L-A-D Placement

Key information

Status
Module not running
Module code
15PDSH071
FHEQ Level
7
Credits
15
Department
Department of Development Studies

Module overview

The LSMD placement module involves students participating in a labour or social movement organisation, to participate in a specific element of labour or social movement research and/or practice. The aim is that students' prior academic studies will inform and enrich their experience of professional practice, and the exposure to professional practice will inturn inform and enrich their analysis of labour/social movement practices and processes.

Clearly the placement will also provide invaluable experience as they embark on careers after graduating.

The placement will involve 40 hours’ work and typically this will be 10 hours per week over a four- week period during term 2, placement must be finished by the end of week 1 of term 3. The nature of the work is flexible, but must contain at least two of the following elements: participation in labour or social movement organising; research on labour or social movement organising; how the labour/social movement organisation operates in its specific environment; gender and organising; new forms of organising; the relationship between labour and social movement organisations and organising.

The taught component of the module supports students in the process of preparing for their placements, reflecting on and learning from their experiences, and carrying out two assessments reflecting on the organisation’s work in the wider context of labour and social movements.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

 

  • Research and prepare for working in a particular labour/social movement organisation
  • Prepare and deliver an assignment that analyses and reflects on the experience in the context of LSMD themes.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the institutional history, structure and culture of the work experience provider, the work that the organisation does, and how this relates to wider field(s) of development practice
  • Apply learning from placements to analysis of a specific global labour/social movement organising issue and institutional and policy responses

 

Workload

 

2h seminars for 4 weeks and 40 hours placement.

 

Scope and syllabus

 

The placements will involve a minimum of 40 hours. They should be started as early as possible in Term 2 - not later than week 4 and completed by the first day of term 3. The standard pattern will be an average of 10 hours a week for 4 weeks although there is a flexibility e.g. if there is a special event which the student is more intensively involved in that relates to at least one of the elements described in the previous section.

The students will receive the following instructional seminars:

1) Introduction to the placement: overview of the module goals, structure, assessment, how to prepare for the assessment (week 1 term 2)

2) Different types of labour/social movement organisation and activities that students will engage in, based on the partner organisations that have been identified (week 3 term 2)

3) Making the most of the placement experience. By seminar three, students will have been allocated to placements. This session is about establishing clear expectations for the placement based on the agreed work plan, and helping students to identify potential areas of interest and learning opportunities.  (week 5 term 2)

4) End of placement debriefing  session - to evaluate the experience, and narrow the topic of the extended research paper (week 1 Term 3)

 

Method of assessment

 

100% coursework. Each student will be expected to submit a Research paper worth 85% and a Presentation worth 15%. Resubmission of coursework regulations apply.

 

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules