The learning strategies will require students to commit 300 learning hours.
There will be 30 hours of class contact and 270 hours of independent and self-directed study (including 40 hours of workbased learning). There are 5 taught sessions. Specific work-based learning activities will be set to complement and feed into each taught session. Work-based learning activities will be carried out in-between taught sessions. Each taught session involves 6 hours of teaching. Taught sessions provide students with a broad overview and the conceptual frameworks which underpin continuing personal and professional development in the workplace. This incorporates tutorial support activities which will provide students with the opportunity to develop auditing, critical thinking, appraisal and reflective skills to apply to the development of their own practice, in preparation for the production of the portfolio. The following will also be included:
Seminars - Students will be given the opportunity to contribute to seminars which discuss, in depth, issues covered in the lectures and presentations in order to encourage discussion, reflection and the exchange of ideas. Students will be engaged in providing and receiving critical feedback from peers and tutors on presentations.
The module will also provide opportunities for students to;
- work with others
- develop interpersonal skills
- demonstrate the capacity to plan, share goals, and work as a member of a team
- communicate and present oral and written arguments

VLE - Blackboard will be used to facilitate the exchange of ideas and access to specific resources and activities. Students will be encouraged to use Information and Communication Technology, including word processing, powerpoint presentations, internet communication, information retrieval and on-line searches throughout their studies. Students will be expected to make full use of the VLE, contributing to discussion boards and submitting work-related tasks to the module tutor
Students are also required to organise and review their lecture notes and undertake preparatory reading and research on assigned materials in order to participate in, and lead class discussions individually and as part of a group.

Library
VLE - Blackboard

Key texts:
Bedford, D. and Wilson, E. (2006) Study Skills for Foundation Degrees, London: David Fulton Publishers.
Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A. (2004) Organisational Behaviour An Introductory Text, Fifth Edition, FT Prentice Hall.
Coghlan, D. and Brannick, D. (2005) Doing Action Research in your own Organization, London: Sage
Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Johnson, A. P. (2007) A short guide to action research 3e. Allyn and Bacon.

Assessment for this module is weighted at 100% (2500 word equivalent) and tests all Learning Outcomes. Students will produce a Personal Professional Development Portfolio, which comprises 3 sections. Each section of the portfolio outlined below is mandatory.

Section a) Continuing Personal Development (weighted at 33%)
- Current CV
- Copy of Action Plan from Module 1 (this is for information only - not assessed)
- Reflective written statement on initial Action Plan, including targets achieved (500 words)
- Written accounts of 3 work based tasks (selected from Modules 1-4) - These accounts are only assessed in this module. (500 words)

Section b) Continuing Workplace Development (weighted at 33%)
- Copies of minutes from meetings with mentor
- Written reflection on each discussion that took place with workplace mentor (500 words)
- Details of CPD activity attended (such as training workshops, professional conferences, etc) and a short written reflection on the impact of each activity on your professional development.

Section c) Continuing Workplace Organisational Understanding (weighted at 34%)
- Written account of the workplace's organisational structure, with accompanying diagram/map (500 words)
- Written discussion of factors that can affect the effective operation of organisations (specific focus on student's workplace context). (500 words)

The purpose of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the issues related to personal and professional development in their workplace. As a result, this module facilitates the application of personal professional development through a series of taught theoretical inputs and specific workbased activities. Through participation in this module the student will create a record of their own personal professional development. This module enables students to reflect upon the workbased nature of the course thus far. Students will explore personal professional development at three levels:
- Their own personal development
- Their professional development in the workplace - focus on identifying and reflecting on their role (this will involve developing a professional relationship with their workplace mentor, with whom they will discuss their progress and development at termly development meetings).
- Their organisational understandings - focus on staffing structures and relationships between roles
Topics covered in this module include: an introduction to organisational structures and theory; discussion of community learning organisation case studies; the role of the workplace mentor; an introduction to specific workbased learning tasks and outcomes; presentation of students' own workplace organisational structures; introduction to critical reading techniques; introduction to experiential learning and the recording of and reflection on critical incidents; reflection on students¿ initial skills analysis (completed in Module 1); introduction to the importance and impact of continuing professional development; introduction to developing practice through action research.