UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

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1 UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION PART 1: COURSE SUMMARY INFORMATION Awarding body University of Brighton School Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT) Faculty Faculty of Education and Sport Partner institution(s) Course status Host Department Location of Normally Falmer Study/campus Professional, Higher Education Academy Statutory and Regulatory Body Award and titles Award Title Final award Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Intermediate award Mode of study Duration of study (standard) Maximum registration period Full-time Sandwich Part Time 1 year 4 Years Distance Start date for September programme (month/session) Course codes/categories JACS code UCAS code QAA Subject Education Studies Benchmark CATS points for 60 credits (3 x 20 credits) course Admissions Agency UCAS GTTR NMAS Direct to School Yes Admissions criteria Applicants will normally be employed on academic contracts at the University of Brighton or a Partner College. They will need to have a sufficient current teaching commitment to be able to benefit from the in-service nature of the course. Any exceptions will be dealt with on a case-bycase basis. All applicants are invited to meet the course leader or a member of the course team individually to discuss the appropriateness of the course to their needs. Prior qualifications (for example, alternative modules offered by the Centre for Learning and Teaching, similar credit-bearing modules or teaching qualifications offered by other Higher Education Institutions) and experience (for example, significant prior experience as a teacher) may be considered for Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning [AP(E)L] for module LTM25. The procedures by which AP(E)L is considered will be in accordance with Section 2 of the Faculty of Education and Sport Modular Scheme. PG Cert L&T Page a

2 Contacts Course Leader Juliet Eve Admissions Tutor as Course Leader Examination and Assessment External Examiner(s) Dr Stephen Bostock Examination Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Board(s) (AEB/CEB) Approval/start dates Start date September (month/session) Approval date Review date Validation June /12 Programme Specification This programme specification is relevant to students who started their studies in September 2011 in Falmer PG Cert L&T Page a

3 PART 2: COURSE DETAILS AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES Aims: The programme is designed to provide professional preparation for teaching and the support of learning at higher education level on both a theoretical and practical basis, and to cater flexibly for the needs of staff new to teaching in higher education. Specific aims are: to provide a professional preparation for teaching in higher education; to support participants in developing their practice as university teachers; to develop a reflective practitioner approach as a basis for their continuing professional development. In this context we take the teacher's role to include the following areas of professional activity: 1. Teaching and supporting learning in higher education; 2. Contributing to the design and planning of learning activities and/or programmes of study; 3. Assessing and giving feedback to learners; 4. Developing effective learning environments and learner support systems; 5. Evaluating practice and professional development; 6. Using research, scholarly activity and relevant professional work to inform and impact on teaching. The programme aims are consistent with the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework, the Quality Assurance Agency Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and the SEEC level descriptors for level 7 study. Learning outcomes Knowledge and Theory By the end of the programme participants will be able to: 1. demonstrate the ability to make informed and appropriate judgements and choices about what and how they teach, with reference to the concepts introduced in the modules, critical and theoretical literature, and processes in other disciplines (Areas of professional activity 1-4 above); 2. show an ability to evaluate their practice with depth and rigour (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above); 3. demonstrate the ability to frame and undertake a reflective and rigorously evaluative and scholarly investigation of an aspect of their teaching or related activity and to disseminate their work in the context of the PGCert. and outside it (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above). Skills: By the end of the programme participants will be able to: 4. show that they possess a detailed repertoire of pedagogic skills and approaches appropriate to the field in which they work, the institutional context(s), and the students they teach (Areas of professional activity 1-4 above); 5. engage effectively in collaborative development and peer review on an interdisciplinary basis and across a range of contexts and activities (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above). PG Cert L&T Page a

4 Programme structure: This part-time course takes place over two semesters. Each semester is preceded by or includes an intensive introductory programme. Fortnightly Action Learning set meetings provide for the autonomy of the learner and ongoing mutual support for study. Participants are required to engage with and write statements of relevance on two study packs over the course of the year. The new structure for the PGCert consists of a 20 credit Research and development study, running across semesters 1 and 2, and two 20 credit modules to run sequentially. The normal pattern will be for the course as a whole to run over an academic year, with Module 1 being completed and assessed before the Christmas vacation. Module 1 (LT725): For Module 1 the induction programme will be designed as an introduction to the course as a whole, enabling members of the cohort to get to know each other, and establishing the ethos of the course and the kind of activities and resources which it provides to support development. Members will be allocated to their Action Learning sets, and there will be an introduction to Action Learning. The most substantial core element of the student experience will be their participation in Action Learning sets, which will be cross-disciplinary. This set-based work will develop participants ability for peer scrutiny and collaborative enquiry. It will help them to become critically reflective in their own practice and constructively critical in relation to peers and to contribute effectively to the academic life of the institution. In terms of course content, participants will be required to study and provide Statements of Relevance on the study pack, Teaching and Learning in HE. Participants will be encouraged to maintain a reflective diary. The requirement will be for them to carry out and submit a Critical Incident Analysis (CIA). The choice of CIA will naturally be facilitated by a background of consistent reflection on practice and experience. Participants will be required to provide evidence that they have peer observed a colleague s teaching and been observed themselves. The reports of these observations need to demonstrate that the kind of developmental process described in the course handbook has been used. The focus of the module will be on each individual s professional development. Instead of a fixed curriculum, each participant will construct their own development plan, identifying their needs and documenting how they intend to work from these towards their development goals, using all the resources provided by the course team to help them. Participants will be given guidance by the course team on the activities they will be required to engage in, and the assessment requirements at an appropriate stage in the Module. Module 2 (LT726): The Module 2 induction programme will bring together participants from Module 1 and those joining from other modules or through APL. It will enable reflection and sharing of learning and will introduce course members to the activities and requirements of Module 2. Module 2 can be seen as containing two main aspects: continued work on professional development, and the bulk of the work in carrying out the Research and development study (see Module 3 below). Both these aspects of the work will be supported by the Action Learning sets. PG Cert L&T Page a

5 The continuing work from Module 1 in terms of Statements of Relevance and Critical Incident Analyses is expected to reflect a deepening understanding and quality of reflection through the learning experienced on the course and the maturing expertise in Action Learning. Participants will be required to study and provide a Statements of Relevance on 1 more study pack from the selection available. Participants will again be required to provide evidence that they have peer observed a colleague s teaching and been observed themselves, and again the reports of these observations need to demonstrate that the kind of developmental process described in the course handbook has been used. Participants will draw on print-based, electronic and human resources for their work on their Professional Development Review. This will be both retrospective (linking back to their development plan from Module 1) and a prospective diagnosis and plan for their continuing professional development during the remainder of the course and beyond. Module 3(LT727): A substantial vehicle for development will be the Research and development study, for which a proposal and some preliminary work is required during semester 1. Participants will be encouraged to begin to plan the focus for their study at an early stage in the module. They will be supported in this by their Action Learning sets, and via a dedicated workshop. The substantive work associated with the Research and development study will be rooted in their own disciplinary context and will be a real piece of developmental activity which will normally involve collegial interaction with members of their schools, modelling future contributions to their (inter)disciplinary peer group and their contributions to the work of their subject group, school, and the university. The Course Conference will involve the exercise of the academic skills of peer scrutiny and collaborative support. The modules comprising the course are as follows: Module Status* 1 Module Title Credit Codes LT725 C Understanding Learning and Teaching in Higher 20 Education LT726 C Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Developing 20 Professional Practice LT727 C Research and development study 20 1 *M = Mandatory C = Compulsory O = Optional PG Cert L&T Page a

6 LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT Learning The course is practice-based, being designed to provide support and and professional development alongside, integrated with, and in support of day-today teaching and related activity. A total of 200 hours of study is involved in for teaching each module; 20% taught and 80% independent study in LT725 & LT726, and 5% taught and 95% independent study in LT727. Teaching methods and resources include: Interactive taught and facilitated programmes; Action Learning Sets and peer assessment; Engagement with Study Packs; Independent learning activity: development of own teaching, peer observation, reflection, teamwork; Research and scholarly activity relating to Research and development study; Dissemination & CPD. Assessment Research and development study: (theoretical knowledge, application of theory to practice, research, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, judgement). Portfolio: (application of theory to practice, teamwork, reflection, self analysis and evaluation, observation and analysis, communication, judgement, innovation, flexibility). In accordance with the reflective, developmental and evaluative nature of the course, self, peer and tutor assessment are the methods used. All modules are assessed using the assessment criteria detailed in the individual modules descriptions, which are linked to the learning outcomes for that module. Additionally, the criteria for award of particular marks or grades are provided by the Grading Criteria / Grading Descriptors which are provided in the annexes to the Faculty of Education and Sport Code of Practice in Assessment. Each piece of assessed work and the final module grade will be expressed as a percentage according to the following scale: Distinction = 70%+ Merit = 60% % Pass = 50% % Fail = 0% % The threshold pass mark for level 7 modules, i.e. the lowest mark at which a student is deemed to have met the learning outcomes for the module, is 40%. PG Cert L&T Page a

7 Learning Outcome 1. demonstrate the ability to make informed and appropriate judgements and choices about what and how they teach, with reference to the concepts introduced in the module, critical and theoretical literature, and processes in other disciplines (Areas of professional activity 1-4 above) 2. show an ability to evaluate their practice with depth and rigour (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above) Assessment Statements of Relevance Critical Incident Analyses Development Plan and Professional Development Review Peer observation Research and development study Modules 1, 2 & 3 Statements of Relevance Critical Incident Analyses Development Plan (Module 1) and Professional Development Review (Module 2) Peer observation Research and development study 3. demonstrate the ability to frame and undertake a reflective and rigorously evaluative and scholarly investigation of an aspect of their teaching or related activity and to disseminate their work in the context of the PGCert. and outside it (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above 4. show that they possess a detailed repertoire of pedagogic skills and approaches appropriate to the field in which they work, the institutional context(s), and the students they teach (Areas of professional activity 1-4 above) Research and development study Statements of Relevance Critical Incident Analyses Development Plan (Module 1) Professional Development Review (Module 2) Peer observation Research and development study 5. engage effectively in collaborative development and peer review on an interdisciplinary basis and across a range of contexts and activities (Areas of professional activity 5 & 6 above) Assessment of this range of skills will be implicit within the formal assessment of the course. The skills will be developed particularly through the Action Learning sets Modules 1 & 2 PG Cert L&T Page a

8 REGULATIONS Regulations The course regulations are in accordance with the University's General Examination and Assessment Regulations [GEAR] (available from the CLT Office, Faculty Office or the Registry) and Section 3 of the Faculty of Education and Sport Modular Scheme [FMS] (available from the CLT Office or Faculty Office). The following is intended to provide a summary of the key regulations affecting this course (please refer to GEAR or FMS for full details): The modules comprising this award are assessed on a percentage basis, and the pass mark for each module is 50%. This Postgraduate Certificate award is classified, and will be conferred with either distinction, merit or pass. The classification will be based on the mean, calculated to two decimal places, of the taught modules (weighted according to their size) that are graded as percentage marks which comprise the award, in accordance with the following scale: 70.00%+ Distinction 60% % Merit 50% % Pass There are no borderline criteria for this award. PROFESSIONAL AND STATUORY BODY DETAILS The course is aligned with the Fellowship level of the UK Professional Standards Framework. LEARNING SUPPORT Central support: all students benefit from: UoB Staff Handbook Course Handbook Information Services library facilities Information Services computing facilities address Welfare service Personal tutor for advice and guidance studentcentral Course specific: in addition, students on this course benefit from: CLT Resource Centre CLT members' expertise and support Set adviser/personal tutor CLT resources webpages PG Cert L&T Page a

9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION More detailed information about the course can be found in a range of documents, including: Course Handbook studentcentral University Staff and Student Handbooks General Examination and Assessment Regulations for Taught Courses Faculty of Education and Sport Modular Scheme Higher Education Academy documentation QUALITY INDICATORS This section details external indicators of the quality of the provision QAA Subject Review outcome and date: Education Studies February 2001: CDCO = 3 TLA = 3 SPA = 3 LR = 4 SSG = 4 QME = 4 National student awards: Professional accreditation: Higher Education Academy Fellowship level accreditation. Note regarding Levels: In accordance with national practice, including that used by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the University of Brighton has recently revised the terminology it uses when referring to academic levels of study. This new terminology was introduced in2009/10; however, there is likely to be a period of time where some documentation exists which refers to the previously used terminology. The table below therefore summarises the new terminology and how it compares with the former, along with a broad comparison with the level of study undertaken by a typical full-time student at the University: New terminology: level of study Former terminology used Broad equivalence to the level and year of study undertaken by a standard full-time student Level 4 Level 1 First year of full-time undergraduate study Level 5 Level 2 Second year of full-time undergraduate study Level 6 Level 3 Final year of full-time undergraduate study Level 7 M level / Masters level Postgraduate level study Level 8 Doctorate level Doctorate / PhD level study Please note that this change relates to nomenclature only: there has been no change to the academic standards associated with study at these levels. PG Cert L&T Page a

10 Annex 1 Course management and evaluation Course management structure The CLT Courses Board manages the course. Membership of the Courses Board: Head of the Centre for Learning and Teaching (Chair) Course Leader Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Course Leader Teaching in Higher Education Representative members of the teaching team Representative from Information Services Student representative(s) Terms of Reference of the Courses Board: To review and assure the academic standards of the courses To monitor the recruitment and retention of participants on the course, and to make appropriate recommendations to the Centre for Learning and Teaching To apply the specific examination and assessment procedures of the course, and to report on them to the CLT To discuss and make recommendations for the appointment of external examiners To monitor and evaluate the academic health of the courses Monitoring and evaluation The Annual Academic Health Report for the PGCert informs the Centre for Learning and Teaching s Annual Academic Health Report. This is considered first by the CLT and then at the Faculty of Education and Sport s Annual Academic Health Day, which is held in November each year. Participant evaluation is gathered through the Courses Board and through evaluations of all modules, the course as a whole, and specific elements such as the introductory programmes for each module. The Action Learning sets are a ready vehicle for informal feedback on a continual basis, and the set advisers and the course team are always alert to participants views. PG Cert L&T Page a