HS2WEY: Work Experience Year

Module code: HS2WEY

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 120

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Elizabeth Matthew, email: e.a.e.matthew@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE HS2SAY (Compulsory)

Placement information: Maxi placement

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module allows students to spend a year between Part 2 and Part 3 on a work placement in a field relevant to the wide range of careers open to graduates in their discipline. 

Aims: 

The aims of the module are to: 

• provide job-application experience through securing a self-organised placement;
• allow students to gain knowledge, understanding and practical experience of a relevant work environment;  
• allow students to apply and develop on placement the knowledge and skills gained in the first two years of the degree programme; 
• enable students to reflect on, self-evaluate and communicate what they have learned and achieved on placement; 
• enhance career development and employability. 

The purpose of the module is to increase students’ confidence, self-reliance and maturity through applying their knowledge and skills in a professional workplace, while further developing a wide range of intrapersonal, interpersonal, problem-solving and team-working skills to enhance their Part 3 performance and graduate employment prospects.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the role and purpose of the placement-providing organisation;
2. Explain their role within the organisation and the rules and procedures affecting their role;
3. Explain the knowledge, skills, tools and methodologies employed and developed on placement;
4. Consider and outline alternative approaches of potential value to the employer and placement student;
5. Reflect on their overall performance on placement and its value for their career development.

Module content

Students are expected to secure and organise their own placement with advice and support from the placement co-ordinator and the wider Careers team.  

Each placement must be approved by the module convenor, with all necessary legal, health and safety documents completed before commencement. 

The placement should be of a minimum of 9 months (40 weeks) full-time work.  

The day-to-day content of the placement will be determined by the placement provider, but should provide the student with opportunities for independent problem-solving and working in a team. 

On completion of their placement students will prepare: 

• a written report of 2,000-3,000 words analysing and evaluating their role within the organisation, explaining the rules of governance and other procedures affecting the role, and the knowledge, skills, tools and methodologies employed and developed. The report will provide an opportunity to research and critically evaluate alternative approaches, which should be of value to the employer and the placement student. 
• a 15-minute oral presentation to be delivered to two examiners at the university who, at the end of the presentation, will each ask a question arising from the content. The presentation should focus primarily on the student’s experience on placement and what has been learned from it. It also provides opportunities to discuss particular incidents or aspects of the work on placement in more detail than was possible in the written report, and to make suggestions for improving the placement experience or the module for the benefit of future students.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The emphasis in this module is on independent working, including work experience, learning by observation, training and doing. 

Because students on this module spend the academic year away from campus on full-time work placements, no teaching and learning activities will be scheduled by the university during this time. 

Study hours

This module is a placement or study abroad module and therefore the teaching and learning activities will predominantly, or entirely, take place away from the University of Reading. Your host organisation will normally advise you of the associated hours of your placement or year abroad. If the module includes any in-person activities at the University of Reading, these will be confirmed to you 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 40% to pass this module. 

A student who fails the module will be transferred back onto the 3-year degree programme without placement year.  

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.

Reassessment

Additional costs