Introduction

This module is reserved for students who are enrolled on MA GEID and who have already taken the ‘Understanding Global Education and International Development’ (UGIED) module. The module aims to apply theoretical, conceptual and contextual learning from UGEID to practical settings.

The module involves two parts: a professional placement (minimum 30 hours, over 10 weeks) and a series of practical lectures on understanding and producing education policy. Some placements will require a DBS check if they involve working with children or vulnerable adults. This process will be explained further, but applicants should be aware of this when considering enrolling on the module.

Principal Module Aims and Outcomes

The module aims to enhance students’ understanding of the realm of education policy and policy-related work. Furthermore, the module explores technical and conceptual features of different types of policy writing (eg research report, evidence brief).

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• To enable students to relate and apply more conventional ‘academic’ learning from UGEID to the practical placement setting.
• Question and analyse the approaches that they studied in UGEID and their suitability for understanding and addressing the challenges faced in real-life education settings.
• Recognise and analyse practical issues that are involved in education-related workplaces, as they confront contemporary challenges of globalisation and/or international development.
• Understand the field of education policy, what it is, what it is for, and the range of forms it takes.
• Explore and critique different types of policy writing.
• Produce a policy-style document that relates the placement to the learning from UGEID.

Syllabus

Placement: 30 hours over 10 weeks, if possible weekly attendance, must include first attendance in week 1 of term unless provider is exceptionally unavailable.

Lecture-seminars cover the following topics:

• Introduction to the module and expectations of the placement.
• Introduction to thinking about education policy from a practical perspective.
• Introduction to and discussion of different types of policy-related literature, how they are designed and what they are aiming to communicate.
• Introduction to reflective learning and subsequent discussions of the placement in relation to the placement diary.
• Ongoing discussion of the relationship between policy and the placement.
• Discussion of both assignments.

Study Time

Type	Required	Optional
Lectures	10 sessions of 2 hours (7%)
Tutorials	(0%)	1 session of 15 minutes
Other activity	30 hours (10%)
Placement	30 hours (10%)
Private study	220 hours (73%)
Total	330 hours

Assessment

	Weighting
2000 word essay (policy critique and comparison	40%
3000 policy-related document based on an aspect of the placement	60%

Module Information

This module is an optional module on MA Global Education and International Development.