• Description

The Final Master's Thesis is a compulsory 6-credit course. The student will write their Final Thesis under the supervision of a tutor and will defend their work virtually, synchronously and publicly in front of a committee. The objective of this Final Master's Thesis is that the student puts into practice and combines all the theoretical and practical knowledge gained during the master's degree and applies that knowledge to a professional environment in the field of language teaching and learning. This Master's Thesis has, therefore, a practical orientation. The course has been conceived as an opportunity for the student to show and strengthen the different types of competencies (basic, specific and cross-sectional) developed during the program.

The outcome will be a piece of individual and original work (25 pages or 12,500 words maximum) that asks relevant questions, analyzes a teaching/learning context in a reflexive and critical manner, and focuses on a pedagogical proposal motivated by a well-justified problem or real need. It is the thesis of a professionally-oriented master's program and, therefore, it should involve the design and development of a pedagogical application, either a product (e.g., task, activity, etc.) or pedagogical intervention. In either case, the application will have to be technology-mediated or incorporate the use of technology and it should be justified by a theoretical framework that demonstrates the student's ability to do research and delve into a particular topic.

The final outcome will be a report that describes the project, including the theoretical foundation and evidence of the product or pedagogical intervention developed and a series of recommendations for its practical implementation in the real context chosen by the student.

The project may be recommended for publication in the university's repository (the O2):

http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/handle/10609/134032

• The subject within the syllabus as a whole

This is a compulsory course in the Master's program in Technology-Mediated Language Teaching and Learning. It represents the completion of the learning process in the Master's program.

• Professional fields to which it applies

This is a course designed for professionals in the field of technology-mediated language teaching and learning in face-to-face contexts, online, or hybrid environments. This also includes editors, materials writers, and consultants for online language learning platforms.

• Prior knowledge

It is highly recommended that the student registers for this course at the time when they are ready to finish the program. Ideally, the Final Master's Thesis should be the last course taken by the student, once the other courses (or most of them) have been completed. At least, the student should have completed a minimum 30 ECTS in order to be able to register for this course.

• Information prior to enrolment

Students need to have a level of English (language of instruction and use in the classroom) equal to B2, or higher, according to the Common European Frame of Reference in order to ensure that students have the necessary fluency to communicate and to understand the contents of the course without problems.

A minimum of 30 ECTS should have been completed in order to be able to register for this course.

 
Information and communication technology (ICT) skills at user level are also recommended.

• Learning objectives and results

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze, interpret and communicate results and implications of a research project.

• Apply theoretical and methodological principles to solve a problem in a particular learning context. 

• Search, obtain, process and convey information.

The main competencies this course will contribute to develop are the following:

Basic competencies

• Having and understanding the knowledge and skills that provide a basis or that give an opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas, often in the context of research.
• Being able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills and the capacity to solve problems in new environments that belong to a broader or multidisciplinary context, related to the area of study.
• Being able to convey one's conclusions, as well as the knowledge and rationale behind to expert and non-expert types of audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.

General competencies

• Handling, comparing, and connecting the various models and theoretical principles in second language teaching and learning.
• Searching for, obtaining, processing, and communicating information (oral, written, audio-visual, digital or multimedia) in order to transform it into knowledge through analysis and synthesis.
• Handling the necessary methodological knowledge and skills to face professional or research challenges rigorously.

Cross-sectional competencies

• Writing adequately and conveying knowledge and ideas from complex texts fluently and rigorously. 

Specific competencies

• Identifying the learning needs of students, bearing in mind the diversity of technological profiles and the learning context, and adapting the use of educational technology to these factors.
• Analyzing and assessing critically the potential of current technologies and resources and being able to justify their use to learn a second language in hybrid or online contexts.
• Mastering the theoretical principles in technology-mediated second language teaching and learning and applying them to make decisions about authentic pedagogical interventions in online or hybrid contexts.
• Analyzing, interpreting, and conveying the results and implications of the pedagogical actions or research projects carried out. These competencies are linked to learning outcomes that students will achieve through a series of tasks and for which they will be assessed.  

These competencies are linked to learning outcomes that students will achieve through a series of assessed tasks.

• Content

This course is structured around five challenges or activities that will guide the student through the different stages of the project:

1. Topic and rationale 
2. Framework and objectives
3. Design, development and implementation proposal
4. Final report
5. Oral presentation

Each phase will be assessed by means of continuous evaluation tasks.

Topic and rationale
Students will lay out a proposal that includes the topic selected, a rationale or justification, and a provisional title.
Framework and objectives
Students will provide a theoretical or conceptual framework for their project, based on theoretical principles from second language acquisition or pedagogical needs.  
Design, development and implementation proposal
Students will outline the methodology the project will follow, propose a design, based on a real teaching/learning context and a needs analysis, and develop the application proposed. This phase will also include an implementation proposal in the learning context selected and a description of how competencies or learning outcomes  resulting from the application would be assessed.
Final report
Students will write the Final Master's Thesis (25-page limit, without including references and appendices).
Oral presentation
Students will video record a presentation of their project that will be published and assessed by a committee of three experts. The presentation will simulate a presentation at a scientific conference. Students will also schedule a synchronous meeting with the committee to answer questions and make final remarks.

• View the UOC learning resources used in the subject

• Additional information on support tools and learning resources

The student will be provided with different learning resources for each of the stages in the Final Master's Thesis. Learning resources will be available in the classroom.

• Guidelines on assessment at the UOC

Assessment at the UOC is, in general, online, structured around the continuous assessment activities, the final assessment tests and exams, and the programme's final project.

Assessment activities and tests can be written texts and/or video recordings, use random questions, and synchronous or asynchronous oral tests, etc., as decided by each teaching team. The final project marks the end of the learning process and consists of an original and tutored piece of work to demonstrate that students have acquired the competencies worked on during the programme.

To verify students' identity and authorship in the assessment tests, the UOC reserves the right to use identity recognition and plagiarism detection systems. For these purposes, the UOC may make video recordings or use supervision methods or techniques while students carry out any of their academic activities.

The UOC may also require students to use electronic devices (microphones, webcams or other tools) or specific software during assessments. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that these devices work properly.

The assessment process is based on students' individual efforts, and the assumption that the student is the author of the work submitted for academic activities and that this work is original. The UOC's website on academic integrity and plagiarism has more information on this.

Submitting work that is not one's own or not original for assessment tests; copying or plagiarism; impersonation; accepting or obtaining any assignments, whether for compensation or otherwise; collaboration, cover-up or encouragement to copy; and using materials, software or devices not authorized in the course plan or instructions for the activity, including artificial intelligence and machine translation, among others, are examples of misconduct in assessments that may have serious academic and disciplinary consequences.

If students are found to be engaging in any such misconduct, they may receive a Fail (D/0) for the graded activities in the course plan (including final tests) or for the final grade for the course. This could be because they have used unauthorized materials, software or devices (such as artificial intelligence when it is not permitted, social media or internet search engines) during the tests; copied fragments of text from an external source (the internet, notes, books, articles, other students' work or tests, etc.) without the corresponding citation; purchased or sold assignments, or undertaken any other form of misconduct.

Likewise and in accordance with the UOC's academic regulations, misconduct during assessment may also be grounds for disciplinary proceedings and, where appropriate, the corresponding disciplinary measures, as established in the regulations governing the UOC community (Normativa de convivència).

In its assessment process, the UOC reserves the right to:

• Ask students to provide proof of their identity as established in the UOC's academic regulations.
• Ask students to prove the authorship of their work throughout the assessment process, in both continuous and final assessments, through a synchronous oral interview, of which a video recording or any other type of recording established by the UOC may be made. These methods seek to ensure verification of the student's identity, and their knowledge and competencies. If it is not possible to ensure the student's authorship, they may receive a D grade in the case of continuous assessment or a Fail grade in the case of the final assessment.

Artificial intelligence in assessments

The UOC understands the value and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, but it also understands the risks involved if it is not used ethically, critically and responsibly. So, in each assessment activity, students will be told which AI tools and resources can be used and under what conditions. In turn, students must agree to follow the guidelines set by the UOC when it comes to completing the assessment activities and citing the tools used. Specifically, they must identify any texts or images generated by AI systems and they must not present them as their own work.

In terms of using AI, or not, to complete an activity, the instructions for assessment activities indicate the restrictions on the use of these tools. Bear in mind that using them inappropriately, such as using them in activities where they are not allowed or not citing them in activities where they are, may be considered misconduct. If in doubt, we recommend getting in touch with the course instructor and asking them before you submit your work.

• View the assessment model