EDM190: Developing mentoring excellence (theory and practice)

Module code: EDM190

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rachel Roberts, email: r.l.roberts@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Yota Dimitriadi, email: y.dimitriadi@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is intended to support students with leadership development as they consider how mentoring and coaching can support organisational and personal growth.

During this module students will explore mentoring and coaching from a variety of perspectives and theoretical models. They will reflect on good practice within mentoring and coaching and effective skills that mentors and coaches need to develop or demonstrate to support positive professional relationships. Common issues in application of mentoring and coaching as an organisational resource will be discussed. An opportunity to draw upon their own experiences of mentoring and coaching and practising coaching will be included in the module. As such a range of contexts will be considered, including initial teacher education, other settings including adult education environments and care settings.

This distance learning module requires students to be independent and autonomous in their studying and learning. Learning materials will include a mix of live online seminars and asynchronous resources. 

As this is a distance learning module, it will require access to high-speed broadband, Blackboard and appropriate software.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. develop a critical understanding of issues relating to mentoring and coaching through reflection on practice and academic study
2. evaluate a range of models of mentoring and coaching and reflect on the role of coaching and mentoring for personal growth and building quality professional relationships
3. apply the theoretical perspectives of mentoring and coaching to individual practice and analyse critically skills applied and developed
4. evaluate strategies for leading mentor and coaching development in a setting

Module content

The module aims and objectives are designed to deepen knowledge and understanding of mentoring skills by focussing on the student’s own practice through making links between the practice of mentoring and theories of mentorship.   Themes include:

• Self-assessment and reflective practice
• Effective communication, effective questioning and active listening skills
• Effective feedback and target setting
• Contemporary issues of mentoring
• Theories of mentoring
• Theories of coaching
• Understanding ourselves as coaches
• Experiencing a coaching intervention
• Management of difficult conversations and conflict resolution
• Development of academic literacies

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Distance learning using a variety of platforms. Materials will be released at regular intervals during the autumn and following spring terms, which students will manage independently. As well as narrated presentations and online tasks, there will be opportunities for group discussions and student to student communication.

Study hours

At least 12 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• 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 three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/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.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will be given weekly data analysis tasks to complete. Formative feedback regarding these tasks will be given at the practical workshops. 

Reassessment

Additional costs