PS376-15 Placement, Outreach and Engagement
Introductory description
This module provides Psychology students with an opportunity to work with an organisation to support and advance their outreach and engagement portfolio in an area linked to Psychology. Students undertaking this module will also participate in seminars to explore different theoretical and practical aspects of outreach and public engagement. The module will enable students to:
- develop an understanding of and expertise in outreach and engagement around a topic related to psychology;
- learn key career skills such as project management, time management, working to a brief;
- work in a professional capacity - liaising and collaborating with colleagues, stakeholders and clients;
- Develop transferable skills (e.g. leadership qualities, self-confidence, communication skills).
Students will work with a range of host organisations, including charities, community centres and groups, and other clients, to support, design, develop and deliver resources and materials for outreach and engagement. Resources can include marketing material, social media communications, community events, presentations, research outputs, teaching resources etc. The placement project could be anything within the remit of Psychology and/or apply the research methods used in psychology.
Further information:
a) this Module cannot be taken by Psychology students who have completed a full-year or part-year intercalated year work placement.
b) this module has a limited number of places available. Students will be selected for this module through a competitive application process.
c) travel costs: students are expected to travel to and from their placement location by public transport unless otherwise agreed in advance with the Department of Psychology. Students are expected to meet the costs associated with their travel to and from their placement location. Students who wish to be considered for reimbursement of these travel costs should submit receipts to the Department.
Module aims
- To develop knowledge of, and expertise with outreach and engagement linked to a theoretical, research, or practical aspect of psychology;
- To develop communication skills, including verbal, written, visual, and online/social media communication;
- To refine skills with project development and time management;
- To build relationships with partners within and outside the community, including schools, charities, community groups, companies, etc.
- To develop professional and transferable skills relating to future career paths and employability.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
This is an indicative module outline only to indicate the sort of topics that may be covered in the seminars. Actual seminars held may differ.
Introduction to Placements, Outreach, and Public Engagement;
Developing and evaluating outreach and engagement projects;
Co-production and best practice in working with communities;
Developing skills through Placements, Outreach, and Public Engagement;
Innovation in the workplace.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Critically reflect on the development of employability skills.
- Demonstrate a good understanding of how a professional working environment operates.
- Demonstrate the development of transferrable skills such as communication, time management, team working.
- Demonstrate an understanding of, and expertise in outreach and public engagement.
- Demonstrate the ability to use scholarly resources to inform project development and evaluation.
Indicative reading list
Alvord, S. H., Brown, L. D., & Letts, C. W. (2004). Social Entrepreneurship and Societal Transformation: An Exploratory Study. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 40(3), 260–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886304266847
Bolton, G. (2003) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development (Sage).
Chivers, Barbara, and Michael Shoolbred. A Student′s Guide to Presentations: Making your Presentation Count, SAGE Publications, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/warw/detail.action?docID=420910.
DuBow, W. M., & Litzler, E. (2019). The Development and Use of a Theory of Change to Align Programs and Evaluation in a Complex, National Initiative. American Journal of Evaluation, 40(2), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214018778132
Dunn, V. (2017). Young people, mental health practitioners and researchers co-produce a Transition Preparation Programme to improve outcomes and experience for young people leaving Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 1–12. https://0-doi-org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/10.1186/s12913-017-2221-4
Herbert, I. and Rothwell, A. (2004), Managing Your Placement: A Skills Based Approach (Palgrave).
Miles S., Renedo A. and Marston C. (2018). ‘Slow co-production’ for deeper patient involvement in health care. Journal of Health Design. 3(1):57–62. https://doi.org/10.21853/JHD.2018.39
Mroz, J., Yoerger, M., Allen, J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2019). Faculty and Students Consulting in the Community: The Center for Applied Psychological Services. In J. Allen & R. Reiter-Palmon (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Organizational Community Engagement and Outreach (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 133-152). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108277693.008.
NCCPE. (2017). How to evaluate public engagement projects and programmes. National Co-ordinating Cantre for Publick Engagement. evaluating_your_public_engagement_work.pdf
Reed, M.S., Duncan, S., Manners, P., Pound, D., Armitage, L., Frewer, L., Thorley, C. and Frost, B. (2018) ‘A common standard for the evaluation of public engagement with research’. Research for All, 2 (1): 143–162. DOI 10.18546/RFA.02.1.13.
Smith, K., Clegg, S., Lawrence, E. and Todd, M.J. (2007)The challenges of reflection: Students learning from work placements. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 44(2): pp 131-141.
Smith, L., & Romero, L. (2010). Psychological interventions in the context of poverty: participatory action research as practice. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(1), 12–25. https://0-doi-org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01003.x
Social Enterprise UK (n.d.). What is it all about?. https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/what-is-it-all-about/
West Lothian Community Planning Partnership. (2015). Engaging Communities Toolkit
- A practical guide to community engagement. https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/9397/Community-Engagement-Toolkit/pdf/Engaging_Communities_Toolkit.pdf
Subject specific skills
The ability to apply relevant theories and research methods to outreach and engagement projects;
Awareness of organisational and socio-cultural challenges in the workplace and how they are addressed;
Understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in working with diverse organisations and clients.
Transferable skills
Verbal and written communication skills
Problem-solving in the workplace
Analysis and decision making
Negotiation and collaboration skills
Project development, delivery, and evaluation
Make decisions in teams and independently
Stakeholder and organisational awareness
Manage time effectively
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 6 sessions of 2 hours (9%) |
| Placement | 55 hours (43%) |
| Private study | 60 hours (47%) |
| Total | 127 hours |
Private study description
Private study hours include:
Reading and engaging with learning activities in preparation for seminars;
Researching and developing your placement outreach and engagement project;
Placement project supervision and feedback;
Formative and summative assessments.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation of placement projects | 10% | 5 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
In the final seminar in week 10, you will deliver a 10-minute presentation to discuss and critically evaluate your placement project. After your presentation, you will engage in a 5-10 minute group discussion where you will be expected to answer questions from your fellow students and tutor. |
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| Placement project report | 90% | 18 hours | Yes (extension) |
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You are required to submit a written report in which you describe, reflect and critique your placement project. Your written report should draw on resources to provide theoretical, empirical and/or policy background to your placement project. |
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Feedback on assessment
You will be provided with written feedback.
Pre-requisites
THIS MODULE HAS A LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE.
Students who wish to be considered for this module should contact the module convenor at the beginning of term 2 in their second year. Students who wish to be considered for this module will be required to apply for a place.
The Department of Psychology cannot guarantee that all applicants will be allocated a place in this module.
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 3 of UPSA-C800 Undergraduate Psychology
- Year 4 of UPSA-C801 Undergraduate Psychology (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of UPSA-C806 Undergraduate Psychology with Education Studies (with Intercalated Year)
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UPSA-C804 Undergraduate Psychology with Education Studies
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 3 of UPSA-C802 Undergraduate Psychology with Linguistics
This module is Unusual option for:
- Year 4 of UPSA-C805 Undergraduate Psychology with Linguistics (with Intercalated Year)