module specification

This module provides the student with the opportunity to consolidate and complement their academic learning with vocational experience in medical or related laboratories or within a field related to studies. The placement provides supervised training and work experience in a relevant field. Placements should give students the opportunity to gain skills specific to their subject or industry of choice as well as the employability skills required for real-life work. It also increases their knowledge of an industry or sector, allowing them to make better informed decisions about future career choices.

Completion of Level 4

No specific academic content, material will be dictated by the placement.

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. The duration of a placement should be equivalent to approximately five weeks full-time employment. During this time 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 and reflect upon these. Successful operation of a work placement requires adequate communication between the student, a nominated university contact (the Cluster 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 at the workplace (the "placement supervisor").

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Generate and implement a plan of conduct during within a supervised work environment demonstrating an effective, rational and organised manner, both independently and with others,
2. Demonstrate and integrate consistent and appropriate communication with colleagues, superiors, and placement supervisor(s), and 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. Assess the skills developed during the placement and relate them to enhanced employability.

The summative process includes:  
• A written report describing the organisation within which the placement was carried out, and evaluating the work undertaken;
• An oral component taking the form of an oral presentation, short viva voce assessment, a poster presentation or similar.
• The employer will provide confirmation of satisfactory performance and attendance.
All assessment components must be passed.
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%.

Dean, J. et al. (2017) Practical Skills in Chemistry, 3rd Edition. Pearson.
Glencross, H., Ahmed, N. and Wang, Q. (2016). Biomedical Science Practice (Fundamentals of Biomedical Science). Oxford University Press. 
Leedy, P. and Ormrod, J. E. (2015). Practical Research: Planning and Design, Global Edition, 11th Edition, Pearson.
Jones, A., Reed, R. and Wyers, J. (2016). Practical Skills in Biology, 6th Edition. Pearson.

Websites: Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/documents/gclp-web.pdf)