module specification

Description:  This module focuses on extending students' learning experience by providing them with an opportunity to tackle real-life problems, appropriate to their academic level,  by undertaking a short period of professional activity in the workplace. The placement needs to be approved prior to being undertaken, by the work placement coordinator.  It is expected that the student should work for 140 hours, for which they will be required to provide evidence (completed in the summer or part-time over the Autumn or Spring semester). The suitability of the opportunities will be assessed on an individual basis. Where required, students will be supported in finding suitable opportunities and with all aspects of their job search and applications.  However, it is the students’ responsibility to obtain suitable employment, and roles cannot be guaranteed.  DBS checks and or Hep B vaccination may be required for some placements (NHS or School-based).
This module aims to provide the student with an opportunity to:  Increase their personal and professional development and gain experience of the culture and structure of a working environment; evaluate, and critically reflect on, the workplace as well as the student's role and contribution to it; and to apply previously-learnt academic knowledge to the task in hand. Explore employment options and consider future career plans. It will also ensure that suitable health and safety requirements are in place and the work activity will be approved by the module team in advance.

Completion of Level 4

No specific academic content, material will be dictated by the placement. LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Suitable work placements should offer students a range of learning opportunities appropriate to their academic level and career aspirations and should be, wherever possible, related to their subject specialism.  The placement should enable the student to build on previous experiences and learning gained in their academic course and elsewhere, and should have outcomes consistent with those for their course as a whole. During the placement the student will have an opportunity to develop transferrable skills appropriate for the workplace and also ideally be able to apply theoretical material and practical techniques learned in an academic setting within the working environment.
Successful operation of a work placement requires adequate communication between the student, a nominated university contact (the Academic Group Employability Co-ordinator/ "academic supervisor"), who will normally be a member of the academic staff group responsible for the student's degree course and a nominated employee in the workplace (the "placement supervisor").

When a work related learning opportunity is gained, students will be required to complete the “Work related learning approval form”. At the start of the placement students will also be required to complete the “work-related learning agreement page of the Training Portfolio.
Students working in the NHS will be required to be immunized against Hep B. Students seeking work placements in Schools or similar Education establishments or in the NHS for some placements will be required to have Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) checks completed before taking up such placements.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. generate and implement a plan of conduct within a supervised work environment whilst demonstrating effectiveness, rationality and organisational skill, working both independently and in a team.
2. demonstrate and intergrate consistent and appropriate communication with colleagues, superiors, and placement supervisor(s) together with demonstrable adherence to health and safety, legal and ethical obligations;
3. critically evaluate and reflect upon her/his performance, abilities and achievements in the work place;
4. evaluate critically the structure, major activities and responsibilities of the organisation.
5. critically reflect upon how the experience relates to their personal, career and academic development and identify future skill and knowledge development needs.

The summative process includes:   (i)  a copy of the work-related learning agreement including an statement of approval and their liability insurance from the employer (ii) a written report in the form of a completed portfolio describing the organisation within which the placement was carried out and a log evaluating the work undertaken. (iii) The employer will provide confirmation of satisfactory performance and attendance.
To pass the module, students need to achieve a minimum aggregate mark of 40%.  There will be an attendance requirement for the practical sessions. If the module is passed on reassessment, then the maximum mark awarded will be 40%.

Component                                           Learning outcome
Work-related learning agreement    1, 2
Written placement Portfolio               1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Satisfactory employer comment       1, 2, 3

Textbooks:

Core Text: Durrant A, Rhodes G, Young D. (2011) Getting started with university-level work based learning, 2nd edition, Libri Publishing, London (Core)

Other Texts: Rook S. (2015) Work Experience, Placements and Internships. Palgrave Career Skills
Cottrell S (2015) Skills for success: the personal development planning handbook, 3rd edn. Palgrave Macmillian, Basingstoke
Fanthome C (2004) Work placements: a survival guide for students. Palgrave Macmillian, UK
Glencross H, Ahmed N, Wang, Q. (2011) Biomedical Science Practice.  
Fundamentals of Biomedical Science series. OUP 
Herbert I and Rothwell A (2005) Managing your placement. Palgrave Macmillan, B=UK
Heyler R (2015) The work-based learning student handbook, 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillian
Kirton B. (2012) Brilliant workplace skills for students and graduates Prentice Hall. UK
Leedy P, Ormrod J. (2009) Practical Research. Planning and Design. International edn, 9th Edition, Pearson. UK
Moon J. (2004) A Handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice Routledge. London
Stiles T, Grant V,  Mawbey N. (2003) Good Clinical Laboratory Practice, 3rd Edn. BARQA
Trought F. (2012) Brilliant employability skills. Prentice Hall. Harlow