Overview
Advanced Work-Based Learning (AWBL) is an option module within the degree programme. Its purpose is to provide an integrated approach to study and help students to enhance their subject-specific and generic skills through an iterative process of use and reflection. Students will have opportunities to reflect upon their academic learning and gain relevant practical experience by applying this learning in their workplace, particularly in relation to strategic issues and their impact upon the business environment.
In addition to providing opportunities for enhancing their technical subject-specific knowledge and skills, a further feature of the module is the provision of opportunities for students to enhance their intellectual, practical and transferable skills to assist career progression and add value to their organisations by way of enhanced performance.
Summary:
- applies your academic learning to your workplace
- develops practical and transferable skills
- assists in career progression and adds value to your organisation
Course details
Cost
The cost of this module is £550.00
Next course start date
1 November 2012 (registration deadline 30 September 2012)
Course duration
24 weeks (300 study hours)
Credits
This module is worth 30 credits
Entry criteria
Students should undertake at the core module Strategic Management in Financial Services (SMIF) before embarking upon Advanced Work-Based Learning.
Studying for this module
The overall study time for the module is 300 hours over 6-12 months. You will be guided through your studies by the Advanced Work-Based Learning Guide and be supported by your Work-Based Learning tutor.
Learning support
You will be provided with a set of templates to complete during your studies and a Guide on how to achieve this.
Planning your Work-based Learning
This module is about taking theory/models, and your understanding gained from formal learning, and applying them to your work. It is about connecting your workplace objectives and activities to the module learning objectives (learning outcomes). It is not about creating more targets but rather focusing on those you already have from a different perspective.
This integrated approach is the reason that you need to have undertaken some formal study before you before you start your work-based learning. It should not be the first module that you study, although if you have progressed from a previous ifs award this may be possible.
It can be completed in 6 or 12 months. To get the most out of it you need to have time to continually reflect on your learning and performance, and review what is happening to, and around, you.
This is what one of our students said on completing it:
| “To be honest, in the beginning … I was sceptical about this work based learning. The reason was that, I could not imagine how I could reflect on my mundane workplace activities and provide a report on these even though in truth this is something that [] most of us do, but never document. Most of the time we do reflect [on] what has gone right or wrong in a day’s work, but we do it subconsciously. Now that I have consciously done it, I can appreciate the importance that this part of the studies has … to reflect on what I did and how to improve or change what was done. [Work-based Learning] made me focus more on what I was doing and the quality needed to do a good job. Looking at … what I have learnt, I think that this work based learning is a good tool to help students reflect on their work based experience.” |
The theme for this module is Strategic Management, specifically the key aspects of organisational strategy, with particular emphasis on its influence and drivers, and how options are evaluated and implemented in the organisation. For this reason you cannot study the module until you have completed the core module Strategic Management in Financial Services.
If you intend to study one module at a time your study might look like this:
| Session 1 | Strategic Management in Financial Services |
| Session 2 | Option module or Advances Work-based Learning |
| Session 3 | Option module or Advanced Work-based Learning |
| Session 4 | Advanced Work-based Learning or other Option module |
Or
| Session 1 | Strategic Management in Financial Services | |
| Session 2 | Option module | Advanced Work-based Learning |
| Session 3 | Option module | Advanced Work-based Learning |
Whereas studying two modules per session you would need to do:
| Session 1 | Strategic Management in Financial Services | Option module |
| Session 2 | Option module | Advanced Work-based Learning |
Of course you can always start one at a time and then increase to two or vice versa. Whichever you choose you normally cannot do Advanced Work-based Learning in the first session.
Further details
View the Advanced Work-based Learning summary syllabus.
View the full-length Advanced Work-based Learning module specification.
If you are already registered for this module you should refer to your course website to view the module specification that relates to your session of study. You will need to log on to my ifslearning to access the course website for your module.
View other FHEQ Level 6 modules.