Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SSI3017: Learning from Work Experience in the Social Sciences

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to develop your personal management skills and experience of learning through work. You will be encouraged to research and reflect on a range of work-related ‘explorations’ - from the nature of an organisation and your role within it, to employment practices, self-appraisal and continuing professional development, linking this with your own personal development planning. The module allows you to fully explore the links between the skills developed and the knowledge and understanding gained from your degree discipline. By practising specific skills for employment the module aims to prepare you for the world of work beyond university and increase knowledge and understanding of a range of professions.

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 Skills	1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of what your placement organisation does; how it is managed, the culture of the organisation and what might influence this. 2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the experiential learning process and ability to critically reflect on and evaluate learning from work experience, and to do so through the application and use of relevant theoretical frameworks
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Critically and systematically reflect on the relationship between the learning and skills developed in your discipline, with the learning, skills and personal attributes developed through your work placement. 4. Systematically research the academic background to a key issue arising from your work placement and critically evaluate the issue in relation to the professional and scholarly literature
Personal and Key Skills	5. Identify the specific skills needed in relation to particular job/career opportunities, and demonstrate an ability to present these knowledgeably with reference to the work placement; 6. Critically reflect on and analyse your own personal management skills, identifying ways to improve through personal development planning; 7. Demonstrate ability to communicate and present yourself effectively in CVs, applications and interviews, and communicate information and ideas clearly and critically.

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 assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Description of a critical work incident and a plan for reflection	500 words	1-2, 4-5	Written
Personal action plan	Equivalent to 500 words	5-6	Written

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.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
60	0	40

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

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Individual presentation	40	1500 words, equivalent to 10 minutes in length	1, 3-5, 7	Written feedback and grade
Reflective logs	60	2,250 words	1-2, 4, 6	Written feedback and grade

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 assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Individual presentation	Written script for a presentation (1500 words, equivalent to 10 minutes in length)	1, 3-5, 7	August/September re-assessment period
Reflective log	Reflective log (2,250 words)	1-2, 4, 6	August/September re-assessment period