Work-based Project (BSc)

This work-based/work-focused course provides you with the opportunity to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) based in the work environment. You will identify, in conjunction with your employer and the City, a specific project that will facilitate and enable you to develop specific skills, knowledge and understanding in relation to an identified area of your professional practice.

In undertaking this work-based course you will be able to focus on the enhancement of one aspect of practice relevant to your role and to achieve, through the undertaking of the project, specific, self-defined learning objectives.

Who is it for?

This course would benefit managers, clinicians and professional services staff wanting to develop their reflective skills and meet their personal learning objectives. As the course is predominantly student-led, it would suit those who prefer self-directed, personal study and activities, rather than university-based teaching and learning activities.

Timetable

Six (6) hours of face-to-face facilitation and group discussion, delivered over three 2-hour sessions on a Thursday afternoon over three months. There are an additional 10 hours of supervision and support with your project with the course team.

Course dates: 21 January, 11 February and 4 March 2021.

Benefits

This course will enhance an area of practice of your choice and support you in developing, completing and reflecting on a work-based project.

The course is worth 15 credits at Level 6 and can be taken as a stand-alone CPD course, or as an optional module from a range of BSc programmes from across the School of Health Sciences.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Demonstrate an understanding of research and evidence-based knowledge, and how to apply relevant knowledge to an area of professional practice.
• Demonstrate critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights that are at the leading edge of your professional discipline and practice.
• Critically review personal skills and knowledge in regard to the development, supervision and management of others.
• Critically assess ways in which to maintain professional accountability and responsibility during professional practice.
• Demonstrate your ability to initiate, undertake and evaluate work-based projects.

Skills

• Interpret and discuss research and communicate research findings.
• Manage own learning and find resources with minimum guidance
• Seek and make use of feedback.
• Use appropriate problem-solving tools and decision-making techniques, making evaluative judgement on the suitability of the application of emerging solutions to work-based problems.
• Exercise significant judgement in operational contexts.
• Analyse new information from a range of sources using a range of appropriate techniques.
• Develop learning contracts and undertake work-based projects.
• Apply theoretical and evidence-based knowledge to your own area of professional practice.

Values and attitudes

• Demonstrate critical awareness of the wider social, environmental and policy context of your professional practice.
• Demonstrate respect for the ideas and contributions of others when working collaboratively and across professional boundaries.
• Take responsibility for your own professional development and recognise learning opportunities for yourself and others in everyday practice.

Teaching

There will be 6 hours of face-to-face facilitation and group discussion, delivered over three 2-hour session, with an additional 10 hours of supervision and support with your project from the course team.

Your learning will be through the undertaking of a work-based project and from self-directed reading, discussions with colleagues, research, facilitated group discussions of work-based experience and individual tutorials.

During the course you will be required to develop a learning contract/plan and to present a summary of your project to your peers and facilitator.

Teaching and learning are facilitated by Moodle, the University’s online Virtual Learning Environment.

Assessment

You will be assessed on a negotiated, work-based project that will be presented in the form of a 3,000-word essay or report. The pass mark is 40%.

On successful completion, students will receive 15 credits at Level 6 towards their programme, or, if taken as a stand-alone CPD course, proof of completion and credits obtained.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Non-EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone course.

The course is open to all students registered on a relevant degree programme. The course can also be taken as a stand-alone CPD course. For students who have not previously studied at HE level 2 or level 3, an interview will be required.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0.

• Bell, J. (2010) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science. 5th Edition. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Open University Press.
• Helyer, R. (2015) The work-based learning student handbook. 2^nd Edition. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education/Palgrave study skills.
• Imudia, M.I., Kaindaneh, P.M., Baffour-Awuah, D. (2013) Why Projects Fail in the Public Sector. Createspace.
• McCormack, B., Manley, K. Titchen, A. (2013) Practice development in nursing and healthcare. 2^nd Edition. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Martin, V. (2012) Managing Projects in Health and Social Care. London: Routledge.
• Salas, E., Frush, K. (2012) Improving patient safety through teamwork and team training. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Sherwood, G., Barnsteiner, J.H. (2012) Quality and safety in nursing: a competency approach to improving outcomes. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

For further reading please see the course reading list on Moodle.