Overview

This module engages participants in a contemplative practice grounded in mindfulness, primarily following the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum, with elements from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Students participate both individually and within the teaching group, exploring the learning that arises through direct engagement and daily personal practice.

Emphasis is placed on sustaining a daily contemplative routine, fostering experiential inquiry that often generates meaningful insights into personal wellbeing and the support of others.

Participants receive ongoing guidance from tutors, enabling reflective investigation into their meditation practice and broader engagement with the programme. Complementing practical experience, lectures and small group discussions examine the theoretical foundations and rationale of contemplative mindfulness-based approaches.

Learning is assessed through a combination of a class presentation and reflective and academic essays, encouraging students to integrate experiential understanding with scholarly inquiry. This module therefore combines practical immersion, personal insight, and critical engagement, offering a holistic approach to the study and practice of contemplative practices.

This module requires active participation in contemplative practice and will broadly follow the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum. Students will engage both collectively within the teaching group and individually in a reflective and investigative process, exploring the learning that emerges through direct involvement in the programme and through a daily personal contemplative practice.

Participants are expected to commit to establishing and sustaining a daily contemplative mindfulness practice, approaching it with curiosity and experiential inquiry. Learning will be supported through regular contact with a tutor between sessions to deepen reflection on how contemplative practice informs personal and academic development within the context of contemplative mindfulness-based approaches.

Lectures and discussions will draw on academic literature to explore the theoretical foundations and rationale of contemplative practices, examining how these practices can facilitate personal change and transformative learning. Teaching days will also include dedicated time for small-group reflection, allowing participants to share and critically engage with their personal observations and experiences of the learning and teaching process.

Assessment Strategy

Threshold -50%. Basic factual information is given, largely based on teaching material. The essay shows some knowledge of the subject area and is fairly accurate, but has some important errors or gaps. The work is lacking in critical appraisal, but gives some limited evidence of ability to communicate a coherent argument within a logical structure. The material shows the beginnings of insight and a little evidence of the student's capacity to learn through contemplative mindful reflection. Material demonstrates some limited ability to describe internal experiences and processes, and to integrate these with theoretical understanding of the subject area.

Good -60% Comprehensive and accurate coverage of the subject area is given, showing sound understanding. Good use is made of teaching material and core readings. Some ability to appraise the evidence critically is shown, with a clear ability to communicate a well-reasoned argument within a logical structure. Material has depth and insight, and shows the student is clearly learning through mindful reflection; it demonstrates plainly an ability to describe internal experiences and processes, and to integrate these meaningfully and competently with the theory and rationale of the subject area. Gives coherent expression to both experiential and conceptual /theoretical knowledge. Understanding of theory is sound.

Excellent -70% Shows sophisticated knowledge and very comprehensive and accurate coverage of the subject area, indicating that the student has gone beyond the core readings and explored the topic widely. Writes coherently with clarity of argument and expression, giving a very clear structure in which each stage is explicitly linked to each other and to the essay subject. Material has great depth and insight, showing advanced learning through mindful reflection, and excellent ability to describe internal experiences and processes, and to integrate these with conceptual and theoretical issues and their implications. Is able to critically appraise personal experience, and synthesize this with in-depth analysis of and reference to the literature.

Learning Outcomes

• Accurately describe the themes taught on mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) and the rationale for this approach.

• Construct personal reflections on the experience of a committed daily personal contemplative practice and the learning arising through engaging in a mindfulness-based programme.

• Evaluate and analyse the origins, principles, theoretical and philosophical background to mindfulness and contemplative practice.

• Evaluate literature on mindfulness-based approaches

• Evaluate the impact of contemplative practice within the framework of the student’s life and work.

• Synthesise the experiential and theoretical components of the module.