The aim of the module is to develop academic, scientific, practical and general transferable key skills relevant to sports, rehabilitation and exercise science. This core module supports the content of other first year modules and prepares you for your second year. The module will also enhance your personal development in preparation for placements, work experience, year abroad, employment opportunities and your future career. You will create a skills portfolio which evidences and reflects on key transferable skills acquired across all modules, together with a CV and personal statement.
Lectures will cover how to find and use information in a scholarly way, develop critical thinking skills, think and work ethically and with academic integrity. You will learn how to identify important unanswered questions in sports, rehabilitation and exercise sciences, and then develop the skills needed to address these questions, test theories and improve current practice. In order to develop your research skills and to enable you to understand the evidence base that underpins our existing understanding of sport, rehabilitation and exercise sciences, you need to be able to critically analyse the research literature and gain experience in preparing and presenting scientific information. This module will guide you through these processes and equip you with the fundamental practical skills you need to be able to carry out your own research project, ranging from blood sampling to heart rate monitoring and gas analysis. You will develop skills in research design, the application of key methods, the statistical analysis of data, and the interpretation and presentation of research findings. Lectures will also cover content on identifying and developing career pathways, employability skills and personal development. You will learn key practical skills and professional competencies expected of scientists to prepare you for a career in sports science support, sports therapy, coaching or in the field of exercise and health.
Learning Outcomes (including lectures and practicals):
To pass this module, students will need to be able to:
1. Explain the important features of good experimental design;
2. Explain the concepts of validity, precision, reliability and reproducibility;
3. Use school ethics, risk assessment and consent forms as appropriate for working with human subjects;
4. Select the correct statistical test to analyse data, perform analysis using SPSS software and interpret the test results;
5. Use Microsoft Excel to present data graphically;
6. Demonstrate practical skills and basic measurement techniques in sports, rehabilitation and exercise science;
7. Demonstrate competence in data presentation, analysis and interpretation, numeracy, use of spreadsheets, information retrieval and written communication.
8. Develop a CV, personal development and skills portfolio