PYM0PL2-Placement

Module Provider: Psychology
Number of credits: 40 [20 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring / Summer module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites: Only available to students on MSc Cognitive Neuroscience and MSc Research Methods in Psychology
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Placement opportunity: Mini placement
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Julia Vogt
Email: j.vogt@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The module provides students with an opportunity to work with an established researcher, or team of researchers, in psychology,Ìýor neuroscience.Ìý The principal researcher will generally be a member of academic staff in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø. Allocation to any particular placement is the decision of the Module Convenor.Ìý

Students will be exposed to practical issues in research. They will work on practical problems and write a report about their activities, the skills they have acquired and what they have learned about the particular research field in which they have been embedded.Ìý

Aims:

The aims of the module are that the student should further their understanding of research in a particular domain of psychology. This may help inform career decisions at the end of the programme.Ìý

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module the student will be able to:Ìý

1. Show understanding of practical considerations pertaining to their placement.Ìý


2. Have reflected on feedback received from their placement supervisor(s) and generated an effective response (or plan of how to respond).Ìý


3. Demonstrate they have completed the requisite hours (including hours undertaken remotely).Ìý


4. Describe how their understandingand skills have changed as a result of the placement.Ìý

Additional outcomes:

Students will gain an appreciation of research as a career.Ìý Students will have the opportunity to apply research skills they develop in this module to other modules e.g. PYM0EP.Ìý Students will likely develop other transferable skills, the precise nature of which depend on the placement undertaken.ÌýA Learning Agreement specifying the placement objectives will be completed shortly after the placement starts.Ìý

Outline content:

Placement activities Content will depend on individual supervisors who will set specific tasks, and will include relevant training.ÌýAssessment requirements mean placements must be completed by the end of July, unless specific arrangements are made to the contrary. It is rarely possible to assign students to a new placement and it is not possible to extend a student’s enrolment in order to facilitate more hours spent on placement.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Teaching will be by hands-on instruction by supervisors and others in the laboratory or equivalent work environment (remotely or in-person), as well as by consulting relevant on-line guides as appropriate (e.g. Library guides or software manuals). A small amount of teaching is provided by the School.Ìý Students should spend 160 hours working for their supervisor (i.e. time on placement activities).Ìý This allowance includes orientation andÌý training time, which will vary from pla cement to placement.Ìý Combined with hours allocated to report writing and documentation (Learning Agreement and Interim Report), aÌýtotal of 200 hours should be allocated to the placement module.Ìý Students must not accumulate more hours than this.Ìý The exact number of placement hours in each term will be arranged as required by the supervisor in discussion with the student, although it is anticipated that the majority of the placement hours will be undertaken between April and August.Ìý At the placement supervisor’s discretion, these hours can be undertaken remotely.

To pass the placement, the student must accumulate the requiredÌýnumber of hours and the supervisor must agree that these hours have been completed.Ìý If the supervisor does not credit the student with the minimum number of hours the student will fail the module.

As part of the placement, students will be asked to complete a Learning Agreement wit h their supervisor as well.Ìý As part of the a