Module: PSY7013-30 - Reflective Practice

Level: 7

Credit Value: 30

Module Tutor: Dr Rob Irwin

Module Tutor Contact Details: r.irwin@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module

‘Life-wide learning’ (Barnett, 2010) recognises that students are simultaneously students at university and of ‘real-world’ experiences (e.g. through part-time paid or voluntary work), and that learning transfers across all the different contexts in which students find themselves. This module enables you to obtain academic credit for work-based learning that occurs while you are completing your academic studies. It does this by requiring you to provide evidence of (a) your experiential learning in work settings and (b) your ‘psychological literacy’, i.e. your ability to apply your knowledge and understanding of the principles of human behaviour and development to better understand yourself and others in work situations, in order to help you and others to function better. Your work experience may be paid or unpaid but must be something which you have arranged and are engaged in while studying for the MSc Psychology in Practice (note: this is not a practicum or placement module). This module aims to develop your capacity to reflect critically on and review your practice, which is a core attribute of the professional psychologist (HCPC, 2015; BPS, 2017).

Barnett, R. (2010) Life-wide education: a new and transformative concept for higher education? In: Enabling a More Complete Education; Encouraging, Recognising and Valuing Life-Wide Learning in Higher Education Conference E-proceedings. Available from: http://lifewidelearningconference.pbworks.com/E-proceedings

BPS (2017) Practice Guidelines, 3rd edn. Leicester: The British Psychological Society.

HCPC (2015) Standards of proficiency: practitioner psychologists. London: Health & Care Professions Council.

2. Outline syllabus

To support your development as a reflective practitioner, during this module you will be introduced to the following concepts:

• Psychological literacy
• Reflexivity
• Kolb’s experiential learning cycle
• Reflection-in-action
• Reflection-on-action
• Evidence-informed practice
• Practice-based evidence
• Action research
• Critical reflection
• Transformative learning
• Reflective writing

3. Teaching and learning activities

As the focus of this module is on experiential learning and reflective practice, there are no formal lectures or seminars. However, you will be allocated a tutor from the MSc Psychology in Practice team, who will act as your mentor. Their role is to help you develop your ability to reflect critically on and review your practice and to develop the skills needed to write reflectively. It is anticipated that you will meet for one hour on six occasions during the trimester (at a time that is mutually convenient to you and your mentor) and that you will prepare – at a minimum – four, short (500-word) pieces of reflective writing related to your work-based experiences, which you will send to your mentor in advance of your meetings (see also the information on formative assessments below). These pieces of writing will form the primary focus of at least four of the six meetings between you and your mentor.

Throughout this module, accountability for your practice remains with you and you are expected to act ethically, lawfully and in accordance with your employer’s/organization’s policies and procedures. The anonymity of service users, work colleagues and employers must be maintained in all assessments (formative or summative), completed for this module, and information shared with you in confidence in your place of work must be respected.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work
• Description: Reflective Account of Practice (5000 words)
• % Weighting: 100%