PYM0PL2-Placement

Module Provider: Psychology
Number of credits: 40 [20 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring / Summer module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites: Only available to students on MSc Cognitive Neuroscience and MSc Research Methods in Psychology
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Placement opportunity: Mini placement
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Julia Vogt
Email: j.vogt@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The module provides students with an opportunity to work with an established researcher, or team of researchers, in psychology, or neuroscience.  The principal researcher will generally be a member of academic staff in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences at the University of Reading. Allocation to any particular placement is the decision of the Module Convenor. 

Students will be exposed to practical issues in research. They will work on practical problems and write a report about their activities, the skills they have acquired and what they have learned about the particular research field in which they have been embedded. 

Aims:

The aims of the module are that the student should further their understanding of research in a particular domain of psychology. This may help inform career decisions at the end of the programme. 

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module the student will be able to: 

1. Show understanding of practical considerations pertaining to their placement. 


2. Have reflected on feedback received from their placement supervisor(s) and generated an effective response (or plan of how to respond). 


3. Demonstrate they have completed the requisite hours (including hours undertaken remotely). 


4. Describe how their understandingand skills have changed as a result of the placement. 

Additional outcomes:

Students will gain an appreciation of research as a career.  Students will have the opportunity to apply research skills they develop in this module to other modules e.g. PYM0EP.  Students will likely develop other transferable skills, the precise nature of which depend on the placement undertaken. A Learning Agreement specifying the placement objectives will be completed shortly after the placement starts. 

Outline content:

Placement activities Content will depend on individual supervisors who will set specific tasks, and will include relevant training. Assessment requirements mean placements must be completed by the end of July, unless specific arrangements are made to the contrary. It is rarely possible to assign students to a new placement and it is not possible to extend a student’s enrolment in order to facilitate more hours spent on placement.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Teaching will be by hands-on instruction by supervisors and others in the laboratory or equivalent work environment (remotely or in-person), as well as by consulting relevant on-line guides as appropriate (e.g. Library guides or software manuals). A small amount of teaching is provided by the School.  Students should spend 160 hours working for their supervisor (i.e. time on placement activities).  This allowance includes orientation and  training time, which will vary from pla cement to placement.  Combined with hours allocated to report writing and documentation (Learning Agreement and Interim Report), a total of 200 hours should be allocated to the placement module.  Students must not accumulate more hours than this.  The exact number of placement hours in each term will be arranged as required by the supervisor in discussion with the student, although it is anticipated that the majority of the placement hours will be undertaken between April and August.  At the placement supervisor’s discretion, these hours can be undertaken remotely.

To pass the placement, the student must accumulate the required number of hours and the supervisor must agree that these hours have been completed.  If the supervisor does not credit the student with the minimum number of hours the student will fail the module.

As part of the placement, students will be asked to complete a Learning Agreement wit h their supervisor as well.  As part of the assessment for the module, supervisors will be asked to provide an Exit Report describing the extent to which students have achieved the aims of the placement (e.g., skill/competency development, targets achieved, hours completed, and comment on student’s reflection on the placement). Requirements of the placement are as follows: 

• On beginning the placement, the start date is logged with the Module Conve nor by the supervisor. 


• Not more than three weeks after the placement has begun, the student logs a completed Learning Agreement with the Module Convenor, agreed in discussion with the placement supervisor. 


• By the assessment deadline (unless alternative arrangements have been agreed with the School), the student submits their assignment. 

 

At the end of the placem ent (unless alternative arrangements have been agreed with the School), the supervisor completes an Exit Report describing the extent to which students have achieved the aims of the placement (e.g., skill/competency development, targets achieved, hours completed, and comment on student’s reflection on the placement).  In this report supervisors may wish to suggest further development needs of the student. 

NB: The contact hours per term s pecified below are illustrative and may vary. 

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	2		2
Work-based learning	28	80	228
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	8	12	20
Preparation of practical report			20
Total hours by term	38	92	270
Total hours for module	400

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	60
Oral assessment and presentation	40

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

This module is assessed by two assignments:

1. A piece of written work comprising a report on the objectives of the placement, activities undertaken, and theoretical understanding gained (e.g. application of psychological models to research settings);


2. An oral presentation concerning an aspect of the placement (e.g., a case study).

The assignments will be due late in the academic year (Summer Term).

Formative assessment methods:

As determined by the supervisor.

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:

50% in the module overall

Reassessment arrangements:

If a student fails the assignment, an alternative, equivalent assignment can be submitted.  The assignment and date of submission will be by arrangement with the Module Convenor and/or Programme Director. It is rarely possible to assign students to a new placement or to extend a student’s enrolment in order to facilitate more hours spent on placement.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: None

2) Specialist equipment or materials: None

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: None

4) Printing and binding: None

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: None

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: There may be travel costs relating to placements away from campus that students could be expected to meet from their own pocket, given that placement providers may not reimburse travel costs.

Last updated: 18 April 2023