Choosing your project

Project format and development of title Once you have a few ideas for possible projects it is time to pick the format and try and choose a possible topic and hence the title. We will start with the title.

Narrowing your topic Adam has chosen “biology” as their EPQ topic, what is wrong with this? If the student has a particular interest in ecosystems and biodiversity what type of questions could they think of?

Narrowing your topic continued Why are these questions better than “Biology” as a topic? Getting the focus right at this stage will make your EPQ more achievable and _______________. It is a balance between being ______________ and being broad. In other words, you don’t want to write too ________ about too little, or too _________ about too much. little, much, narrow, worthwhile

Creating a working title As you seek out answers to your focus questions, you increase your understanding of the topic. The next stage is to use these questions to devise your working title. In the previous case they came up with the following working title: An investigation into the ecosystem of a typical urban garden. Of course this is called a working title because it may change. But you need this not only for your project proposal form but also to provide sufficient focus to get started on your research.

Creating an A grade working title The title needs to let you research and then evaluate. One of the pieces of advice from WJEC was to make your title into a question. Can you change the working title “An investigation into the ecosystem of a typical urban garden” so that there is a question?

What do you think about these titles? Who should be responsible for caring for elderly people? A critical assessment of the effect of Brexit on our relationships with other European countries The portrayal of women in John Le Carre spy novels and what this tells us about attitudes to gender in Britain How has the use of antibiotics affected our health over the past 50 years and what are the current issues with them? Redesigning a kitchen for a disabled user. Designing costumes for a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll musical. Creating a go-cart from junk. Composing a piece of music to accompany a fashion show.

Constructive feedback 1 Being able to offer constructive feedback is a very useful skill. Your aim is to help someone improve but without making them feel stupid. Tom’s working title is The History of Bath; Nathan provides feedback by saying, ‘This is rubbish. How will you know what to research? How will you be able to evaluate?’ Is this positive feedback? How could you improve the feedback?

Constructive feedback 2 Debra’s title is Designing a costume for the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver; Nathan’s comment is ‘This is hopeless. Why do you want to do that? It sounds really boring’ Is this positive feedback? How could you improve the feedback?

Creating your working title Your turn: creating your working title! Write your own working title and discuss it with your partner. Your title doesn’t need to be perfect here. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to refine it, so don’t get bogged down with indecision at this stage. Just go for it! Once you’ve shared your title, comment on two or three other participants’ titles by giving constructive feedback.

What I learned from the lesson Review of the lesson Write the date on your notes and then complete the form: What I learned from the lesson Review and reflection

Self study/homework for next week: Finish all the activities from today if you have not already done so. Complete the sheet “Focusing your project: twenty questions” Arrange a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your chosen format and your working title – take your folder to show them. Continue with your on-line course Complete the first page of EPF1 from the WJEC student guide – you may prefer to type your answers.