Aims

The module aims to get you to: -
a) Develop a sophisticated understanding of the processes that guide development and change.
b) Explore and understand the relationships between different activities in the same geographical area, and the relationships between the study area and other parts of the wider locality.
c) Understand and explore the role that different community groups play within the area and the relationships between those different groups, appreciating their visions, goals and priorities for the future of that area.
d) Devise appropriate strategies to provide a framework for future action, which spring from an understanding of the issues, opportunities and relationships which you have explored and identifying priorities for action.
e) Devise effective delivery mechanisms whereby elements of the strategy can be put into practice.
f) Develop your interpersonal skills of negotiation, compromise, leadership, delegation and acceptance of responsibility within a team framework.
g) Develop strategy writing and presentation skills to a professional level.

Outline Of Syllabus

Introductory synchronous overview of module and projects in induction week. Synchronous weekly teaching supported by non-synchronous online materials to scaffold structured guided learning and guided individual study. Project briefs available and project choice forms to be completed by students before teaching commences in week 1.
Whole cohort lectures in weeks 1- 4, 1 hour each, supported by non-synchronous online materials to scaffold structured guided learning and guided individual study.
Four parallel strategy projects comprise seminars in weeks 1 - 11, 1 hour each, supported by non-synchronous online materials to scaffold structured guided learning of an additional 1 hour and guided individual learning.
Site visits to explore the characteristics and dynamics of the locality, and to determine the issues that the strategy will address.
Supplementary tutorials offered by project tutors either online or PiP.
Formative assessment – Draft Background Report, week 7
Formative assessment – Group Presentation, week 9
Summative assessment – Background Report (2000 words per student).
Summative assessment – Strategy (report, presentation, flow chart, poster, video according to subgroup preference), week 9.
Summative assessment Field work Logbook

Fieldwork logbook throughout to be uploaded to Canvas weekly.

Either
Background Report - 40%
+
Strategy Report/ presentation/ video/ flow chart - 40%

Or
Combined report 80%

Plus
Fieldwork logbook blog 20%

Projects offered: Active travel, Development Appraisal, Place Based Revival, Community Engagement (Hot Food Takeaways), Conservation

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Initial lecture (during Induction) introduces the module, the projects and invites students to choose their projects. Subsequent lectures give cohort-wide teaching on topics that inform all projects and support presentation skill development.

Group seminars and tutorials (present in person) allow students to gain from staff expertise and provides opportunities to discuss their evolving strategy. The fieldwork and private study enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of the locality (through field visits where possible and supported by online resources), the local community profile, and to follow up evidence and policy documents in relation to it.

Guided independent study provides time for students to gain an understanding of policy mechanisms, and to reflect on key issues related to strategy making. Students will also need to organise their time/plan future actions, meet regularly to discuss their various activities, maintain their field work log-book, and draw together their draft Background Report (formative), their group presentation (formative), their final Background Report and Strategy. The formative submissions for the Draft Background Report and Presentation offers students comprehensive feedback from the project Tutor.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Group Background Report - including data analysis to support the contents of the Strategy Report. This will comprise 8,000 words per group of four students or 2,000 words per individual student.

Group Strategy Report - containing the vision, priorities and policies for the strategy. This does not have a rigid word count as students will contribute written and visual elements.

The Fieldwork Logbook (blog) enables students to present the background work they have done and the evidence they have gathered from which they will determine their strategy. It also provides them with an opportunity to develop professional practices when carry out meetings including noting meeting interactions, decisions, and actions taken through the minuting of meetings, keeping action logs etc.

The Strategy Report tests the students’ graphical presentation and writing skills, their ability to understand an area and determine its key issues, their ability to articulate their intentions clearly, and to reflect on the limitations of their strategy-making. The (formative) draft back ground report (week 7) and presentation (week 9) also provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to respond to questions informatively and to use feedback as a basis to finalise their submissions.

Group work will be marked in accordance with the Group Work Policy.