Aims

This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to;
1.       support your transition into higher education and encourage you to become adaptable, curious and independent thinker, with the ability to evaluate empirical evidence as part of our research led academic community;
2.       work alongside colleagues in your learning and employability journey to your future career and enterprise goals;
3.       develop your awareness of relevant labour market and gain an understanding of the concept of career capital and its potential impact on your employability.

Outline Of Syllabus

There are 4 main elements to the syllabus;

1.Independent learning
Introduction to the theories and practices related to critical thinking, informed decision making and reflective practice.

2.Academic skills
Introduction to what constitutes good practice related to academic research and writing.

3.Graduate employability
Introduction to the concept of graduate employability, the graduate labour market and the skills related to career management.

4. Digital Skills
Introduction to a range of online learning resources to support development of digital skills.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The teaching methods used support the learning outcomes of the module, and are clearly divided between academic skills in semester 1 and development of career competences in semester 2.

The lectures present students with the underlying theoretical concepts related to academic skills and careers, and where possible guest lectures are incorporated to provide professional perspectives.

The small group teaching is focused on developing student understanding of good academic practice and supporting their career planning. The workshops are designed to provide a more interactive learning environment to build teamworking skills, improve awareness of cross cultural working and enhance cohort identity.

The structured guided learning includes online content created by the Liaison Librarian Team and the Writing Development Centre in semester 1 and supports the in-person teaching of academic skills, and is integrated into the weekly schedule on Canvas of tasks to be completed. In semester 2 content from the Careers Service is also integrated into the Canvas weekly schedule, and supports development of career competences. This content provided by specialist teams from within the University and provides students with a repository of advance and guidance that they can reference throughout their studies.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment for the module is multi-component to support the various skills outcomes identified. The range of assessments have also been designed to ensure that students engage in all of the teaching and learning content.

The online quiz assesses student understand the requirements of good academic practice in researching and citing sources.

The written exercise requires students to reflect on the skills and knowledge they have gained during the module and in particular the value and transferability of relevant experiences to their future development.

The oral PowerPoint presentation is a group assignment to support engagement with the cohort building activity delivered in the workshops.

Formative assessments are designed to support the summative assessments, and to build the student understanding of good academic and professional practice.