University to create toolkit to support work placements

An online toolkit to enable history students to reflect on their work placement experiences is being developed by the University of Wolverhampton.

Dr Richard A. Hawkins, from the Department of History, Politics and War Studies, will lead the project, which has received a £23,000 grant from the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

History students secure placements at secondary schools, local municipal and county archives and museums such as the Black Country Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford. The project aims to enable them to reflect on their experiences of these work placements.

The online toolkit will include audio podcasts, guidance notes, links to relevant websites, references to relevant journal articles, self-assessment exercises and video clips.

Dr Hawkins said: “It is hoped that the opportunities for students to enhance their employability, through the development of such reflective skills, will be extended across the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications.

“The benefits of the toolkit will extend beyond our University and will be relevant to all Higher Education institutions offering history work place learning modules.”

The toolkit will be available on the HEA website, which will make it readily and freely accessible to every history department.

Staff and students from the University of Wolverhampton will collaborate with the University of Central Lancashire, University of Huddersfield and Newman University College on the project.

The project, which received a Departmental Teaching Development Grant from the HEA, is titled ‘Historians reflect: new approaches to developing students’ reflective skills in undergraduate history work place learning modules’.

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736