EDEXCEL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT
PRE COURSE INFORMATION
Contents
Course information3
Introduction to The ManchesterCollege4-5
Course overview6
Sample submission calendar7
Year one modules8 – 11
Year two modules12 – 14
Residential15
Study skills16 – 19
Assignment structure19 – 20
Professional bodies21 – 22
Mentoring 22
What happens next?22
What happens after the course?22
COURSE INFORMATION
The ManchesterCollege is leading the battle to reduce deaths on the roads with a unique professional training course that has been designed for people with a professional involvement in road safety, accident investigation or accident prevention.
The Professional Development Diploma is currently being amended to incorporate changes to legislation, policy and practice within the profession and to meet the demands of EDEXCEL as the programme moves towards an Advanced Professional Development Diploma.
The BTEC Professional Development Diploma in Accident and Safety Management is the professional qualification for those involved in road traffic and safety issues and is comparable to an NVQ level 5.
The ManchesterCollege is the only college in the UK to offer the course, which has attracted many road safety officers, traffic accident investigators, police traffic accident investigation officers, traffic engineers and driving instructors.
This programme has run successfully for many years and MANCAT has been delighted to work in partnership with Institute of Road Safety Officers (IRSO) and Institute of Traffic and Accident Investigators (ITAI) in developing a programme of which we are richly proud.
The course is taught with a combination of distance learning packages, which means that students undertake their study at times and locations that are convenient to them, and residentials. There are 4 residentials, each lasting approximately 1-week, where module workshops and exams take place, the residential will be held within the Northwest.
Tutorial support is provided by letter, telephone and email so the student does not need to attend college. It usually takes approximately two years to complete the course but this is flexible because of the modular basis of the programme.
The minimum number of successfully completed modules needed to gain the award is eight, although individual modules may be studied if preferred. Students receive a Certificate of Achievement from Edexcel BTEC for each module studied.
The course content is made up of a mixture of mandatory (6 modules) and optional modules, which extend to
Accident Analysis
Psychological Perceptions of Behaviour & Learning Theory and Development
Roads, Traffic & Transportation Planning
Road Transport & the Environment
General Principals of English Law & Management
Aspects of Accident and Safety Management – research document (Dissertation)
Plus a maximum of three optional units from:
Accident Investigation and Reconstruction
Human Factors Engineering
Public Relations and Advertising
Vehicle Technology
Written assignment and an open book examination or extended assignments must be
completed for each module to evaluate learning.
To enrol on the course students should be 21 years or over and hold one A Level or equivalent and ideally GCSE Maths and English. It is preferable that students have a minimum of three years relevant work experience. Applications are welcomed from potential students who are able to evidence comparable experience and qualifications.
EDEXCEL Qualifications: The Edexcel qualifications are identified in the following grid by title and level.
Introduction to The ManchesterCollege
As a distance learning student you may never actually set foot upon The Manchester College property but we feel that as you are an active part of the student body you should be aware of what goes on in both the college and from the college.
The ManchesterCollege is one of the largest further education colleges in Europe. It comprises five main campuses, which are located in
Openshaw, East Manchester
Nichols Sixth Form Centre, East Manchester
City Centre
Moston, North Manchester
One Central Park, North Manchester
The college is a regional centre and a major provider of professional, vocational and general education. This ranges across such areas as
Health and Safety
Engineering Technology
Construction
Information Technology
Business & Commerce
Hotel and Catering Studies
Travel and Tourism
Languages
With courses spanning from foundation level to degree level.
The ManchesterCollege is a national centre for alternative learning strategies and provides access to open learning facilities on all sites. In addition there is an in house production department which publishes materials to support the college’s extensive corporate flexible learning programmes. The college is associated with many education and training establishments throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY MANAGEMENT TRAINING SERVICES (OSM)
OSM is a division of the Department of Engineering & Construction and delivers a wide range of health & safety training programmes. The profile of programmes ranges from specialist short courses such as Risk Assessment, Scaffolding Safety Awareness, Basic Health & Safety Awareness and First Aid at work to broader programmes such as the NEBOSH National General Certificate and The Nottingham Trent University Diploma in Safety, Health & Environmental Management.
The base-room is located within the Corporate Suite on the Openshaw Campus. For course information contact Zoë Heaviside on 0161 953 5995 ext. 3587 or by e mail
For further information regarding The Manchester College itself visit our website at
Over view of the course
Your date calendar will be similar throughout both years of your course whereas your work programme will change from compulsory modules and their related assignments in the first year to your optional choices and the dissertation in the second year.
October to June
Year One
During your first year you will be expected to complete 12 assignments before returning for theJune residential. Although the dissertation is part of your second years work, you do need to consider the topic and start gathering information on the subject, as you have to give a presentation on your chosen area during the June residential.
Year two
During this year you will be expected to complete all relevant assignments related to your choices. The number of assignments will be dependant on your choices. During your second year you will be expected to complete your dissertation, which is a 12000 – 15000 research document.
At the start of each year you will be handed an assignment booklet, this will contain all assignments, a submission calendar and a tutor contact list. The assignments will provide you with relevant underpinning information, the questions, assignment word count and the marking criteria. The assignment submission dates will be given in the form of a calendar and highlights assignment hand-in dates (see sample on next page).
At the end of the majority of modules (mandatory and optional) there is a final assessment, which takes the form of an ‘open book, written exam’. This is a worked assignment done in exam conditions. About 6 weeks before the June residential you will be sent the ‘exam themes’ which allows you to research around thesubject and gather any information that you feel is relevant. You are allowed to bring all that research into the exam with you to assist you to complete the exam. All information must be in a paper format, as laptops are not allowed in the exams.
Exemptions
Should you consider you have an entitlement to exemption for any module then you should discuss this with the programme leader. You will be asked to submit evidence of prior learning/achievement to be granted exemption and you will be required to produce original certificates as part of this proof. All exemption requests will be considered and will be sanctioned by the BTEC external moderator.
Sample Submission calendar
Week Beg. /Mon
/ Tues /Wed
/ Thur / Fri25 September
2 October / Residential / Residential / Residential / Residential / Residential
9 October
16 October
23 October / HT / HT / HT
Law/Man 1 / HT / HT
30October
6 November / Psy/LT 1
13 November
20 November
27 November / AA 1
4 December
11 December / RTTP/RTE 1
18 December
25 December / Bank Holiday / Bank Holiday / XMAS / XMAS / XMAS
1 January / Bank Holiday
8 January / Psy/LT 2
15 January
22 January / Law/Man 2
29 January
5 February / RTTP 2
12 February / HT / HT / HT / HT
19 February / RTE 2
26 February
5 March / AA 2
12 March
19 March
26 March / Psy/LT 3
2 April / EASTER / EASTER / EASTER / EASTER / Bank Holiday
9 April / Bank Holiday / EASTER / EASTER / EASTER / EASTER
16 April / RTE 3
23 April
30 April / RTTP 3
7 May / Bank Holiday
14 May
21 May
28 May / HT
Bank Holiday / HT / HT / HT / HT
4 June / Residential / Residential / Residential / Residential
Psy/LT 4 / Residential
11 June
18 June
25 June
2 July / END OF TERM
9 July
16 July
Year one modules
This is a mandatory year and you need to amass 5 credits from your modules.
Core/optionalModule TitleUnit Value
C / General Principles of Law and Management: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. In addition there is a verbal presentation, which takes place at the second residential and is assessed. This module introduces the underlying legal principles of the English Legal System and the concepts of civil and criminal law together with the general principles of Management.2 assignments + 3 hour exam + presentation / 1
C / Psychological Perspective of Behaviour & Learning Theory: This is a full unit assessed purely by assignment. It is concerned with psychological concepts and theories pertinent to road traffic accident investigation and prevention. It also extends to principles of motivation and learning theories.
4 assignments / 1
C / Accident Analysis: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. It is concerned with the philosophy of accidents, numbers and types of road traffic accidents and strategies and methods in accident investigation and analysis.
2 assignments + 3 hour exam / 1
C / Road, Traffic and Transportation Planning: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. One assignment will be an integrated piece of work with Transport and Environment. This unit is concerned with road design and traffic management practice as well as transportation techniques, planning methods and traffic predictions.
3 assignments (one integrated) + 3 hour exam / 1
C / Transport and the Environment: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. One assignment will be integrated with Roads, Traffic and Transportation Planning. This unit is concerned with the environmental effects of road transport and pollution controls.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this module, you will be able to:
3 assignments (one integrated) + 3 hour exam / 1
Year two modules
You are required to study sufficient modules to complete the total of eight modules required for the full Diploma. This includes the 1.5 value of the dissertation. The number of modules you need to take depends upon the unit value of your selection.
Core/optionalModule TitleUnit Value
C / Research Dissertation: This is an extended piece of work concerned with effecting primary research and collation of evidence around a topic selected by the student but drawn from an area of study related to the Diploma content at least in part12,000 – 15,000 word / 1.5
O / Accident Investigation and Reconstruction: This is a half unit, optional module, assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. Looking at mathematical techniques and practice, this unit explores the processes around the reconstruction of an accident for investigation purposes.
2 assignments + 3 hour exam / .5
O / Advertising and Public Relations: This is a full unit, optional module, assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. It is concerned with the distinctions between these terms together with their scope, interpretation and interaction from the idea to the end product.
3 assignments + 3 hour exam / 1
O / Human Factors Engineering: This is a full unit, optional module, assessed purely by assignments. It is concerned with the relationship between humans and motor vehicles, looking at ergonomics and occupant and pedestrian safety.
4 assignments / 1
O / Vehicle Technology: This is a half unit, optional module, assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. It is concerned with the structure and function of motor vehicles in relation to road safety.
2 assignments + 2 hour exam / .5
Students always ask how much work is required per assignment; this is hard to estimate as each student is an individual and will have different way of tackling the work. We estimate that a full unit requires approximately 60 hours study time and a half unit 30 hours study time, this could just be reading and research time and the writing up of the assessment is additional. But as already mentioned this is purely an approximation and is very much dependant on your own study skills.
The course is designed to be completed within a 2 year period, but sometimes there are circumstances that are out of our control. If this was to be the case and a student was struggling to complete, within the two years, there are options of extending the study period with a minimal re-enrolment cost. For further information contact the Programme Leader.
Residential
During the course there are 4 residentials, which will take place within the Northwest area. The purpose of the October residential is to participate in module workshops, gather course materials and assignments and to meet the course tutors and your peers. The workshops are a mixture of a taught session and an overview of the module, to give you enough starting information to tackle the assignments. The majority of the learning will take place once you have left the residential.
This residential is an essential part of the course as it helps to establish friendships and contacts within the group and enables you to gather all the relevant information required for the forthcoming years work.
The June residential is the exam week, in the first year, virtually the whole week is taken up by exams and presentation. It also gives the students and tutors time to catch up and to agree the way forward for the coming year e.g. agreeing dissertation titles etc.
Below is a sample timetable for the October residential, they are usually sent out to students a few weeks before the residential but they are always provisional as until the week starts it is impossible to say that things won’t change. The working day normally starts about 9am, unless there are early presentations, and classes can work into the evening.
Sample - ASM Residential October – Oaks Hotel, Burnley - 1st years
Monday 2nd Oct / Tuesday 3rd Oct / Wednesday 4th Oct / Thursday 5th Oct / Friday 6th Oct10.00
Meet and greet, enrolment quick run through of the week
12.00
Icebreaker session with 2nd years / 9.30
Group Tutorials
10.00 – 1.00
Law and Management / 9.30 – 1.00
Accident Analysis
Traffic & Transportation Planning – Presentation
ITAI Presentation / 9.00 – 12.30
Roads, Traffic & Environment
Roads, Traffic & Transportation Planning / 9.30
What happens next?
Dissertation
10.30
Coffee
10.45
Review and evaluation
11.15
Close
Lunch 1.00 – 2.00 / Lunch 1.00 – 2.00 / Lunch 1.00 – 2.00 / Lunch 12.30 – 1.30
2.00 – 3.00
Presentation Skills
3.30 – 4.30
Study Skills / 2.00 – 3.00
IRSO Presentation
Own experience show some past assignments etc. / 2.00 onwards
Roads, Traffic & Environment
Roads, Traffic & Transportation Planning / 2.00 – 5.00
Psychology and Learning Theory
6.30
Personal tutorials / 4.30 – 6.30
Personal tutorials / 5.00 – 6.45
Personal tutorials / 5.30 – 6.00
Personal tutorials
Dinner 7.30 / Dinner 7.30 / Dinner 7.30 / Dinner 7.30
Whilst at the residential all meals etc. during the day are covered in the course fees, the only additional costs will be personal calls from rooms, room service and bar costs.
During the residential the dress code is smart casual. Before the residential the Programme Leader will contact you to establish whether you have any specific dietary needs. All accommodation will be organised by the Programme Leader and if you require a room on the Sunday evening this can be arranged too.
Study skills
During the first residential there will be some time put aside to discuss study skills, for those of you that may have been out of education for some time or just need a reminder. Although we have all participated in study at some point, for some of you it may be some time ago and for many mature students it has probably been a long time since you have had to apply yourself to such a regime.
When you were a student at school or college it was sometimes a struggle trying to organise college work and your social life. As a mature student you now have your college work to cope with as well as family life, a full time job at the same time as trying to fit in a social life.
It may sound impossible but if you organise yourself from the start of the course in order to minimise the disruption and gain the most from your studies, it is possible.
Distance learning is very different from being at school, college and even university, as there you are taught, where as with a distance learning course you must learn. You don’t have the usual class room contact, apart from the residential, and all other communication is carried out either via letter, email or telephone. So it then becomes your responsibility to take control of your own study and motivation.It is strongly recommended that you practice good time management with your research and assignments. Once a ‘due date’ for one assignment slips, the work load will increase as the due date for the next assignment(s) comes around.
There are a number of useful study skills and reading websites that you could access before your studies begin to give you some ideas and techniques that you may find useful. There is no right or wrong way of studying; it’s the one you find best suits your own individual needs and works for you.
Recommended websites for study skills and advanced reading skills
LoughboroughUniversity website
ManchesterUniversity website
Tips for Increasing Reading Speed
Speed Reading
General Reading Guides:
Reading Strategies
Brunel Guide to Reading
MMU Study Skills Reading
Reading Essays:
Reading and Analysing Essays
Reading Textbooks: