IRF33018 Professional Practice (Autumn 2021)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Elective course in all bachelor's programs at faculty of engineering.

There will be a selecting process for the students through given criteria - see details next section Absolute pre-knowledge requirement. A maximum of 15 students can take the course in the autumn of 2021.

Absolute requirements

International student must apply and provide required necessary documents, prepare for a possibly online interview or other pre-selected steps to qualify the course access.

Lecture Semester

5th semester (autumn). This might be extended to other time-periods as needed and in case so it must be approved in advance.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Expected learning outcomes after accomplishing the course:

Knowledge

The student will:

- has knowledge of how the company organized and carries out its practical tasks and duties.

- has knowledge of how the company's research or development work is organized and carried out.

- has knowledge of the company's organization and practice of daily assignments and work, including HSE (health, safety, environment guarantee) or other relevant work routines / methods

 

Skills

The student can:

- use own competence and participate in the company´s operations, or project development work.

- perform necessary professional work and tasks in accordance with company´s guidelines.

- learn detailed knowledge and develop own competence through task completion

- describe research or development work with methods that applied in the company

- reflect on one's own professional practice and be receptive to guidance

 

General competence

The student can:

- present assignment results in a good way, both in writing and orally

- collaborate with supervisor and coordinator / mentor in company

- interact and communicate with people with different professional backgrounds

- give an account of key professional skills or professional ethical issues

Content

The internships carry out at either an appointed company, public or private unit, or at the host university within a section or department.

The internships shall assign or coordinate one or several tasks for the placed student, within or confined the relevant fields, preferably within project development work, or other practical skill based elements.

The OUC (Østfold University College) is responsible for finding or coordinating for relevant companies or placement units. The course coordinator approves the content and other frameworks for the practice.

Forms of teaching and learning

The student will be placed at a company or an organization, private or public for performing relevant tasks assigned by the company or placed organization. The placement tasks shall be relevant after a comprehensive academic assessment, in accordance with an agreement with the company or placed organization.

Placement is primarily carried out individually, thus, only one student per. company.

There is a theoretical review in this course. The students are expected to learn a systematic approach for practice competence upgrading, and receive learning outcomes. There will be coaching hours, individually or groups, for practical skills or curriculum related assignment work, such as document work, project conducting, and placement report writing.

Workload

250 working hours totally, hereof approximately 150 working hours for own document writing work on process analysis, reflection and final report writing.

Practical training/internship

Minimum 100 hours required for personal attendance at the selected company or placed organization.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• A written work report (maximum 20 pages) to be submitted by agreement with the teacher
• The student must present his / her placement summary and evaluation to the company, the student must plan on this presentation in good advance before the deadline.

Examination

Individual oral examination

• Exam consists of maximum 15 minutes presentation of an maximum 10 pages PP-presentation, followed by questions from the teacher and exam evaluator.
  • The presentation is to be submitted to to course responsible person no later than 2 days before the exam date. 

The course is assessed with letter grades A - F.

Examiners

External and internal sensor or two internal sensors.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

Extra and new exam is held early in the following semester. More information about exams can be found here: https://www.hiof.no/english/studies/laws-and-regulations/regulations-governing-examinations-admission-to-study-and-degrees-at-ostfold-un-330350_1_1.pdf

Written report must be reworked and resubmitted, followed by a new oral presentation.

Course evaluation

A written evaluation (short note, max 1 page)

Literature

"The Successful Internship: Personal, Professional, and Civic Development in Experiential Learning". By H. Frederick Sweitzer and Mary A. King. Belmont, CA : Brooks/Cole, 2014.

ISBN-13: 978-1285077192. ISBN-10: 1285077199.

"Work experience, placements and internships". By Steve Rook. Palgrave Macmillan. 2016 172 s. ISBN : 9781137462015.

"Making the most of your placement". By John Neugebauer and Jane Evans-Brain. SAGE Publications Ltd. 2009. 172 s. ISBN: 978-1847875686.

"Your Social Work Practice Placement From Start to Finish". By Ian Mathews, Diane Simpson - Lincoln University, Karin Crawford - University of Lincoln, UK. ISBN: 9781849201797 © 2014 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

In addition, the student is to choose litterature relevant to the placements theoretical and practical content and refer to this litterature in their project report.