GI5W50 - Politics and International Relations: Work-Based Learning (2020/21)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2020/21 | ||||||||||
| Module status | DELETED (This module is no longer running) | ||||||||||
| Module title | Politics and International Relations: Work-Based Learning | ||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||
| School | School of Social Sciences | ||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2020/21(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
1. Increase their personal and professional development prior to, during and following gaining work-based learning experience.
2. Increase and develop critical, self-reflective ability and self-efficacy.
3. Demonstrate theoretical concepts and transferable competencies in a practical, problem solving context.
4. Gain critical understanding of current issues, practices and where appropriate relevant policy or legislation within a particular organisational situation.
5. Explore employment options and consider future career plans.
Prior learning requirements
Successful completion of Level 4
Syllabus
The syllabus will focus on preparing students for careers through to reflecting on their personal gains from the placement/work/training/volunteering based learning activity. In addition professional guidance (as required for those learners seeking suitable activity) in a group or one-to-one basis will be provided. Topics that may be examined include:
• Suitable placement related learning options
• Suitable employment related learning options
• Suitable training related learning options
• Suitable volunteering related learning options
• Job search strategies and the labour market
• Job application and selections approaches (e.g. CVs, application forms, interviews)
• Articulating their abilities effectively
• Professionalism and workplace ethics
• Being a critical employee
• Health and safety in the learning host organisation
• Suitable employment related learning options
• Critical self-reflection
• Setting personal learning goals / learning contracts
• Meeting the learning outcomes whilst undertaking career related learning
• Meeting the assessment requirements of the module
• Support available during the work-based learning
• Planning short and long term career goals LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4,LO5
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
All aspects of the module preparation, learning and assessment are designed to enhance students’ abilities to progress in their chosen careers and develop critical awareness to the labour market and workplace.
Introduction, role search and workshops
Preparatory workshops will outline the requirements and demands of the module, assist students in diagnosis of their abilities, help make decisions about suitable employment, training or volunteering areas and in conjunction with the University Careers Service ensure they are able to produce appropriate placement/employment/training/volunteering applications as required.
Those seeking employment will be required to take up the additional support provided on placement/employment /training/volunteering search and application strategies by the University Careers and Employability Team. In addition to any advertised roles, students will be encouraged to find their own opportunities speculatively.
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain suitable placement/employment/training/volunteering based learning activity, and roles cannot be guaranteed.
Approval of work-based learning
When a work-based learning, placement, employment, training or volunteering opportunity is gained, students are required to complete the following (forms are online on the module page on WebLearn):
Work-based learning notification form: outlining the role and the contact details of the host organisation including the person managing the activity. (In the case of University based projects, students will be supervised by an academic with additional supervision, support and feedback as appropriate from a School or University career related learning team.) Following submission of this form, that activity will be appraised for suitability i.e. that it is personally developmental, allows students to use initiative and demonstrate responsibility.
The work-based learning activity
The majority of the module will be supported activity-based and distance learning. Supporting materials and detailed assessment criteria for the report will be uploaded to WebLearn. Each student will be assigned an academic supervisor who will provide University based and distance support as required.
During the experience, students are required to keep a regular record of the activities they have carried out to reflect upon, analyse, evaluate and write about in their report.
Assessed report
The student is required to submit a 2,000 word report that analyses their work-based learning, placement, employment, training or volunteering activity and experience. Students will be encouraged to refer to academic, professional and work-based learning sources in the research and writing of the report. The report will summarise their knowledge gains, reflect on their learning, analyse and evaluate their experiences and may also develop a brief career action plan for the future.
Post work-based learning development
After completion of the work-based learning, it is important that students continue to progress development of their employability, in consideration of their graduate career goals. This can be through for example, progressive employment experience and / or extra-curricular activities. This will be supported by the University.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes are generic to be flexible to a variety of work-based learning contexts. On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated that they can:
1. Analyse the activities that they have participated in and critically reflect on the professional skills and knowledge they have developed.
2. Demonstrate application of theory and transferable skills acquired during their programme of study, to activities undertaken in a work-based learning context
3. Examine the contribution they have provided to the activity and critically analyse any challenges encountered in the role and how they dealt with these.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the placement/work/training/volunteering based learning host environment.
5. Critically reflect upon how the experience relates to their personal, career and academic development and identify future skill and knowledge development needs.
Assessment strategy
The module is assessed by a 2000 word summative report on the student’s work-based learning placement, employment, training or volunteering experience and activity.
Bibliography
Core Reading
Durrant, A., Rhodes, G. & Young, D., (2011) Getting started with university-level work based learning, 2nd edition, London: Libri Publishing.
Kirton, B. (2012) Brilliant workplace skills for students and graduates, Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Additional Reading
Cottrell, S. (2010) Skills for success: the personal development planning handbook, 2nd Ed, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Fanthome, C. (2004) Work placements: a survival guide for students, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Herbert, I. and Rothwell, A. (2005) Managing your placement, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lumley, M. and Wilkinson, J. (2014) Developing employability for business, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice, London: Routledge.
Scherer A. (2012) Brilliant intern, Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Trought F. (2012) Brilliant employability skills, Harlow: Prentice Hall,.
Websites
London Metropolitan University http://student.londonmet.ac.uk/jobs-and-employment/career-and-employability-advice/
www.prospects.ac.uk
http://targetjobs.co.uk
Where possible, the current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module. Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks. Reading Lists will be updated annually.