programme handbook 2014 2015 fda football coaching and development new version
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Faculty of Health Sciences (delivered by Stafford College)
PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 2014-15
FdA Football Coaching and Development
Author: Jim Morris
Date of Issue: September 2014
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1. Welcome to the CollegeWelcome to Stafford College, you are part of an established partnership between the College and Staffordshire University. The college delivers several Foundation Degree awards across the Faculties of Professional Studies, Art and Media and Technology. You will be part of around 300 HE learners on site at Stafford College and can benefit from a recently improved campus, including the new library. Here you can take advantage of the HE specific study areas and centres to support your own development as a student. You have enrolled on a new Foundation Degree that looks to develop your knowledge, skills and abilities in Football Coaching and Development within the Faculty of Professional Studies where a strong sporting presence exists and is a highly regarded department within the College.
Our HE learners transfer onto Level 6 top ups to complete their full degree and some gain employment on completion of their award.
We hope you enjoy your time at the college, you will quickly understand the college is very students focused and we urge you to take part in Learner Voice activities and Award level student consultation in order to improve your experience with us, and the experience of future students.
Welcome to the Faculty of Health Sciences at Staffordshire University. The Faculty is home to three subject based Schools and four research centres based on the main Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford campuses as well as in Shrewsbury. In addition to our full time on-campus students we have many students who are studying in a variety of other flexible ways such as part time whilst in employment or undertaking Distance Learning Programmes in the UK and overseas.
We are delighted that you have chosen to study with us and as one of our students we expect you to work hard and to set high standards for yourself. To help you to succeed you will have access to our staff expertise and facilities, and also to a range of student support services to help deal with your particular needs. Academic, administrative and technical staff are available to advise, encourage and support you. Your part is to take your study seriously, to ensure that you set-aside appropriate time for your study, and to make full use of the diverse range of learning opportunities, both in class and directed study outside of classes, provided by your course.
It is important to us that you are successful. At the start of all study programmes you will receive a great deal of information. Some of that information is immediately important to start your studies and to ensure that you are in the right place at the right time. Some information you will need later in your course e.g. about assessments, changing modules, extenuating claims etc. Whilst other information is about the services the University offers generally to which you may need to make reference in the future. We suggest that you download this handbook, keep it for reference and familiarise yourself with the range of information it contains. This should be the first document of your own e-archive - get into the habit of downloading essential documents like module descriptors and module handbooks when the course starts.
My colleagues and I look forward to working with you and wish you success with your studies.
Very best wishes,
Nigel Thomas
Dean
Faculty of Health Sciences
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2. Welcome to your ProgrammeWe are delighted that you have chosen to study with us and as one of our students we expect you to work hard and to set high standards for yourself. To help you to succeed you will have access to our staff expertise and facilities, and also to a range of student support services to help deal with your particular needs. Academic, administrative and technical staff are available to advise, encourage and support you. Your part is to take your study seriously, to ensure that you set-aside appropriate time for your study, and to make full use of the diverse range of learning opportunities, both in class and directed study outside of classes, provided by your course. You will be supported by experienced staff who have expertise in the area of Football Coaching, Development and associated disciplines and you must take advantage of their expertise to develop your own abilities and interests.
You can be assured that the award is validated by the Staffordshire University, and adheres to the same quality processes that other HE awards do, which are delivered on the campuses across Staffordshire University. The award is supported by a Programme Advisor who is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Sport and Exercise, and your Award Leader meets with the Programme Advisor throughout the academic year to ensure a successful award.
You will benefit from the partnerships that the award delivery team have, using these to support your continued development outside of the academic elements of the award. These work based learning opportunities are vital to your success and employability within Football Coaching and Development. Please take advantage of these opportunities wherever possible.
Within your award the modules are studied at level 4 and 5, with successful completion of each level resulting in the award of a Certificate of Higher Education (Level 4) and FdA (Level 5). You will collect 120 credits per year. You will have the opportunity to transfer onto a Level 6 BA (Hons) Sports Development and Coaching to top up your Foundation Degree.
3. Useful Contacts and Resources
3.1 Academic Contacts
Award Leader: Jim Morris
As award leader, the role is to ensure that the award is effectively administered and ensures that teaching staff deliver their modules in line with expectations set by the University. The award leader also liaises with Staffordshire University to maintain standards across the award. Your award leader will be your contact for any issues relating to award delivery and should be contacted if you feel unhappy with the administration, delivery, feedback and/or grading experienced whilst on the course.
Jim Morris
01785 275688
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Module Leaders:
Module leaders ensure that the module is delivered effectively and adheres to the requirements set by the University. If you are unhappy with a module, you should speak to the module leader prior to the award leader
Module Staff ContactLevel 4
Research and Academic Skills Jim Morris [email protected] for Football Tim Grahl [email protected]
Psychology for Coaching Jim Morris [email protected] in Society Jack Bullock [email protected]
The Football Industry Aaron Savva [email protected] 5
Advanced Coaching for Football
Aaron Savva [email protected]
Sporting Event Management Jim Morris [email protected] Practice in Sport Jim Morris [email protected] and Conditioning for
the FootballerBill Bridgeman [email protected]
Programme Advisor
Gary Lowe
The Award Leader liaises with their Programme Advisor at the University. This is a Senior Lecturer within Sport and Exercise and helps to ensure the academic rigour is up held and that planning and continuity is upheld between the delivery sites of the Foundation Degrees run throughout the Partnership. You will have the chance to meet the Programme Advisor in the first term of your award.
3.2 Administrative Contacts
At Stafford College the administration office for any queries relating to application, personal details, contact details.
To contact any of the staff in the office;
Emma Key B206, 01785 275452, [email protected]
Jeannete Scott B206, 01785 275480, [email protected]
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3.3 Useful Internet Resources
The College website can be found at: www.staffordcolll.ac.uk
Here you will find details of contacts and news regarding the College. This will also host updates of opening times, terms dates and is particularly important when giving information regarding weather warnings and if the college is open or closed.
The College uses Moodle as an online learning environment, and information on modules on which you are enrolled can be accessed from this. Note: you can only get access to those modules that you are studying – if you cannot gain access to material, it may be that you are not correctly enrolled on the award – make sure you let your award leader know.
Moodle can be found at: https://moodle.staffordcoll.ac.uk/login/index.php
The College library can be accessed from: https://infoport.staffordcoll.ac.uk/
You also have access to the library services at Staffordshire University, this can be accessed from: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/uniservices/infoservices/library/ . This library has a wealth of information relating to your course and you are strongly advised to make full use of this library at the earliest opportunity. A help desk is available at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/infoservices/library/help/ or you could contact our sport librarians, who are Kay Coverdale [email protected] and Shirley Kennedy [email protected] if you need assistance with a sport specific source.
3.4 The Faculty Management Team
Faculty Manager responsible for HE Sport Awards: Gillian Moss B204, [email protected]
In her role as the Faculty Manager, Gill has the responsibility for line managing the Award Leader and overseeing the development and success of the Awards within HE Sport.
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4. What are the aims and outcomes of the award?
The programme aims of the FdA Football Coaching and Development align to the main aims of the Staffordshire University BA Sport and Society Award; the intention is that successful Foundation Degree graduates will be well equipped to follow an identified progression route into Level 6 of the BA (Hons) Sports Development and Coaching award. The programme aims also explicitly accentuate the vocationally-orientated nature of this foundation degree.
The main aims of each of the awards in the FdA Football Coaching and Development are to:
Develop students’ intellectual capabilities; personal and transferable skills; subject specific knowledge and skills that provide the foundation for future learning, employment and personal development.
Provide a supportive learning environment for students. Provide a coherent, flexible, multidisciplinary framework with opportunities for
specialisation. Employ diverse methods of learning and assessment to develop generic and subject-
specific skills. Ensure that students are informed by current knowledge of theories in sport and football
coaching and development and offer student’s challenges and opportunities for academic development at different levels.
Develop students’ intellectual capabilities and skills in evaluation, data interpretation, problem solving and reflection relevant to football coaching.
Develop an appreciation of the organisational structures responsible for football coaching and its development and employ social, economic and political theory to explain its development and differentiation within contemporary contexts.
Recognise and respond to moral, ethical and safety issues which directly pertain to coaching practice.
Produce graduates with the knowledge and skills that equip them to play leading roles in football coaching and development.
At the end of each level of your award, you should be able to::
Level 4
Knowledge & UnderstandingDemonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the well established theories of sport and a critical perspective of these to the study and practice of football coaching.Learning Demonstrate an understanding of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge within football coaching. Enquiry Deploy accurately-established techniques of analysis and enquiry and initiate and carry out research and practice based projects within football coaching. Evaluate use of information literacy, including ethical use of information and data in football coaching. Analysis Critically analyse how discipline based research contributes to the study and practice of football coachingProblem SolvingDevelop appropriate questions to achieve a solution – or identify a range of solutions – to a problem and use decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts.CommunicationCommunicate effectively issues, problems and solutions using an informed evidence based perspective to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
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ApplicationApply methods and techniques that have been learnt, in order to review, consolidate, and extend knowledge and understanding; devise and sustain arguments, using ideas, methods and techniques, which are at the forefront of football coaching.ReflectionDemonstrate an ability to reflect upon and develop qualities and transferable skills necessary required for effective development of practice within football coaching and development.
Level 5
Knowledge & UnderstandingDemonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the well-established concepts, principles and their development in relation to effective and successful practice within football coaching and development. Learning Understanding the limits of their knowledge, and how this influences analysis and interpretations based on that knowledge to inform practice.Enquiry Demonstrate knowledge of the main methods of enquiry to successfully undertake enquiry based practice within football coaching and development. Analysis Use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, literature and practice to inform own practice within football coaching and development.Problem SolvingEvaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems and propose solutions to problems arising from analysis.CommunicationCommunicate effectively information and arguments in a variety of forms, to specialist and non-specialist audiences, and deploy key techniques of the discipline effectively. ApplicationApply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied to inform practice within football coaching and development. ReflectionDemonstrate qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment or further training including the development of existing skills, and acquisition of new competencies that will require the exercise of personal responsibility and decision – making and will enable students to assume significant responsibility within organisations.
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5. The Staffordshire GraduateThe Staffordshire Graduate represents a set of qualities that the University passionately believes is necessary for success in the 21st century. The Staffordshire Graduate is a reflective and critical learner with a global perspective, prepared to contribute in the world of work.
The Staffordshire Graduate will:
Discipline Expertise:• Have an understanding of the forefront of knowledge in their chosen field
Professionalism:• Be prepared to be work-ready and employable and understand the importance of being
enterprising and entrepreneurial
Global Citizenship:• Have an understanding of global issues and of their place in a globalised economy
Communication and Teamwork:
• Be an effective communicator and presenter and able to interact appropriately with a range of colleagues
• Have developed the skills of independence of thought and (when appropriate) social interaction through teamwork
Reflective and Critical Learner:• Have the ability to carry out inquiry-based learning and critical analysis • Be a problem solver and creator of opportunities
Lifelong Learning:
• Be technologically, digitally and information literate• Be able to apply Staffordshire Graduate attributes to a range of life experiences to facilitate life-
long learning and life-long success.
All students will have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These will include learning opportunities within their chosen awards and co-curricular activities such as work experience, volunteering and the development of employability, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills.
Employability, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Being employable…
... involves the development of a set of skills, knowledge and personal attributes that makes graduates more likely to gain employment, have the capability of being effective in the workplace and be successful in their chosen occupation to the benefit of themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy.
Being Enterprising …
…involves a set of skills and attitudes that can enable a culture of identifying opportunities, creativity, risk taking and innovation. It can involve many activities – for instance organising an event, planning an overseas trip or involvement in a social enterprise. Equally it can be about finding new solutions to old problems in your workplace, conducting a piece of research in a
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resourceful way, starting a new society or being involved in a community project. Employers value enterprising people!
Being Entrepreneurial…
…very often involves using enterprise skills to create new businesses and bring them to market. There is considerable support for those wishing to do so while at University. However, being entrepreneurial is not just about business skills or starting new ventures; it is a way of thinking and behaving relevant to all parts of society and the economy in terms of mindsets, behaviours, skills and capabilities to come up with new ways of doing things well and the flexibility to change career direction.
6. How is the award structured?The core modules for the two-year full time programme are shown in the boxes below:
The tables below show your award structure. The majority of modules are 30 credit modules and you study 120 credits at each level. All modules are core modules, meaning all modules need to be passed to gain entry from Level 4 (1st year) to Level 5 (2nd year).
Programme Title: FdA Football Coaching and Development
Level 4
TB1
Psychology for Coaching(15 credits)
Research and Academic Skills
(30 credits)
The Football Industry
(30 credits)
Coaching for Football
(30 credits)
TB2Football in
Society(15 credits)
Level 5
TB1 and TB2 Professional Practice in
Sport
(30 credits)
Sporting Event Management
(30 credits)
Strength and Conditioning for the Footballer
(30 credits)
Advanced Coaching for
Football
(30 credits)
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7. How will I learn on this award?
A range of learning and teaching strategies will be employed to suit the various types of learner, and to meet the needs of the specific learning outcomes of the modules focused around football coaching and development. You will learn through a variety of ways, lectures, smaller group seminars and coaching practicals. You will use integrated technology throughout the modules to support the teaching and learning process. Throughout the award, at times, students will take responsibility for delivering learning, supported by the module leader, to stretch and challenge students. To ensure academic rigour, learning will be supported by academic texts and journals, supporting academic development.
Knowledge taught in lectures are given context and meaning in real-world scenarios, which are achieved through the use of case studies, research data, the students’ own experience and discovery learning or experiential approaches within football coaching and development. These are supported by the passionate module leaders who have years of experience in their chosen field.
There are two levels of study for the FdA Football Coaching and Development: Level 4 and Level 5, as indicated in the Award structure. There will be a shift over two levels to promote independent learning. In level 4, students will receive a high level of direction in the identification and solving of problems given during tutorial and practical time. In level 5, students will still receive a high level of direction in problem identification but will notice a greater emphasis on student-led problems and solutions. Modules such as Researching and Academic Skills for Sport (Level 4) and Professional Practice in Sport (Level 5) employ enquiry based learning, where taught knowledge will be used to independently investigate an area of interest.
The award is designed so that skills and knowledge gained in modules can be transferred, applied and developed within other modules both within and between levels. Across the award the Staffordshire Graduate attributes are applied to all learning opportunities, both formal and those gained through experiences. This is done to ensure that students are work ready and employable for the football coaching and development industry.
Within Coaching for Football (Level 4) and Advanced Coaching for Football (Level 5) your coaching assessments will support your ability to successfully undertake FA level 1 and 2 coaching awards. Staffordshire FA will moderate some of the coaching sessions within these modules to ensure appropriate quality and feedback is being met.
Students will have the opportunity to gain valuable experiences within the industry through work placements and advised experiences. The formal work placement at Level 5 is supported and managed by the Module Leader for Professional Practice in Sport and you will be required to submit experience logs detailing your experiences. These opportunities compliment your learning and provide you with real-life scenarios to support your assessment tasks and continued learning and development.
8. Additionally and Continued Professional Development To train, develop, qualify and support more innovative coaches, who are excellent teachers of the game (The FA, 2012) the FA have developed a comprehensive range of qualifications. Alongside your award you will be expected to engage in continued professional development to meet the vision set out by the FA. You will be expected to undertake several of these throughout levels 4 and 5 to develop you into a more employable coach or development officer. It is essential to complete recognised National Governing Body awards as these will compliment your academic studies and understanding of the industry that you will be working in. You are strongly encouraged to undertake any continued professional development that you feel would benefit your own personal development.
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The courses that will be targeted for you to undertake are:
Level 4 2014 – 2015 Level 5 2015 – 2016The FA Level 1 Award in Coaching Football (inc.
Child Protection and First Aid)The FA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football
The FA Coaching Futsal: Beginners Guide The FA Coaching Futsal: Level 1
The FA Coaching Disabled Footballers
Please note:It is envisaged that these will take place in your own time away from timetabled sessions. These are not covered in the course cost and will require financial commitment from you, however, the awards will be subsidised heavily by the College.
The courses above follow the FA learning pathway and will require learning hours from you as a candidate to complete the awards. Further details will be provided when needed.
As part of the of the award, you will receive guidance and support from Staffordshire FA who will support your continued development into effective Football Coaches and/or Development Officers.
The FdA Football Coaching and Development students will provide Staffordshire FA with a sustainable workforce to support our strategy across a range of areas including Disability, Girls, Education and Club and League development. The students will receive advice and guidance from our staff to mentor their aspirations to become Football Coaches and Development Officers. Students will have access to Levels 1 and 2 FA coaching awards across 2 years, in addition to engaging in continued professional development to support their employability and suitability for industry jobs. (Andy Weston, Staffordshire FA County Development Manager)
9. Support and Guidance
9.1 Academic Support and Guidance
Throughout your course you will meet the Module Leaders at the taught sessions. If you require additional advice and guidance, please do not hesitate to contact the Module Leaders or the Award Leader. One-to-one support tutorials can be arranged on request, either be face to face, by telephone or by e-mail.
Please contact your tutor if you have any concerns about assessment or any other aspect of your course. Generic support with studying, assignments and assessments can be found on the libraries’ Learning Support web-pages: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/infoservices/learning_support/index.jsp
9.2 General Support and Guidance
If you have concerns about your ability to complete your course for any reason, you are strongly encouraged to speak to the Award Leader and hopefully a mutually agreeable support strategy can be offered to you.
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If you have any general concerns, the Student Advisors in Student Services can help you with a wide range of educational issues as well as offering specialist information and support. A drop-in service is available, but to discuss an issue in depth you can then book an appointment. Further details can be found at: http://www.staffordcoll.ac.uk/student-support.html
9.3 Disability
Staffordshire University is committed to enabling all students to achieve their full potential. If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty (SpLD) which might affect your progress, you are strongly advised to disclose this to one of the Award or Module Tutors at the earliest opportunity. Every effort will be made to implement any reasonable adjustments to the learning environment in order to support you through the module.
The Student Enabling Centre provides specialist study support for students with a disability and also a counselling service to support students who may experience issues that affect their mental wellbeing. The service provides a range of information, advice and facilities such as offering study needs assessments, help to apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and providing study support services for students with dyslexia.
At Stoke, the Student Enabling Centre is based in the Cadman Courtyard, and at Stafford in the One Stop Shop in the Beacon Building. More information about the Student Enabling Centre can be obtained from www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/disabled_students/ or by email at [email protected] or [email protected]
In addition to this, Stafford College can offer additional support for a variety of learning disabilities, the Additional Skills Unit and Discrete Skills for Life Manager, Carolyne Dixon liaises with the Student Enabling Centre at the University to provide the most effective service possible. Carolyne can be contacted on [email protected], should you wish to access any support at the College.
9.4 Further Support
The University has other services which offer support to international students, mature students, students with caring responsibilities and students who have been in care. Information on all our services for students can be found at www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/student_services/
10. How do I hand in assignments?
You will always be required to submit in written assignments electronically via our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Moodle. These will be submitted before 9.30am on the day of your submission.
Where written assessment can’t be submitted i.e. portfolio based assessment, these will be handed into the Main Reception, Earl Street. Instructions for the submission of practical assignments and presentations will be included in the relevant module handbooks.
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It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit assignments on time and at the appropriate place.
The Main Reception is open to take your assignments at the following times:
Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm (except Friday when the office closes at 4:30pm)
ASSIGNMENTS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED DURING THESE HOURS.
When submitting assignments to the Main Reception an assignment receipt form should also be completed, available from the staff. Please do NOT staple assignments together. It is best to submit them in clear plastic wallet please.
Please ensure that you fill in all sections, particularly the module title and tutor's name before coming into the office to have it stamped; space is at a premium and the office is very busy on assignment submission days, so do plan to submit your work in plenty of time.
Note that some assignments are marked anonymously, and that you are asked to fold and stick down the right hand flap of the assignment receipt form to conceal your name before handing in your work to the Main Reception. This is an important tool in helping to safeguard the integrity of the assessment process. Anonymous marking, however, is usually confined to conventional essay type assessments, as with other kinds of assessment (for example, an artefact or presentation report or dissertation) the tutor would normally be aware of the author’s identity. If you have a learning support agreement which recognises dyslexia as a disability make sure that you ask for one of the yellow stickers (available from the Faculty Office) to attach to your work to signal to the tutor that the assignment needs to be marked on content and understanding and not penalised for grammar, spelling or punctuation errors.”
The form you will complete is in duplicate. It is most important that you use a biro so that both copies are marked. Having completed it go into the office where a member of staff will date stamp and sign both copies of the form and return one copy of it to you.
Similarly, if your learning support statement specifies that you can negotiate the submission dates of your assessments then please ensure that you have agreed new submission dates with your tutor in advance of the original deadline. On the Faculty assignment cover-sheet there is a box for stating the agreed negotiated deadline and the tutor’s signature. Please be mindful of the fact that you may need to complete the cover-sheet in advance of the submission date to ensure you get the tutor’s signature – rather than assume the tutor will be available on the day / time you intend to submit.If you hand work in after a negotiated deadline, it will be treated as ‘late’, and will be marked at zero. So, if having once negotiated a deadline you find that, as it approaches, you are going to need a further extension, you will need to go back to your Award Leader / Personal Tutor to authorise this. Your Award Leader / Personal Tutor will use the test of ‘reasonableness’ in agreeing to any further extension.If you need to adjust the assignment schedule agreed with your Award Leader / Personal Tutor for reasons that are unrelated to your disability, then you will need to use the normal Extenuating Circumstances procedure.
When submitting electronically, you will receive a digital receipt, you must keep this as evidence of submission. However, you can always check submission using your profile on the VLE.
KEEP THIS SAFE! IT IS A RECEIPT, WHICH YOU CAN PRODUCE TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR ASSIGNMENT.
YOU SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED WHICH HAS BEEN SENT BY FAX OR E-MAIL.
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Finally, it hardly needs to be said that it is always, of course, good practice to keep a hard or (backed up) electronic copy of any assignment you submit. Should the assignment you submitted get lost then you will have the receipt to prove that you handed it in and a copy to replace what has been lost. You MUST keep your work stored on University hard drives. Personal computers can get damaged or stolen. This is simply good computer practice to keep back-up copies on a secure system. A stolen laptop, or similar situation, will NOT be considered as a valid extenuating circumstances claim.
You MUST submit required assignments on time and first time. Failure to meet a submission deadline may compromise your ability to proceed.
Coursework assignments have word limits and these need to be adhered to. Penalties for exceeding the stated word limit on assignments are as follows:- 1 – 10% excess no penalty 11 – 20% excess 10% reduction in the mark 21 – 30% excess 20% reduction in the mark 31%+ excess the work will be capped at a pass (ie 40% or
grade point 4)
11. Feedback on Your Work
Seven principles of good feedback
Good feedback should:
1. Be an interactive process involving student-tutor and student-student dialogue;2. Facilitate the development of self assessment and reflection;3. Clarify for students and staff, through dialogue, what good or bad performance actually is in the
assignment or task;4. Be developmental, progressive and transferable to new learning contexts;5. Be ongoing and embedded in the learning process;6. Motivate, build esteem and confidence to support sustainable lifelong learning;7. Support the development of learning groups and communities.
See appendix C for more information.
The University’s Academic Board has been considering the outcomes of the last National Student Survey and discussing how it can provide quicker assessment feedback to students. This guidance refers to summative (actual) rather than formative (practice) assessments. In relation to this, the following has been agreed:
Coursework and other assessments, excluding examinationsYou will normally receive feedback on all your assessments, other than examinations, within 21 working days following the date of submission of your assessment or actual date of the assessment. For some assessments the feedback period will be less than 21 working days. However, it may be the case that the 21 day rule for some assessments cannot be met for justified reasons (for example, modules on which a large number of students are enrolled). However, it is anticipated that this will apply to only a small number of modules on your award and, in those cases, the feedback return period will not exceed 25
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days. The anticipated feedback return times for all assessments will be published in your Module Handbooks.
In order to ensure that feedback is provided within 20 days, in most cases, the marks for your work will be provisional and will be subject to final ratification by the appropriate Assessment Board in due course.
12. External Examiners
As with all universities in the UK, Staffordshire employs external examiners who are specialist in the area you are studying. The majority are drawn from other universities or colleges in the country, although some will also come from industry or other relevant professions. External examiners look at the assignments that are set for you and the work you produce. They are asked to confirm that the standards are appropriate for the level at which you are studying. They attend assessment and award boards and write an annual report for the University which is used as part of the process, (which includes student representatives) of monitoring the quality and standards of your award. You are entitled to see these reports and if you wish to do so you should contact your Faculty office.
External examiner who is responsible for your award is:
Name: Anya HigginsPosition: Senior LecturerInstitution: University of Hertfordshire
NB: It is not appropriate for you to make direct contact with external examiners, in particular regarding your individual performance in assessments. There are other mechanisms you can use if you are unhappy with your results or other aspects of your award, such as the appeal and complaints procedures.
External examiners have been informed that if they are contacted directly by students they should decline to comment and refer the student back to the University.
13. Placements The FdA Football Coaching and Development has compulsory placement module at level 5. Students can arrange their own placements (subject to approval) and the College have a substantial number of contacts. These have been developed over many years of successful delivery of this module. It is vital to your success that you place yourself in a good position to avail yourself of this key opportunity. A DBS clearance will be required and students are asked to complete DBS declarations at the start of each level of study.
You will be required to undertake a minimum of 150 hours of work placement in an organisation that delivers football coaching and/or development. This is within the Professional Practice Module at Level 5.
Work based learning should form a large part of your learning. Experiences within different settings that provide football coaching and development opportunities give you the opportunity to develop key employability skills making you work ready for the employers when recruiting new coaches and development officers.
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The member of academic staff responsible for placements on your award is:
Jim Morris, T207, 01785 275128, [email protected]. The role of placement coordinator is required to engage with local partners to set up, monitor and evaluate student work placements. Placement visits and monitoring discussions will take place throughout your 150 hours placement to ensure an appropriate experience is being gained. As a student undertaking these placements you will abide by a Code of Conduct to main professional standards.
14. Personal Development Planning and Personal Tutoring
Personal Development Planning (PDP) is a very important aspect of your development and one that you must take responsibility for. PDP is introduced in the Research and Academic Skills for Sport module at Level 4. The requirements for PDP is also embedded into each module. You will be set a series of formative tasks to perform as you develop your knowledge and skills during each module, which will form the basis for discussions during interactive workshops. The feedback provided on the return of coursework provides you with the opportunity to review the assignment tasks and what you have learned from the learning and assessment process.
When you first enrol on the course you will be allocated a personal tutor. If we can, we try to ensure that you will have teaching contact with this person. Your personal tutor will be an academic member of staff who will be responsible for providing assistance to you throughout your time on the award. You should be able to discuss anything you wish with this person it may be academic or personal. This person may also write a reference for you at the end of your studies, if you wish. You must ensure, therefore, that you provide your personal tutor with an up to date curriculum vitae and you keep them informed about your circumstances and achievements. You will be expected to meet your personal tutor at least once each semester, but more frequently if you wish. Normally your personal tutor will teach you on one of the level four modules that you study and hence you will meet your personal tutor almost weekly.
It could well be worth asking your personal tutor to make a record of certain meetings and place some notes on your personal file. Sometimes certain issues (e.g. health) can become more serious and it is worthwhile being able to track the development of such issues.
You may have issues that you do not want to discuss with module or personal tutors, in which case you might consider talking to the Andrea Alker, the Student Guidance Advisors for Health Science who can be contacted on [email protected].
15. Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
The Accreditation of Prior Learning is the term used when a student uses his or her previous experiences to gain admission to a programme of study; admission to a module; admission at an intermediate stage in a programme (advanced standing); or to gain exemption from part of a programme of study. These previous experiences may be work-based learning, general learning experiences (experiential) or certificated qualifications.
You should normally apply for exemptions or admission with advanced standing through the APL scheme when you apply for a place on the award, or immediately upon registration for your modules. You will not be allowed to apply for APL in a module once you have submitted any assessment for that module. If you apply for exemptions or admission with advanced standing through the APL scheme you may be required to undergo some assessment to determine the relevance of your experiences/qualifications.
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The APL forms can be obtained from the University (ask you award leader for guidance). The APL and APL Board meets in early October. It is chaired by one of the Faculty’s Programme Area Managers and its purpose is to consider all the APL applications received from students and uphold or reject these applications dependant on the evidence provided.
16. Award Regulations
Your award is regulated by the University’s Academic Award Regulations. These can be accessed at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/legal/policies/awardregs/index.jsp
Module Failure - what happens if I fail a module?If you have failed to satisfy the assessment criteria of the module, you will be awarded a fail (0-39%). If you have failed to submit any assessment for the module, you will be given a Grade Point N (Fail due to non-submission) for the element(s) of that module and you will only be allowed a further attempt at that element(s) of the module at the discretion of the appropriate Board.
If I fail a module, can I resit it?(i) If you made an attempt at your assessments at the first attempt:
You will only be guaranteed an opportunity to attempt referrals once IF, and only if, you have made an attempt at the assessment(s) on the first occasion unless a claim for Extenuating Circumstances has been successful.
(ii) If you did not make an attempt at your assessments at the first attempt:If you do not submit work or attend assessments at the first attempt, that guarantee of a referral is lost and the appropriate Board will decide whether or not to allow you a referral. In making its decision, the Board may take account of your engagement with that module.
If the Board does allow you a referral(s) and you do not take the referral(s) at the time notified to you by your Faculty/School, no further referral opportunity will be given to you and you may fail the award.
When can I take my resit(s)?In all cases, if you are allowed a referral(s), the referral(s) must be taken at the next resit opportunity. For many students, this will be in August 2014 but will depend on the nature of the award and the timing of your assessments.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you know when you are required to resit.
17. Concerns and ComplaintsWe endeavour through our support systems to deal with any concerns and complaints informally. For your award, we advise you to talk to your Module Leader, Award Leader or Personal Tutor as soon as possible.
If you feel that you cannot approach the Module Leader, Award Leader or your Personal Tutor about your concern or complaints you can contact Emma Reed Quality Manager for Stafford College on [email protected] This will then follow the complaints procedure and will be dealt with due care.
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You have opportunities throughout the year to participate in a Programme Committee. Please endeavour to engage in this activity wherever possible.
18. Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The University and Faculty take the issues of academic dishonesty, plagiarism or cheating very seriously. If you are caught breaking the University’s rules, you can expect to be punished – this might mean failing an assignment, failing a module or even failing your award and being asked to leave the University.
It is vitally important that you understand the rules regarding plagiarism. These can be found at:http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/academic_misconduct_tcm44-26770.pdf
There are several resources available to help you in writing and preparing assignments so that you do not break the rules. You might want to look at the following resources.http://www.st a ffs.ac. u k/studyskills
Within the Study Skills for Sport module, issues such as plagiarism and effective writing and preparing of assessments will be discussed.
If in doubt, make sure you ask your tutor before you submit work, or arrange to see someone in the Study Skills Centre (located in the library).
19. Equality and DiversityStafford College is committed to equality of opportunity and diversity: these are part of the core values of the institution. We aim to be an inclusive organisation where everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfill their potential.
At Stafford College we recognise that people are unique individuals. We are committed to ensuring that all our students and staff - whatever their background, nationality, cultural heritage, age, race, disability, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, colour, gender identity, skills and experiences - are able to study or work in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.
We all have a responsibility to ensure that this happens, and students and staff are expected to behave in a way that promotes a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
Staffordshire University has a similar commitment and the Students’ Charter sets out the University’s commitment to students and your responsibilities as a student. This can be found at www.staffs.ac.uk/legal/policies/studentcharter/ The University also has a behaviour policy to inform students and staff of the behaviour expected of students. This can be found at: www.staffs.ac.uk/legal/policies/index.jsp
More information, support and advice about any aspect of equality and diversity at Staffordshire University can be obtained from www.staffs.ac.uk/diversity
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20. Student GuideThis Award Handbook is supported by information on the Faculty induction website and other resources provided by Central Services.
Faculty webpages http://www.staffs.ac.uk/faculties/health/student_information/index.jsp
a2z4u http://www.staffs.ac.uk/a2z4u
MyPortal http://myportal.staffs.ac.uk
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Appendix A - Glossary of Terms
Module A unit of study with a defined learning outcomes, curriculum and assessment.The module definition is to found in the module specification for the module.Each module has a number of Credits, associated with it. A single module is worth 15 Credits and notionally requires 150 hours of learning activity to complete. This learning activity being divided between time for class contact hours with staff, independent study and assessment. The number of allocated learning hours rises in proportion to the number of Credits attributed to a module at the rate of 10 hour per credit. All modules are multiples of the basic unit of 15 Credits. So for example, a double module will be worth 30 Credits and will have a learning time of 300 hours.
Core module This is a module that you must take and pass to qualify for a given award title or range of titles.
Award Option This is a module chosen from a list of Award Option modules. Award Option modules are studied in conjunction with the core modules and from the prescribed set of modules for a particular named award
Co-requisites Co-requisites are those modules that you must take as a package. All the Level 4 core modules can be considered to be co-requisites. We have defined co-requisites to make sure that there is sufficient shape and coherence in your programme of study to make it a rewarding and interesting experience. A corequisite is therefore a module which must be studied in addition to and normally at the same time as a particular module.
Pre-requisites
A pre-requisite is defined as a specific requirement that you must meet before you can take a module. In a similar way as entry to an Award was dependent on your achieving A-Level or BTEC passes for example, or having other prior knowledge, for some modules you will have to be ‘qualified’ to take them. This will normally mean studying for a module at an earlier level in the Award.Pre-requisites are specified to make sure that you have the knowledge and skills you will need to be successful in your chosen modules. Please refer to the Undergraduate Modular Framework Regulations for a more detailed description of this term in particular the distinction between the terms pre-requisites’ and ‘Special Admissions Requirements’.
DisqualifiedCombinations
Although rare, disqualified combinations are those modules which you cannot study together. This is normally because the content of the modules overlaps in some way, such that by taking both you would not cover the equivalent of two-modules learning.
Level This indicates the academic level at which study is to be undertaken –Certificate level (module level 4 year 1), Intermediate level (module level 5 year 2) and Honours level (module level 6 year 3). Normally it corresponds to one year of study for full-time students. However, students may take modules from different levels at the same time, provided that they meet the requirements for their award.
Teaching block
A period of study into which the year is divided, that may include induction learning, assessment and academic counseling. There are currently two teaching blocks in each academic year.
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Appendix B - Learning Outcomes of the Award
At the end of your FdA Football Coaching and Development award you should be able to:
Level 4
Knowledge & UnderstandingDemonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the well established theories of sport and a critical perspective of these to the study and practice of football coaching.Learning Demonstrate an understanding of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge within football coaching. Enquiry Deploy accurately-established techniques of analysis and enquiry and initiate and carry out research and practice based projects within football coaching. Evaluate use of information literacy, including ethical use of information and data in football coaching. Analysis Critically analyse how discipline based research contributes to the study and practice of football coachingProblem SolvingDevelop appropriate questions to achieve a solution – or identify a range of solutions – to a problem and use decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts.CommunicationCommunicate effectively issues, problems and solutions using an informed evidence based perspective to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.ApplicationApply methods and techniques that have been learnt, in order to review, consolidate, and extend knowledge and understanding; devise and sustain arguments, using ideas, methods and techniques, which are at the forefront of football coaching.ReflectionDemonstrate an ability to reflect upon and develop qualities and transferable skills necessary required for effective development of practice within football coaching and development.
Level 5
Knowledge & UnderstandingDemonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the well-established concepts, principles and their development in relation to effective and successful practice within football coaching and development. Learning Understanding the limits of their knowledge, and how this influences analysis and interpretations based on that knowledge to inform practice.Enquiry Demonstrate knowledge of the main methods of enquiry to successfully undertake enquiry based practice within football coaching and development. Analysis Use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, literature and practice to inform own practice within football coaching and development.Problem SolvingEvaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems and propose solutions to problems arising from analysis.CommunicationCommunicate effectively information and arguments in a variety of forms, to specialist and
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non-specialist audiences, and deploy key techniques of the discipline effectively. ApplicationApply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied to inform practice within football coaching and development. ReflectionDemonstrate qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment or further training including the development of existing skills, and acquisition of new competencies that will require the exercise of personal responsibility and decision – making and will enable students to assume significant responsibility within organisations.
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Appendix C – Feedback on assessments
Our principles - good feedback should: Because of the principles, you; the student; can expect:
1. Be an interactive process involving student-tutor and student-student dialogue
There should be an agreed point of reference and common starting point between students and staff as to what constitutes the purpose and use of feedback as part of a learning process. The content of this originates from the knowledge and professional expectations of the subject discipline. Determining the common starting point is an iterative process emerging out of interactive dialogue between staff, students and their peers, where all participants challenge and are open to each other’s views.
To work with a set of agreed assessment rules To agree with staff and other students on why you will
get feedback To debate with other students To learn from other students To see other students learn from you To debate with lecturers and other staff To learn from lecturers and other staff University staff to learn from you Every conversation about your studies to be a type of
feedback you can learn from (we are an Academic Community)
To get feedback throughout your course To also get specific and timely formal written feedback
from lecturers on your marked assessments
2. Facilitate the development of self assessment and reflection
The feedback should generate a series of questions for the student which makes them think about their learning now, and what they need to do to develop their learning in the future. This will enable them to understand the purpose of the feedback in each specific context; create the capacity to developing evaluative judgement; the ability to review their own performance against professional and academic criteria; and to think about learning strategies they need to develop in the future;
To ask yourself new questions about your learning To ask yourself new questions about your subject To improve your understanding of your own thoughts To improve your ability to see the worth of other people’s
work and thoughts To improve your ability to evaluate your own work and
the work of others To become better at working in order to meet specific
goals or targets To get better at working out what types of feedback you
need and working out when you need feedback
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3. Clarify for students and staff, through dialogue, what good or bad performance actually is in the assignment or task. [1]
This involves identifying and justifying the strengths and achievements of the assignment, artefact or task under discussion. This should also then lead to outlining how changes and improvements may be made, through reference to discussion around what constitutes the criteria for good performance and how the outcomes of the task have been met. Students need to be aware that feedback is a process that can take place at any time or place, and isn’t restricted to formal learning situations.
To get better at seeing where your work is good and where it needs improvement
To get better at seeing where other people’s work is good and where it needs improvement
To get better at giving people help to improve their work To get better at accepting and using help from other
people to improve your own work To discuss how ideas like “good” and “bad” relate to
marking criteria To get and give feedback wherever you can: not just in
tutorials or seminars
4. Be developmental, progressive and transferable to new learning contexts
The dialogue and understanding that emerges from the feedback should be applicable both to the current debate and also contain elements that are able to be translated to a range of current and future learning situations. As the student progresses through their learning journey they should be developing a more sustained and sophisticated approach to their learning, culminating in the expression of the graduate attributes appropriate to their level and subject specialism
Your feedback to be relevant to your course Your feedback to be relevant to the way your wider
subject area is developing Your feedback to give you useful ideas for ways of doing
future learning Your feedback to help you get a deeper understanding of
your subject Your feedback to help you develop your overall thinking
5. Be ongoing and embedded in the learning process
Feedback isn’t simply an activity that takes place after assessment – it isn’t something that is simply done to students! Feedback that is effective and timely occurs when students know when they need it, recognise what they want it for, and know how to ask for it in a way that is appropriate to their needs.. It is multi faceted both in terms of content and format.
To give and receive feedback frequently To learn to recognise when it would be useful for you to
get feedback To learn to recognise what type of feedback it would be
useful for you to get To learn how to ask for appropriate feedback To recognise that there are many appropriate ways of
giving feedback
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6. Motivate, build esteem and confidence to support sustainable lifelong learning
Feedback needs to point out what has been done well, both in terms of the task process and the product. Feedback needs to offer ‘do-able’ actions for future learning/work, so that students are able to improve. Modules/awards need to engage students with multiple feedback opportunities,
To get, and give, praise for things that have been done well
To get ideas that will help you improve your future learning and work
To give ideas that will help other people to improve their future learning and work
To get a lot of chances to receive and give feedback in a variety of ways
7. Support the development of learning groups and communities
Good feedback – as outlined in Points 1- 6 - should create the environment whereby effective and productive learning is taking place, leading to the emergence of a flourishing learning community.
To be part of an improving learning community To be personally responsible for helping that community
get even better To see other people also taking personal responsibility
for helping the community to get even better
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