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GV1PP: Preparing for Placement Year Part 1
Module code: GV1PP
Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science
Credits: 0
Level: 4
When you’ll be taught: Full year
Module convenor: Professor Nicholas Branch , email: n.p.branch@reading.ac.uk
Pre-requisite module(s):
Co-requisite module(s):
Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):
Module(s) excluded:
Placement information: NA
Academic year: 2025/6
Available to visiting students: No
Talis reading list: No
Last updated: 16 April 2025
Overview
Module aims and purpose
This non-credit bearing module aims to give you a head start by laying the foundations for successfully securing a placement ahead of your placement year. This module will familiarise you with the expectations and processes for the placement year. It will equip you with a practical toolkit to prompt reflection on your skills and personal placement goals and begin researching and evaluating opportunities that align with these goals, ensuring you are ‘placement application ready’ in your second year.Ìý
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:Ìý
- Identify the benefits, requirements and expectations of the placement year ÌýÌý
- Reflect on skills and placement year goalsÌý
- Conduct research to identify and evaluate placement opportunities that align with these goalsÌý
- Identify skills, knowledge and experience gaps and create a personal action plan outlining the necessary skills and steps to be ‘placement application ready’ in second year.ÌýÌý
Module content
Content provided will include a range of online resources, briefings, tutorials, lectures and networking events including peer support, and will also include an element of self-guided personal study time in order to prepare effectively for placement application and recruitment at the start of year 2. Students will also attend the returning Part 4 student placement event.Ìý
Structure
Teaching and learning methods
Placement support modules will mainly include briefings and interactive workshops, with the opportunity to engage with group work and peer support e.g. opportunities to visit poster presentations and meet returning placement students.Ìý
Online resources will be made available to all students.
Study hours
At least 10 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.
ÌýScheduled teaching and learning activities | ÌýSemester 1 | ÌýSemester 2 | ÌýSummer |
---|---|---|---|
Lectures | 1 | ||
Seminars | |||
Tutorials | 5 | ||
Project Supervision | |||
Demonstrations | 2 | ||
Practical classes and workshops | 2 | ||
Supervised time in studio / workshop | |||
Scheduled revision sessions | |||
Feedback meetings with staff | 1 | 1 | |
Fieldwork | |||
External visits | |||
Work-based learning | |||
ÌýSelf-scheduled teaching and learning activities | ÌýSemester 1 | ÌýSemester 2 | ÌýSummer |
---|---|---|---|
Directed viewing of video materials/screencasts | |||
Participation in discussion boards/other discussions | |||
Feedback meetings with staff | |||
Other | |||
Other (details) | |||
ÌýPlacement and study abroad | ÌýSemester 1 | ÌýSemester 2 | ÌýSummer |
---|---|---|---|
Placement | |||
Study abroad | |||
ÌýIndependent study hours | ÌýSemester 1 | ÌýSemester 2 | ÌýSummer |
---|---|---|---|
Independent study hours | 3 | 3 | 6 |
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
There is no summative assessment on this module, but students are required to submit the formative assessments listed below.
Summative assessment
Type of assessment | Detail of assessment | % contribution towards module mark | Size of assessment | Submission date | Additional information |
---|
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: /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.
By the end of year 1 students will provide a:Ìý
-
Short reflection of their aims for their placement year e.g. consideration for the role type / sectors or companies they intend to apply toÌý
-
A reflection on any skills, experience and knowledge gaps they may need to address / build and develop before they apply for their intended placementÌýÌýÌý
-
Outline any interventions and or support they intend to engage with over the summer vacation, in order to help prepare them further for their placementÌýÌý
Reassessment
Type of reassessment | Detail of reassessment | % contribution towards module mark | Size of reassessment | Submission date | Additional information |
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Additional costs
Item | Additional information | Cost |
---|---|---|
Computers and devices with a particular specification | ||
Printing and binding | ||
Required textbooks | ||
Specialist clothing, footwear, or headgear | ||
Specialist equipment or materials | ||
Travel, accommodation, and subsistence |
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MODULE DESCRIPTION DOES NOT FORM ANY PART OF A STUDENT’S CONTRACT.