module specification

CS6W50 - Career Development Learning (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Career Development Learning
Module level Honours (06)
Credit rating for module 15
School School of Computing and Digital Media
Total study hours 150
 
21 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
50 hours Guided independent study
9 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
70 hours Placement / study abroad
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Coursework 100%   Coursework (A or B or C)
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Wednesday Afternoon
Autumn semester North Wednesday Afternoon

Module summary

The module enables students to undertake an appropriate, short professional activity related to their course at level 6 with a business or community organisation and to gain credit for their achievements. The activity can be professional training or certification, a volunteering activity, employment through internal or external work-based placements, research-related activities, business start-up projects, entrepreneurship programs and more. Please see the complete list of accepted activities on WebLearn.

Students are expected to engage in any one or combination of career development learning activities for a total of ~70 hours which should be recorded clearly in a tri-weekly learning log – part of the portfolio. The ~70 hours can be completed in ~30 working days in FT mode or spread over a semester in PT mode.

Students are expected to complete a total of ~150 hours, 70 hours of which is direct engagement in any one or combination of career development learning activities. Progress should be recorded clearly in tri-weekly learning logs which are part of the portfolio. The ~150 hours can be completed in ~35 working days in FT mode or spread over a semester in PT mode.

Students should register for the module to be briefed, undergo induction and module planning and have their career development learning activity approved before they take up the opportunity. Students must be made aware that both the "Learning Agreement" (LA) and relevant "Health and Safety (H&S) checklist", where applicable, must be approved before starting the learning activity. Activities started without prior explicit supervisor approval will not be accepted.

The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to:
• Gain a valuable experience of the working environment and the career opportunities available upon graduation.
• Sharpen critical thinking, creative problem-solving and the ability to articulate solutions correctly to decision-makers and budget-holders alike.
• Undertake a career development learning activity appropriate to their academic level to gain exposure and access to professional networks.
• Extend learning experience by applying and building on their academic skills and abilities by tackling real-life problems through enrichment and extracurricular programs related to student subject areas.
• Enhance existing skills and master new ones through a structured personal and Professional Development Plan (PDP).

Prior learning requirements

Successful completion of level 5 or equivalent

Syllabus

There is no standard syllabus for the module; the learning outcomes will be developed in the subject-based context of Career Development Learning. A "Learning Agreement"(LA) produced and approved before the activity begins will specify how the outcomes will be developed and how they will be evidenced. Depending on the chosen activity, students may work on real external client projects with agreed deliverables specified by the client. Students will be expected to work individually, in teams or a combination of the two.

Specific emphasis should be placed on enhancing existing and gaining new skills, professional conduct, self-management, teamwork, and understanding of business and client requirements where applicable. A suitable career development learning activity should offer students an opportunity to build on their achievement-based CVs and must be related to their degree subject. 

Students are expected to "learn by doing" and place emphasis on developing new skills and sharpening their existing skill set vis-a-vis soft/transferable skills as well as technical skills. The learning activity chosen should enable the student to build on previous experiences and learning gained within their academic course and elsewhere.

LO1-5

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

The module leader undertakes induction and debriefing sessions and provides learning support through email, telephone contact, drop-in sessions and individual appointments. The academic module team offers formative tri-weekly feedback and assesses students’ portfolios (summative assessment).

The module is supported by an academic module team and the employability team.

The Academic Team: This is a team of academic supervisors, led by the module leader who also undertakes student supervision. Students are allocated to a supervisor who (depending on the nature of the learning activity) should be contacted for feedback and advice on matters such as:
• Learning Agreements & placement approvals.
• Tri-Weekly learning logs & feedback.
• All portfolio, assessment, attendance, and other related questions.

The Employability Team: This is the Careers and Employability team whose primary contact for students is the employer engagement officer who can provide:
• Assistance and guidance in finding and applying for internal placements and advice on finding placements externally.
• Employment support, resources and access to career portal(s).
• Support in obtaining and completing Health & Safety and other related online forms.

1. Induction

Induction sessions introduce students to the requirements and demands of the module, assist them in the diagnosis of their abilities, help them make decisions about suitable career development activities and ensure they produce an appropriate Learning Agreement (LA) for applicable learning applications/activities. For internal employment-based learning, opportunities will be advertised on student Career Portal(s), inviting applications and CVs. Candidates will go through an interview process that will seek to develop interview skills through responsive feedback and recommendations with the Employability and Careers Services. This is to encourage an appreciation of employability requirements sought by businesses and industry.

2. Approval of Learning Activity:

Once a career development learning opportunity is established, students must submit the following documents to WebLearn:
- Learning Agreement (compulsory for all activities)
- Job Offer Letter (compulsory where activity is employment-based)
- Research Brief (compulsory where activity is research-based)
- Training/Certification Confirmation Letter (compulsory where activity is training or certification programs)

The module team must approve forms before the learning activity starts. Each student will be assigned an academic supervisor to support the student throughout the process. The learning agreement form will identify and specify the following:

• Task (s) involved in the chosen activity.
• Skills, abilities and attributes to be developed and demonstrated, together with the associated assessment criteria.
• Learning opportunities for the development of the expected outcomes.
• Evidence is required to demonstrate the achievement of the learning outcomes.

3. The Career Development Learning

During the learning process, all students – regardless of the type of activities they choose – must keep a record of the activities carried out (in a reflective learning log, for instance), reflect on it and reference them to the agreed learning outcomes in the learning agreement (LA). These must be submitted every three weeks.

4.  Formal Feedback and Portfolio

The employer/client/work supervisor will produce feedback to evaluate the knowledge and skills demonstrated by the student. Where the activity is training/certification-based, proof of successful completion is required to inform supervisor's feedback. Where the activity is research-related, evidence of satisfactory progress from the research lead is required. Supervisors may require/request additional documents to adequately assess and provide relevant feedback. This will be communicated to the student by the supervisor if/when required via the WebLearn feedback.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

LO1 – Demonstrate that they can function effectively as independent learners in supervised and unsupervised learning environments, including selecting and applying appropriate methods and procedures to accomplish the required tasks.

LO2 – Communicate effectively with internal/external teams, clients, colleagues, decision-makers and budget holders.

LO3 – Apply analytical, creative and advanced problem-solving skills relevant to the subject.

LO4 – Critically evaluate skills and performance and plan for their systematic improvement.

LO5 – Evidence an enhanced understanding and awareness of important commercial, social and professional factors and their impact on society as a whole and business in particular.

Bibliography