BML115 Working with Others and Developing Self A

Module Title: Working with Others and Developing Self A

Module Code: BML115

Credits: 30

Level: 4

Academic Department: Business School

Programmes to which the module contributes: Business School

BA (Hons) undergraduate degree routes

Tutor Responsible: Chris Downs

Entry Requirements: No pre-requisites or co-requisites

Aims:

Working effectively with others requires skills in communicating and thinking collaboratively. Getting the most out of their degree course requires that students develop their skills in reflective thinking and self management, as well as specific study skills. Business School courses aim to have students graduate as self-confident, self-aware, emotionally intelligent lifelong learners. BML115 is designed to support this aim from the outset of students’ degree study. BML115 is a skills focused module and is intended to directly address skills enumerated on pages 15-16 of The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland published by the QAA in August 2008. The module aims to assist students to develop their skills in presenting to an audience, and collaborating with others face to face and in writing. It encourages students to reflect on their epistemological beliefs and to use particular techniques and tools such as Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats (de Bono, 2000). It encourages students to reflect on and plan for their own personal development. It emphasises learning from each other and teaching each other, insofar as teaching is construed as simply activity intended to assist another to learn. It is hoped that students will gain in confidence that they can successfully take increasing responsibility for their own progress and become progressively more independent learners. It is further hoped that the module will make a significant contribution to the development of camaraderie and an inclusive culture among the Business School community. In considering working together, the module will draw attention to the way that members of the academic community work together and the role of conventions such as referencing, as well as focusing on skills needed for effective working together in other settings.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students will have demonstrated, inter alia, their:

§ developing skills in speaking to an audience; § developing skills in reflective thinking; § developing skills in identifying and criticising reasoning/argument; § developing skills in working with others, including giving and receiving useful

feedback; § developing skills in self-management; and § ability to reflect upon the qualities and transferable skills they possess that are

necessary for employment and to consider their need for further training and to develop new skills.

Indicative Curriculum Content:

§ Reflective thinking, eg using Bourner’s 12 questions (see Bourner, 2003). § Presentation skills. § Teamwork skills, eg listening, observation and feedback skills, parallel thinking

using the six thinking hats (see de Bono, 2000). § Critical thinking, rationality and logic, eg argument analysis (see Thomson, 2008). § The status of knowledge claims and ‘facts’. § Goal-setting. § Time management. § Using electronic resources effectively. § Referencing. § Using skills audits. § Issues raised by students.

Learning Strategy:

The module is expected to be taken by a large number of students but they will be divided into groups of normally no more than 18 students. The module will run across both semesters of the academic year, with classroom sessions generally once a week. However, the format of sessions will alternate: each group will meet once a fortnight for two and a half hours, and in the intervening weeks the class will meet in two halves, each for one hour. The smaller meetings will be referred to as Learning Set Meetings. In the full group sessions students will work sometimes together and sometimes individually. The emphasis will be placed on learning by doing and reflecting on the experience of doing. Students will be encouraged to participate fully in a supportive atmosphere. Learning set meetings will serve as a forum in which students can discuss any and all aspects of their degree studies and things impinging on their studies. The meetings will be facilitated so that each student is able to have some individual ‘air time’ and receive the support and assistance of their peers. There will be focus on students’ personal development planning. As far as possible, the aim will be to have students set the agenda throughout.

Inter-session tasks will be used to enable students to pursue further work done in class and to practise techniques introduced.

Student assessment on the module has been designed with a focus on peer assessment to emphasise the value of learning from peers and the importance of students’ own judgement and responsibility.

Mode of Assessment:

Formative:

There will be much in-class discussion, with opportunities for students to reflect, share experience, and to receive feedback from each other and from staff. Indeed, the learning set meetings could be said to be devoted to providing formative assessment for students.

Summative: 1. A short reflective essay (1,000 words, peer and faculty assessed). (20%) (This will

be done quite early in the academic year in order to allow students to receive an early assessment of their writing skills. Faculty-awarded marks may override peer-awarded marks at the discretion of faculty; the main purpose of the peer assessment activity is formative but it is a part of the peer assessment activities assessed under item 5 below.)

2. Peer assessment of role played in an in-class group activity. (10%, formally 500 words equivalent)

3. Peer assessment of role played in semester 2 learning set meetings. (50%, formally 2,500 words equivalent)

4. Peer assessment of an artefact communicating reflections on key aspects of personal development during the academic year. (20%, formally 1,000 words equivalent) (Each student will have a choice as to the form of the artefact produced (eg. poster, computer slide show, webpage, mind map, essay, podcast, portfolio, blog) and as to whether they produce an artefact individually or in a group. For group artefacts, all students in the group will be awarded the same mark, unless the module coordinator judges that exceptional circumstances require otherwise. ‘Artefact’ is not taken to include ‘event’, eg real time presentation.)

5. Portfolio of peer assessment contributions produced in response to the requirements of items 1 to 4 above – faculty assessed. (pass/fail)

NB Item 5 is not an additional assessment task; it is a requirement for students to submit for faculty assessment the documents they created in the process of assessing the work of their peers in items 1 to 4, and consequently no ‘words equivalent’ figure is given. Students must achieve a pass grade on item 5 in order to pass the module. The mark awarded will be calculated using marks for items 1 to 4 only. All peer assessment will be conducted within carefully designed frameworks and utilising de Bono’s six thinking hats, or a comparable tool that ensures attention is paid systematically to positive and negative aspects, evidence, and the assessor’s emotional response (yellow, black, white and red hats).

Assessment Criteria:

Essay (item 1):

§ Quality of presentation (layout on page; ease of use by reader). § Clarity of expression (accuracy of use of English: vocabulary, punctuation,

grammar). § Quality of description of events § Quality of reflection, including use of evidence and reasoning to support

conclusions reached and judgments made. Peer assessments (items 2 and 3): § ‘Willingness’ – volume of contributions. § ‘Impact’ – quality of contributions. § Sensitivity to others. Artefact (item 4): § Quality of communication through the artefact produced. § Quality of reflection, including use of evidence to illustrate claims made and use of

(appropriately cited) public knowledge. Peer assessment contributions (item 5)

§ Completeness of documentation required in support of peer assessments of other

students. Reassessment:

Students failing the module will be required to re-submit two essays (1,500 words each) and an artefact as described under item 4 above but twice the size.

Indicative Reading:

Barrass, R. (2006) Speaking for yourself: a guide for students to effective communication. London, Routledge

Cameron, S. (2005) The Business Student's Handbook, 3rd Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall

Cottrell, S. (2003) Skills for Success: the personal development planning handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave

Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3rd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave

De Bono, E. (2000) Six Thinking Hats. London: Penguin

Levin, P. (2005) Successful Teamwork! For undergraduates and taught postgraduates working on group projects. Maidenhead: Open University

Levin, P. and Topping, G. (2006) Perfect Presentations. Maidenhead: Open University Press

McCarthy, P. and Hatcher, C. (2002) Presentation Skills: the essential guide for

students. London: Sage

Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2008) Cite Them Right: the essential referencing guide. Revised and expanded. edn. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Pear Tree Books

Price, G. and Maier, P. (2007) Effective Study Skills. Harlow: Pearson

Siddons, S (2008) The Complete Presentation Skills Handbook. London: Kogan Page

Thomson, A. (2008) Critical Reasoning: a practical introduction, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge

Van Emden, J. and Becker, L. (2004) Presentation Skills for Students. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

West, M.A. (2004) Effective Teamwork: practical lessons from organizational research, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Blackwell

Sources cited Bourner, T. (2003) "Assessing reflective learning". Education and Training, Vol. 45, No. 5, pp.267-272 de Bono, E. (2000) Six Thinking Hats. London: Penguin Thomson, A. (2008) Critical Reasoning: a practical introduction, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge