UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON LEARNING AND TEACHING PROJECTS 2001/2002 122 www.wlv.ac.uk/celt Centre for Learning and Teaching Enhancing learning support for Masters

Background & rationale This paper reports on a project that has formed the pilot phase of a development initiative that aims to progressively enhance the learning support available to students completing postgraduate dissertations in management and business. The origins of the project lie in reflection on conversations with students, and with colleagues at Wolverhampton and elsewhere, regarding their experience of undertaking, or supervising, research at Masters level. There seemed to be quite a widespread perception of a developing gap between students ’ general appreciation of the characteristics of a Masters dissertation, and their grasp of the generic process by which a specific, researchable project is formulated, implemented and written-up within an appropriate timescale. The evidence of a subsequent review of literature leant weight to the view that the rate at which methodological debate is evolving, particularly in the multidisciplinary domain of management and business, is resulting in some mixed and confusing messages on the characteristics and expectations of Masters dissertations being received by postgraduate students. Three key themes, identified from the process of literature review, informed the design and development of a revised model of learning support for dissertation students: 1. The need for better guidance for postgraduate students on the role and requirements of Masters dissertations. It is now widely recognised that it is no longer safe to assume in postgraduate education that candidates will have developed a base of research and writing skills at undergraduate level which can be translated into and built upon (Zuber