module specification

Building on the ‘skills development’ students experience in their four (4) Level 4 / Year 1 modules, this core Level 5 / Year 2 Module will focus on developing the students personally, academically, and professionally, using a blended and holistic approach, where their (i) personal development, their (ii) professional development, and their (iii) academic development will be the focus.  The (i) personal development section will focus on students analysing their own learning and team-working styles, critical thinking, personal reflection, and their ability to communicate and act in a professional manner in a wide range of scenarios; (ii) the professional development section will focus on their career and employability, involving mock interviews, CV development, job applications, and company visits; (iii) the academic development section will focus on developing student advanced academic writing, reading, researching, creativity, and analysis techniques.  Combined, these three areas (PPAD) will ensure that students are ready for the demands of Level 6 study, and are in a position to ensure that they are aware of the demands of continually enhancing their career and employability chances in the competitive external jobs market place.

The aims of this Module are to:

1. Develop the student personal learning, studying, and team-working styles
2. Enhance the student understanding of career, employability, and professional development, beyond graduation
3. Analyse a wide range of academic sources, developing student expertise in academic and professional discourse

Personal Development: Learning styles; team-work; critical thinking; reflection on performance; confidence in presentations and speaking
Professional Development: Mock interviews; CV development; job applications; company visits
Academic Development: Analysing academic journal articles; analysing specialist industry / professional articles; creative organisations; enhanced writing and reading techniques

The Module will be delivered over 30-weeks, one 3-hour session per week.

Students will be required to research, gather, and evaluate information and data from various sources and relate contemporary business academic issues to their module assignment(s), all relating to their personal, professional, and academic development.

Guest speakers will be invited from industry and the professional bodies to give master classes and to discuss career opportunities and prospects with students.

The facilities of Web Learn will be used as part of a blended learning approach by providing students with support information and as a resource to support independent learning.  Students will be encouraged to undertake wider reading of academic journal articles, the business press, and to demonstrate these in seminar discussions, debates and in their assessments. This module also requires students to reflect upon their experiences and record their skills and personal development plan (PDP).

On completing the Module, students will be able to:

1. Recognise, reflect on, act on, and improve their own personal learning style(s), critical thinking, and communication style(s)
2. Involve themselves in developing their own career and employability
3. Read, respond to, write on, discuss, analyse, and present a wide range of materials from academic and creative sources

The Module will have three assignments, each component based around each of the three Module topics.  Component (i) will require students to write a report reflecting on their own personal development, based on performance, exercises, tasks, and readings, component (ii) will require students to take write a report detailing how they will take responsibility for their future career and employability, and component (iii) will require the students to produce a portfolio of critiques of a wide range of academic materials

Bowell, T and Kemp, G (2015) Critical Thinking, Routledge
Cameron, S (2016) The Business Student’s Handbook, Pearson
Cottrell, S (2011) Critical Thinking Skills, Palgrave
Cottrell, S (2015) Skills for Success: Personal Development and Employability, Palgrave
Day, T (2013) Success in Academic Writing, Palgrave
Dowson, P (2015) Personal and Professional Development for Business Students, SAGE
Schoenberg, B (2016) Critical Thinking in Business, 2nd Edition, Heuristic Books

Critical Thinking at:
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/professional-and-personal-development/800