Portfolio Assessment: Work Placement and Academic Underpinning

Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding

1 Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate significant understanding of the interaction of theory and practice resulting from a structured work placement brief which includes specified objectives or target outcomes with appropriate academic underpinning and the close observation of an organisation over a specified period of time.

2 Demonstrate the following skills and abilities

Produce and present evidence of your work placement to enable an evaluation of your performance relative to set objectives and target outcomes and an assessment of what you have learned as a participant-observer of an organisatio

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Your third assessment will be an individual portfolio which will act as an evidence base and personal defence of your creative proposals in response to the agreed tasks and your organisations brief.

In your portfolio you will evidence all the work you have done to meet the set objectives including the reading of relevant academic, professional and organisational material. A higher grade can be achieved by demonstrating independent thought and proposing creative or innovative solutions with sound academic underpinning to the set objectives.

The portfolio comprises three separate elements, all of which contribute to the two learning outcomes. These are as follows:

1.A literature review which provides the academic under-pinning of your proposal, final report and defence of your creative proposals in response to the agreed tasks and your organisations brief;

2.A journal to document your experience and reflections on various tasks undertaken during your work placement with reference to academic literature as appropriate .

3.An individually developed defence of the creative ideas and suggestions proposed in response to your organisational brief. This is underpinned by theory where relevant and follows tutors feedback.

You will be expected to use PebblePad as your e-portfolio client which is accessible through BREO.

If for any reason you have changed focus from Assessment 1, please ensure that you address the significance and benefits of your new direction clearly. You must support your assertions by referencing appropriate and up to date literature. This is a requirement of academic work.

You will need to use up to date academic sources to support what you are saying as well as professional publications if appropriate. Furthermore, you ought to be able to access your host organisations own publications – only those that published and in the public domain. Do not use confidential, classified, or business sensitive material – if in doubt ask a senior staff member or line manager.

Do not confuse criticism with critique – the former is inappropriate whilst the latter is necessary. If you wish to use a personal account of your experience (within the context of the placement) you must follow the principles of ethnography and support and reference appropriate texts to underpin your use of this methodology.

Submit your word-processed work electronically through the unit BREO. Hand written or paper copies of work are not acceptable.

• You are permitted to include attach additional documents inside your portfolio, however all work must be referenced and contain your name and student number.
• This is an individual assessment. This assessment should be submitted electronically through EMA on BREO. Assessments must be submitted by 10am.
• Late assessments beyond the submission date will not be accepted or marked.
• You will have to demonstrate good writing skills, evidence of extensive reading using our library sources, core book and other reports and relevant material information from a variety of sources including the Internet and industry interviews if necessary.
• Referencing and bibliography (where applicable) is essential.  A minimum of 5 referenced academic sources is required.  
• This coursework is subject to University Regulations, attention is particularly drawn to the regulations on late submission, CAAS and plagiarism.
• Coursework should be properly referenced using the Harvard Referencing System and should include a Reference List. Students should note that correct referencing and the production of a Reference List are part of the assessment criteria.
• It is the responsibility of a student who registers for a UK programme of study to learn about the academic practices they are required to follow.  I would recommend that you seek guidance on academic writing.  The library resources have information to help you on the following webpages:

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

• Research, produce and formally defend your proposals and responses to your organisational brief to an external and/or internal audience.
• Make a considered response to practitioner feedback based upon your knowledge of under-pinning academic theory.
• Provide evidence in support of your main proposal and in response to agreed briefs

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on Click or tap to enter a date. make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you.

How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

The scheduled sessions offer an academic knowledge base which includes both theoretical models and systemic approaches to analysis. This forms the basis upon which learners will conduct their individual exploration of issues within their respective workplaces.