Awards
Target Award
Apprenticeship Standard
Programme Offerings
Part-Time
Educational Aims of the Course
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Learners will attend a 1-day residential at the start of their programme and modules will normally be delivered in block release format i.e. three full days per 10 credit module, however, days will be broken down into 2-3 hour workshops sessions. The university’s VLE (Canvas) will be employed to allow teaching and extension materials to be readily available off-site and provide a means for participants to maintain contact. A strong emphasis is placed on recognising that the workplace is an important place to learn; learners will integrate key concepts and theories, assessing the impact of these on their own working environment and reporting back on their findings. Action learning will be adopted as the key supportive and collaborative approach to learning. Issues and challenges and good practice from the workplace can be discussed and peer reviewed by tutors and colleagues on the course, providing a forum to bring ideas, thoughts, issues and actionable remedies to the fore. The predominant assessment methodology is one piece of individual coursework per module, which will require participants to relate their learning to an organisational setting. These assessments will normally be developed from their own experience or setting by each individual student through the module activities with the application of theory to practice being a key element of the programme. In the initial 20 credit module, the emphasis will be on a portfolio of work, bringing together different facets of learning activities enabling them to develop a broad understanding of themselves and their overall objectives for the duration of the programme. During all modules formative feedback, which supports the summative assessments, is on-going both within and outside the formal sessions. Students experiencing changing circumstances or difficulties with access may be supported by providing suitable case studies for their assessments, however this is not promoted. The assessment methodology, as set out above, provides the opportunities for participants to demonstrate knowledge and skills. In addition to this a 'flipped learning' approach will also be encouraged, providing content prior to the teaching and learning session using the university’s VLE, this approach brings the focus onto action learning, enabling the application of skill development. The VLE (Canvas) allows information and resources to be shared in advance of taught sessions. It also serves as a repository for module-based materials including assessment guidance, reading lists, contact information and signposting to further resources. Some modules use the discussion board feature to incorporate tutor led support and peer to peer communication. The Masterclasses, where keynote speakers address current issues, emerging practice and thought leadership will also be employed on the programme, fostering intellectual skills and addressing the ever changing nature of leadership and management in the real world. Knowledge and skills are assessed through individual work-related assessments, which may be supplemented with group activities. An important element of the programme is the opportunity it provides for participants to apply their learning to organisational situations. The fact that learning is applied, rather than being purely theoretical, is of critical importance to students, since their roles empower them to make a contribution to, and impact on, their organisation. In addition to students producing course work which links theory to practice, the application of learning is also achieved through case-study analysis and a sharing of understanding which draws on the group experience. The nature of classroom sessions is devised as an interactive, student-centred experience with group activities playing a large part in the classroom activity. Participants will be expected to undertake work on their own and, given the applied approach to assessment, this will demand a degree of self-management.