CODE | MCS3910 | ||||||||||||
TITLE | Placement/Practicum | ||||||||||||
UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
DEPARTMENT | Media and Communications | ||||||||||||
DESCRIPTION | An assessable placement (or practicum, see below for details), consisting of 100 hours worked during the first semester of the 3rd year (potentially starting in the summer months prior to 3rd year). There are two options available to the student, either to have a placement, or simulate a placement through a practicum. The second option is only made available after possibilities for the first option have been exhausted with no result. A detailed explanation of the workings of these options follows. Option 1 (Placement): - Student finds a place of work willing to accept a mentored placement in one of the student’s areas of interest; - A proposal of what the student will be doing during the placement, countersigned by the person from the placement institution who is willing to act as mentor is presented. The proposal will be accepted/rejected by an appointed committee chaired by the Head of Department of Media and Communications. A code of conduct and roles for mentors is provided by the department; - The placement can be carried out at any time during the first semester of the third year. Dispensation can be given for the placement to be carried out during the summer months prior to the beginning of third year; - A detailed report on the student’s performance in the execution of all points mentioned in the proposal must be written by the mentor at the end of the placement period. The student must also write a 1,000 word task-analytical essay about experiences gained through the placement. A grade will be assigned to the student by the committee on the strength of the report and the essay. The Practicum/Placement committee may make further enquiries at the placement institution if the report is not conclusive. Option 2 (Practicum): - In the event that at the end of the first month of 3rd year semester 1, no placement has been found by the student, a supervised practicum can be set for the student to finalise by the end of semester 1, and which will entail c. 100 hours of work; - The practicum will comprise a practical task in one of the student’s area of interest that will involve interaction with various aspects of the dedicated industry or industries. The practicum will be guided and assessed by an appointed supervisor who will award a final grade, also based on a 1,500 word task-analytical essay by the student about experiences and learning gained through the practicum; - This option will be invoked only when the Practicum/Placement committee, chaired by the Head of Department of Media and Communications, is convinced that all possibilities of Option 1 being taken up have been exhausted with no results. Study-Unit Aims: The placement/practicum aims to provide students with an opportunity to: - develop an understanding of the role undertaken by those who work in a chosen area pertaining to Media and Communications, and to build their capacity to perform such a role; - develop their capacity for practical and effective media and communications work through direct work with stakeholders; - clarify and use common principles, processes and concepts applicable across a range of roles and settings; - integrate and transfer learning for practice. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe and explain the significance of work experience in an area of media and communications on which she or he are focussing on; - complete a professional assessment of personal, practical experiences; - propose consolidations and changes needed as a result of work experience. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate the application of theory to practice, in his/her writing and in his/her discussion of work done; - engage in the process of assessment and formulate plans based on such assessment; - engage in a process of self-reflection especially during supervision sessions as well as in his/her writing; - conduct hands-on work resulting in products related to the area of focus; - appreciate and use the human resource and service network to facilitate appropriate referrals and understand policy and practice implications; - describe and analyse the impact of his/her work in the area of focus on co-workers and the recipients of the media and communications product; - take significant responsibility for his/her own continuing learning and development through practice, reading and research. |
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STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Practicum | ||||||||||||
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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LECTURER/S | Gorg Mallia Louiselle Vassallo |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |