1. MODULE DESCRIPTOR
Parent Programme MSc Health and Wellbeing
Module Title Negotiated Learning
Level 7
Credit Rating 20 credits (10 ECTS credits)
2.1 Module Aims
The aim of this module is to take a constructivist approach to learning to enable students to refine the values and beliefs, knowledge, skills and competency relevant to their workplace culture and context and their own personal and professional development.
2.2 Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Critically reflect on their current role and justify their need for advanced personal and professional development;
- Synthesize and critique contemporary theories, and sources of evidence informing their particular area of practice;
- Utilise relevant concepts and frameworks to critically analyse their knowledge, and skill development;
- Demonstrate personal responsibility for their own learning and professional development.
2.3 Indicative Module Content
There is no formal taught content to this module and the participant, in partnership with their employer and personal academic tutor, chooses the subject/focus of the module. The University provides academic support, relevant guidance materials and access to resources.
2.4 Learning and Teaching Strategies
The structure of this module is sympathetic to the unique nature of work-based learning and enables the autonomous student to steer the direction of their advanced study. A member of the Negotiated Learning Module teaching team will facilitate the first session. Within this session, students will be encouraged to present their ideas for their personal, professional and practice development. A learning agreement will be drawn up between the Negotiated Learning Group Facilitator and student in partnership with their employer and personal academic tutor (as relevant). Thereafter, workshop sessions will be student-led to critically analyse their learning and development. Peer critique is a fundamental component of the module design and students will be encouraged to engage with group discussions to share work and practices to gain formative feedback. Students will also be expected to complete self-directed research, reflect in and on practice, utilise on-line materials and participate in tutorials.
1.5 Indicative Assessment
Option One
Part A - Work-Based Evidence Tool (WBET) (1000 words equivalence) judged on a pass/fail basis. (25%)
Part B -A 3000 word critical and reflective analysis on the development of advanced knowledge and skill (75%).
And
OR
Option Two
A 4000-word portfolio illustrating advanced personal and professional development, a
2. ASSESSMENT
3.1 Portfolio Assessment guidelines
Option One - Work-Based Evidence Tool (WBET) and a 3000 Word Critical and Reflective Analysis. Both elements must be passed in order to pass the module.
Work-Based Evidence Tool (WBET)
You will need to identify a set of skills/area of practice to advance as part of your developing workplace role.
Consider
- What does your employer want you to be able to do?
- What do you need to know to be able to get to you next grade or gain a promotion?
- What standards do you professional body set in regards to advancing you practice?
- What objectives have been set as part of your annual performance review that highlight your further learning and development needs?
In collaboration with your identified work based assessor, you will need to negotiate and document an agreed learning contract. A WBET template is provided for you on Blackboard for your use.
For further guidance, discuss your WBET with your Negotiated Learning Group Facilitator, your Negotiated Learning Agreement will need sign off by both your workplace and the University. You practice will be signed off by your workplace assessor and this work shall be moderated by a member of the academic team.
Critical and Reflective Analysis
You will need to commence your work by introducing why your set of skills/area of practice was chosen to advance, presenting the relevance to your workplace role and professional career.
You will then need to critically reflect and analyse how you developed within your role.
To examine how you have developed your knowledge and understanding you will need to draw from a range of sources of literature, critiquing concepts, theories, and models alongside available research evidence. You will need to explore your workplace culture in the analysis of your learning and development, indicating how you were able to achieve your individual objectives for the module, and how you will take forward these insights into future practice.
You will also need to consider issues beyond your immediate area of practice and take a critical approach to the thinking and assumptions, which you and others are using. Drawing on mastery of a broad personal and formal knowledge base relating to your work and its wider context. Whilst developing your own ideas and innovative responses in complex and unpredictable situations.
Option Two - A 4000-word portfolio illustrating advanced personal and professional development.
Your portfolio needs a clear structure:
- A cover page
- A contents page
- An introduction to your portfolio outlining what it covers – you need to identify your learning outcomes and highlight what you want to achieve from the module. You may have a section for each learning outcome.
- You then need to address how you achieved the learning outcomes, what evidence do you have that you achieved the outcome, how did you achieve the outcome (any challenges), what future development have you identified.
- There needs to be evidence of critical engagement with a range of relevant literature to support the points and arguments you are presenting.
- Your critical narrative concludes with recommendations for your personal, professional and practice development.
- Your final section is the Appendices. You need to include a range of supportive evidence demonstrating your personal and professional development, for example,:
- Testimonials, peer reviews or witness statements;
- Case illustrations, Care models, or Pathways;
- Evidence of participation as Simulation Faculty;
- Design, delivery, and evaluation of practice based education and or/and training;
- Presentations/posters/conference papers illustrating dissemination of project work
For further guidance, discuss your portfolio development with your Negotiated Learning Group Facilitator.
3.2 Expectations of writing style:
- Due to the nature of a critical and reflective analysis and a reflective portfolio, it is appropriate to use the first person.
- Work should be presented 1.5 line spaced or double-spaced.
- A readable font and font size should be used e.g. Calibri, Times New Roman or Arial, font size 11.
- Pages should be numbered consecutively and be inclusive of appendices.
- You should add your student ID number to the header or footer of the document so it appears on every page.
- Your word count needs to be stated on your cover page
4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Writing your learning outcomes and competencies
The following statements are taken from the Quality Assurance Agency 2008 publication the framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Please read these, consider their content, and focus when writing your learning outcomes. Remember at this level of study you need to be critically appraising and synthesizing information and experiences not just describing, and discussing.
On completion of a Masters Degree individuals should have:
- a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study or area of professional practice
- a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship
- originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline
- conceptual understanding that enables the student:
- to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline
- to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses.
Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:
- deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
- demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level
- continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level.
And holders will have:
The qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring:
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility
- decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations
- the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.