module specification

This unique module will provide insight into key urban issues affecting London (which are additionally relevant to other large cities around the UK and the wider world) before applying your academic knowledge in a practical setting. 

You will undertake 50 hours of hands-on work experience with a London community focused organisation, tackling real-world challenges such as inequality, crime, health disparities, and climate change. Along the way, you’ll develop professional skills and reflect on your personal and professional growth to assist you to reach your graduate career goals. 

Support is provided to help secure suitable placements which can be remote or in-person. 

The module supports the University’s Empowering London initiative and promotes inclusive, ethical practice.

The module aims to enable you to: 
●    Effectively express and understand your current skills and abilities in relation to your career values and goals 
●    Practically apply the knowledge gained through your course programme to a work/neighbourhood environment 
●    Make a positive contribution to the challenges of current social and economic issues facing the University’s local communities and consider these from national and global perspectives
●    Gaining unique insight of current challenges facing cities in the areas of social wealth; the environment; discrimination; health; poverty and deprivation and crime and partner with community institution to design potential solutions
●    Gain understanding and direct experience of the graduate level skills, knowledge and insights required for inclusive practice and problem resolution within institutions to enable you to become an inclusive leader in society 
●    Recognise your personal and professional development through your work based practice and how to apply the experience and knowledge gain to your future goals

Please note:
●    Students will be contacted prior to the semester to provide support in securing a Placement in good time.  
●    Students are responsible for applying for opportunities and to engage with the Module Team/Employer Engagement and Placements Team to assist them.  
●    The suitability of any opportunities will be assessed by the Module Team/Employer Engagement and Placements Team and all placements must meet Health and Safety requirements for Higher Education Placements. 
●    Students on a Student Visa must ensure their placement meets UKVI monitoring requirements. This includes:
•    Prior approval of placement dates and hours by the Module Leader.
•    Submission of timesheets signed by a line manager/supervisor.
•    Ongoing engagement with the Module Leader and the International Student Support Team.
 

N/A

Syllabus overview:

● The benefits of work based practice to future career planning and realisation
● Analysing personal strengths and values and identifying areas requiring development and goal setting
● Application of prior academic and life-learning in a work environment
● Exploring work and professionalism from an inclusivity perspective including: workplace relationships; effective teamwork; communicating positively; work planning; problem solving; managing meetings; emotional intelligence; ethical leadership
● Understanding the relationships of power and methods of transforming power to empowerment
● Exploring how to effectively support community organisations to achieve address the Empowering London challenges of crime; discrimination; health improvement; social wealth, environment; poverty and deprivation.
● Understanding of contexts they have encountered with long term understanding of their duty of care. i.e. how and when do they leave communities.
● Supporting the economy, applying the principles of social justice and social inclusion
● Being a values-driven, critical citizen and becoming an inclusive leader
● Wider application of addressing social issues, by considering creative solutions to both local and global challenges
● Demonstration of confident self-presentation and critical reflection techniques for personal and professional development and resilience
● Formative and summative assessment and selecting final assessment form

The module often serves a number of diverse course programmes and therefore will be flexible for a range of subjects and interests. Your learning will be developed through individual or group-based activities and will include some one-to-one support within the work environment.

The module is structured into overlapping phases covering a) self-reflection on current skills, abilities, values and careers plans; b) class based practical preparation; c) work based experience with related critical analysis and self-reflection tasks and d) final assessment preparation and submission.

Class based interactive workshops will comprise problem-based learning, self-reflection and personal development planning. Group work will encourage discussion of self-reflections and analysis of work based challenge issues with peers and tutors. Feedback sessions allow you to discuss their own practice and learning. Blended learning will be via the Virtual Learning Environment and will include videos and online practical tasks.
The assessments require students to apply the knowledge acquired through lectures on the social challenges facing London to their work placement experience. The process supports students in identifying and articulating their professional skill set, particularly in relation to recruitment processes.
Students will be expected to reflect on their work placement and other relevant professional experiences, including those gained through their academic studies. This reflection will be evidenced through the development of an Employability Skills Portfolio and participation in a mock interview. These components are intended to prepare students for job applications, interviews, and self-employment opportunities.

During and up to the end of the module, you will be able to:

1.    Design and explain your approach to a work based challenge, from a socially responsible perspective and reflecting your own professional values and ambitions.
2.    Evaluate and reflect on your impact on the work based challenge to show understanding of your role as an active, transformative citizen in society. 
3.    Critically reflect on the larger context and long term impact of the experience gained and how it can be used in the future, to assist you to achieve your career and academic ambitions.
 

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/57EE62E1-BAA4-F2D8-214C-E67EF8BB7445.html