Learning from Work Experience in the Social Sciences

Module title	Learning from Work Experience in the Social Sciences
Module code	SSI3017
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Lauren Stentiford ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	1	9

Number students taking module (anticipated)	25

Module description

This module is designed to help you gain a relevant work placement and to use your workplace experience as an opportunity for personal and academic development. The module will give you the tools to reflect critically upon your placement. You will also be encouraged to continue to reflect on the skills that you develop during your placement and to consider how all of this relates to your degree studies. You will be expected to search for your own work placement, although you can request support in this process from module employability officer.

The module aims to enable learning from the whole experience of work including a focus on how people learn from/in the workplace, and more generic workplace skills and knowledge. These include: understanding organisational structures, induction programmes, personal development and lifelong learning through reflection and critical analysis. In addition, the module will provide a series of practical workshops, including meetings with careers advisors, reflective writing workshops and meet the employer/alumni events.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to develop your personal management skills and experience of learning through work. You will be encouraged to research and reflect on a range of work-related ‘explorations’ - from the nature of an organisation and their role within it, to the employment practices of induction, health and safety procedures, self-appraisal and continuing professional development, linking this with their own personal development planning. The module allows you to fully explore the links between the skills developed and the knowledge and understanding gained from their degree discipline. By practising specific skills for employment the module aims to prepare you for the world of work beyond university and increase knowledge and understanding of a range of professions.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of what your placement organisation does; how it is managed, the culture within the organisation and what influences this.
2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the experiential learning process and ability to critically reflect on and evaluate learning from the workplace, and to do so through the application and use of relevant theoretical frameworks

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. Critically and systematically reflect on the relationship between the learning and skills developed in your discipline, with the learning, skills and personal attributes developed through your work placement.
4. Systematically research the academic background to a key issue arising from your work placement and critically evaluate the issue in relation to the professional and scholarly literature

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Identify the specific skills needed in relation to particular job/career opportunities, and demonstrate an ability to talk about these knowledgeably with reference to the work placement;
6. Critically reflect on and analyse your own personal management skills, identifying ways to improve through personal development planning;
7. Present yourself effectively in CVs, applications and interviews, communicate information and ideas clearly and critically in oral presentations.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Preparing for your work placement
Personal development planning
Learning from experience
Reflection, reflective writing and preparing to write critical logs
An introduction to employment policies and practices.
Values and professionalism in the workplace
Preparing CVs, applications and personal statements
Personal Development and Academic skills review
Preparing for work after university
Preparing for assessment

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
10	100	40

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	10	10 x 1 hour workshops
Placement	40	40 hours work placement
Guided Independent Study	10	Reflective journal kept during work experience
Guided Independent Study	20	Preparation of tasks related to teaching and learning sessions
Guided Independent Study	20	Planning and preparation for work placement and work placement activities
Guided Independent Study	50	Completion of activities for assessment

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Description of a critical work incident and a plan for reflection	500 words	1-2, 4-5	Oral feedback in session
Personal action plan	Equivalent to 500 words	5-6	Oral feedback in session

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
60	0	40

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Oral presentation	40	10 minutes	1, 3-5, 7	Written feedback on assignment cover sheet
Reflective logs	60	2,250 words	1-2, 4, 6	Written feedback on assignment cover sheet

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Oral presentation	Written script for an oral presentation	1, 3-5, 7	August/September re-assessment period
Reflective log	Reflective log (2,250 words)	1-2, 4, 6	August/September re-assessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Bates, B. (2016) Learning theories simplified. London: Sage Publications.

Bolton, G. (2014) Reflective Practice 3^rd Edn. London: Sage

Cottrell, S. (2015), Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. Palgrave Study Guides. London

Eraut, M. (1994) Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence. London: Routledge.

Fanthorne, C. (2004), Work Placements – A Survival Guide for Students. Palgrave Study Guides. Macmillan, London.

Hatton, N. and Smith, D. (1995) Facilitating reflection: issues and research, Forum of education, 50, (1) 49-65.

Kolb, D. (1984), ‘Experiential Learning: Experience as a Source of Learning and Development.’ PHI, New Jersey.

Moon, J. (1999), Learning Journals: A handbook for academics, students and professional development. Kogan Page. London.

Mowrer, R and Klein, S. (2001) Handbook of contemporary learning theories. Erlbaum Associates.

Neugebauer, J. and Evans-Brain, J. (2016) Employability: Making the most of your career development. London: Sage Publications.

Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. New York: Basic Books.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Useful materials on many aspects of learning from experience are also available online at http://www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Suggested journal resources include:

Journal of Education and Work
Work, Employment and Society
Gender, Work and Organisation
Employment Relations Today
Reflective Practice
Work and Occupations

Key words search

Work experience, learning, employability, placement, reflection.

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	14/03/2017