Module Guide

ANIM3014 Professional Practice

Module Leader: Jaime Pardo. 

Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday.

Skype Availabilty by appointment: Tuesday 9am - 5pm (Semester2). 

Email: j.pardo@worc.ac.uk

Submission Dates: 
Task1: Semester1, Week 09 29/11/17            

Task2: Semester2, Week 10 18/04/18 
Task3: Semester2, Week 13 11/05/18 

Introduction and Aims

Professional Practice asks students to look ahead to their plans after graduation. It provides opportunities for students to consolidate the skills and knowledge they have acquired so far and to develop strategies for making the most of these in a professional context.

This module focuses on evaluating your strengths and interests, and actively connecting them to a career path and industry expectations. 

Through the research you’ll conduct for this module you will build a deeper knowledge and understanding of the specific job roles that interest you most. And with this knowledge you’ll be able to identify your developmental needs and devise a personal learning strategy for the remainder of this course. 

This means that from now on you are expected to take increasing responsibility for the methods and the media you work with. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:  

1. Conduct appropriate applied research to improve their understanding of specific aspects of the moving image industry
2. Identify and evaluate potential career opportunities in the moving image industries
3. Have a well-researched, realistic and achievable plan in place for their continued professional development after graduation.
4. Understand the importance of self-promotion and engage with appropriate tools to engage with this.
5. Engage with the industry of their choice.
6. Effectively communicate their unique skills and knowledge visually

Learning and Teaching Activities

A variety of teaching strategies will be deployed to ensure that the material is accessible to all participants.  The weekly teaching sessions will be made up of:

• Short lectures to provide a background introduction to principles, and mythologies and craft behind preparation for an exhibition and design of appropriate portfolios.
• A range of tutor-directed tasks and further reading will serve to structure your independent research and study in preparation for entering the animation industry.
• You should expect to undertake a significant amount of accompanying independent study – spending time, researching your market and designing the mode and medium in which you intend to market yourself.
• Structured individual tutorial support will be available to all students in order to provide feedback on the set tasks and to assist with planning and organisation of the main project.

What is expected of you on the Module

• Each student engages in at least 10 hours study per week: 4 hours in class and at least 6 hours independent study either at home or on campus.
• You must notify the module tutor by email if you are unable to attend or are ill. Please provide the following information: your name, the module name and number, the date of the session missed, and the reason for the absence in your email
• That you ensure that you have signed the register
• If you have miss a session, you ensure that you catch up with material – consulting the module blog or blackboard, other students and the module tutors as necessary to do so
• That you undertake preparatory tasks of studying and practicing the online training materials or core reading in preparation for each session as indicated 
• That you check your university email, the module blog and blackboard for course updates and advice
• That mobile phones, ipods etc are all switched off during taught sessions
• That you say when you don’t understand something and come and ask the tutor for advice/help

Attendance Policy

It is expected that you will attend all taught sessions, in the same way that attendance is expected in the workplace. Indeed regular attendance has a significant impact on student engagement, understanding and successful completion of University courses. Furthermore non-attendance will significantly affect your ability successfully to complete a module and may jeopardise your ability to undertake re-assessment in the event of failing a module.

It is your responsibility as a student, just as it would be if you were an employee, to ensure that you are punctual and that your attendance has been recorded on the register each week.

Should you, for some unavoidable reason, be unable to attend a scheduled session (for example if you are ill) then you must send an email to ihcastudentabsence@worc.ac.uk. Please include in your email  your name and student number, the module code and name, the date of the missed session, and your reason for missing it. You should make sure that you copy the module tutor into the email and also contact your module tutor to make arrangements to catch up on any work you have missed.

Notification must be received within 6 days of the date of the missed session.

Students with two or more unexplained absences may be required to attend a tutorial/ interview with the module leader, course leader or head of division to discuss their progress.

What help is available to help your study

Attending class sessions are extremely important in help and feedback as you progress in the module. The module guide, on-line material and blog posts from your peers and tutor are also there to help with your study.
Email questions and queries to j.pardo@worc.ac.uk. I am usually able to respond within 24 hours (Monday - Wednesday only).

Individual and or group tutorials as requested – You are welcome to come and knock on our doors and ask for help at any time, but if you want to be assured of a tutorial then book a session by emailing to arrange a tutorial.

Assessment & Assessment Criteria

There are two summative assessment items – based on the brief – failure submit will jeopardise both your right to re-assessment and your ability to graduate in 2017.

Assessment Criteria are descriptions of grades which apply to particular levels of achievement. They are intended to make more explicit the grades that are achieved at the end of each project. The assessed learning which you may achieve on the course can be classified under tthree main areas.

1. Investigation, enquiry & visualization (learning outcomes 4, 6).
2. Research & analysis of information, contextualization & critical thinking (learning outcomes 1, 2, 3).
3. Communication (learning outcomes 4, 5, 6).

Reading and Resources 

The resource list for this module can be accessed at http://resourcelists.worc.ac.uk/search.html?q=anim3014

The latest guidance and policy relating to referencing at the University of Worcester is available at http://library.worc.ac.uk/guides/study-skills/referencing.

Students studying this module are advised to use the Harvard style of referencing.