What are staff doing already?
Accredited Learning
Volunteering and Employability HSS08100
This level 8 Blended Learning module has been in use for several years in the school of HLSS and as a co-curricular module.
The aim of the module is to equip students with the confidence and skills to enhance their employability prospects. Developing self awareness through reflection is a key employability skill and is central to the module.
Students find their own volunteering opportunity and decide on time commitment (minimum 25 hours). They compile a portfolio of reflective summaries relating to their volunteering activities, participate in on-line discussions and prepare and deliver an oral presentation. These are all formally assessed.
The module has been undertaken by 30 students, many of whom have been from the School of Sports who encouraged students to volunteer as part of their Sports and Exercise Science degree programme.
Staff input
Staff point students to helpful websites and students are encouraged to secure a host for their volunteering during the semester before the module starts.
Future Developments
The School of Sports have encouraged students to take the co-curricular module, Volunteering and Employability HHSS08100 in the past and are now developing their own module for students studying Sports and Exercise Science. Peter Laird from the School of Sports Life and Social Sciences explains the rationale for development.
The idea behind a separate volunteering for sport module is to take advantage of contacts we have in local sport in what is primarily a volunteer sector. It is hoped that by building up volunteer hours our students will generate future contacts in their preferred sport/industry as well as generating additional work experience.
(Peter Laird, SLSS)
Non-Accredited Learning
The new Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy for Edinburgh Napier aim to be iterative, innovative and inspirational. The resource is available to all staff and brings together case studies, exemplars and guidance to help staff develop aspects of their practice. The developing LTA resource bank contains examples of how schools are putting their level 2 statements into practice. One example, Volunteering in schools from the School of Arts and Creative Industries, shows how visual arts students have volunteered to work with school pupils to develop their skills and the benefits they experienced from reflecting on their experience through a wiki.