Workplace Learning

Module title	Workplace Learning
Module code	PSY1208
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Hazel Mycroft (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	12	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	40

Module description

All students are encouraged to pursue work experience during their time at university; it adds an invaluable element to your CV and enhances your employability skills. The module is structured so you have a mixture of interactive lectures and workshops in conjunction with the mini placement and finally written and oral assignments.

Both the lectures and workshops are designed to enhance your employability by assessing your current skills and developing further skill competencies. You are expected to prepare for some sessions and workshops in advance.

There will be departmental and careers service support for those taking this module. However, in order to be eligible, you will be required to find a placement or job for yourself. You will also have to be registered for the Exeter Award and My Career Zone (www.mycareerzone/exeter.ac.uk).

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module will give you an opportunity to link your academic study with work experience, enhancing your employability while also delivering assessed coursework in the shape of a written report reflecting on your work experience.

Although it is up to you to find, apply for and secure your own work experience opportunities, we have some departmental contacts and the Module Convenor will be on hand to offer support and advice.

Individual work opportunities, whether paid or unpaid, must be agreed with the module leader before you can proceed. All necessary paperwork (placement agreement, insurance and health and safety forms) must be completed before you engage in any placement. In recognition of the fact that not all psychology graduates will go on to work as psychologists, the work opportunity you identify does not have to be directly related to psychology.

There will be three pieces of written assessment for this module:

A cover letter and mock interview. You will have the choice of four different jobs vacancies. You must choose one and write a cover letter. You will attend a ‘mock-interview’ based on this job vacancy. This assessment will allow you to practice how to make a professional impact via written communication in the form of the cover letter. It will also be invaluable experience of a job interview.
A research proposal in which you outline a potential research project that relates to your area of work experience. The aim is to use the knowledge you have acquired from your work experience to identify a particular issue and then outline a plan for a psychological study designed to further explore this issue. Note that you will not be required to carry out this study, only to write the proposal.
A reflective diary focusing on the skills, knowledge and experience you have gained throughout your period of work experience, relating back to the personal development plan you wrote at the outset of the module.

Eligibility for the module is dependent on your employer signing the work placement diary (which is included in the Student handbook and available on ELE).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

1. With some guidance, identify and secure appropriate work experience
2. Prepare a graduate level cover letter and with the mock interview, enhance your preparation for future job hunting, employability and career development.
3. Describe your role within the organisation as well as the various internal and external factors (legal frameworks, regulations etc.) which govern that organisation
4. Relate your work experience to the skills and experience you are gaining in your degree
5. Apply knowledge to a work situation in a task or problem-solving context
6. Reflect on your learning during the work experience

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

7. Describe your learning process and reflect on some key issues arising from the workplace

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

8. Communicate ideas and arguments through written presentation
9. Collect information for yourself, managing information and selecting appropriate data and research strategies
10. Focus on issues and assess priorities, taking responsibility for your own learning with minimal direction
11. Produce information to make you attractive to future employers
12. Manage time and resources to achieve the aims of the module

Syllabus plan

The introductory sessions will be held during Term 1. These sessions will cover:

Introduction to the module
Identifying work placements – what’s appropriate?
What makes a good presentation?
How to ‘sell’ your skills and experience to an employer

Work experience should take place during Term 1 and 2. The review sessions are timetabled throughout Term 1 and 2 in advance of the assessment submission deadlines and will provide key support and guidance for the assessments. The graduate attributes relevant to students of Psychology will be described during these sessions and you will be encouraged to reflect on your own development and application of these in the workplace.

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
15	100	35

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	6	Lectures covering introduction to module, expert careers talks from industry and team building exercise with reflective group work, session on how to find and carry out work experience (6 x 1 hour)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	6	Tutorials covering reflexive practice, assessments and placements, and review of progress (3 x 1 hour); A practical session on how to effectively use LinkedIN (1hr) ; How to be professional whilst using social media(1hr); CV and cover letter session (2hr)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	3	Placement drop in sessions: placement drop-in sessions which will be for one-to-one support in finding/arranging placements
Guided independent study	100	Researching suitable work opportunities, research on the relevant organisation, and your role within it. Guided development of written report skills.
Placement	35	Suitable work experience approved by the module convenor

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Host evaluation	Performance during work placement	1-4, 6, 9-10	Oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
70	0	30

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Research proposal	25	1000 words	3-5, 8-12	Written, oral
Cover letter	20	500 words	2, 4-5, 8, 10-12	Written
Mock interview	30	20 minutes	2, 4-5, 7-8	Oral
Reflective diary	25	1000 words	2-12	Written, oral

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
Research proposal	Research proposal	3-5, 8-12	Deadline to be set in August of year of assessment
Cover letter	Cover letter	2, 4-5, 8, 10-12	Deadline to be set in August of year of assessment
Mock interview	Mock interview	2, 4-5, 7-8	Deadline to be set in August of year of assessment
Reflective diary	Reflective diary	2-12	Deadline to be set in August of year of assessment

Re-assessment notes

Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in any assessment you will have the opportunity to resubmit in the August/September re-assessment period. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Moon, Jennifer A (2004), A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice, London Routledge.
Neugebauer, John and Evans-Brain, Jane (2009). Making the most of your placement, London: SAGE

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE page: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7056 (The module ELE page will contain information about the module assessments)

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Finding work:

There is a lot of information on the University’s Careers and Employability Service (CES) webpages about careers and the help that can provide, as well as job opportunities at:

The Career Zone: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/

There are also numerous other websites which advertise internships, placements and other work opportunities:

www.prospects.ac.uk (click on ‘Jobs & Work Experience’)
http://www.placement-uk.com/pages/stu_welcome.php
http://www.thebigchoice.com/
http://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/

You may also want to join the Exeter Psychology Alumni LinkedIn group, which includes hundreds of graduate students from our Psychology programmes who may be able to advise you about what work might be available. However, please bear in mind that they will not be able to find you graduate work, as this requires a degree, but they may be able to offer some guidance:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8266951

Key words search

Employability, work experience, team building, placement, organisational psychology, personal development

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	4
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	17/08/2017
Last revision date	19/06/2019