SP4000 - Academic and Professional Skills

What will I learn on this module?

The aim of the Academic and Professional Skills module is to develop your knowledge, understanding and application of academic, personal and professional skills relevant to university graduates which will help you to successfully complete your degree programme. Both formal and informal techniques will be used to assess your development in key areas such as written communication, critical analysis and self-reflection. You will develop a range of general transferable skills useful for other modules throughout your programme, including knowing how to find appropriate literature to support your ideas and how to develop balanced arguments. The information you will learn will be linked to topics of interest to those working in the areas of sport, exercise and rehabilitation, giving you insight into these fields as potential career paths in addition to more general employability skills such as communication, digital fluency and time management.

How will I learn on this module?

The taught content will be delivered and provided in a variety of formats, and you will be able to access materials on the eLP Blackboard Ultra Module site. There will be the opportunity to work in smaller groups with discipline specific members of staff who will facilitate context driven discussion and learning. You will also be set independent tasks informed by key literature to complete outside of class time to further develop your understanding of the taught content. Throughout the module you will add to your portfolio of work which you will submit for your assessment.

As a core module shared across undergraduate sport and physiotherapy programmes, it offers you the opportunity to work with and learn from peers from other disciplines. Some elements of the taught content, and the direction of the assessment task, will be specific to your core discipline to ensure that you develop the most appropriate and relevant skills and knowledge.

There will be a fieldwork element in this module which can be cohort or discipline specific. These may be in the form of off-site or on-site activities to encourage student interaction, promote staff-student engagement, develop skills (e.g., in lab, community, sport or clinical settings). Throughout the module you will engage in a variety of activities including academic skills, practical skills, organisation and management skills which will culminate in the production of a portfolio which will be structured in a way to help students understand how their academic studies will contribute to their professional development. The portfolio will provide opportunity for the students to develop subject-specific knowledge of contemporary issues within their chosen discipline, improve academic writing skills (literature search and referencing), identify roles and skills applicable to their chosen profession, and engage in self-reflection of their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their academic and professional development.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

Module information, assessment requirements and expectations, and important module announcements will be made through the eLP module site. Material to support your learning will be uploaded in advance of sessions. You will be provided with content verbally and guided through tasks during timetabled sessions. A dedicated assessment session will afford you the opportunity to ask assessment related questions in class. The Module Leader is there to support you with any queries that you may have about the module content, and all staff members provide tutorial time outside of class time. Module tutors will provide you with the necessary information on how to arrange a tutorial. You will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on your development during the module, and you will receive feedback on summative work to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial. There are also further academic skills support available from the University Library services where you can gain access to study skills / academic writing and support materials, as well as links to booking both on and off campus study skills sessions.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

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)

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding (KU):
1. To understand academic skills which will be used throughout your degree programme, including writing, communication, and referencing styles
2. To understand how to describe the key points of literature relating to sport, exercise and rehabilitation topics

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):
3. To review your own strengths and areas for development through self-reflection

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. To develop effective study habits, e.g. organisation and time management skills and the ability to engage in independent learning

How will I be assessed?

Portfolio (Individual submission, 100%)
You will produce a 2,000-word portfolio which demonstrates your skills developed on the module. There will be a focus on academic writing and communication skills, including literature searching, critical analysis, and referencing and paraphrasing (Learning outcomes: KU1, KU2); and on self-reflection on your personal development, in relation to study skills such as organisation and time management, and professional skills (Learning outcomes: IPSA3, PVA4).

Formative Feedback
Across the semester you will complete activities during your taught sessions and independent learning time which will develop your academic and personal knowledge and skills. These will include topics based around academic writing, teamwork and professional development planning. You will receive both tutor and peer feedback on the tasks, supporting your development in these areas.

Summative Feedback
You will receive written or audio feedback on your summative assessment to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial.

Pre-requisite(s)

None

Co-requisite(s)

None

Module abstract

The Academic and Professional Skills module will help you make the transition to university study and develop the skills you need to succeed within your chosen discipline. You will get to know other students and staff in our friendly, relaxed introductory sessions designed to help you settle into Northumbria and learn what to expect from your time on your degree programme. By studying this module, you will develop not just your academic skills such as critical writing, but your personal and professional skills including effective communication and self-reflection, which are relevant to a vast range of graduate careers. Throughout the module you will produce a portfolio demonstrating the skills you have acquired, and completing this assessment and receiving feedback on your work will help you in modules across your whole programme. With module content being linked to important topics in sport, exercise and rehabilitation, we will guide you in considering potential career paths in these different areas of sport.

Course info

UCAS Code B165

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years full-time

Department Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2024 or September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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