HORT30070 Professional Work Experience

Academic Year 2021/2022

Students are required to undertake a 16-20 week placement in an area related to Horticulture. Students may gain their PWE in state, semi-state or private organisations. For example in landscape management/construction companies. a laboratory, food production or supply business, garden center or nursery, golf course or other sports turf facility or other approved location. Students are encouraged to develop their interpersonal skills (including report writing skills) through their contribution to planning and management tasks within the host organisation. Students must complete and submit a monthly diary and journal of their activities, and submit a final report for assessment. Additional or alternative assessment requirements may be requested. Students may undertake one or two placements and travel abroad is encouraged. There are opportunities to participate in exchange programmes to Europe and the United States. In all cases students must seek approval for their PWE programme from the Professional Work Experience Co-ordinator, before commencing the PWE placement. Students must abide by the relevant UCD codes of practice for PWE and the current contractual requirements. The PWE placement is taken between Stage 3 and Stage 4, usually from April to August (inclusive) as part of the Stage 3 programme. Successful completion of this module is required for graduation on completion of Stage 4.Students must familiarise themselves with and abide by the regulations for PWE as set out by the Agricultural Sciences Programme Board. For each placement, a host contract must be completed, signed by the host and received by UCD, before the placement will be deemed to have commenced by UCD. Furthermore, placements (and parts thereof) which have been completed in the absence of an appropriately completed host contract will not be accepted. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will any deviation from this requirement be permitted and this must have the agreement, in writing, of the PWE co-ordinator.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Following the successful completion of the PWE placement(s) each student should be able to: Describe the organisation and the responsibilities of the key staff in the enterprise in which they undertook their PWE placement. Review, analyse and present the important information on the tasks and duties they completed during their placement(s). Show evidence that they have developed critical teamwork, interpersonal and management skills such as the ability to work independently, manage resources (including their own time), work effectively as a team member, accept and respond appropriately to constructive criticism, account for their own actions and decisions and critically evaluate their experiences during the PWE placement (s). Relate course work to professional work experience. Identify a particular area of interest for their Stage 4 research project. Demonstrate an awareness of potential career direction and opportunities.

Indicative Module Content:

The requirements of this module are detailed in the files contained within Brightspace.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Placement/Work Experience

200
Total

200
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
A series of seminars will be presented to explain the contract requirements, assessment methodologies used to assess performance in this mandatory module. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Students must be in good academic standing before commencing their PWE Placement.
Students must have completed the required Health and Safety Course prior to commencement of the PWE placements.
This module (HORT 30070) is available to registered HLSM students only.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Co-requisite:
RDEV20140 - Health, Welfare & Safety


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Review of journal reports, pre- and post- assessment reports Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded Yes

100

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback is provided to each student on each monthly report and Reflective Journal submission.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Owen Doyle Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Caroline Elliott-Kingston Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Sinéad Flannery Lecturer / Co-Lecturer