SP0742 - Sports Development in Contemporary Society

This module will be delivered using a combination of lectures and seminars. Blackboard e-learning worksheets, reading lists and topics to prepare for seminars will form a major part of this module with a combination of directed learning tasks and independent study. Together, the learning strategies of taught sessions, interactive seminars and independent study aim to develop your conceptual knowledge and understanding of the role of Sports Development in contemporary society. The learning and teaching strategies used throughout the module reflect an analytical and sociological approach. The lectures provide the underpinning knowledge and concepts. The module will then be delivered primarily through a range of interactive sessions in which staff lead the discussion and engage participants in debate. These sessions are intended to create a broader debate and enhance application of theory to practice, develop analytical skills and encourage discussion. You will be encouraged to contribute in the form of oral discussions throughout the module. The intent is to develop your critical skills by analysing complex arguments through group work and debate as part of a rigorous analytical approach to sports development.

Additional content via the Electronic learning Portal (eLP) and an electronic interactive reading list is provided. Tutors will provide constructive feedback on your assessment development and module understanding via responding to questions via the modules elP discussion board so that all students can benefit.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1.) Provide a synthesis of the issues, tensions and contradictions surrounding the use of sport as a social tool
2.) Critique State intervention in sport at the national and local level


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
1) Use a sociological imagination to challenge sport development knowledge, theories, paradigms, principles and concepts
2) Analyse, synthesise and critically re-interpret data to develop insight into sport development issues and contexts
3) Make judgements and maintain a logical and persuasive argument that articulates and challenges complex sport development ideas

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
1) Appraise how the socio-political context of sports development impacts on current practice
2) Reflect critically on the role and nature of the emerging profession of sports development

The module will be assessed by two elements that require placing contemporary sports development issues in socio-political context and critically examining the implications for practice At the beginning of the semester, you will be given a series of broad (divergent) questions covering the major topics of the module. The first assessment, a 4000 word essay (LO 1 and 2) will be a critical analysis of one of the key debates captured within one of these questions.. The second assessment will be a poster and 10 minute response to questions and answers, on a case study analysis of a selected current issue in Sports Development (LO 3 and 4). The case study will require a theoretical understanding of essential concepts, applied specifically to a sports management context in sports development practice

Formative Assessment and rationale for tasks
Formative feedback will be in the form of oral presentations and discussion based tasks. Each week in preparation for seminars, you will be asked to prepare a presentation or discussion points that will contribute to a group task or form the basis of a debate on a given topic. These discussions will be focused on the assignment topics. The intent is to encourage you to spread your efforts evenly across the module and to elicit higher order skills in terms of going beyond factual recall to synthesise material and apply theory to practice. There is an emphasis on formative assessments in seminar presentations and debates so that you are encouraged to be more creative and 'risk-taking' in your application.

Feedback Strategy
Feedback is provided on the scripts and assessment feedback sheets. General feedback is posted to the e-learning portal and individual tutorials are offered for one-to-one feedback. Feedback will be received throughout the seminar tasks. In addition, the first assignment will be submitted in week 5 and you will receive written feedback on assignment 1 before preparing for assignment 2.

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This module locates the emergent sports development profession in a socio-political context. A sociological approach is taken to critique the nature and role of sports development work in contemporary society. Competing rationales of state involvement and the contested terrain underpinning current issues in sports development are addressed. The role of sport as a social tool for addressing community issues is explored. The module provides opportunities for you to apply theoretical concepts and ideas to real world situations and to critically evaluate sports development policy and practice.