Professional Practice in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education - 0990074

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Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 1 2025-26

Module aims

1. To support the continuing professional development of individuals with some teaching and/or learning support responsibilities. Typically this will include PGRs, GTAs and postdoctoral researchers/Contract Research Staff; but may also include learning technologists, library staff and staff who undertake demonstrators / technician roles that incorporate some teaching-related responsibilities

2. To provide participants from a wide variety of academic disciplines the opportunity to share and critically reflect on effective teaching practice

3. To promote engagement with relevant national frameworks including the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) to explore how they relate to good practice in learning, teaching and assessment

To provide opportunities for the study and evaluation of evidence-based pedagogy

Module learning outcomes

LO1	Critically review and reflect on their own teaching practices, competencies and knowledge in relation to UK HE teaching, identifying areas for enhancement and improvement Maps to UKPSF: A2, A5, K1, K2, V1, V3, V4
LO2	Demonstrate differences in learning approaches and incorporate the needs of diverse groups of learners into teaching planning and delivery, including the use of appropriate learning technologies Maps to UKPSF: A1, A2, K1, K2, K3, K4, V1, V2, V3,
LO3	Critically review and integrate theories of the scholarship of teaching and learning into their own teaching practices Maps to UKPSF: A1, A2, K2, V3, V4

Module content

The purpose of the module is to enable participants to conduct and reflect on teaching experiences, and thereby increase their employability by developing a range of specific and transferable skills and attributes.

An initial workshop session will focus on reflective practice, peer observation, the UKPSF and inclusive learning design. The Teaching Lens of the RDF will be introduced and students will complete a skills analysis linked to it. The initial assessment (the annotated bibliography) will be discussed.

Within the first two weeks, each participant will give a micro teach session and receive peer and facilitator feedback, providing them with an opportunity to focus on an aspect of their teaching in a safe environment, and practice giving and receiving feedback. They will then undertake at least five-ten hours of recognised higher education level teaching activity during the trimester in which they are enrolled on the

module, some of which will be observed (explanatory note: ‘recognised teaching’ may include seminars, tutorials, facilitating small group activities, involvement in formative or summative assessment, and for PDRAs, some limited lecturing experience. Participants are responsible for securing their own teaching opportunities at the University or HE in FE at one of the University’s Partner Colleges.

Participants will undertake at least two teaching observations (between the one day workshop session and their own teaching if possible), to support their development and reflections. Ideally, one should be within their discipline and one should be a different discipline / style of teaching. Participants will be supported in seeking out opportunities to observe teaching.

Three tutorial sessions will focus on

- role and identity realities and reflections

- constructing the portfolio.

These will be timetabled to complement the practical activities students will be completing.

The module is accredited (since September 2020) by Advance HE at the D1 Descriptor of the UKPSF so the content, as well as the assessment requirements align with the D1 Descriptor. On successful completion of the assessment, students also gain AFHEA status in addition to the academic credits.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	0
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

Pass/fail

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	0
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

n/a

Indicative reading

Essential	Ashwin, P. (2015) Reflective Teaching in Higher Education: Bloomsbury Academic Morss, K and Murray, R (2005) Teaching at University- a Guide for Postgraduates and Researchers: Sage Race, P. (2015) The Lecturer’s Toolkit (4th edition): Routledge
Recommended	Campbell, A. and Norton, L (2007) Learning, Teaching and Assessing in Higher Education: Developing Reflective Practice: Exeter: Learning Matters Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2015) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (4th edition): Routledge Light, G. and Cox, R. (2009) Learning and Teaching in Higher Education- the Reflective Professional (2nd edition): Sage Race, P. (2009) In at the Deep End (2nd revised edition): Leeds Met Press Available at: https://phil-race.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/05/In-at-the- Deep-End.pdf [Accessed 1.8.17] Schon, D. (1 995) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action: Ashgate Publishing Wood, M. and Su, F. (2017) What makes an excellent lecturer? Academics’ perspectives on the discourse of ‘teaching excellence’ in higher education Teaching in Higher Education 22:4 pages 451-466
Background	Lea, J. (2012) 77 Things to Think About… Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Canterbury Christ Church University