MCH8600 : Museum, Gallery, Heritage Professional Practice and Research
MCH8600 : Museum, Gallery, Heritage Professional Practice and Research
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Simon Bruce Davenport
- Lecturer: Professor Christopher Whitehead, Dr Dora Merai, Dr Emma Coffield, Professor Areti Galani, Dr Katie Markham, Miss Kate Rothery, Mr Alistair Robinson, Professor Rhiannon Mason, Professor Andrew Newman, Mr Ryan Woodward, Dr Gayle Meikle, Mr Iain Wheeldon, Dr Joanne Sayner
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
- Capacity limit: 18 student places
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
Semester 2 Credit Value: | 5 |
Semester 3 Credit Value: | 55 |
ECTS Credits: | 30.0 |
European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
Completion of the taught modules specific to the following MA programmes: Museum Studies (4007), Art Museum and Gallery Studies (5829) and Heritage Studies (4139), and successful completion of Continuous Assessment.
Not all students will be given a place on MCH8600. Students will be required to apply for a place on these modules. Selection for the modules will be based on an interview with a clear set of criteria.
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
The aims of the module are to:
Provide an opportunity for a sustained piece of applied research and work-related tasks within a 25-day work placement that relates to appropriate theory and practice raised during the taught modules of the programme.
Provide an opportunity to develop the appropriate applied and vocational research skills to go on to work in the Museum/Gallery/Heritage sector.
Outline Of Syllabus
The students are required to attend briefings and lectures.
In addition, students will have regular meetings with their allocated supervisor.
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
By the end of the module a typical graduate will have:
Understood the nature of Museum/Gallery/Heritage applied research related to work experience; and
Understood the theory, practices and methods appropriate to Museum/Gallery/Heritage work, through being able to critically reflect on their placement experiences in the light of the materials taught in Semesters 1 & 2, and collect relevant information/evidence/data and the processes used to analyse this material in order to solve problems and undertake work in the sector.
Intended Skill Outcomes
By the end of the module a typical graduate will have:
- Engaged in critical, reflective practice
- Practiced appropriate work-based research and information-gathering techniques;
- Practiced problem-solving and analytical skills; and
- Practiced writing and presentational skills.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | N/A |
Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 146:00 | 146:00 | N/A |
Placement/Study Abroad | Employer-based learning | 25 | 8:00 | 200:00 | 25 Days equivalent |
Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 25:00 | 25:00 | N/A |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Mixture of online and in-person workshops |
Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 200:00 | 200:00 | Independent study based on Work Placement project and activities |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Six individual supervision meetings, more as and when suggested by the Supervisor. |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | N/A |
Total | 600:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lecture: On-campus structured guided learning to help students on the module to plan the various stages of the assignment: developing reflective practice, formulating a research question, developing a research strategy and writing up research findings.
Module Talk: On-campus introduction to the module, the placement process and to placements.
Workshops: On-campus writing group sessions to support students to develop their academic writing skills.
Workshops: One group workshop, linked to lecture, to give students practice in developing research questions.
Employer-Based Learning: 25 Days practice/ placement in a relevant venue negotiated with the placement manager. Undertaking work outside the university to collect data and develop skills e.g. Work Placement; site visits; visits to museums and galleries.
Project-Related Supervision: 1:1 individual supervision meeting to support the research work placement project development. These will include meetings with the supervisor at Newcastle University and the supervisor in the host Museum/Gallery/Heritage organization as well as progress meetings after the completion of the practice/ placement element.
Independent Study: This broad category refers to independent student activity and covers the range from reading and preparation through to situations where students are required to work without staff supervision or where students are required to undertake very specific pieces of work.
Assessment Preparation and Completion: This is work carried out independently to undertake the assessment associated with this module.
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report | 3 | A | 100 | Research and Practice Portfolio - 7,000-9,000 words. Incorporating: Log of Practice - 1,000 words; Critical Reflection on Practice - 1-2,000 words; Research Project - 5-6,000 words. |
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
Description | When Set | Comment |
---|---|---|
Written exercise | M | Submission of ethics form |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The Research & Practice Portfolio comprises of three inter-related parts which are designed to lead the student to document, reflect on and research aspects of their placement experience.
The Log of Practice - students must document their placement experience and highlight challenges experienced during the placement
The Critical Reflection - students must reflect on their experiences of the placements and the placement host organisation.
The Research Project - students must produce an original piece of work that responds to a practical/theoretical challenge facing the cultural sector, and which can be explored in the context of their placement organisation. They must show how methods were used to gather information, evidence and/or data during the Work Placement programme/project activities; how these were analysed; and the implications of the findings for the practices of the organisation and (if appropriate) the wider sector.
To be successful the work placement reflective report will need careful planning and preparation and will need a high level of informed critical reflection.
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MCH8600's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- MCH8600's past Exam Papers
General Notes
Under normal circumstances, each student will be offered a placement chosen by the Placement Manager from the student’s list of their 4 preferred placements.
Under special circumstances, the students will be asked to complete a work-related project based within the University and under the supervision of a member of staff.
Regarding lectures in Semester 1: The module formally runs in Semester 2 & 3 but the process of arranging the placements begins in Semester 1. Mostly this is an administrative process. However, it does involve the students as they are required to submit a CV, and select & submit their placement preferences from a prescribed list. As such, there are 'process' lectures in Semester 1. These involve lectures from Bruce Davenport (as Module Leader) explaining the process and a lecture from Kate Rothery (Careers Service) about how to prepare a CV.
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The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2024 academic year.
In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.
Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2025/26 entry will be published here in early-April 2025. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.