Faculty of Health

Dates

27 January 2014

APEL is a method of accreditation that assesses the student’s previous learning from clinical experiences they have undergone. If the assessment is successfully completed, it enables the student to gain 30 credits at Masters Level. These credits may, if the student chooses, be used to contribute to a programme leading to a named award (e.g. Certificate/Diploma/Masters degree).

This APEL route for the module 'Motor Control Retraining of Movement Dysfunction' module is aimed at experienced physiotherapists and other health care professionals who have attended a complement of the Stability Rehabilitation and Movement Dysfunction courses run by Kinetic Control.

Within three years prior to the submission date of the portfolio for the APEL credits, the student should have attended the following Kinetic Control Movement Dysfunction Courses:

• Concepts: Solutions for Understanding Movement & Function
• Kinetic Control: Managing Movement - Solutions for the Low Back
• Kinetic Control: Managing Movement - Solutions for the Neck & Shoulder
• The Movement Therapist Course / Clinical Masterclass: Clinical Decisions in the Diagnosis and Management of Complex Musculoskeletal Pain and Dysfunction
• OR as an alternative to all the above;  The Movement Solution

If the time frame is longer than three years you can justify within your portfolio how you have updated your knowledge

The programme consists of several components some of which are mandatory;

• Mandatory Attendance of the appropriate induction day for postgraduate modular students which is relevant to the academic year of study (Jan 2013). During this day you will be given details of how to access the relevant resources including searching facilities through ATHENS, how to study at Masters Level and how to produce a portfolio. Even if you have studied at Masters Level before, you would find this day useful.
• Mandatory - read the handbook available on the KLE, the Keele University student learning environment. Details of the assessment processes including the format of the portfolio will be given in detail in this handbook. Therefore it is essential to read this again prior to submitting the portfolio
• Optional attendance of the tutorial days held every Tuesday of the appropriate Motor Control Retraining of Movement Dysfunction Module. Attendance/telephone tutorial sessions with the modular leader: Barbara Introwicz - Details below. This also applies to international students. However they need to pre book telephone tutorials based on British time scales. (Monday to Friday; 9.00am to 5.00pm)
• Mandatory - Prepare a portfolio of evidence, which will demonstrate that the student has met the relevant learning outcomes of the module. This should be set out as indicated below.

Students will be offered optional advisory contact with the modular leader during the time frame for portfolio compilation, which will be from the date of Induction for the taught module to the portfolio submission date, a period of approximately four months.

Appointments must be made with the course leader. It is important the student does not leave the work until the last few weeks; therefore students are advised to contact the course leader to inform them of the progress at least once a month.

Students can send a plan of the portfolio and up to 500 words of the student’s written work for the module leader’s feedback. The dates and details of this should be discussed with the module leader and at least two weeks should be allowed for the feedback

The assessment for this module, using APEL, will be by the production of a portfolio.

A portfolio is a collection of evidence that demonstrates achievement and learning within a module/course or programme of study. Portfolios require gathering and presentation of evidence and usually include an element of critical reflection. The assessed portfolio for this module will need to provide evidence that the learning outcomes of the module have been achieved.

The portfolio will consist of four main sections

• Section 1 General Supporting Material

 In this section, it is expected the student will present justification for accreditation of their learning. It is expected that students will briefly present their relevant qualifications (details should be placed in section 4) and further continuing personal development related to Motor Control Retraining. How they have consolidated their studies by reading around, clinical practice and ongoing attendance at the relevant courses. The student should critically reflect on past experience and consider plans for future personal development. It should relate to the learning outcomes of the module and key issues should be supported with the relevant literature to demonstrate the learning was appropriate. This section should not be a list; it should be a succinct personal narrative and reflection. It therefore can be in the first person. The student can refer to other sections within the portfolio and therefore it should not be repetitive of the other sections. The guideline word limit for this section is 1500 words. If a student requires further wordage for this section, this must be discussed with the module leader

• Section 2 Case History

In this section the student will present as many case histories as the student feels is required to demonstrate the learning outcomes have been met, these are not counted within the word count. However one case should also have a detailed plan of assessment, supported by clinical reasoning and followed by the subsequent treatment progression, and details of the holistic management of the patient. The student should then present a reflection of the decisions made. This section should be succinct and should be not more than 1500 words. If the student requires any further wordage this must be discussed with the module leader

• Section 3 Evidenced Based Practice

In this section it is expected that the student will demonstrate the ability to use empirical evidence to underpin their practice. It should be an in-depth evaluative piece of critical work (as outlined within the student hand book ‘how to study at Masters Level’). It is expected the student will choose one small focused area, related to the case above or a small focused area in which the student feels she/he needs to improve in order to meet the learning outcomes. This piece of work must be no more than 2,500 words. This wordage is not negotiable

• Section 4 Presentation of Evidence

In this section the student is expected to provide evidence as to how each of the Module Learning Outcomes has been achieved. It is expected the student will present a chart indicating the learning outcomes and directing the reader to the evidence. Within this section the student will also present hard copies of evidence, as appropriate. Evidence can be of many forms but should contain a CV, certificates of courses attended and also examples of experiential learning, for example letters from peers or line managers, evidence of critical incidents with reflection and performed action etc