Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The work placement aims to:
- demonstrate how skills gained through academic study can be applied in work situations,
- assist with developing longer term career plans,
- provide the opportunity to recognise and record the development of work place skills
- facilitate personal development in a non-university setting
- develop students who can independently self-manage, proactively interact and ethically apply their knowledge and skills in a work-related context
The module offers students the opportunity to undertake work-related learning in a variety of different environments, allowing students to enhance their employability and personal enterprise skills as well as contributing towards meeting the aims of the host organisation.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students will join the module at the start of semester one and will be able to some extent to balance their work for the module across both semesters, with marks being allocated only in semester two. Students will complete a minimum of 70 hours of direct engagement with the organisation hosting the work-related learning spread over at least 10 weeks. Different host organisations may require other constraints e.g. number of contact visits made.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

The module is intended to develop graduate skills drawn from the Newcastle University Graduate Skills Framework, for example, planning and organisation.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module student will be able to:
1.       Reflect on and accept responsibility for managing own learning and development in a workplace environment;
2.       Use existing and new knowledge to enhance personal performance in a workplace environment, identify and analyse the impact and communicate this process;
3.       Use graduate skills in an effective manner in a workplace environment, identify and analyse the impact and communicate the personal development that has taken place.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module combines practical working experience and academic work. In the course of the work experience students will practise and develop a range of research skills depending on the exact project they are working on. The weekly meetings will allow for progress reports and monitoring, discussion of problems encountered, and directing of student research, all in a professional working manner.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Portfolio – this is worth 75% of the final mark for this module. It will be made up of selected pieces of individual work that students will complete during the module. The required components of the portfolio may vary according to the particular requirements of the work experience that the students are undertaking, but are likely to include elements from the following list:
• A reflective log reviewing progress towards desired learning outcomes and skills development
• A critical review of a key source, e.g. document or report, utilised in the placement
• A critical review of (some of) the academic literature related to the field of work of the host organisation.
• A report written for the host organisation with accompanying commentary.

The host organisation supervisor evaluation of student competence enables students’ application of all module knowledge and skill outcomes in carrying out their duties at the placement to be assessed in situ and considered as part of the overall module mark.

General Notes

N/A