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ENG-40057 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

ENG-40057 - Work Placement for Humanities Postgraduates
Coordinator: Rachel Adcock Tel: +44 1782 7 33144
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

ENG-20055

Description for 2022/23

This module is designed to give postgraduate students studying the Humanities the opportunity to contribute to the world beyond the University, in any workplace where the research, analytical, and communication skills developed as part of a postgraduate Humanities degree can be used. The chosen workplace may be, for example, a local museum, theatre, library, school or education provider, marketing company, local newspaper, local radio, or another suitable opportunity identified by the student and approved by the module leader. While on the placement, students will produce a theoretically-informed portfolio critically reflecting on and giving evidence of the activities/outputs completed at their chosen workplace. These may include, for example, researching and producing materials advertising or supporting current or proposed exhibits or performances, researching and producing written or audio pieces, and/or planning small-group educational activities on Humanities-related topics. Advice will be given on identifying and contacting placements and composing a CV in semester 1, and support will be provided throughout the placement, which will usually take place in semester 2. Through this module students will obtain crucial first-hand experience of applying for a position and working in an environment where they can utilise the skills developed on their postgraduate degree, developing their employability for when they leave Keele. They should also enjoy sharing their skills and knowledge with people outside of the University and making a personal contribution to their chosen workplace.
Students should note that this is a year-long (i.e. Semester 1-2) 30 credit module, but with the bulk of the work (including most of the assessment) undertaken in semester 2. Therefore, all students choosing this module should select ENG-40057 plus their programme's normal requirement of modules in semester 1, and then for semester 2 understand that ENG-40057 will replace 30 option credits. This will produce the correct total credits of 120 across semesters 1 and 2 and provide a proper balance to your workload. This arrangement also ensures that, in the extremely unlikely event of failing to find a satisfactory placement by January, you will then be able to withdraw from ENG-40057 and opt in to 30 credits by way of replacement for the second semester. Further details are given in your programme handbook.

Aims
This module aims to
- enhance the career knowledge and employability of students studying Humanities subjects at postgraduate level;
- assist students in locating and effectively applying for a placement;
- provide students with first-hand experience of the day-to-day operations of a relevant working environment, including developing their ability to work co-operatively and productively with others;
- encourage Humanities postgraduate students to apply and reflect on their analytical and communication skills in a broader work context;
- develop students¿ capacity to construct and carry through sustained independent tasks/projects at postgraduate level;
- increase postgraduate students¿ knowledge of, and familiarity with, the University Careers Service.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Reflect upon and convey their experiences and (subject-specific) skills developed through their education and additional experiences in order to be effective in securing additional work experience and employment or further study: 1,2,3
Understand the variety of ways in which skills developed during the study of Humanities subjects can be deployed in non-academic contexts: 1,2,3
Understand the aims and priorities, and possible limitations, of an external organisation and design and complete substantial activities/projects/materials that support these: 1,2,3
Utilise relevant contextual and/or theoretical materials to produce outputs in an employment context and critically reflect on their effectiveness.: 2,3
Assess their own strengths and weaknesses in an employment context and reflect on their progress through the module: 1,2,3
Work flexibly, reliably, and cooperatively with others: 3
Articulate their placement experiences effectively and reflect on their enhanced skill set in front of an audience, utilising visual aids: 2

Study hours

Semester 1: 10 hours of formal teaching (workshops); 1 hour of individual meeting(s) with PGT lead
Semester 2: approx. 100 hours of placement; 2 hours of formal teaching (2-hour small-group assessment preparation); 2 hours of assessment time (presentation session with others from subject area); 2 hours of individual meeting(s) with PGT lead
Preparation and applying for placement (including assessment 1): 23 hours
Preparation for Presentation: 30 hours
Preparation for Portfolio: 130 hours

School Rules

The module will be capped at 12 students.

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 20%
Placement Plan
Students will submit a CV and any application materials they used to secure their placement. They will also submit a placement plan after a conversation with their placement supervisor where they will identify ILOs and expectations. They will also submit a 1,000-word essay demonstrating that they have begun to think critically about their placement/project(s): this will highlight (as appropriate) individual, institutional, methodological and/or theoretical challenges that will affect their placement/project ¿ e.g. students working on a historical project might historicise the problem they are investigating, and/or the methodological challenges involved in researching it, and/or issues surrounding the public understanding of their research; students working for a charity might reflect on particular restrictions/challenges for the organisations and how these influence short- and long-term priorities, as well as individuals' day-to-day tasks. These three components will enable the module convenor to assess the suitability of the placement before semester 2 starts. This assessment must be passed to progress to semester 2 and start the placement.

2: Presentation weighted 30%
Individual Presentation
Max. 15-minute individual presentation to be delivered to peer group and assessed by subject lead/module convenor. Students will summarise their activities and critically reflect on the challenges they faced and will be asked constructive questions to refine their critical reflections.

3: Portfolio weighted 50%
Portfolio including critically reflective essay and final CV
Students will submit a 500-word summary of activities completed on placement; any evidence of these activities (e.g. written work, lesson plans, photographs, promotional materials etc); a 3,000-word critical reflection focusing on a critical incident which could focus on approaches to a particular workplace challenge (a task, project, situation etc). This work should be underpinned by theoretical and/or disciplinary reading, and should also focus on the importance of Humanities¿ knowledge and skills in an employment context. The portfolio is intended to be presented so that it can be shown to a potential employer in future, and should also include a placement provider report and attendance record (included in the module handbook). A final CV, responding to feedback from Assessment 1, should also be included.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023