Module Identifier MP12910  
Module Title CAREER PLANNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT  
Academic Year 2004/2005  
Co-ordinator Dr David M Binding  
Semester Semester 2  
Other staff Dr John A Lane, Mr Alan Jones  
Pre-Requisite Entry requirements for honours Mathematics or Physics degree schemes  
Course delivery Lecture   10 1-hour lectures  
  Practical   10 2-hour workshops  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Spreadsheet assignment (32%), Statistics assignment (32%), Skills awareness programme and Curriculum Vitae (12%), Group presentation (12%), Presentation of topic in Mathematics or Physics (12%).100%
Supplementary Exam2 Hours practical examination on spreadsheets and statistics.100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Set up, or modify, a spreadsheet to do various calculations and produce summaries and charts from the figures involved;
2. Explore a data set using the statistics package and applying simple methods to analyse and present the information it contains;
3. Use a word-processing package to produce simple documents, including a Curriculum Vitae;
4. Use a presentation package to produce a simple slide presentation;
5. Give a presentation of a topic in Mathematics or Physics;
6. Produce a Personal Development Portfolio.

Brief description

This module introduces the students to a number of IT packages: a word-processing package, a presentation package, a spreadsheet package and a statistics package'rllustrating simple uses of these packages in the workplace. The Careers Advisory Service provides, as part of this module, a skills awareness programme during which each student prepares a Curriculum Vitae. Working in teams, students will research the careers available to graduates in their discipline and the relation of the skills they acquire in their course to these careers. The teams will give group presentations on their findings which make use of the presentation package to which they have been introduced. On an individual basis, students will also prepare and make a short presentation on a topic in Mathematics or Physics. An integral part of this module is the preparation of a Personal Development Portfolio, which forms the basis of discussion during a meeting with the Personal Tutor.

Aims

The module provides an opportunity to develop a selection of transferable skills, not directly connected with Mathematics or Physics, but designed to enhance their learning experience and their employment prospects.

Content

Word-processing package: introduction, simple documents, formatting, mathematical expressions.
Skills awareness programme, including advice on the preparation of a CV, run by the Careers Advisory Service.
Group presentations on the relation between the skills acquired by Mathematicians or Physicists and the careers available to them.
Personal Development Portfolios: introduction, standard template.
Presentation package: introduction, making a simple presentation.
Spreadsheet package: overview of spreadsheets, entering and formatting information, formulae and functions, copying cell contents, manipulating a (large) spreadsheet.
Statistics package: overview, use of the help facility, input, manipulation and correction of data, a selection of applications from exploratory data analysis, linear regression and testing hypotheses; incorporating output into Word documents.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Greg Harvey (1994) Excel for Dummies 2/e. IDG Books 1568840500
Barbara Ryan, Brian L. Joiner (2001) Minitab Handbook 4/e. Duxbury 0534370934

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4