LO3: Evaluate experiential work-related skills linked to management and leadership roles and requirements within a chosen organisation

Contents Page 

Module Introduction Page 3

Module Leader Pen Portrait Page 3

Module Aims Page 4

Teaching and Learning Strategy Page 5

Scheme of Learning Page 6, 7

Assessment and Assessment Briefs Page 8, 9

Assessment Criteria Page 10,11

Assessment Submission Page 12

Module Expectations Page 12

Module Reading List Page 13

Student Module Review Page 13

Module Introduction

Welcome to the Module Work Related Learning (WRL)

This module challenges you to consider your employability skills in order that you can maximise your employment potential either with a view to entering the jobs market or by their capacity to progress within your employing organisation in addition to comparing organisational theory with observing organisational practice. 

The following pages will answer some questions you may have about the module, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further queries.

I look forward to working with you over the coming year; I hope you enjoy the module and that you will make the most of the opportunity to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills.

Good luck with your studies.

Module Aims

The aims of this module are to further develop and refine student’s employability skills in order that they can maximise their employment potential either with a view to entering the jobs market or by their capacity to progress within their employing organisation and add value to it. The module will require students to undertake a skills audit.  This will require them to compare and contrast the skill sets required of them either in their current work or in the types of jobs they will be seeking with the skills they currently possess, to enable them to address any skills deficiencies.  They will also build on work undertaken in PPD1 and undertake activity requiring them to compare organisational theory with observing organisations in practice. 

Module Learning Outcomes

LO1: Assess the effectiveness of their work-related skills in meeting the requirements of job and person specifications associated with the types of job they will be seeking post-graduation, using a suitable analytical tool such as a SWOT analysis.

LO2: Analyse career development opportunities for graduates within the study sector.

LO3: Evaluate experiential work-related skills linked to management and leadership roles and requirements within a chosen organisation

LO4: Analyse the role of the manager in contributing to the strategic aims and direction of a chosen organisation.

Module Skills

Knowledge & Understanding

• Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the established principles and practice of management in the chosen sector.  
• Understand the skills and abilities for management and appreciate new competences that will enable you to assume significant responsibility within organisations.
• Demonstrate problem solving ability in the execution of projects in an educational and work-based setting.

Programme Skills

• Problem solving and critical analysis
• Research
• Commercial acumen
• Clear communication
• Developing stakeholder relationships.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Students will undertake a significant period of work-based activity that is linked to a leadership and management role within an organisation in order to support their learning on this module.  The placement will provide students with the opportunity to gain direct experience of a working environment and to participate in work-based activities at a management or supervisory level.  

Their agreed work-based activities will provide them with a hands-on experience that will support them in developing and refining work-based skills required of someone working in a management or supervisory role.  It will also provide them with evidence upon which they can draw to relate organisational theory to organisational practice.

Students studying by part-time mode, or using their current role, must be in suitable employment and will have access to the learning opportunities offered to other students through placement by way of their employing organisation.  For such students, the module guide will explain how they will be expected to use their employing organisation to develop and refine their work-based skills and to provide the evidence for comparing and contrasting theory and practice as observed in organisations.

Some formal lecture-based delivery will be used to establish the concepts of organisational and work-related appraisal, career development and highlighting/recapping areas of relevant theory for use by the student within the assessment. Delivery activities will draw extensively upon the reflective experiences of students gained both through their work-related activity within the workplace and the Work-Related Learning undertaken within the College setting. Students will conduct secondary research to develop their appreciation of organisational practice in its wider context and present their findings within the class. Students will be expected to support their contributions by researching reports, textbooks, journals and web-based materials. Individual and group tutorial activities will be used to assist students in their reading and interpretation of theoretical concepts and to provide feedback on their performance.

Scheme of Learning/ Module Timetable

Week	Content	Learning Outcome
1	Induction
2	Module Overview, Skills Audit, SWOT and Distance Travelled	LO1
3	Graduate, employment job roles - future Skills	LO2
4	Graduate Opportunities - Job Analysis Career Targets, Barriers and limitations	LO1/LO2
5	Management and leadership roles Examine the principles of management and critically evaluate the work-related skills	LO3
6	Work Based Skill Competencies – assessment tools	LO3
7	Professional Development Opportunities	LO3
8	Preparing for Placement   Professional development opportunities	LO3
9	Assignment Workshop
10	Strategic aims of a business and the role of the manager  Contribute to the performance and the strategic direction of the business	LO4
11	Contemporary Management Issues	LO3/LO4
12	Structure and Culture	LO3/LO4

The timetable has been designed to build your knowledge and understanding of the module material over the whole of the module, therefore it is important that you make every opportunity to attend all timetabled sessions. Its development has been informed by feedback provided by previous students, employers and the external examiner, however the timings and content may change to take advantage of newly available learning opportunities which will enhance your learning experience.

If any changes are made to the timetable, teaching or other study related activity, they will be communicated to you at the earliest opportunity via email and the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) therefore it is important that you check this regularly.

Assessment

Formative assessment is defined in the Foundation Degree Academic regulations as ‘Assessments which are non-contributory,’ these will take place throughout the module to help check your understanding. They also help you to prepare for summative assessments and provide you with feedback which identifies strengths and areas for development.

Summative assessment is defined in the Foundation Degree Regulations as ‘Assessments which contribute marks used to determine a student’s ability to progress from one stage of a programme to the next, and which are used to determine an overall award classification, are referred to for the purpose of these Regulations as summative assessments.’

The module comprises the following summative assessment components (total 100%):

Assessment Element                                      Percentage Weighting

Reflective Piece	50%
Journal	50%

Assessments have been clearly structured and presented to support you, however if you are unclear about what is required, speak to your module leader to seek clarification. It is important that you read the assessment guidelines and assessment criteria in detail and use them to structure your work. The content of the assessment should provide evidence that you have met all the module learning outcomes therefore it is important that you have an understanding of what the learning outcomes mean e.g. explore, define, critically discuss.

To support the development of your academic writing skills, it may be useful to devise a glossary of terms. This can be added to as you progress through the year and onto the next level of study.

Further information related to assessment can be found in the Programme Handbook.  

Assessment Brief 1

 

Assignment Title: Reflective Piece  

Weighting: 50%        

Issued Date week commencing: November 14^th, 2024

Module Learning Outcomes Assessed:

LO1: Assess the effectiveness of their work-related skills in meeting the requirements of job and person specifications associated with the types of job they will be seeking post-graduation, using a suitable analytical tool such as a SWOT analysis.

LO2: Analyse career development opportunities for graduates within the study sector.

TASK

Produce a reflective assessment on the following areas:

1. Key Competencies - perform an audit of your personal key strengths, weaknesses, skills, attributes and attitude that contribute towards your imminent career and future progression into graduate employment LO1
2. Career Prospects - given your competencies, justify what specific career pathways are realistically open to you in the short, medium and long term as a graduate LO2
3. Progression Opportunities - justify a range of potential progression activities (and associated progression barriers) that could materialise following the end of your studies. LO2

Other useful assessment Information

To achieve higher grades your work should evidence good use of research from a range of sources to underpin the judgments made and wide reading around topics to support conclusions drawn. You must include both a reference list and bibliography.

Word Count: 2,000 +/-10% 

Submission Date: January 20^th, 2025

Feedback Date: February 17^th 2025

Assessment Brief 2

Assignment Title: Journal

Weighting: 50%

Issued Date week commencing: November 10^th 2024

Module Learning Outcomes Assessed:

LO3: Evaluate experiential work-related skills linked to management and leadership roles and requirements within a chosen organisation

LO4: Analyse the role of the manager in contributing to the strategic aims and direction of a chosen organisation

TASK

Build a journal over time that explores the management and leadership roles within your place of work or through work experience activities. Examine the principles of management and critically evaluate the work-related skills you have observed in practice, outlining improvements that could be made. Explore the competencies demonstrated and consider how your own professional practice could be enhanced (LO3).  Outline the strategic aims of the business and explore within your analysis the role of the manager and how they contribute to the performance and the strategic direction of the business (LO4).

Other useful assessment Information

To achieve higher grades your work should evidence good use of research from a range of sources to underpin the judgments made and wide reading around topics to support conclusions drawn. You must include both a reference list and bibliography.

Word Count: 2,000 +/-10%

SUBMISSION DATE: February 17^th, 2025

FEEDBACK DATE: March 17^th, 2025

Assessment Criteria - guidance

Assessment Submission

All work to be assessed should be submitted through Turnitin.

Module Expectations

What you can expect from your lecturer

• High quality teaching

• Accessible academic support

• Fair and accurate assessment of your work

• Assessment feedback within 4 College weeks of the submission date

• Provision of detailed feedback on your assessment that clearly indicates where you have or have not met the criteria

• Provision of detailed feedback that helps you identify what you can do to improve future assessment performance

What is expected of you

• Attendance at all taught sessions

• Active participation in teaching, learning and assessment activities

• Make effective and timely use of the available academic support including the module tutor, the VLE, the Student Intranet, Library, online resources (including Discovery) and the HE Academic Support Tutor

• Make effective use of formative assessment opportunities

• Submit assessed work on time (unless you have an agreed extension in place)

• Read and make use of the assessment feedback provided on summative work to improve your future assessment performance

• Make sure that you understand the assessment regulations that apply to your course. They can be accessed via the Student Intranet.

• Discuss at an early stage, any concerns or issues you have with the module leader/programme leader, Curriculum Manager or Head of School.

• Contribute to the module evaluation

Module Reading List

Essential

Bassat, B. (2016) The Reflective Journal. 2^nd Edition. London: Palgrave MacMillan

Cottrell, S. (2015) Skills for Success – Personal Development and Employability. 3^rd ed. London: Palgrave MacMillan

Williams, K. (2012) Reflective Writing. London: Palgrave MacMillan

Recommended

Helyer, R. (2015) The Work-Based Learning Student Handbook. 2^nd ed. London: Palgrave MacMillan

Huczinski, A and Buchanan, D (2019) Organisational Behaviour. 10^th ed. Harlow: Pearson

Mullins, L. J.  (2016)  Management and Organisational Behaviour.  11^th ed.  Harlow: Pearson Education.

Other Sources

In addition to the Indicative Reading List/Learning Resources, students will identify relevant project specific resources utilising sources identified on other modules being studied or studied previously. 

Students will be encouraged to take advantage of the range of opportunities/resources typically available to them (e.g. personal networking, work colleagues, mentors), and in their studies (including libraries, journals, relevant websites).

Student Module Review

As part of Student Voice, towards the end of this module you will be asked by the module leader to complete a module review.  This review allows you to rate your experience of the module in relation to areas such as organisation, timetables, assessment, teaching and learning and support. You are also encouraged to provide additional qualitative comments which the module tutor can use to assist in developing the module.

This forms part of the Student Voice and feedback is discussed at curriculum reviews and action plans for development are put in place.