ED2TS2: Development of transferable skills through a school placement 2

Module code: ED2TS2

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Mr Mark Aitchison , email: mark.aitchison@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Micro placement

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module enables undergraduate students to develop key transferable skills needed for employment, and also provides outreach experience. Following specialist training on key aspects of working in schools, ten day placements in June/July in secondary schools in the Reading area will provide work experience in a professional setting.

In the autumn, students will build on the knowledge and transferable skills acquired in order to plan and deliver, with colleagues, a teaching session that shares knowledge of their degree specialism with small groups of school students. Students will reflect on, and share, their experiences with their colleagues. Assessment will be by coursework, and placement supervisor report on professionalism and engagement.

Students will be selected by application and interview.

Please be aware that once the placement has been completed in June/July it is not possible to switch from this module once Semester 1 commences as students have completed practical activities directly relating to 50% of the mark (Professionalism and portfolio) and that link to activities in Semester 1.

The module also aims to develop:

• IT skills through use of online resources and presentation technologies
• An understanding of some of the challenges and rewards of teaching as a profession in order to inform later career decisions
• A wide range of other presentational, organisational and interpersonal skills readily transferable to other areas of employment besides teaching
• The skills necessary to locate relevant literature on a specific topic

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Conducted themselves in a professional manner 
2. Reflected on their teaching and learning experiences, drawing on their observations and knowledge of appropriate literature to inform their reflections
3. Reflected on the development of their transferable skills and summarised their reflections through poster and oral presentations
4. Written a report on an aspect of teaching and learning, drawing on relevant literature to inform their findings

Module content

Following acceptance for the module through successful application and a successful Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, taught seminar sessions designed to prepare students for the school placement and assessable outcomes take place in November. Placements, which are unpaid, will be organised by the module convenor, last for one school week and take place in November. Attendance will be validated by school supervisor’s signature. Whilst in school on placement, students will draw on their knowledge of the appropriate literature to inform a reflective log. Students will also identify an aspect of teaching and learning that particularly interests them, investigate this, and write a report on their findings, this will form part of their reflection at the end. This learning from their observations in school and literature, and supported by seminar sessions, students will plan and deliver a teaching session for small groups of school pupils, using knowledge from their degree. A poster and oral presentation will then be given to summarise and reflect on their experiences including the development of their transferable skills and shared with their peers/tutors after the one week placement.

The teaching sessions for small groups of school pupils will be based on overarching themes with a global context such as food supply issues. These sessions will provide opportunities for increased awareness of the range of courses available at the University of Reading.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

In Semester 1, pre-placement seminars will introduce the module and its assessment; the organisation and supervision of placements; working in a school environment; key issues and literature in education; and routes into teaching. Placements will be arranged, usually for pairs of students, in participating schools and will cover a total of four or five working days scheduled in November (possibly September). Discussions with supervisors will provide opportunities for reflection on transferable skills and also aspects of teaching and learning. Students will need to allow sufficient time for independent study during their placement period to keep their daily journal up to date. Three seminars will be scheduled for Semester 1 to support students with preparation and delivery of their teaching activity, and their presentation to peers and tutors.

Timeline

• April  – module selection for students
• Early May – Prog Admin: send online application to students who have selected the modules
• May  – MC sifting of applications to finalise the students eligible to continue on the module. No interviews required.
• July/Aug– Prog Admin: contact students to complete DBS checks, with Teams meetings to confirm documents
• Sept – Prog Admin: any late students DBS checks completed.
• S1 Wk 1-5 – MC 5 preparation/teaching sessions
• S1 Wk 6 (w/c 3rd Nov 2025) – 4-to-5-day placement in Schools
• S1 Wk 8 – MC 1 day session to follow up from placements (may need to be spread out or independent learning if timetabling doesn’t permit)
• S1 Wk 8 – students submit academic poster
• S1 Wk 11 – students submit 5 min recorded individual presentation reflecting on learning from placement and set up for day in School
• S1 Vacation Wk 4 (w/c 12 Jan) – 1 day session in School (most likely Thursday or Friday)
• S1 Asst Wk 3 (Friday) – students submit 1250-word individual reflection

Assessment

1. Academic Poster (Literature Review)
2. Individual Recorded Presentation (5 mins)
3. Individual Reflection (1250 words)
    

Study hours

At least 16 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 40% 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 Level 3 (i.e. foundation modules for Part 0) and 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