ENG5112 - Professional Development and Placement (Volunteering)

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
demonstrate the ability to apply, in the volunteering sector, knowledge and skills gained from the academic study of English
reflect on and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses across a range of key employability skills
apply employability skills and practical skills to the volunteering activity and perform to a satisfactory standard
produce written evaluations of professional and academic employability experience as part of a team

Content:

Professional development and preparation for volunteering - a programme comprising: Introduction to Professional Development Planning and volunteering at Level 5; Interview with placement Tutor; Placement with suitable organisation(s), normally 60 hours of volunteering spread over an extended period (12-20 weeks). Completion of Portfolio and Report (including Career Research project). Workshop sessions normally include discussion of and lectures on wider theoretical and practical reading on work, and presentations from staff in EPO and Careers. Topics include job satisfaction, Humanities employment, definitions of employment, professionalism, higher-order graduate skills, team work, careers planning, employability skills, briefings on EPO procedures, skills and preparation for attachment/assessment

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching takes place through tutor-led discussion amongst placement tutees, and through a day conference and workshop sessions, covering (as may be applicable to specific placement plans): oral presentations, poster presentations, email reporting, briefings, discussions, practical activities (role play, drafting, writing), and matters relating to the requirements of the preparatory portfolio and report. Individual tutorials with Placement Tutor/Progress Tutor are provided before the placement starts. Student briefing and information documentation will be provided by the Module Coordinator and Employer Partnership Manager in the Induction meeting.

Workshops
Hours: 10
Intended Group size: 80

Guided independent study
Hours: 190

Further details relating to assessment
Students must pass both pre-placement portfolio and volunteering elements. In addition, students must adhere to the University’s Professional Conduct Code. The porfolio assement comprises a CV and and report on an personalised careers research project. The report is a scholarly evaluation of the placement in the context of wider secondary reading. Students will present their careers research project in class, send in a reflective diary to their placement tutor, and will participate in a poster day, all as formative assessment, for informal peer and tutor feedback.

Other relevant matters
Workshops will consist of student discussion of preparatory reading, framed and guided by tutor presentations and presentations from EPO and Careers.

Assessment:

001 Portfolio 1500 words equiv end of semester 1 30%
002 Report 1 x 3000 words end of semester 2 70%
003 Placement 60hrs over 12 - 20 week period end of sem 2 (Pass/Fail) 0%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Dr Richard Storer
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5YL

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