Students on the module each took on a work placement position and spent time with an organisation from the Sheffield voluntary or private sector. The aim was for students to gain skills and experience relevant to philosophy in an applied setting, and/or to learn to deploy skills, concepts and theoretical frameworks gained in their philosophical studies.
Most of the 6 students on our trial Workplace Learning module have now completed their placements and are enjoying grappling with philosophical issues raised by or relevant to the work.
Our students obtained placements with Ben’s Centre, Roundabout, Health Education England, the Alzheimers Society and Action Tutoring. They are working on projects in political philosophy, the philosophy of education, metaphysics and phenomenology.
Following the success of this pilot, we will be running the module again in 2018/19 and expect it to become a permanent option in our third-year curriculum.