FZMPPL-Portfolio of Personal Learning

Module Provider: Food and Nutritional Sciences
Number of credits: 30 [15 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring / Summer module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Prof Richard Frazier
Email: r.a.frazier@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This learning portfolio allows students to agree a personal learning plan to acquire skills and knowledge that support their personal academic and professional development goals. Students will be able to pursue a flexible range of learning pathways, including study of relevant taught postgraduate modules selected from other UK Higher Education institutions, short courses and professional development activities that provide skills and learning appropriate to their employment. The overall aim is to encourage students to take ownership of their personal, professional and academic development and to utilise acquired knowledge and skills to enhance their practice within the workplace.

Aims:
This learning portfolio allows students to agree a personal learning plan to acquire skills and knowledge that support their personal academic and professional development goals. Students will be able to pursue a flexible range of learning pathways, including study of relevant taught postgraduate modules selected from other UK Higher Education institutions, short courses and professional development activities that provide skills and learning appropriate to their employment. The overall aim is to encourage students to take ownership of their personal, professional and academic development and to utilise acquired knowledge and skills to enhance their practice within the workplace.

Assessable learning outcomes:
Upon completion of their learning plan, students should be able to demonstrate:

Monitoring of own learning and development, including the identification of learning needs and planning of their acquisition

Demonstration of a reflective and self-critical approach to personal professional development

Critical evaluation of learning gained from academic study and its application to the workplace

Additional outcomes:
Negotiation skills
Skills of critical evaluation
Personal professional development

Outline content:
Students will be expected to prepare a personal learning plan with justification of need and benefit for academic and professional development with the context of their workplace. The nature of the learning plan will flexible, but must be fully justified by the student in terms of relevance and benefit to their employment. Learning will be required to include 300 hours of study as defines the credit weighting of this portfolio. Students will be guided and supported by an industrial mentor and personal tutor to develop their personal learning plan.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Students will research and develop a personal learning plan with the support and advice of their industrial mentor and personal tutor. Students will then seek agreement for their personal learning plan by negotiation with the module convenor, who will evaluate their plan for its suitability. Learning will be acquired through the various teaching and learning strategies used in the taught study modules, units and courses within the personal learning plan.

Contact hours will vary according to the varying teaching and learning strategies used within component study modules, but overall student effort will represent 300 hours of study.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Guided independent study:	100	100	100
Total hours by term	100	100	100
Total hours for module	300

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Report	40
Portfolio	60

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Learning through non-credit bearing short courses is assessed through a written report on the learning activity to the company that reflects on its intended learning outcomes and their implications for existing and future professional practice in the company.  The student’s tutor will assess these reports.

Students will prepare an overarching portfolio of evidence which:

• Reports the content and learning outcomes of the learning activities undertaken (40% of the module mark)


• Details the implications for the student’s existing and future professional practice and how it has been or could be used to change personal business behaviour and / or practice and strategy within the business. (60% of module mark)

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy £Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes£, which can be found here: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

Reassessment arrangements:
In the event of a student failing the module they will be reassessed based on resubmission of their portfolio. Module marks are capped at Pass at 2nd attempt.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: 

2) Specialist equipment or materials: 

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: 

4) Printing and binding: 

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: 

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: 

Last updated: 22 September 2022