Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP)

Cohort 2: Induction eventThe PGCAP Team

Aims

• To introduce each other and lay foundation for a learning community

• To provide a PGCAP course overview

• To introduce Core Module

Intended learning outcomes

• Recognise value of being part of a learning community

• Discuss key features of PGCAP,

structure and requirements

On the agenda

• Welcome

• Getting to know each other

• The programme

• Core module

• Eat ‘n’ meet

• Learning, Reflecting, Observing

• Portfolio building

• PGCAP online learning space

Welcome

Tracey HulmeDirector of the Academic Development Unit (ADU)

• About the Unit

• The PGCAP Programme

• Our Vision

Introductions

• Who we are

• Task: Getting to know each other ->

Let’s go for a walk ;o)

Rationale

• Raising awareness and responsibility about student learning

• To engage with underpinning learning theories

• To enable participants to develop general and subject-specific teaching strategies

• Promote pedagogical research but also

• To do things differently and do different things (McDonald, R)

Remember

“We need to be open to new ideas and to rival explanations to our established views. Above all, I think we need to become more interesting. Bring into our frame novels, films, theoretical alternatives, challenges from the margins. In many ways, we have the most to learn from those from whom we think we have the least to learn.”

Cousin, G (2010) Education Development for the 21st Century, SEDA Conference, Chester 2010, 17 November, (p. 6)

Programme overview

Engaging and Enhancing Student Learning (EESL)

Application of Learning

Technologies (ALT)

Strategies for Assessment

and Feedback

(SAF)

Research Management

and Academic Practice

(RMAP)

Curriculum Design and Programme Leadership

(CDPL)

Working together

• face-to-face

• online

• action learning sets

PGCAP

participant

peers

PGCAP tutors

Personal tutor

LTAsmentor

resources

technology

Online learning space

• Course information

• Module content: activities and resources

• LaSU reading lists

• Discussions: module, agora, helpline

• LinkedIn group

Core module: Engaging and Enhancing Student Learning

Intended Learning Outcomes:You will have had the opportunity to

• design and plan learning activities appropriate for your subject • apply effective teaching, learning, assessment/feedback and support

strategies including technology enhanced approaches in your practice • discuss learning theories linked to your own subject• discuss key features of quality assurance, enhancement and

evaluation within the HE context and implications for professional practice

• develop reflective skills and engage in educational research

Core module, weekly planwhen where and how what other info

weeks -2 – 1 (27 Dec –12 Jan)

online 2 weeks familiarising asynchronous

week 0 (13 Jan) CW conference room introducing

week 1 (20 Jan) CW conference room reflecting & developing

week 2 (27 Jan) CW conference room (theatre: Chapman 4 has been booked)

designing LTAs from the ADU and Denis McGrath, Learning Technologist Health and Social Care

week 3 (3 Feb) CW conference room using and experimenting 3 items from home (from kitchen, bathroom, bedroom)

week 4 (7 - 11 Feb) CW conference room & Seminar roomonline week

learning tutorialasynchronous

week 5 (17 Feb) lecture theatre, Mary SeacoleMS271

delivering guest speakers: Moira McLoughlin, Angela Darvill, University of Salfordremote guest speaker: Prof. Stephen Gomez (TBC), University of Plymouth

week 6 (24 Feb) CW conference room assessing and feeding back

week 7 (3 March) ThinkLab experiencing & motivating

guest speaker: Donna Berwick, Skills and Recognition Team Manager, Student Life, University of Salford

week 8 (7 March – 11 March)

online week evaluating asynchronous,synchronous: webinar on the 10th of March, 8.30pm, guest speaker: Prof. Huw Morris, University of Salford

week 9 (17 March) CW conference room discussing and preparing

week 10 (24 March) CW conference room sharing guest : Prof. Huw Morris, University of Salford

Assessment, portfolio-based

1. Learning and teaching statement

2. Critical reflective commentary on teaching observations and feedback conversations

3. Assessment/feedback rationale presentation (in action learning sets)

4. Critical reflection of a learning event

5. Final, overarching reflective review

Draft facility available until end of week 10!

… spaghetti towers

In your groups, build a structure using 20 spaghetti strings, tape and string provided. The marshmallow has to be on the top.

An independent jury will carry out the assessment of the tower!

• Make a tower

• Choose a name for your tower

• Choose a member of your team to showcase it.

PGCAP Assessment criteria

• Competence and engagement within an area(s) of relevance to the module (and, as appropriate, to the UK Professional Standards Framework)

• Engagement with, and application of, relevant research literature and theory

• Reflection on your learning and the development of your practice

UK PSF

• 6 areas of activity

• 6 core knowledge

• 5 professional values

• for Fellowship of HEA & PGCert need to engage with all of these.

• http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/rewardandrecog/ProfessionalStandardsFramework.pdf

• http://tinyurl.com/ukpsf

PGCAP level of attainment descriptors

• a passing (excellent) assignment

• a passing (good) assignment

• a passing assignment

• a failing assignment

portfolio

• digital and online• record your journey• reflect• collect media-rich artefacts• shared with tutor and peers• commenting • assessed • receive feedback throughout

To be used within the core module and beyond

split session (1h)

My Wordpressportfolio with

Chrissi

My PebblePadportfolio

Seminar room

with

Neil

Component 1: A Learning and Teaching Statement (10%)

You are required to outline your understanding of your own approach to learning, your own learning journey and experiences (including in formal and non-formal contexts) and how this understanding has impacted upon your teaching and support of learners. This statement would conclude with a needs analysis and an action plan: to describe existing skills and areas for further development through the module (e.g. from an analysis aligned to the module’s learning outcomes).

You might ask yourself the following questions to get you thinking about your statement:

• What personal learning experiences have influenced my thoughts about teaching?• How do I learn?• How do my students learn?• What does university teaching and learning mean to me?• What do I want my students to learn?• What strategies and techniques do I employ in helping students to learn?• What are my strengths as a teacher?• What areas do I need to develop further?• What do I want to know more about?• What are my options?• What will I do and by when?

Sharing learning journeys

Discuss with the person next to you:

• A memorable learning experience you have had in the past; something that has influenced your thinking about teaching & learning.

• Why do you still remember it?

Personal tutor• Your first contact

• Provides advice, support and guidance

• Face-to-face and remote tutorials (Elluminate)

• Tutorials in week 4

• Signposts when further assistance required

Hi, I am Neil

Hello, I am

Chrissi

Lunch break• Eat ‘n’ meet your personal tutor

(Chrissi & Neil) and one of our Learning Technology Advisors

• Opportunity to discuss optional modules

“I can’t believe it; for the first time in my career I actually couldn’t stop thinking about teaching the whole night –what have you done to us?”

(Andresen, 1995, p. 50)

Action learning sets

• Small-groups• Multi-disciplinary exchange • Peer support• Collaboration• Assessed component 3:

Assessment/feedback theme – rational presentation in week 10

Throughout the core module

Component 3: An Assessment and/or Feedback Rationale and

Presentation (25%)• This component will involve investigating methods used for assessment and/or

feedback in a multidisciplinary context but also from your school/subject/professional area perspective, and the underlying rationale for those approaches.

• This is a group task and will require collaboration of all members of a specific action learning set. The rationale will focus in upon one particular method to consider and agreed within the action learning set. You will need to explain how this aligns with: for example, the aims and learning outcomes; your disciplinary context; the nature of the student group; and any practice/professional requirements. The rationale will also need to consider issues around equality, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility. The rationale developed within the action learning set will be shared with and evaluated by peers in the form of a presentation during week 10 and both, the rationale and the presentation should be added to your portfolio.

• The rationale should be underpinned by reference to relevant contemporary articles or texts and also would usefully involve collecting and evaluating a small sample of student feedback. Participants are required to identify implications for their ongoing practice.

• Presentations created by action learning sets will be shared within Blackboard. • This component is self- and peer-assessed.

Ground Rules

• In your action learning sets:

– Decide on how you are going to work together.

Mentor – Mentee: partnership• Provide you with practical information and

guidance on the School, the Faculty, the institution and the academic role

• Discuss with you the teaching and learning policies, strategies and practices, both formal and informal of the School and the institution

• Participate with you in the observation of teaching process

• Provide syllabuses, teaching materials and other resources to support your work

• Link to people, services and resources to assist you with the teaching role and the more general HE responsibilities

• Provide discipline-specific input to your teaching practice.

Peer observations: developmental!

5 in total

Observations

• Pre-observation form/data (in portfolio)– Need to share with observer

• Observation• Feedback conversation with observer• Reflective Account on the observation itself and

the feedback conversation (include links to literature)

• What is assessed?– The reflective account based on the 3 assessment

criteria

Activity: Reflect!

What happened?

Why did it happen?

How did you feel?

If it happens again, what would you do differently?

Reflecting on feedback conversations• What did you learn through the feedback conversation

with the observer?• Did you agree/disagree with the observers’ comments and

feedback and why/why not?• How did the feedback provided and the conversation itself

made you feel?

• Did any of the comments come as a surprise to you? Explain.

• Was the feedback conversation useful? Explain in what way. If it wasn’t, explain why and think how it could have been improved so that you would benefit more from it.

• What does the literature say, your colleagues, students etc.?

• What are you going to do as a result of this session, your personal reflections and the feedback conversation? What would you like to achieve and by when?

Reflective practice

“It is now widely accepted that successful professionals need to reflect upon their actions as most tasks they perform involve novel elements to which there are no defined solutions.”

Kember et. al (1999, p. 18)

• Integrating reflection within professional practice

• Taking action to improve performance

Deepening reflectiondescribing

feeling

analysing

reasoning

stepping back

being self-critical

exploring options

linking to action

own perspective

link to theory

colleagues, students,

etc.

Moon, J (2004)

Thinking about learning

1. Think about something you are good at.

Write in this box how you became good at it.

a Phil Race activity

2. Think of something about yourself you feel good about.

Write here the evidence it is based on.

3. Think of something you are not good at, perhaps as a result of a bad learning experience.

What went wrong? Add it to this box.

4. Think of something that you did learn successfully, but at the time you didn’t really want to do it.

What kept you going, so that you did succeed in learning it?

Pedagogies: from… to…

“Jug & Mug” approach - transmissive

Collaborative / active

Feedback & AssessmentComponent Assessment Feedback

1: learning statement

individual self and peer

2: reflective accounts of observations and feedback conversations

individual tutor and peers

3: assessment & feedback rationale presentation

group task self (group)

4: Specific learning event

individual Tutor

5: Overall reflective review

individual tutor

Submit on a weekly basis and receive formative feedback. Facility available until end of week 10

Providing feedback (to peers)

• link to assessment criteria

• point out success

• stimulate improvement

• link to action

• challenge and stretch

• timely

• non judgmental

Engaging…

… with literature through • reading lists and additional library resources (Clifford Whitworth, 1st floor)

• subject specific resources

… with professional groups• Internally

• Externally (including online communities)

… with further development activities• LDU Open Programme and Events

• HEA seminars, Special interest Group meetings

• Webinars

“Can we propose to travel together and be open to surprises as to how

we will get there?”

Cousin, G (2010) Education Development for the 21st Century, SEDA Conference, Chester 2010, 17 November, (p. 4)

References

• Andresen, L (1995) Accredited Courses in Teaching and Learning, in: Brew, A (ed.) Directions in Staff Development, Buckingham: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press, pp. 36-50.

• Cousin, G (2010) Education Development for the 21st Century, SEDA Conference, Chester 2010, 17 November, (p. 6)

• Kember, D et. al (1999) Determining the level of reflective thinking from students’ written journals using a coding scheme based on the work of Mezirow, International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol 18, No 1, pp. 18-30.

• Moon, J (2004) A handbook of reflective and experiential learning, theory and practice, Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer.

ChecklistI have completed and handed in the application form for this programme.

I have a mentor. Arrange observations with peer/mentor & PGCAP tutor.

I have accessed the online learning space in Blackboard.

I have a Twitteraccount.

To familiarise with portfolio system.

I have completed all the pre-induction tasks.

To work on my Learning Statement.

To do

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), University of Salford (UK)

Mode: Engaging and Enhancing Student Learning (EESL)Site: www.ldu.salford.ac.ukTwitter: @pgcap