Competency Programme: Professional Placement (ED0792)

? Credit Points : 0 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : EDU-P-ED0792

The Outdoor Education programme focuses on extending professional competence. Therefore for course members to develop appropriately tehre must be a significant element of direct involvement in teaching and leading outdoors. In order to achieve this and to facilitate direct experience of the outdoor education sector, course members will undertake a five-week professional placement during the winter months.

By working under the guidance of established outdoor teachers, course members will broaden their experience fo approaches to teaching outdoors, They will also grain insights into the work of unfamiliar establishments such as outdoor education centres, management training agencies, inner city projects, special needs organisationa, country parks, environmental agencies, etc.

The placement will take place a t a stage in the course when much theoretical and practical groundwork has been covered and the students should be ready to make a useful contribution to the agencies they choose to work with. Course members should hav ecompleted at least half of both practical and academic courses before they begin their placement.

All postgraduate diploma students will be requried to complete a successful placement and the following are the criteria by which this will be assessed.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : For PGD(OE) graduating student transcripts only

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Education (Old Curriculum), (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Contact Teaching Time : 35 hour(s) per week for 6 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the coruse the students will:
1. show competency in technical skills at the levels required by the agency;
2. operate in a safe manner both personally and with students/clients throughout;
3. demonstrate competence in teaching/leading or facilitating of groups in a variety of situations and activities;
4. show a practical awareness of environmental issues and an ability to impart, this awareness to others in their care;
5. have reviewed their work on a weekly basis with the agency and tried to implement any improvements in following weeks.

Assessment Information

Reports will be prepared by both agency tutor and a visiting member of the university outdoor education staff. Placement reviews will be held soon after returning to University. During these, course members will be expected to make a presentation describing their experience to all fellow course members and outdoor education staff. The following are the more specific competencies upon which the assessment will be based.