Provisional Timetable: Introduction to Academic Skills 

Introduction to Academic Skills

Welcome to the beginning of your MA journey. You will bridge the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study, providing a comprehensive induction and preparation for the MA pathway. You will meet as a cohort and form small study groups to develop your academic skills. We run multiple live sessions to facilitate connectivity across multiple timezones and where you are unable to attend because of a hectic schedule, you can follow along on catch-up.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the differences between postgraduate and undergraduate study
• Work effectively with a chosen document management system such as Mendeley
• Discuss and justify choices of literature.
• Show a critical understanding of the hierarchy of evidence.
• Understand the value of and work with quality criteria.
• Understand the Harvard referencing system and the value and need for accurate referencing.
• Deconstruct academic writing and evaluate a range of stylistic devices
• Develop an academic writing style by completing discrete and specific writing tasks.
• Understand the do’s and don’ts of Academic Misconduct
• Effectively access and search the online library and use relevant databases such as Pro Quest Central, EBSCO, JSTOR, Oxford Handbooks Online, Performing Arts Digital Database, PsycARTICLES, Pubmed, Sageejournals, Science Direct, Taylor and Frances and Wiley Online.

On the left is a sample timetable that outlines the structure of our sessions (click to expand).

Please note that dates and timing are to be confirmed. This timetable is designed to give you an understanding of the content and structure.

Timetable: Module 1

Module 1 - Foundations of Voice Pedagogy: Exploring and Evaluating the Research Literature

Welcome to Module 1! After you have completed the introductory academic skills-building course, you will progress onto the first module of the MA. Within this module, you will inform your learning by attending a series of live online structured lectures on voice pedagogy. The aim is to provide an overview of the multidisciplinary influences and core research studies that have shaped our understanding of voice teaching and practice. We will run a series of live sessions where we host visiting lecturers who are leaders in the field. Again, these are all recorded and available for catch-up if you cannot attend live. The syllabus evolves around the following core areas:

• Voice and the Brain
• Respiration
• The Vocal Mechanism: Anatomy and Physiology
• Acoustics and Psychoacoustics
• Alignment
• Vocal Health

The Learning Outcomes for Module 1 are as follows.

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

1. Convey a comprehensive understanding of techniques and academic conventions applicable to their own research.
2. Apply advanced scholarship to their professional practice.
3. Adopt critical positions in reading relevant scholarship.
4. Reflect critically and creatively within an environment of complex ideas
5. Evaluate and apply theory to practice.

On the left is a sample timetable for Module 1 (click to expand).

Please note that dates and timings are to be confirmed, and personnel may change in the unlikely event of unforeseen circumstances. All lectures take place on zoom. If you are unable to attend, you may watch the session on playback.

Timetable: Module 2

Module 2 - Developing Research-Based Voice Pedagogy: Applications in Designing Tools and Resources.

The emphasis of this module is on creative design and implementation. The aim is to devise an evidence-based rationale to aid the design of the resource. It is an opportunity to create tangible outputs to transform practice, to reflect on the design, and to consider further developments of the creative teaching tool.

The Learning Outcomes for Module 2 are as follows.

By the end of the module students will be able to:

1. Critically understand and reflect on principles, theories, techniques, and methodologies related to voice pedagogy, the student's own professional practice, or other voice-related teaching contexts.
2. Evaluate methodologies, develop critiques, and apply them to propose a new solution to a teaching problem or challenge.
3. Reason critically and creatively, make sound judgments and clearly communicate conclusions.
4. Develop and apply relevant theory to create teaching tools or resources.

These learning outcomes will be accomplished by the end of the module.

On the left is a sample timetable for Module 2 (click to expand).

Please note that dates and timings are to be confirmed, and personnel may change in the unlikely event of unforeseen circumstances. All lectures take place on zoom. If you are unable to attend, you may watch the session on playback.

Sample Timetable: Module 3

Module 3 - Coaching, Mentoring and Teaching: Pedagogical Theory and Applications

The Learning Outcomes for Module 3 are as follows:

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Develop advanced knowledge and a critical awareness of motor learning, coaching, mentoring, psychology, and performance coaching theories relevant to practice.
• Develop a critical understanding of the ethical principles and professional codes of conduct that relate to coaching, mentoring, performance coaching and teaching.
• Develop and apply a coaching/mentoring/teaching programme having regard to the differences between them.

On the left is a sample timetable for Module 3 (click to expand).

Please note that due to the advanced nature of the scheduling, the timetable for January 2026 is provisional and yet to be fully confirmed. All lectures take place on zoom. If you are unable to attend, you may watch the session on playback.

Module 4 - Research Methods: Understanding and Applying Research Methods in Voice Practice

The aim of this module is to provide you with a theoretical and practical foundation in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The module aims to support the development of practical skills for conducting qualitative and quantitative research using methods and approaches key to your respective fields of study.

It will support and facilitate your research literacy and skills in critiquing and evaluating qualitative and quantitative research.

Alongside furthering your practical and evaluative skills, the module aims to support your understanding of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of qualitative and quantitative research.

Module 5 - Dissertation: Completing and Reporting an Original Research Project

This module is the culmination of the MA Voice Pedagogy, allowing you to develop and present a substantial dissertation.

This module is an opportunity for you to develop theoretical perspectives, ideas and practices that have emerged in your studies within the context of a dissertation. You will synthesise previous learning and develop new perspectives to address a problem within your professional practice.

You will hone a research question, scope out appropriate peer-reviewed and practice-based literature and select a research approach to garner valuable data regarding an aspect of your professional practice. You will apply qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods methodologies to execute a research design. Effective methods will be applied and evaluated, having regard to the moral and ethical implications of their processes. You will develop data analysis strategies, present data, and evaluate the relevance and impact of the data on your professional practice and wider field.