Placements

Placements Good Practice Guide: During placements

Introduction

The purpose of this Placements Good Practice Guide is to summarise some of the ideas and activities that colleagues may wish to consider when organising placements. The specific focus of this guide is on suggested activities to be undertaken during placements (there are similar guides available for the preparation of placements and following the completion of placements). This draws upon and references examples of existing practice in the University of Brighton . Please note that the guide is not intended to be a definitive summary of all placement activity in the University.

This guide includes links to the documents referred to in addition to links to the School / area responsible for the placement.

Good Practice Guide

1. Clarifying aims and objectives

Either through workshops or within the handbooks it is important that students are aware of the aims and objectives of the placement and the intended learning outcomes, all of which can be included in learning plans or contracts signed by students, tutors and placement providers.

2. Roles and responsibilities of the student during the placement

Students need to be aware that as representatives of the University of Brighton they should act responsibly towards the placement provider and its customers, clients, patients and employees. Students need to adhere to course regulations and submit any academic work required by their course specifications. It is their responsibility to advise the placement coordinator of any issues or problems associated with the placement.

3. Maximising the placement experience

It is important that students receive guidance on how to achieve as much as possible from their placement as it is a valuable opportunity to complement their academic learning with practical experience. Furthermore a successful placement combined with activities such as networking may lead to employment opportunities after the course.

4. Assessment of Students

Students will need clear instructions of what will be assessed, how the work will be presented and the timescales for completion. Visiting tutors can reinforce this during the placement.

5. Support for students

Students should be aware of all the sources of support from the University covering all aspects of the placement, and be clear about their rights to a safe placement environment in accordance with applicable legislation.

6. Role of the tutor

It is recommended that each student on placement is assigned a tutor or mentor from the University. The role of the tutor will depend on the length and requirements of the placement. It will be helpful for securing future placement opportunities that the tutor or mentor develops a good working relationship with the placement provider.

7. Support offered to placement providers

The University needs to be confident that the placement providers know what their responsibilities are during their period of placement learning. In particular placement providers need to know what role they have in the assessment of students and ensure that students are working in a safe environment.

8. Evaluation

To ensure that placement opportunities provide a beneficial learning experience for future students each placement needs to be evaluated.