Embedding practitioner skills in undergraduate learning and teaching
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2016-09-08

This paper will review our experiences of teaching archaeology at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the measures we have taken to align academic learning and teaching with professional practice. It is our view that single honours archaeology graduates should be capable of working at PCIfA level by the time they leave University. To support this aspiration we have structured degrees around modules which develop undergraduates’ field education from novice to trainee supervisor. Learning outcomes are closely aligned to CIfA guidelines and the National Occupational Standards, with fieldwork an important element in its own right. Key to this approach is the weekly assessment of students fieldwork skills –
aligned to PCIFA competencies. Learning is also underpinned by a close working relationship with professional organisations. We use their procedures, pro-forma sheets and document templates during teaching and students regularly get to work alongside professionals. More than 80% of our academic staff are MCIfA, most have significant amounts of commercial work experience and 50% have worked at project officer level or above.
It is often argued that universities have a responsibility to give students a broad education, as the majority of archaeology graduates do not seek a career in archaeology. However, we have found that embedding practitioner skills is fundamental to producing well rounded graduates. Students value the transferable skills they learn in the process, whatever their future career plans.