You have the opportunity in this module to gain valuable placement experience in human rights or political communication organisations which use these, and reflect critically on this.
The teaching comprises a mix of lectures, small group tutorials and workshops appropriate to the content and focus of the module. It begins with an initial set of practice-based workshops, aimed at providing students with the skills necessary to identify potential host organisations for their placement and to develop an appropriate means of securing a work placement. Towards the end of the module, students will have the opportunity to reflect back on their work experience through peer-supported focus groups. These are designed to facilitate student feedback on the experiences they have had in applying for and securing a work placement in an organisation.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | lectures, seminars and workshops | 15 |
| Guided independent study | 215 | |
| Study abroad / placement | Work placement | 80 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Formative assessment
There will be formative activities for students to practice and develop research and report-writing skills, through the provision of a "virtual work placement", where students will work in groups to produce a briefing paper on a topical issue. The "virtual work placement" aims to provide students with an opportunity to work on a project which is nearly identical to the kind of research, policy analysis and report-writing work which is carried out by entry level policy staff in social justice organisations, and get feedback on their work. Formative assessment is non-assessed (no formal marks); the emphasis is on feedback to identify areas for improvement.
Summative assessment
All students will be required to write a 3000 word-report. This will evaluate the work of a social justice organisation (usually the one they worked for), including an examination of the organisation's aims and ethos, the competing pressures under which they operate and the challenges and/or opportunities facing the organisation. They will also reflect critically on the strategies and tactics employed by the organisation to address and/or exploit these pressures, opportunities and challenges and comment on the role and place of the organisation in the wider human rights/social justice movement or media landscape.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Identify, locate and secure a work placement in an organisation or conduct extensive research on the role of an organisation within the wider field. | Work Placement Report |
| To reflect critically on their work placement | Work Placement Report |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 3000 word report | 100% |
| 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.
Brown, Craig (2005) Working in the Voluntary Sector, 4th Edition. Oxford: How To Books Ltd.
Policy Press. International Journal of Voluntary Sector Research, Policy and Practice.
Gomm, Roger, Hammersley, Martyn and Peter Foster (eds) (2000) Case study
Bowden, John (2010) Writing a Report: How to Prepare, Write & Present Really Effective Reports, London: How To Books Ltd
Famthom, Christine (2004) Work Placements - A Survival Guide for Students (Palgrave Study Skills), Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Robinson, Zoe and Pedley-Smith, Stuart (2010) A Student's Guide to Writing Business Reports, Kaplan Publishing