Cottrell, S., (2011), Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument, Palgrave: Basingstoke
Cottrell, S., (2010), Skills for success: Personal development and employability, Palgrave, Basingstoke
Trought, F. (2011). Brilliant Employability Skills: How to stand out from the crowd in the graduate job market. Prentice Hall
Van Emden, J. and Becker, L.,(2010) Presentation skills for students, Palgrave, Basingstoke

Details -
Assessment Reflective Portfolio of student experience incorporating the PDP and Action Plan.
Assessment will be by reflective portfolio. It will include: Personal development statement/review Reflection on skills development and review areas for further personal career development

The student will be expected to attend a number of events attended as directed by the tutor. These events may vary according to student need and timing of occurrence, but will be considered as being suitable and beneficial learning opportunities. Each Portfolio entry will involve a description of the event, what was learnt from it and how it impacts on a student's aspirations/ thoughts on the development of career skills. Students should also draw on personal learning from across their programme. Tutors will determine the number of events to be included in the Portfolio, which will be communicated to the student at the outset of the module.

Specific references should be made in the reflective portfolio to describe international/global aspects relating to either their study programme and/or to events attended and their relevance in the global context.

Summative assessment takes form of a portfolio (weighted at 100%), which is divided into two parts.

Part I: Research dissemination (70%)
The research dissemination part will assess learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4.
Students will choose one topic and will complete the task/answer the question by undertaking academic research and disseminating their research findings using the following methods; namely students will write a research paper (35%), present their research findings during a video-recorded presentation (25%) and design academic research poster (10%).
Students will engage in a formative assessment which will provide them with the opportunity to practise academic writing and to gain feedback before they will submit their research paper.
Part II: Personal Development Plan (30%)
Students are required to reflect, using reflective writing techniques, on each of the elements of the module and on the skills that they will have gained or begun to develop as a result. Reflections will then be linked to the PDP as evidence of the level of the skill development and confidence. Students will use the reflections to analyse their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the analysis students will then prepare a Development/Action plan which will be based on several objectives they will aim to achieve in relation to the Staffordshire Graduate Attributes.

1. Attend a series of events (the precise number will need to be agreed with the module leader/programme leader/personal tutor as appropriate reflecting the subject context). These may include:
- University-wide events and lectures ¿ programme specific and/or industry related to any area of the University curriculum.
- Events external to the University which are either relevant to the core BA/BSc programme and/or of interest to the student (e.g. plays/films/concerts, public lectures, exhibitions)

- Create a personal development statement as part of a reflective portfolio

2. Attend a series of interactive student-centred Skills Workshops, which will include the appreciation and development of CV writing, study skills, employability skills, presentation/communication skills. In particular students will review the skills and qualities they already possess, with reference to how these skills relate to those skills and attributes regarded as critical by employers.
Introduction to module
Self-audit techniques
Building a PDP and CV
Team Building
Effective Verbal Communication
Effective Written Communication
Research techniques
Business Calculations
Time management

3. Make a presentation as part of a team
Business Presentations

4. IT skills
In their own time students will produce a professionally formatted:
Word-processed document
spreadsheet using formulas
presentation
Poster (using Publisher, or equivalent)

5. Reasoning skills
Understanding the component parts of a reasoned argument.
Assembling said parts into a sound argument
Identifying poor arguments
e.g. propaganda, unsupported claims, simple opinions etc.
Critically assessing the quality of arguments.
Critically assessing the quality of evidence used in the construction of arguments.
Using web databases for research purposes
Identifying high quality academic sources for use as evidence in academic work/arguments.
Using web sources in a professional manner.

The emphasis is upon `learning by doing', where learning takes place through personal experience, social interaction and reflection. The learning programme is reflecting the view that learning can take place outside as well as inside the classroom. Contact will be in the form of interactive, student-centred workshops supported by role-playing, lectures and tutorials. Supporting learning materials will be available via use of a VLE or website where available.

Development of subject, skills knowledge and understanding will be supported through lectures, study materials and students self-directed study. Cognitive abilities will be developed through seminars and workshops that will include active learning processes, activities and discussions that are applied to the management context.

A range of resources, including, University library and IT facilities, the Internet, journals and databases