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Module

EDU8212 : Placement Module

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Steve Humble
  • Lecturer: Professor Pauline Dixon
  • Owning School: Education, Communication & Language Sci
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 40
ECTS Credits: 20.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

The aims of the placement:

Provide students with "hands on" experience in order to participate in an informed way in discussions and debates on development issues and education.

Provide students with experience of education in the global south or global north experiencing problems, challenges and engagement at first hand either in person or virtually

Equip students with the skills and knowledge for further experience, in order for them to gain employment within international development sectors.

Encourage students to think "outside the box" about education in the international context.

This module sets issues learnt in other modules in a real life or virtual context, enabling students to evaluate and utilise skills acquired during the course, as well as bringing the placement experience back to Newcastle University to inform modules still to be completed.

Outline Of Syllabus

Workshops allow the students who are undertaking the placement to become familiar with the different country contexts and different types of placement that can be undertaken during the in country visit or virtual placement.

These introductory sessions discuss the mini project as well as the other assessment tools including the blog or diary, annotated piece of literature and presentation. The main aim is to allow students to take control of their own activities that will be carried out during the placement, which lasts for between 2-4 weeks.

Consultations with the module leader allows specific itinerary to be planned focusing on individual needs during the placement. During these meetings zoom calls are set up allowing contact to be made with the “hosting” contacts, such as Coco (Tanzania), Team Kenya, Kunskapsskolan (Sweden), Embassy of Barbados for SIDs, Schools in Ecuador and Universal Learning Solutions (Nigeria). The role the student will play during the visit (virtual or in person) are arranged and finalised.

Sessions also inform students of in country practices, culture, health issues, and travel arrangements (where applicable). The students are taken through the placement handbook, have workshops around risk assessment, health and safety and insurance (where applicable). Relevance for virtual placements around country practices, culture and internet safety are also covered.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion160:0060:00N/A
Placement/Study AbroadStudy Abroad1160:00160:00The placement will take place either as a study abroad, or study in the UK or virtually.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops19:009:00Workshops over the semester there will be input from University teams (risk assessment, insurance).
Guided Independent StudyStudent-led group activity189:0089:00Directed research, reading, & student-led group activity. Reading related to course topic with peers
Guided Independent StudyStudent-led group activity120:0020:00Distance learning advanced preparation for each session. Non-synchronous content.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery12:002:001 x 2 hour live chat or interview on Zoom by appointment.
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study160:0060:00Short recordings & text of workshops published on VLE each week. Around preparation for placement.
Total400:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

be used to describe to the students what they could expect. The students will decide what they would like to undertake during the placement (in person or virtual) with the placement provider and make a choice as to where the placement will take place.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Oral Presentation102A10N/A
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Essay2M504,000 word essay
Portfolio2M15Work based portfolio / diary - 4,000 words
Written exercise2A10Annotated piece of literature
Design/Creative proj2A15Mini research project
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The first assessment would be a diary kept by the student in the lead up to, during, and reflecting on, the placement. This then would be compiled into a document to be submitted upon completion of the placement with the remaining parts of the portfolio. The portfolio includes the diary, annotated piece of literature, project report, presentation. This is assessed by internal and external marking as for any piece of assessment at Masters level. The second assessment is an essay that sets out the student's experience in the context of development issues in relation to the placement.

Reading Lists

Timetable