Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Supporting students undertaking dissertations
When designing a module to support students in planning, undertaking, and writing up a dissertation or final project, there are several key aspects to consider.
For many students, this will be the longest and most substantial piece of work they complete during their academic journey, both in terms of word count and duration. The scale of the task can feel daunting at first, so providing clear guidance and structured support at various stages of their course, and within the dissertation or major independent study module, can help students achieve their best possible outcomes.
We offer a combination of internal and external resources to support this process. Below are materials created by Leeds Beckett staff from a range of subject areas, which can be adapted for use with your own students. In addition, students can access external guidance and support through the Skills for Learning website.
A dissertation can take many forms, including long reports, annotated bibliographies, extended literature reviews, or end-of-year shows.
Resources
- Carnegie School of Sport: Literature review workshop (pdf). Supporting notes from an intense literature review workshop from Carnegie School of Sport
- Interpreting feedback on your writing: Feedforward (pdf). Interpreting feedback from different staff can be a skill, some students struggle with. Here the Carnegie School of Sport offer an interpretation for students of what some common feedback phrases can mean
- Skills for learning – dissertation and literature reviews (staff webpage). Skills for Learning have a wide range of resources and support for students undertaking dissertations
- Advance HE guide on supervising the social science dissertation by Professor Malcolm J. Todd (pdf). Supporting undergraduate students on the journey to become autonomous learners. This paper highlights the complexities and rewards of supervising undergraduate dissertations, emphasising the need for flexibility and tolerance of uncertainty. It argues that effective supervision involves balancing structure with student autonomy to foster genuine independent learning. Despite its challenges, dissertation supervision is portrayed as one of the most fulfilling aspects of academic work
- Advance HE guide to developing and enhancing undergraduate final-year projects and dissertations (pdf). This book explores the evolving role of final-year projects and dissertations (FYPD) in higher education as student populations diversify and learning contexts change. It argues for more flexible, inclusive, and innovative approaches to FYPD design beyond the traditional dissertation model. Drawing on over 70 international case studies, it offers practical insights for academics to enhance curriculum design, supervision, and assessment
