robustness of research claims
o maintaining an ethical approach.

5. Conclusion (approximately 250 words)

This section should briefly summarise your key arguments above.

Assignment 2 learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Assignment 2 marks the completion of your studies on IESR and therefore we expect to see
evidence of substantial development of the Intended Learning Outcomes. We will look for
evidence of these as follows:

Assessment criteria Linked ILOs

1. Introduction
• Identifies an appropriate area of interest for educational research 2
and signals to the reader what to expect in the remainder of the
assignment
2. Summary literature review
• Demonstrates evidence of engagement with relevant literature 7
• Identifies key questions, purposes, themes and methods (as 1, 2, 3, 6
appropriate to the issue)
• Identifies no more than 3 key studies for closer analysis 7
3. Critical analysis of key studies
• Demonstrates understanding of and critiques the motivations for 1, 7
the selected studies

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• Recognises the theoretical perspective, paradigm or knowledge 3

tradition that the research is part of and how this shapes the
research
• Critically analyses the methods used in the research, including 3, 5
identifying any limitations or ethical concerns
• Critically analyses the claims made by the researchers 3, 4
4. Suggestions for next steps
• Identifies and explains the importance of unanswered questions 1, 2, 6
• Indicates what new evidence or thinking is needed to answer 3, 4
these questions
• Suggests how this new evidence or thinking might be generated, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
justifying suggestions with reference to relevant literature
• Discusses potential challenges, including: 4, 5
o ensuring robustness of research claims
o maintaining an ethical approach
5. Conclusions
• Summarises key points 1-7

Assignment 2 submission – due Thursday 5th December, 12:00 (midday) UK time

1. Download the template and cover page for Assignment 1 (this will be available on
Moodle in advance of the submission date)/
2. Complete the cover page.
3. Use the section headings in the template following the cover page to structure your
work.
4. Save your file using the following naming convention:
EDUC5410_A2_1234567.docx
where 1234567 is your student id. Do not include your name in the filename or
anywhere in the file.
5. Upload your file to the assignment dropbox. You can upload as many versions as
you wish; we will mark the last version uploaded before the deadline.

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Grading and feedback

All assessments are graded on the University of Glasgow 22-point scale using the Schedule
A marking criteria against the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for the course. You can
find out more about Schedule A here and there is a guide to help you understand the
marking scheme here.

For both assignments, you will receive written feedback from your marker within 15 working
days of the due date (or date of submission, if later). You will receive feedback against each
of the criteria identified above, along with suggestions on how to improve your future
academic work.

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Timetable
The course starts on Monday 23rd September. Seminars run for 11 weeks and are held in
seven different buildings across the whole Campus so please check your timetable
carefully. The seminar times are:

Mondays 11:00-13:00
Mondays 17:00-19:00
Tuesdays 11:00-13:00
Thursdays 09:00-11:00
Thursdays 11:00-13:00
Thursdays 17:00-19:00
Fridays 09:00-11:00

Moodle
Familiarity with, and regular reference to, the Moodle course website is vital for IESR. See:
Course: EDUC5410 | Introduction to Educational & Social Research | 2024-25 | Moodle
(gla.ac.uk). Set aside some time early in the course to find your way around the IESR
Moodle space.

All the reading references and information about assignments as well as online resources
and seminar materials are on the course Moodle website. We use the News Forum to send
you messages. You should also receive emails to alert you to these messages, and they
will be archived on the News Forum. There is also a course Discussion Forum.

Reading
We have a detailed reading list for the course. We recommend that you read:

Thomas, G. (2022). How to do your research project: a guide for students. Sage
Publications Ltd.

This book, along with other required and suggested readings, can be accessed through the
Library Reading List for the course, which is linked to on the Moodle site. All required
readings are available online. We expect that you will also engage in independent reading.

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Academic commitment and integrity

You are expected to engage with the readings and online resources and participate in the
weekly seminars.

Plagiarism of any kind is not acceptable and is contrary to the Code of Student Conduct. It
is very important that you understand what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it. The University
does not distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism, so a mistake, poor
academic practice or submitting an early draft that you were intending to work on further will
all be investigated in the same way and would all be considered plagiarism. The University
of Glasgow Student Learning Development (SLD) service provides a helpful website to help
you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sld/plagiarism/

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

It is important to note that using any form of AI in your university coursework, exams,
assessment or research without acknowledging that it has been used counts as academic
misconduct. Never use AI tools as a replacement for your own understanding, analysis, or
summary of a topic.

On the MEd and MSc in Educational Studies, generative AI is only permitted for proofing in
relation to grammar, sentence structure and spelling. It can also be used for searching for
research and other sources of information. On your programme you may only use AI for:
• Proofing: Improving grammar, sentence structure or spelling errors
• Searching for information or published research

You must complete the AI Declaration when you submit course work.

Do not present any of the responses from AI as your own writing, thought or work. This
constitutes academic misconduct, which will lead to disciplinary measures being taken
against you. Key problems with AI include:
• AI gets things wrong.
• AI is biased.

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• AI makes things up.

• AI tools cannot access all the necessary data and information.

Do Not:
• Assume that all AI tools are equally effective, equally responsible, equally
resourceful, and equally capable of being used with academic integrity. AI tools
replicate biased results, and do not provide contextualised, evaluated or critiqued
evaluation of information.
• Pay for AI services or tools; your courses will never require you to pay for external
software.
• Use AI tools as a replacement for your own understanding, analysis, or summary of
a topic.
• Rely on AI to produce references, resources, materials or any other forms of content.
AI is liable to produce 'hallucinations' where it can make up false information and
references.
• Upload full copies of your work, essay questions, reports, results, and discussion into
any AI tool. AI tools should not be used to conduct research or investigation into a
topic. If your lecturers want you to use AI for specific activities, they will provide
guidance on what is allowed or expected, and what is not.

Please Do:
• Acknowledge the use of any form of AI in your coursework for all submissions.
• Question the validity and accuracy of any output, data, results, and information you
receive from AI tools.
• Ensure that all your submissions are the result of your own thought, workings,
analysis, and critique.
• Keep up to date with your course guidelines and information around academic
integrity and AI. Pay particular attention to your marking criteria and ILOs; it is your
responsibility to demonstrate how you meet these.
• Be aware of how research AI tools are advertised: they'll often promise time-
management and efficiency benefits but will in practice break academic integrity
rules.

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For more detailed information on the University of Glasgow's policies about what is
allowable, what is forbidden, and how we advise that you use AI in your studies see:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sld/ai/students/#

Sources of help
Online discussion forum
There is an online discussion forum for you to share your ideas and questions with your
fellow students. Please use this forum, so that you can learn from and with each other.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions or to respond to each other’s question. There are
no silly questions—it is much better for you to ask a question and get the answer from the
course tutors than to keep wondering about the answer on your own. It is also likely that if
you have a question, some of your peers may have a similar question too.

Weekly online office hours

We will have weekly online support sessions. Details can be found on the Moodle.

Email
If you have a personal issue related to the course that you would like to discuss please feel
free to email the course leader at [email protected] (or you could also email
your seminar leader if you feel more comfortable approaching them). If your question is
about enrolment, your timetable, or issues submitting your assignment, please contact the
course administrator: [email protected].

General student support services at the University

Student Learning Development (SLD) have a number of workshops and academic support
services for students. Includes writing and study advice, writing advice for international
students, and maths and statistics advice: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sld/.

School of Education Student Support Network and the Student Support Officer can provide
you with advice about finances, personal problems, study support, good cause claims,
accessing counselling services, supports for a disability, and more:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/studentsupportnetwork/

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 Introduction to Educational and Social Research
Course Handbook, Semester 1 2024/25

University of Glasgow Counselling services, which includes scheduled appointments, self-

help resources, and peer support: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/counselling/

International Student Support can help international students who have questions about
visas, immigration, and settling into life in Glasgow:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/international/support/

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