The Scholarship of Engagement for Politics: - Higher Education ...

Linking Theory and Practice on Politics Work Placement Modules
The introduction of new forms of assessment also only partially
addressed identified areas of concern. In particular, the online blogging
was popular with many students and did encourage them to critically
evaluate their progression during the placement. Those students who were
well motivated provided some incisive evaluation of the impact of their
placements and the challenges experienced. One student noted that ‘the
placement was beneficial to me because I realised I may well have what it
takes to become a lecturer but lack many of skills required.’ However, this
remains an area of some concern. Some students did not complete their
reports until after their placement had ended and provided little in-depth
critical reflection. For many, the blogs were merely a forum to recount
what they had done on placement. On reflection, the level of instruction for
students on how to critically analyse their experiences was too brief and
narrow in focus. The placement assignments were also of a deeply variable
quality. Most students provided work of good quality and drew on a range
of research skills to address an area which related to their placement.
However, the 1,500 word limit restricted the more motivated students
from developing their research, thus ensuring that many of the essays
lacked clarity of argument and depth of analysis. Of more concern, some
students still experienced difficulty in separating completely the blog and
the assignment, meaning content was shared. This, on reflection, can be
attributed in part to the failure to revise the pass/fail assessment in
accordance with the graduated school assessment criteria. Students still
felt the module lacked the academic value necessary to encourage them to
engage in sustained and developed research and analysis.
Some the problems identified can be attributed to the developmental
nature of the induction programme. Whilst the revised structure certainly
improved the quality of the module, some students ‘felt abandoned’ after
Week 5, and a minority felt unclear about the aims and objectives of the
module even after the sessions. Although the attendance patterns of some
of these students were patchy, it was clear that the induction sessions did
not wholly succeed in ensuring that all students were clear about the
module and its assessment in particular. Some students felt they lacked
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