This module provides students with the opportunity to identify and address real-world issues that can benefit from research input by psychologists. Students will gain an appreciation of the challenges of conducting research in professional settings. Students will gain 50 hours of work experience working in a placement to identify and/or applying psychological research findings in a chosen context under the supervision of a workplace supervisor. In addition, 10 seminars will be held at the University where case studies and examples from current placements will be used to compliment the learning objectives. Students will be required to contribute and draw examples of their experiences in their work place and how this informs research in their specific placements.
It is expected that students will arrange their own work placements, the suitability of which will be discussed and agreed upon with the module leader and/or the course director. In the absence of an external placement, students will be offered a work placement in the Department of Psychology where they will contribute to a current programme of research relevant to their studies.
The nature of the work will usually be determined in part by the focus of the postgraduate programme that the student is following. For example, students of child/developmental psychology may choose to collect data or implement research-led practice in local nurseries and schools; students of clinical psychology may evaluate the efficacy of procedures adopted by local rehabilitation services; and students on the Masters in Behavioural Decision Making are likely to choose a placement in organisation that monitors behavioural change.
Please note that were appropriate, you will be required to ensure that you have CRB checks in place and if collecting data in the workplace, then the appropriate ethical approvals are in place prior to collecting data.
The workplace activity is intended to extend students' independent research skills in relevant contexts as well as enhance future employability.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Topics
This module will be delivered through ten 2-hour seminars led by the module convenor and students will discuss and reflect on experiences in the applied setting, examples of good and bad practice, and issues for career development, workplace well-being and ethics. Students will also benefit from 10 hours of supervision meetings where they will discuss underpinning research, issues arising from the designing research in the real world. Finally, students will spend 50 hours in a work placement in a chosen context.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Seminars | 20 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Supervision meetings | 10 |
| Study abroad / placement | Independent work in placement | 50 |
| Guided independent study | Independent study | 220 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Learning will be assessed via:
This module is assessed by a 2,000 word essay (40% of the module mark) and a 2,500 word placement diary (60% of the module mark). The essay is designed to enable students to demonstrate their skills of critical evaluation with respect to relevant literature in the field and how this underpins an applied project. The placement diary allows students to evidence activities carried out whilst on placement and critically reflect on the impact of their work and relevant issues (for example; ethics, practical challenges, psychological and organisational issues) from completing the work placement.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Critically evaluate the research that underpins an applied project | Formatively through the supervision meetings and summatively through the essay |
| Implement research in an applied setting | Formatively through the seminars and summatively through the research report and the reflective placement diary |
| Consider the impact or likely outcomes of their research | Formatively through the supervision meetings and summatively through research proposal, specifically the impact statement section |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 2500 word reflective placement diary | 50% |
| Coursework | 2000 word essay | 50% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Determined by the work activity, but may include for example:
Fanthome, C. (2004). Work placements: a survival guide for students. Palgrave.
Smith, P.K., Cowie, H., & Blades, M. (2011). Understanding Children's development. Fifth Edition. West Sussex: Wiley.
Field, A. & Hole, G. (2003). How to design and report experiments? Sage.