100% in-course assessment which will consist of:-

Accepted learning contract (70%) (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)
Presentation of individual goals and plan to peers and supervisor (30%) (Learning Outcomes 2 and 3)

The module will introduce you to a variety of approaches that are implicit to negotiated study. This will provide you with the key knowledge and skills required to successfully manage your Masters programme. The module will combine one-to-one tutorials with work-shops in order to provide you with both the opportunity to develop your own research programme and meet with fellow learners to share experiences of self-managed study. The module will also prove pivotal to the development of your learning contract and will require you to reflect critically upon the process of developing ideas for negotiated study.

Negotiated access to equipment within your workplace appropriate to the resources you employ.

The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

This module is intended to support you in the initial stages of your negotiated study and it will be delivered by a blended learning. Within it, you are expected to develop a Learning Contract that will inform the rest their negotiated award. The Contract will form the link between the individual's goals, the needs of the employing organization/ industry organisation and the University's academic and modular frameworks. The specific content of your programme of study will therefore be developed via a 3-way negotiation between you, your employer and your tutor. The Contract will identify all the learning activities that you expect to undertake to reach your final award. The module will combine one-to-one tutorials with online discussions, in order to provide you with both the opportunity to develop your own research programme and engage with fellow learners to share experiences of self-managed study.

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Schoen, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner Presentation to the 1987 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC. (available at http://resources.educ.queensu.ca/ar/schon87.htm on 5 September 2011)
Skinner, Megan (2006) Research - The Essential Guide. (London: British Film Institute)
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