Studying at York
Practice-focussed professional learning (Year 1) - SPY00108M
- Department: Social Policy and Social Work
- Module co-ordinator: Prof. Neil Lunt
- Credit value: 10 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
- See module specification for other years: 2021-22
Module summary
‘Practice-focused professional learning’ Module (Year 1) allows students to reflect on the range of professional activities undertaken in relation to the 21 month CASPPER programme.
Professional requirements
N/A
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
Aims
- Gain practical insights into social policy development, governance and delivery at local, national and international levels, including roles of public servants, public officers and research analysts.
- Compare and contrast national & local “policy-in-theory” (e.g. legislation, White Papers, Funding initiatives etc.) with how delivered in practice and so explore implementation issues.
- Learn how to incorporate a range of policy tools (e.g. programme evaluation, organisational culture and behavioural insights) in real-world settings.
- Explore how 1 or more aspect of policy and delivery compares to their own country experience and professional role.
- Gain understanding of UK public service/Third Sector organisational culture and practices through networking and engagement.
- Understand the international agency context of social policy activities.
- Develop detailed plan of activities for Year 2 follow-on module
Module learning outcomes
By the end of this module a student should be able to:
- Understand roles, contexts and professional cultures of public services (across local, national and international settings);
- Have examined at least one issues of particular professional interest (e.g. delivery mechanisms or personnel issues such training, professionalism, motivation, recruitment and retention of volunteers);
- Understand and identify the use and limitations of tools and techniques for diagnosing policy requirements and evaluating change;
- Have developed written and oral skills with regards to writing and presenting for professional audiences;
- Reflect upon their own working context and professional assumptions regarding policy development and delivery.
Module content
The Module involves the following student activities undertaken during the programme:
- Conference attendance and participation;
- Bespoke training courses and seminar attendance;
- Agency visits and professional networking;
- Masterclass attendance and participation;
- Additional writing and presentations undertaken (e.g. article preparation, talks at conferences, contributions to consultations);
- Involvement in small groups projects undertaken within the CASPPER programme for external agencies.
Indicative assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Portfolio |
N/A | 100 |
Special assessment rules
Pass/fail
Indicative reassessment
None
Module feedback
During seminar discussions with whole-group, and through regular termly supervisions.
Indicative reading
Goodfellow, J. (2004) Documenting professional practice through the use of a professional portfolio, Early Years, 24:1, 63-74
Alsop, A. (1995) The Professional Portfolio — Purpose, Process and Practice, Part 1: Portfolios and Professional Practice, BJOT, 58, 7,