Think Tank

Module title	Think Tank
Module code	LIB2000
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Henry Knight Lozano (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	74

Module description

In this module, you will work closely with other students as you tackle a key social, political, or business challenge. This challenge will be posed by an external organisation or challenge-setter (for example, a charity, a museum, a council). Working in a ‘think tank’ team, and under the guidance of your lecturers, you will research the problem posed, debate its likely causes and contexts, agree a set of potential recommendations, and design strategies for their implementation. You will then present your findings and proposals to the challenge-setter, your lecturers and peers. You will also critically reflect on your learning on the module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module is designed to help you learn:

• critical thinking, research and reflective skills

• problem-solving abilities skills

• teamwork and employability skills

• how to research quickly and effectively

• how to engage with a variety of non-academic material and data

• how to communicate persuasively and professionally in the workplace.

• How to reflect on one’s learning and skills development

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. engage critically with a range of resources drawn from a professional or non-academic context, assessed through the presentation and Individual Reflective Report
2. identify, assess and manage key issues within a larger project, assessed through the presentation and Individual Reflective Report
3. work efficiently and collaboratively as a member of a team, assessed through the Module Participation component
4. demonstrate problem-solving skills, critical reflection, and strategic thinking, assessed through the presentation, Individual Reflective Report, and Module Participation

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. gather and analyse a variety of evidence
6. think critically across academic and non-academic boundaries
7. apply intellectual tools to challenges in the workplace

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. work closely and generously with others as part of a team
9. Develop reflective and project-management skills, including meeting deadlines and managing your own time
10. communicate effectively and persuasively with non-academic professionals

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will have the following structure:

Introduction: The aims of the module will be outlined. The form and function of a Think Tank will be explored. The students will watch and discuss all the challenge, selecting their preferences. The student groups, each acting as a Think Tank, will be established.

Preparation and planning (Phase 1)

Each student group will meet as a Think Tank in the weekly seminars to prepare a research plan, agreeing a schedule, identifying key targets and distributing tasks.

Research (Phase 1): Each Think Tank will carry out initial secondary research to establish the scope of the the challenge context. They will meet weekly, drawing on the advice of the seminar tutor.

Interim review : Each Think Tank will submit a formative group plan to their seminar tutor, detailing their secondary research and primary research plans.

Research (Phase 2): Each Think Tank will carry out further research to support their plans, including primary research activities

Final presentation: Each Think Tank will prepare a presentation to be delivered to the representatives of the organisation whose challenge they have tackled; each Think Tank member will then write a reflective report that details their own individual research journey and experience of the module, with a particular focus on setbacks, successes, and skills and lessons gained.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
29	121	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	4	Lectures (4 x 1 hours)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	11	Peer-led seminars (11 x 1 hours)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	11	Lecturer-led teaching sessions
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	3	Q&As and Presentations (1 x 3 hours)
Guided Independent Study	121	Guided independent study including reading, research and preparation for all activities

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Group research plan (co-authored by each team)	1000 words	1-6, 8-10	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Individual written Reflective report	45	2000 words	1-10	Written
Team presentation	45	20 minutes	1, 3-7, 9, 10	Written and oral
Module participation	10	Ongoing	8-10	Written and oral

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Individual written Reflective report (2000 words)	Individual written Reflective report (2000 words) (45%)	1-10	Referral/Deferral period
Team presentation (20 minutes)	Individual learning log 2000 words, reflecting on the individual contribution to each stage of the Think Tank group work including the preparation of the presentation (45%)	1, 3-7, 9, 10	Referral/Deferral period
Module participation (Ongoing)	Repeat study or mitigation (10%)	8-10	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

González-Hernando, M., British Think Tanks After the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2019)

Michael A. West, Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research (Chichester: BPS Blackwell, 2012)

Hal Colebatch, Policy (Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill, 2009)

Gary Thomas, How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students in Education and Applied Social Sciences (London: SAGE Publications, 2013)

Ian Dey, Qualitative Data Analysis: A User-Friendly Guide for Social Scientists (London: Routledge, 2005)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=4749

Key words search

Liberal Arts, Interdisciplinary, Think Tank, Research, Professional

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	LIB1105 Being Human in the Modern World
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/12/2012
Last revision date	07/02/2025