Postgraduate Module Descriptor


POLM880DA: Interdisciplinarity in the Public Sphere

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The Interdisciplinarity in the public sphere module will help apprentices meet a range of skills (S5, S6, S7), knowledges (K1, K3, K5) and behaviours (B3, B5, B8, B9) implicit in the IATE Systems Thinking Practitioner standard.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of, and be able to critically analyse and evaluate, holism and systems ontologies as they pertain to the modern public sphere
2. Collect and analyse a wide range of data sources for building soft system models.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Critically explore the constellations of stakeholders in a complex problem settings.
4. Evidence a detailed and critical understanding of the systems laws as they pertain to problem-solutions
5. Reflect upon participation in, and contribution towards a collaborative inter-disciplinary problem-solving team
Personal and Key Skills6. Demonstrate cross-disciplinary team building and problem resolution skills.
7. Critically consider the application of soft systems approaches to extant organisational challenges.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group presentation 15-20 minutes (5 group members)3, 4, 5, 6, 7Oral

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Applied essay654000 words1, 3, 4, 7Written
Self-reflective report352000 words2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7Written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Applied essayApplied Essay 4000 words1, 3, 4, 7Next re-assessment period
Self-reflective report Self-reflective report 2000 words2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7Next re-assessment period