What will I learn on this module?
You will undertake the following support sessions across each of the three semesters of your study.
Induction Week
This will involve an introduction to NBS PG Learning – including; Culture, PG learning in a UK University, expectations, programme specific sessions and activities (e.g. a programme task involving group work, information searching and presentation). For UK students, this will also include an ASk task to inform Programme Leaders and the prioritisation of ASk material development.
Semester 1
In the first semester (or first two terms) , the emphasis in terms of skills will be around the development of reflective practice including its practical deployment, experience of writing critically and being able to demonstrate reflective practice and experiential learning within the development of this writing, but equally, explicit development of and practice in everyday academic skills such as presentation preparation and doing, time management. Some lecture sessions will be delivered by the Programme Leader (PL) to their programme. This will give an opportunity to the PL to see their students on a regular basis and will help to build programme identity. The sessions will include: Academic writing, plagiarism, PECS, LA procedures, Assignment / Examination preparation and procedures.
Other sessions will be delivered to all F/T PG students such as managing your time and study skills (e.g. how to identify key factors in managing your time, identifying goals, getting organised, sorting out documents / information and a work schedule etc.), Introduction to Business Information Resources (including online resources) and Plagiarism and the use of Turnitin.
Semester 2 (or terms 3-4)
The module will continue to provide sessions for students to see their Programme Leader on a regular basis so their relationship is maintained. The emphasis of many of the sessions will be on enhancing our postgraduate student’s employability. This will be informed by Northumbria Employability Framework, the Northumbria Employability Plan; ‘Giving Your Career An Edge’ and Northumbria University Employability and Leadership Attributes. In the UK, some sessions will be delivered by the Careers Service. Care will be taken to ensure these sessions will compliment other aspects of employability delivery (in other modules). The careers provision can be customised by CV partners and our London campus to address the specific needs of their students in relation to their place of study. For example, QA in London would like their students to have exposure to their training facilities /courses; an equivalent aid to employability.
Semester 3
The focus will be on ASk tutors supporting the students undertaking their dissertation for example item 12 of the specific skill development sessions.
The following is a list of specific skill development sessions to be delivered over the year:-
1. Understanding of assessment and marking criteria.
2. Reading and taking good notes (this could be delivered by the ASk team or another academic).
3. Speed reading techniques
4. Using the APA system of referencing
5. Understanding and avoiding Plagiarism
6. Describing arguments and making proposals
7. Academic reading skills (the ASk team) reading techniques, scanning, skimming, deep reading, critical reading and strategies for effective reading.
8. Writing skills (ASk team) – writing assignment, analysing the task, planning, identifying information sources, identifying key ideas, writing drafts, reviewing and editing work, presenting, submission and using feedback.
9. Time Management
10. Presentation skills – preparing, researching, planning, organisation and rehearsing.
11. Working in groups – what is an effective working group, meetings, organisation, making notes and managing the group.
12. Understanding and writing the Chapters of a Dissertation
Describing arguments and making proposals
Evaluating Research Objectives
Describing bias and limitations of research
Writing reflective statements
How will I learn on this module?
The module is designed to facilitate the development of the student learning experience over the course of their one year full time Masters programme. Academic and Professional Development activities will be delivered, where appropriate, in parallel with Academic Skills (ASk) sessions. Both will be mapped to support student academic skills and professional development to support the delivery of programme modules.
The Academic and Professional Development module would be presented in a two hour block over 12 weeks comprising a notional one hour delivery by the ASk team (seminars) and one hour by Business School staff and guests (lectures). Depending on ‘need at point of time’ this model could be adapted to two hour blocks determined by what is required and who is delivering. It could also accommodate ‘team’ teaching with appropriate staff e.g. assessment briefs, reviewing articles, developing an understanding plagiarism or referencing. Where there is international delivery of the module, the delivery pattern and content will be fully adapted to the requirements for those students.
The Academic and Professional Development module is designed on a programme basis to build up and re-enforce programme cohesion, for both programme wide academic and social development. This will facilitate the role of the programme leader with the programme cohort and act as a forum for dissemination of programme wide issues and feedback.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
The module will enable the induction, study skills, academic and professional development process to support the academic delivery of the programme by timing induction/academic/study skills/professional development events in line with student needs. Induction/academic/study skills/professional development can thus be developed as a continuous process supporting the programme (and module) delivery. It will facilitate a forum for student/ programme management interaction, discussion and review over the duration of the programme in specified timetabled sessions.
A wide variety of teaching methods will be used over the induction/study skills/academic/ professional development process. These will include programme lectures, seminars, and workshops and directed learning. The emphasis will be on the transferability of programme induction, academic activities to support the students’ academic and professional development. Thus the induction/academic/study skills/professional development activities are to support the underlying learning needs from the programme modules.
The programme leader will facilitate the induction, academic and professional development process including enhancing the employability of their students for their respective programme and so this also provides a suitable forum for programme wide issues and programme feedback to be addressed over the semesters. The study skills tutor will work closely with the programme leader and module tutors to ensure content maps to module delivery and the content is contextualised to addresses student’s study skills requirements at point of need.
For generic cross programme aspects of induction, academic skills, academic and professional development, standard NBS material will be utilised, although this will be delivered on a programme by programme basis to re-enforce the development of programme identity.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
The module aims to:
• To provide a programme framework for student orientation, ongoing programme of induction / academic and professional development (including enhancing employability).
• To facilitate academic support and a framework for independent learning over the programme.
• To provide a forum for the programme leader, programme team (where necessary) and ASk staff to facilitate the phased induction / academic and professional development process.
How will I be assessed?
a. The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis, and forms an extension to the 180 module credit points on the students’ Master’s programmes. This module is assessed by a structured Reflective Learning Statement that will be submitted as an appendix to the students masters dissertation/PG Consultancy Project.
b. Additional formative assessment will take place through e.g. group work, assignment discussion, discussion board activity on the e-learning platform, case study activity, and theory/practice related discussions. Criteria are provided to enable participants to understand what is expected of them and how they will be assessed on their performance.
c. Indication of how students will get feedback and how this will support their learning. Formative feedback will be provided throughout the module. Students should, however be aware that formative feedback can, and will, occur in any communication with an academic tutor.
Pre-requisite(s)
None
Co-requisite(s)
None
Module abstract
Through the content of the module you will be supported in your programme and the taught modules that constitute your programme through a series of lectures and seminars. The lectures allow for the dissemination of relevant information and links. The lecture slots include the involvement of the Programme Leader who will seek to engage the students and support and dissect you on a range of pastoral and professional issues. The seminar slots provide the key means to academic development and again are linked to the modules on your programme. Generally the initial delivery is designed to provide information such as that associated with assessment feedback and to develop skills such as team working. The second part is designed to provide information on professional activities such as professional body involvement and networking and to develop skills such as those associated with employability.
Course info
Credits 0
Level of Study Postgraduate
Mode of Study 12 months
Location Singapore
City Singapore
Start September or March (part-time only)
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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