detail

PgCert Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching

Academic Year 2018/19

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance and Enhancement processes as set out in the DASA Policies and Procedures Manual.

Programme Title

PgCert Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Postgraduate Certificate

Programme Code

EDU-PC-HE

UCAS Code

HECoS Code

100509

ATAS Clearance Required

Health Check Required

Portfolio Required

Interview Required

Mode of Study

Part Time

Type of Programme

Postgraduate

Length of Programme

3 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

Exit Awards available

INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Awarding Institution/Body

Queen's University Belfast

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Social Sciences, Education and Social Work

Framework for Higher Education Qualification Level
www.qaa.ac.uk

Level 7

QAA Benchmark Group
www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

Education Studies (2015)

Accreditations (PSRB)

HEA

Date of most recent Accreditation Visit 01-05-15

REGULATION INFORMATION

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

Approved for exemption from the marks scales of distinction and commendation

Programme Specific Regulations

To support staff to complete the course within their probationary period, Heads of School/Personnel should:
Ensure that staff normally enrol on the PGCHET at the entry point closest to their start date;
School’s Workload Allocation Models should allow staff 250 hours to complete the course within a year.

The PGCHET is designed as a set of three interlocking 20-credit modules, two of which are taught in sequence (in different semesters) and one is taught contemporaneously with the other two (stretching over both semesters). Students can enroll either in Sept or in Jan.

The three modules are called:

EDU7260 An Introduction to Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education
EDU7261 Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Disciplinary, Multidisciplinary and University Contexts
EDU7262 Student Learning and Student Support in Higher Education

EDU7260 and EDU 7262 consist of 3-day block teaching sessions and all participants are required to attend these core teaching blocks. EDU7260 is a pre-requistie for EDU7262 and the modules normally must be taken in this order unless special permission is granted for direct entry to EDU7262.

EDU7261 is considered a ‘long thin module’ and extends over both Semesters. Participants are grouped into three cognate discipinary peer groups for this module (e.g., Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Maths and Engineering, Clinical and Health Sciences). Each disciplinary-specific peer group meets three times over the two semesters for two-hour meetings. In addition, each participant has at least four individual meetings with their school-based mentor over the same period. EDU7261 is a co-requisite for the two modules and cannot be taken separately.

Assessment of PGCHET
All modules are assessed by coursework. Successful completion of a module requires attendance at all planned teaching sessions (having regard to sickness and special circumstances).

Candidates must satisfy the examiners in all elements of the prescribed assessment to successfully graduate from the programme. If a student fails an assignment he/she can resubmit each assignment only once.

Progression in Learning

The first module (EDU7260) is characterised as foundational because it essentially introduces some core concepts about curriculum/module design and assessment (e.g., constructive alignment), some standard methods of teaching such as lectures and small group teaching, and provides participants with opportunities to receive feedback about their teaching in a standard lecture format (through microteaching sessions). It also introduces participants to one method of formative evaluation of their teaching through peer observation and feedback, albeit in a group setting. Participants are also introduced to the concept and practice of reflection with which many participants may not be familiar, at least not in a formal sense. A range of educational technologies will be used on the module and each participant will also be required to attend an educational technology workshop from a list of options. Evidenced-based approaches, and accessing relative educational literatures, are also key components of this foundational module. This module is also foundational in the sense that it invites participants to reflect on the idea of what constitutes excellence in higher education and how they can begin to meet external professional standards (e.g., UK Professional Standards Framework) and to position themselves as emerging academic practitioners. Assessment in the module is by submission of a teaching porfolio.

In the other semester-based module (EDU7262) the perspective shifts from teaching to student learning and the module explores theories of student learning and motivation and the different approaches and styles that students may adopt to their learning. Participants work to enhance their skills in promoting students’ deeper approaches to learning and critical thinking, as well as the development of their key skills (for example, through facilitating interactive learning in group discussions and through examining advanced educational technologies). The challenging scenarios that lecturers face with regard to student learning are also examined. Participants have the opportunity to receive feedback from peers on the programme about their ability to facilitate small group discussion, in a microteaching session. The kinds of support that are available to students from central services within the university (e.g., the Student Guidance Centre) are also discussed, and strategies for inclusive education are examined (e.g., how to best support students with disabilities, or students from different cultural backgrounds). Developing learning resources and learner support systems are also emphasised. The focus on reflection, evidence-informed approaches, and developing key competences for teaching continues in this module.

The third module (EDU7261) seeks to embed the participants’ learning thoroughly within a disciplinary perspective as well as to link the participants’ learning activities within their ongoing school-related academic practices. The conceptual focus for this module is to provide opportunities for participants to analyse and compare generic approaches to teaching/learning/assessment in higher education (where the weight of research evidence exists) and the emerging evidence base for disciplinary distinctive practices (e.g., signature pedagogies). The learning environment in which the participants meet will be devolved to discipline-specific peer learning groups (defined loosely by Faculty) and will be led by more experienced colleagues with interests/experience/expertise in particular topics (e.g., teaching methods such as lab-based teaching, teaching about controversial issues, teaching statistics, assessing clinical skills). In addition, participants will be guided throughout this module, and consequently throughout the programme, by a more experienced colleague based in their own school/academic unit, who can support participants in their specific school-based context and, in particular, provide more disciplinary-oriented feedback about their teaching through peer observation and feedback. The module is thus characterised as a co-requisite for the other two modules in the sense that the learning in this module is co-dependent on the learning in the other two modules, and cannot be studied independently of the other modules that form the programme.

To reflect this co-dependence, a short literature review of a disciplinary specific topic which identifies a student learning issue in the participant’s own teaching context is part of the assessment for EDU7261 module and the issue is followed up as an action learning project which is the assignment for EDU7262.
Participants also submit a reflective commentary responding to feedback from peer observations of their teaching, as well as from student feedback, and include two satisfactory peer observations feedback proformas and at least one set of satisfactory student evaluations.

The programme is accredited by the Higher Education Academy and is aligned with Level 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning in higher education. Graduates from the programme are eligible for Fellowship of the HEA.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF PROGRAMME

The general aims of the programme are:

To develop competent and confident academic practitioners who can bring a critically reflective and evidence-based approach to their practice of teaching, learning and assessment in higher education;

To create a learning environment for academic practitioners that contributes to their professional development in supporting excellence in higher education teaching and high quality student learning;

To provide opportunities for dialogue within and between disciplines across the university about the best practices for enhancing the learning environment;

To promote core professional values related to evidence-based scholarship, respect for diversity, and commitment to continuous professional development;

To provide a route for academic practitioners to meet the requirements of the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education (Descriptor Level 2 ).