14  Assessment

You must complete all of the following to pass the module:

  1. Online placement proposal form, submitted on time and approved by Module Leader;

  2. Email contact with the module leader, made on the first week;

  3. Report of the mid-placement review meeting, submitted online;

  4. Online Student Health and Safety checklist, submitted online;

  5. Placement logbook signed by your placement supervisor, submitted electronically and passed;

  6. A satisfactory PowerPoint presentation reflecting your placement experience, submitted online.

14.1 Formative assessment - requirements

These tasks do not contribute to your final grade but are essential elements of the module.

  • The placement proposal form must be submitted electronically before placement can begin. Forms must be submitted, and placement approved by the date specified above. The link to the electronic form is provided on myplace. The form provides details of the proposed provider for the placement (all boxes in the document must be completed) and includes contact information of the individual who will be supervising the placement. You are asked to state your reasons for selecting the provider in relation to the work experience that will be undertaken and your personal/professional development aspirations (min. 300 words);

  • Within the first two weeks of placement commencing, you must ensure you have completed the online Student Health and Safety Induction Checklist;

  • Finally, you are required to contact the module leader during the first week of placement to confirm that the placement is progressing in a satisfactory manner. In a second online contact, you must provide a summary of the mid-placement review with the placement supervisor via the associated online form.

14.2 Summative assessment - requirements

Summative assessment (the final grade) is based on:

14.2.1 The placement logbook

  • A diary in spreadsheet form of activities and experiences during the placement.

  • This must include an indication of the time spent on these activities (remembering that placement must comprise ~50 hours of activity).

  • This is submitted in electronic copy by 5pm on Monday 28th April 2025 and graded as pass/fail. If this element is graded as a ‘fail’, you will fail the module overall.

14.2.2 The presentation (weighted at 70%)

  • This includes reflection on professional development and future development planning.  Presentations are submitted online.

  • See below for detailed criteria and the marking rubric used for this assignment.

  • Please note that all presentations must be submitted electronically by 5pm on Friday 25th April 2025.

14.2.3 The placement provider’s report (weighted at 30%)

  • The organisation where placement is undertaken is asked to complete and submit a placement agency evaluation form on student performance during the placement.

  • The form is completed online, and the link will be sent directly to the provider by the module leader.

14.3 The Individual Presentation

The 10-minute presentation is submitted online and should cover four aspects of the placement. These are: 

  1. A discussion of the philosophy, purpose and aims of the placement provider;

  2. Reflection on the managerial policies and management structure of the provider;

  3. A discussion of the placement and university experience, with regards to personal and professional self-development;

  4. An evaluation on professional practice in the context of future development and life-long learning.

A grade from 0-100 will be given for each of these four aspects. In addition, a grade will be awarded for the presentation itself (slides, clarity, focus).

The average of the five marks will be converted to a percentage representing the overall mark for the presentation.

Criteria for the assessment of each aspect are provided below. Students may choose to use these criteria to structure the presentation.

14.3.1 Aspect One: Discussion of the philosophy, purpose and aims of the placement provider

  • Presentations scoring at the higher end of the scale will contain a clear and concise description of the philosophy, purpose and aims of the placement organisation;

  • They will include references to appropriate documentation including (for example) the organisation’s strategic plan;

  • They will also include references to the broader context in which the organisation works, for example the political, cultural and social context;

  • They will demonstrate a thorough understanding of what the organisation is trying to achieve and where it fits within the wider context;

  • They will include an element of personal reflection, where you will discuss the relationship between the provider’s philosophy, purpose and aims in theory and how these are operationalised in day-to-day activities.

14.3.2 Aspect Two: Managerial policies and management structure of the organisation

  • Presentations scoring at the higher end of the scale will contain a clear and concise description of the management/operational structure of the organisation;

  • They will describe and comment on policies relating to performance management, project/client evaluation, business development and PR;

  • They will reference appropriate documentation (for example the organisation’s staff handbook);

  • They will include an element of personal reflection, where you discuss the relationship between the formal structure of the provider and its day-to-day operation as experienced during placement.

14.3.3 Aspect Three: Discussion of the placement and university experience

  • Presentations scoring at the higher end of the scale will be characterised by a reflective analysis of the relationship between learning that has taken place within the university and the placement experience;

  • They will discuss how the content and learning outcomes of university modules were applied during the placement experience;

  • They will contain thoughtful and critical reflection, using tools and approaches covered during tutorials and referencing appropriate literature, on how you have developed as an individual and as a professional through your time as a university student and during the placement experience.

14.3.4 Aspect Four: Reflection on professional practice

  • Presentations scoring at the higher end of the scale will be characterised by a careful and honest reflection on personal and professional competence during the placement experience, including challenges faced as well as strengths demonstrated;

  • They will contain reference to the mid-placement review and to feedback provided by the provider during the placement;

  • They will identify clear future development needs for the student, along with strategies as to how these will be addressed. Reference to future entry to the workplace is expected.

14.3.5 Aspect Five: Presentation of the assignment

Marking will be based on the quality and coherence of the presentation. Excellent presentations will be characterised by:

  • Adhering to the time limit for the presentation (10 minutes);

  • Making sure that all aspects of the briefing are covered;

  • Using slides that are easy to read and uncluttered;

  • Fluency and clarity in delivery.

14.4 Assessment by the placement provider

When the Module Leader has been informed that placement is complete, they will contact the key contact at the placement organisation and invite them to rate student performance on a scale of 1-9 for the following aspects of placement:

  1. Contribution to routine operational activities

  2. Diligence and resourcefulness in performing duties

  3. Level of cooperation with other staff

  4. Ability to manage groups/individuals/resources

  5. Level of conduct, punctuality and integrity

  6. Communication/interpersonal skills

  7. Ability to produce quality work on time

  8. Ability to evaluate own performance and make improvements

  9. Overall performance

The sum of the nine marks is converted to a percentage representing the overall mark for the provider’s assessment. This is weighted at 30% of the final module grade.

14.5 Calculation of the overall grade

The overall grade is the average of (1) the individual presentation (0-100%) and (2) the placement provider’s grade (0-100%). A total score is calculated using these two averages, with the provider’s assessment weighted at 30% and the presentation at 70%.

14.6 Submission dates

The deadline for submission of the placement logbook is 5pm on 28th April 2025.

Submissions received after this time, without an appropriate approved extension, will be penalised according to the course-wide policy on late submissions. See the course myplace page for a link to the extension request form.

Please note that all presentations must be submitted electronically (in PowerPoint format) by 5pm on Friday 25th April 2025.

14.7 Resit arrangements

Failure to pass the module (i.e. achieving an overall mark of <40%) will require a resubmission of the failed assessment component or components.

This will take place over the summer (for a failed placement provider grade or failure to submit a signed placement logbook) or during the university resit exam period (for a failed presentation).