Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier

PS20620

Module Title

PSYCHOLOGY IN PRACTICE

Academic Year

2009/2010

Co-ordinator

Dr Kathryn Bullen

Semester

Intended for use in future years

Co-Requisite

PS20120

Co-Requisite

PS20420

Co-Requisite

PS20320

Co-Requisite

PS20520

Co-Requisite

PS20220

Pre-Requisite

PS11420

Pre-Requisite

PS11320

Pre-Requisite

PS11220

Other Staff

Course Delivery

Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Lecture	18 x 1 hour
Seminars / Tutorials	4 x 2 hours
Workload Breakdown	(Every 10 credits carries a notional student workload of 100 hours.) No. of hours of lectures 18; No. of hours of preparation for lectures (4 hours per lecture) 72; No. of hours of seminars 8; No. of hours of preparation for seminars (4 hours per seminar hour) 16; No. of hours spent writing coursework 36; No. of hours spent revising for the exam 30; No of hours supplementary reading 20; TOTAL 200

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Essay (1500 words)	30%
Semester Assessment	reflective journal/learning log	40%
Semester Assessment	2 x seen timed essayd (1 hour each)	30%
Supplementary Assessment	exam. Students may resit this module as determined by the examination board.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to.
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and conceptual development of contemporary psychology.

2. Examine and evaluate the uses of various psychological theories to understand and intervene in real world situations.

3. Assess the value of a variety of perspectives and their application in diverse contexts e.g. psychotherapy and counselling; health and medicine; organisations and the business world;

4. Demonstrate their understanding of the emergence of modern psychology and the practical and ethical challenges facing the discipline in the future.

5. Critically evaluate theories and research evidence in applied contexts.

Aims

Psychology as a discipline encompasses both theoretical and applied elements. The history of psychology provides a baseline for understanding how contemporary psychological theory and practice has developed. It is important for students to develop their understanding of the relationship between these elements for the following reasons:

Increase understanding of the uses of psychology in a variety of real world contexts.
Provide some idea of the diversity of psychology as a career option.

Brief description

Increase understanding of the uses of psychology in a variety of real world contexts.
Provide some idea of the diversity of psychology as a career option.

Content

- History of psychology
- Development of psychological perspectives
- Counselling psychology: therapeutic models and client groups
- Understanding and treating mental illness, neurodegenerative and lifestyle disorders
- Cognitive disorders, strategies and treatment
- Social psychology and uses in sport and the Internet
- Psychology in the workplace
- Learning in education

Module Skills

Skills Type	Skills details
Application of Number	Not directly applicable although students will be expected to comment on aspects of statistical analysis through the examination of research designs.
Communication	Students will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct in their and to be direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic and to focus on the objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching. Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format and the presentation of work should reflect effective expression of ideas and good use of language skills in order to ensure clarity, coherence and effective communication.
Improving own Learning and Performance	The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the facilitator and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. The need to conduct seminar presentations and to meet an essay deadline will focus students'attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. The learning log will support reflection on and integration of thinking about the applications of psychology.
Information Technology	Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as Web of Science, PsychLit and PsychInfo).
Personal Development and Career planning	The discussions in particular will help to develop students' verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning assignments, framing the parameters of the assignments and honing and developing them through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills
Problem solving	Independent project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; the submission of an essay and case study will require that the student develops independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The need to research and prepare seminar presentations will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider case studies; reason logically; apply theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. The seen times essays will ensure that an assessment of the student's ability to work alone can be undertaken.
Research skills	The submission of an essay together with the learning log will require students to demonstrate independent research skills. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. Research preparation for seminar presentations will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student's ability to work alone can be undertaken
Subject Specific Skills	Students will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of subject specific skills that will help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and research publications presented on the module. These subject specific skills include: Assessment of scientific methods in psychology; Differentiation between quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry; Demonstration of a familiarity with the techniques required for literature searches; Appreciation of the nature of ethical research in the social sciences; *Appreciation of the complex interactions and diverse influences on human behaviour;
Team work	Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5