Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE)
Program Overview
Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE)
Overview
The Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE) is a part-time programme designed for those currently working in Higher Education. The course consists of three in-person face-to-face modules that provide participants with an opportunity to gain knowledge, understanding, and capabilities in learning, teaching, assessment, and academic practice.
Key Features
- The programme is supported through a series of interactive study sessions.
- The course team seeks to develop practitioners with clear professional values, who understand teaching and learning in higher education and who are constantly seeking to improve their practice in a reflective, scholarly, and theoretically informed way.
Who's This Course For?
This PGCLTHE is designed specifically for:
- Higher Education lecturers, tutors, and academics.
- Those supporting Higher Education in a Further Education setting.
- Anyone working in Higher Education, whose role includes significant responsibility for supporting student learning.
Entry Requirements
- A first or second-class Honours Degree.
- Current and ongoing experience of supporting the learning of HE students.
- Current experience, or anticipated experience during the period of the programme, of curriculum and assessment design at HE level.
Prior experience is valued on the PGCLTHE. Those course members who have the equivalent of three years of full-time experience in a related educational setting can claim accreditation of prior learning against a module towards the certificate.
Course Content
Aims and Benefits
The programme aims to:
- Provide an opportunity for participants to engage in accredited initial and continuing professional development in teaching and support of learning in HE.
- Enable participants to meet the requirements of the UKPSF (in either Associate or Fellow categories).
- Provide support with higher education learning, teaching, or assessment issues participants may face.
- Promote a student-centred approach to learning, teaching, and assessment.
- Challenge and develop participants' learning, teaching, and assessment practice.
- Increase understanding of the learning process so participants can make informed decisions about course design and choice of learning, teaching, and assessment methods.
- Foster transformational reflective practice.
- Encourage participant engagement with systematic inquiry into professional practice.
- Support participants' development as skilled teachers of their discipline.
- Support participants' academic development as researchers and scholars.
- Encourage engagement with wider policy, strategy, and quality considerations as they relate to the participants' context.
- Enhance participants' intrapreneurship, professional development, and career management.
Accreditation
The PGCLTHE is accredited by Advance HE at Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (HEA) for the first module LTHE4141, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) for the complete course.
Completion of the full PGCLTHE meets Descriptor 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teachers in HE and confers Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Completion of the first module of the programme, 'Supporting Student Learning', meets Descriptor 1 of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teachers in HE and confers Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
Experienced Lecturers and Staff
Members of the course team are experienced tutors who engage in pedagogic research and have received recognition for their excellent HE teaching.
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching
The course assumes that learning is best when it is active, when it incorporates experience, and when it can be shared and supported through collaboration. The workshops and discussions will be based around the experiential learning cycle.
Critical reflection plays a key role throughout the course, and participants are encouraged to become a reflective practitioner, where they will explore the scholarship of learning and teaching in HE; synthesise, explain, make sense of, and ultimately develop meaning from teaching experiences.
Throughout the course, a range of participant transferable skills will be developed, including but not limited to critical reflection, development of argument, and scholarship.
Contact Time
Details of the breakdown of contact and guided study hours are provided in each module specification.
- For LTHE4141 and LTHE4142 of the notional 150 hours for a 15 credit module, approximately 77% will be guided study.
- For LTHE4143 of the notional 300 hours for a 30 credit module, approximately 88% will be guided study due to the style and content of the module.
Participants will have a minimum of three teaching observations, including two by a member of the course team, and one by peers on the course. Observation of teaching here is seen as a formative and quality enhancement process to support participants in their development and reflections on practice.
Independent Self-Study
Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.
Teaching Staff
You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes Dr Ellie Hill, Sharon Lesley Smith, Dr Seán Bracken, and Dr Karen Blackmore from the School of Education, alongside tutors from across the University.
Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and 100 per cent of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the full list of education staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Assessment
Assessment is based on 100% coursework.
This approach is in keeping with the idea of reflective practitioner where the assessment forms the basis for critical reflection as well as evidence for accreditation.
The PGCLTHE uses a range of flexible assessments, such as:
- Reflective portfolio
- Authentic assessment
- Group work
- A research project
There is a close and meaningful relationship between the formative and summative assessment throughout the course, where the formative tasks form the basis for the final summative tasks for each of the modules. There is also a strong element of peer feedback throughout to reinforce the collaborative nature of learning within the course.
Feedback
You will receive feedback on formative assessments and on formal summative assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning, and you are encouraged to discuss it with module tutors as appropriate.
We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.
Careers
This course will provide an opportunity for you to gain knowledge, understanding, and capabilities in learning, teaching, assessment, and academic practice, and will help you to develop clear professional values, understand learning and teaching in higher education, and improve your practice in a reflective, scholarly, and theoretically informed way.
Costs
Staff from other HE providers can also apply for the course and should consult with the Course Leader (Dr Ellie Hill) or the Admissions team to discuss the fees structure.
How to Apply
Apply for this course - January entry Apply for this course - September entry
Prior to clicking one of the links below, please would applicants contact Dr Ellie Hill (Course Leader) by email to confirm aspects of eligibility.
Before applying below please download and complete the work-based learning contract and send it to [insert email].
Along with this document, please scan a copy of proof of identity (e.g., passport) and the certificate (or transcript) of your highest academic qualification and send to the above email address. In the covering email, please state that you are applying for the PGCLTHE.
Applicants are welcome to discuss their application with the Interim Course Leader, Dr Ellie Hill, who can be contacted via email: [insert email].
You can apply for the PGCLTHE at any time during the year. The course has two intakes, one in each semester. Applications need to be submitted in advance of the first module's teaching start in late-Sept in semester one and Mid-Jan in semester two.
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Program Outline
What will you study
Aims and benefits
The programme aims to:
- provide an opportunity for participants to engage in accredited initial and continuing professional development in teaching and support of learning in HE
- enable participants to meet the requirements of the UKPSF (in either Associate or Fellow categories)
- provide support with higher education learning, teaching or assessment issue participants may face
- promote a student-centred approach to learning, teaching and assessment
- challenge and develop participants' learning, teaching and assessment practice
- increase understanding of the learning process so participants can make informed decisions about course design and choice of learning, teaching and assessment methods
- foster transformational reflective practice
- encourage participant engagement with systematic inquiry into professional practice
- support participants' development as skilled teachers of their discipline
- support participants' academic development as researchers and scholars
- encourage engagement with wider policy, strategy and quality considerations as they relate to the participants context
- enhance participants' intrapreneurship, professional development & career management
Accreditation
The PGCLTHE is accredited by Advance HE at Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (HEA) for the first module LTHE4141, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) for the complete course.
Completion of the full PGCLTHE meets Descriptor 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teachers in HE and confers Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Completion of the first module of the programme, 'Supporting Student Learning', meets Descriptor 1 of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teachers in HE and confers Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
Experienced lecturers and staff
Members of the course team are experienced tutors who engage in pedagogic research and have received recognition for their excellent HE teaching.
I have become aware of an exciting array of potential changes to my practice which can be explored... to further promote student engagement and empowerment
Learning and Teaching in HE student
How will you be taught?
The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.
Teaching
Teaching
The course assumes that learning is best when it is active, when it incorporates experience and when it can be shared and supported through collaboration. The workshops and discussions will be based around the experiential learning cycle.
This course is work-based and the course is structured to take participants through the process of auditing their practice against each modules outcomes and values, planning to address these via the formative assessments and participant's role in teaching/ other roles in supporting students' learning.
Critical reflection plays a key role throughout the course and participants are encouraged to become a reflective practitioner, where they will explore the scholarship of learning and teaching in HE; synthesise, explain, make sense of and ultimately develop meaning from, their teaching experiences.
The module encourages peer learning and the formative assessments and study sessions provide opportunities for peer feedback and discussion. The study sessions in particular will combine inputs from colleagues across the institution and various workshop activities.
Blackboard will be used to provide module information and an online forum for discussion.
Contact time
Contact time
Typically a fifteen credit module of the course will be structured:
|
Activity type |
Number of weeks and hours/days |
Total |
|---|---|---|
| Taught sessions (3 study days) | e.g. 3 x 7 hours or 7/8 x 3/2.5hrs | 21 |
| Work based learning (peer observations) | e.g. 1 x 3 hours | 3 |
| Support sessions x 5 | e.g. 5 x 2 hours | 10 |
| Guided independent study (including group work) | Formative tasks and Independent study approx. 116 hours | 116 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Independent self-study
Independent self-study
Outlined above
Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.
Teaching staff
Teaching staff
You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes Dr Peter Gossman, Sharon Lesley Smith, Dr Seán Bracken and Dr Karen Blackmore from the School of Education, alongside tutors from across the University.
Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and 100 per cent of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the full list of education staff by visiting our
staff profiles.
Assessment
Assessment
The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one formal or 'summative' assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade.
Assessment is via the development of portfolios.
Feedback
Feedback
You will receive feedback on formative assessments and on formal summative assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with module tutors as appropriate.
We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.
Programme specification
Programme specification
For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please
download the latest programme specification document.
"My personal and professional development has been vast over the last 18 months. It was not until writing these reflective portfolios that I realised the scale of this development."
Learning and Teaching in HE student
Where could it take you?
Employability
This course will provide an opportunity for you to gain knowledge, understanding and capabilities in learning, teaching, assessment and academic practice, and will help you to develop clear professional values, understand learning and teaching in higher education and improve your practice in a reflective, scholarly and theoretically informed way.
Employability
This course will provide an opportunity for you to gain knowledge, understanding and capabilities in learning, teaching, assessment and academic practice, and will help you to develop clear professional values, understand learning and teaching in higher education and improve your practice in a reflective, scholarly and theoretically informed way.
-
What qualifications will you need?
Entry requirements
You will normally have the following:
- A first or second-class Honours Degree
- Current and ongoing experience of supporting the learning of HE students
- Current experience, or anticipated experience during the period of the programme, of curriculum and assessment design at HE level
Prior experience is valued on the PGCLTHE. Those course members who have the equivalent of three years of full-time experience in a related educational setting can claim accreditation of prior learning against a module towards the certificate.
Other information
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email
for advice.
Any potential course participant may discuss informally their application with the Course Leader, Peter Gossman who can be contacted by email:
