Integrating Practical Work into Introductory Courses

Embedding practical work into Level 4 introductory modules in psychology is important for two key reasons. Principally, research is often viewed by students as a disparate component of their degree programme, and many students fail to see the relevance of research methods and analysis outside of their dedicated research modules. Placing practical work outside of research-based modules helps students to appreciate the transferability of research across the programme. Secondly, allowing students to write a practical report outside of dedicated modules affords students the opportunity to practice these writing skills, which can be limited across a degree programme. In turn such opportunities help to build confidence, develop employability skills and prepare students for independent research at Level 6.