Module TMMC3057: Further Reflective Practice in Context (Short)

Department: Theology, Ministry and Mission

TMMC3057: Further Reflective Practice in Context (Short)

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To enable students to encounter and work effectively within a given non-ecclesial and/or ecclesial context.
• To develop students’ capacity to articulate and critique their sense of their own developing ministerial / professional practice within the context of the wider mission of God.
• To enable students to develop skills in critical theological analysis of contexts and ministerial / professional practice which integrate relevant theological, social-scientific and missiological insights.
• To provide an opportunity to demonstrate self-awareness in a given setting, role and development as a reflective practitioner, including reflecting upon their capacity for paying active attention to others, and to their own impact upon others.
• To enable students to become increasingly open to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the lives of others.
• To enable students to explore in depth ways in which their gifts can be offered, including within a context of vocational leadership where appropriate.

Content

• This module involves a partnership between a student’s training institution and a given placement context which enables students to encounter, and work effectively within, such a setting and reflect creatively upon it.
• It provides opportunity to enhance skills in understanding and analysing context, and integrating theological enquiry with pastoral / ministerial / professional practice. It draws upon the resources of Scripture and relevant Christian traditions in critical conversation with insights from other sources, including the social sciences. It demands of students attentiveness to their own assumptions and biases. Reflecting upon their placement, students will take responsibility for identifying key aspects, encounters and themes out of which to develop work for assessment.

Learning Outcomes

• Offer a coherent and detailed account of methods of theological reflection as a cross-disciplinary resource for exploring contexts and the self.

• Consolidate and extend competence in modes of inquiry involving observing, recording and analysing the given placement context and evaluating their findings in the light of one or more theological disciplines.
• Extend and apply critical theological reflection to interpret the placement experience, and the student’s own role and performance within it, in the light of appropriate biblical, theological and wider sources, communicating their findings with relevance, rigour, creativity and sensitivity.
• Consolidate and extend confident collaborative ministry within the placement context, making use of supervision to understand and improve their own ministerial practice and self-awareness.

• Take responsibility for an extended project that involves the exercise of initiative, independent inquiry, and the effective management of time, resources and use of IT; engaging with others in planning and decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts; meeting deadlines; evaluating the project and learning from it.
• Take responsibility for their own personal and professional development.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching methods to be specified by each TEI, selecting from the following:
• Lectures provide content, a conceptual framework and a survey of approaches within a subject area that enable students to locate their learning in a wider context, to make connections with other disciplines, and to evaluate and apply their learning to different contexts.
• Seminars offer students an opportunity to present, evaluate and apply their knowledge to specific contexts, and to engage with teaching staff and peers in debate and reflection.
• Small group learning creates an environment where students learn to articulate their knowledge and understanding effectively and in a way that is relevant to the group and its context.
• Tutorials enhance learning by offering feedback and encouraging students to reflect on their own response to the knowledge and skills they have acquired.
• Practical classes enable students to practice their ability to communicate a subject matter orally, creatively and appropriately and to learn from the feedback of teachers and peers.
• Supervision of projects or dissertations offers students guidance and feedback on their independent learning and ensures the project / study is appropriately research-led and informed.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Regular supervision discussions will provide feedback and direction for students on placement.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University