PGCert TLHE
Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
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INFORMATION FOR UWS PHD STUDENTS
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND ACCREDITATION
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The deadline for receipt of applications for September 2012 entry is 18th May 2012.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (PG Cert TLHE) is a professional qualification for those who have a teaching role within a Higher Education context (SCQF Level 7 or above). Upon completion of the PG Cert TLHE, programme members are eligible to apply to be a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
It is a flexible, modular open-learning programme, available in two different modes of DELIVERY, which uses practical, task-oriented material and activities to produce more effective teaching. It consists of three 20-credit modules (see CONTENT section for more details) at SCQF Level 11. The programme has one intake, in September of each year.
The programme is available internally to all full-time UWS academic staff, and arrangements can be made to enrol other internal and external applicants who meet the programme’s admissions criteria (see ELIGIBILITY section).
The PG Cert TLHE is a professional qualification for those who have a Higher Education teaching role. It is NOT suitable for those who may wish to pursue an academic career in future but who do not yet have any HE teaching responsibilities.
In addition to appropriate degree level qualifications, a regular teaching commitment is necessary. This must be a minimum of 100 hours of teaching (33 hours per module) at SCQF Level 7 or above, at least half of which must be spent in direct teaching contact time, across the duration of the PG Cert TLHE. This is necessary since the overall schedule of assessment (both formative and summative) is focussed on the development of programme members’ own teaching practice and the preparation of learning materials.
Programme members who are seeking an NMC-recordable teaching qualification through the PG Cert TLHE will have to meet the additional requirements of that accrediting body, and must be able to accrue at least 360 hours of teaching into NMC-approved programmes in classroom and practice settings, across the duration of the PG Cert TLHE (see PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND ACCREDITATION).
The programme is available in two different delivery modes: Blended Learning and Online Learning. If you decide to submit an application for the programme, please ensure that you clearly indicate which delivery mode you are applying for.
Each 20-credit module requires around 200 notional hours of study, regardless of the delivery mode. Programme members normally undertake one module per trimester in the Autumn and the Spring trimesters, and complete the full programme over an 18-month period.
Participation in the Blended Learning delivery mode requires attendance at four seminars for each module within one trimester. The Online Learning mode requires participation in four webinars for each module within one trimester. These seminars/webinars are an important element of the work of the programme, in building cohort identity and maintaining effective communications and the sharing of good practice across disciplines. Attendance at these seminars/webinars is also linked to assessment.
Module 1 also requires programme members to attend a three-day induction programme in addition to the seminars/webinars. This three-day programme is delivered face-to-face within the Blended Learning option, and is delivered online within the Online Learning option.
Each programme members is allocated a personal tutor from within the PG Cert’s teaching team, and will normally have at least three personal tutorials during each module. These tutorials may take place face-to-face, by telephone, email, or using a video conferencing tool.
Each module is assessed through both formative and summative assessments. These include written assignments, teaching observations, and participation in professional dialogue through seminars/webinars and tutorials.
All of the assessments and learning activities completed within the programme are designed to support the development of the programme member’s portfolio of teaching and learning practice. The portfolio is summatively assessed at the end of Module 3. A key aspect of the coursework is developing the programme member as a reflective practitioner: someone who gains in skill and practice within their professional setting by thinking carefully about what they are doing and being able to plan for, and adapt to, changing circumstances.
Briefly, the content and aims of the three 20 point Masters Level (SCQF Level 11) Modules are:
Module 1: Practice and Theory in Higher Education
The module aims to provide a base reference point for a number of topics critical to the professional development of a new or recent lecturer and start a process of reflective practice and responding to constructive feedback. As a core module for the Postgraduate Certificate in TLHE Module 1 incorporates the three-day course in Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education which UWS runs jointly with the University of Strathclyde twice a year, in January and September. The material and activities covered in Module 1 – including portfolio development, elements of curriculum design (such as aims and learning outcomes), preparing to teach, and understanding student learning – provide a foundation for work to be undertaken in the other two modules.
The content of the module will include promoting the development of reflective skills; making possible entries in a teaching portfolio; reviewing engagement in research and scholarship and how this may inform and be integrated within teaching and learning practice; defining learning and – last, but not least – linking outcomes to delivery and assessment and preparing to teach.
Module 2: Methods, Media and Assessment
This module aims to provide the lecturer with a theoretical perspective and practical experience of a range of techniques that might be used in higher education teaching or equivalent professional contexts, including methods for teaching large groups, small groups and individuals and assessment. It explores different media for learning: text based, visual, auditory, practical, experiential, multimedia, online through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) etc.
The concept of an inclusive curriculum with associated academic support is clearly defined and elaborated here, and carried forward in the context of good practice and relevant legislation.
The purpose and types of assessment (both principles and practice) are also a central component of the teaching and learning process in Module 2. Programme members will devise and justify the use of a selection of assessment instruments and consider implications for professional practice. The extent to which assessment matches programme content and is valid, reliable and fair is a basic concern for university teachers and is considered in depth
Module Three: The Context of Teaching and Learning
The main aim of Module 3 is to provide the programme member with theoretical insights, practical support and management skills in the changing context of teaching and learning in Higher Education and equivalent professional contexts, and to assist in the process of development towards autonomous professional practice. In addition, the module aims to provide a practical set of instruments for evaluation based on sound principles, careful design, planning and delivery – followed by appropriate action.
Dealing with the various demands of the teaching and learning environment requires a range of complex skills and competencies. Module 3 examines some of the main issues currently under discussion within the profession. It looks at teaching and learning in the broader context of relationships with colleagues and support services, both within the institution and within the Higher Education sector generally. It recognises the need for up-to-date research/scholarship linked to teaching, as well as effective student support and efficient and cost-effective administration.
The module also considers relationships with professional bodies such as the Higher Education Academy (HEA), The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), along with associated standards and guidelines.
INFORMATION FOR UWS PHD STUDENTS
If you are a PhD student at UWS who also has teaching responsibilities, you may be eligible to undertake the first module of the PG Cert TLHE. Upon completion of Module 1, you will then be able to apply to become an Associate of the Higher Education Academy. You should ensure that your Head of School is prepared to fund you to undertake Module 1.
As a PhD student, you must still have sufficient teaching responsibilities to meet the programme’s admissions criteria (see ELIGIBILITY section). This means that you must have a minimum of 33 hours of teaching (at least half of which must be spent in direct teaching contact time) during the trimester in which you undertake Module 1. You will be required to provide written confirmation from your Head of School (or other line manager) that you meet these criteria.
If you do not have sufficient teaching responsibilities to undertake Module 1, you may want to contact [Heather Lambie LINK TO EMAIL] in IRO for details of the Introduction to Teaching and Learning in HE course which is offered as part of the University’s training programme specifically for research students.
Details of UWS course fees can be found through the University’s Finance Department: http://www.uws.ac.uk/schoolsdepts/finance/students/tuition-fees.asp
If you are a new member of UWS academic staff who does not already hold an equivalent qualification then completion of the PG Cert TLHE is compulsory and your fees will be met by the University. Fees for other eligible UWS academic staff and PhD students would also normally be met by the University, but you should check with your Head of School to ensure that they are willing to fund your studies.
External applicants must ensure that they have funding in place before making an application. You will be asked to indicate the source of your funding on your application form.
All applicants, whether internal or external to UWS, must follow the same application process. This requires completion of the University’s standard Application for Postgraduate Study. You can complete your application online: http://www.uws.ac.uk/apply/index.asp
All applicants will be required to provide satisfactory references. Applicants who are not full-time members of academic staff will be required to provide evidence that they have sufficient teaching commitments to meet the programme’s admission criteria (see ELIGIBILITY).
Within the application form, you will be asked to indicate which 'location' you are applying for. Please select "Paisley Campus" (if you wish to apply for the Blended Learning delivery mode) or "Distance Learning" (if you wish to apply for the Online Learning delivery mode).
Applications should be submitted directly to UWS Admissions, and NOT to the programme leader.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND ACCREDITATION
The programme is currently approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and UWS. Following a recent revalidation and accreditation event graduates of the PG Cert TLHE are eligible to seek Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in line with The Academy's requirements for the UK Professional Standards Framework: Standards Descriptor 2. Those successfully completing Module 1 will be eligible to apply for Associate of the Higher Education Academy (AHEA), aligned to Standards Descriptor 1.
Graduates in the fields of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting may qualify to apply for a recordable teaching qualification with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) providing they have met NMC requirements in terms of assessed teaching activity in both academic and practice settings, with students on NMC approved programmes.
From September 2008, completion of the PG Cert TLHE or possession of an equivalent qualification is required for all new academic staff at UWS.
For further details about the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, contact:
Dr Victoria ODonnell, Programme Leader, PG Cert TLHE
Centre for Academic & Professional Development,
University of the West of Scotland at Paisley
Email: victoria.odonnell@uws.ac.uk
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