HA7009 - Introduction to Learning, Teaching and the Student Experience

As a community of practice, your cohort will meet weekly and engage in:
• Learning objective focussed working groups to ensure you are clear and mindful of formative and summative assessment expectations
• Lectures from sector experts
• Seminars to discuss current literature/research/evidence-based practice
• Workshops to co-reflect on and develop professional practice, solve practice-based issues and share innovative approaches
• Co-research groups to develop and present research ideas
• Observe the great practice and modelling of your peers and tutors and be observed, receive feedback and self-improve
• Be directive in your own learning journey within a clear framework of what is expected of you

Successful academic achievement requires a system of robust support and guidance to help you focus on your learning needs. This model shows you who is included in supporting you on your modules:
In addition to the pastoral support you will receive, the module leader involved in delivering this module will provide guidance and academic counselling to ensure that you are able to confidently engage with the academic rigour of this module. This dialogue will be face to face in lectures, seminars, workshops and group / individual tutorials and is an essential aspect of the programme assessment for learning strategy. Extensive support is also accessible online as part of the University’s commitment to technology enhanced learning. This employs the use of Blackboard, EMA, OneDrive, Digital Reading lists, digital communication, social networking and collaborative tools.

A central feature of the academic support available to you is the service provided by the University Library. This 24/7 service caters for all your learning needs, has extensive access to electronic texts and tutorials that will directly support the development of academic skills aimed at improving your critical thinking.
Your Personal Tutor is the person you must contact first if there are problems affecting your academic work at Northumbria.
You can find out who your personal tutor is by going to My Records on MyNorthumbria.

Your AGM will be your current module leader who will guide you on professional and academic matters to ensure your progression.
They will attend all of the meetings with your L&TM and discuss your Professional Practice Observation of Teaching with you. As well as your progress against the Areas of Activity from the UKPSF and support the continuous development of the Professional Development Portfolio.

Your LTM will be allocated to you by your Line Manager from your workplace setting

Your LTM will hold bimonthly meetings with you and together you will engage in one Professional Practice Peer Observation per semester/module. You will record these interactions on provided proforma that becomes evidence to upload to your Professional Development Portfolio.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Interpret and synthesise a range of perspectives around teaching, learning, and assessment in order to apply a range of appropriate theoretical concepts, evidence-based practice and pedagogical research.
2. Design and plan relevant and inclusive learning activities and/or programmes of study incorporating appropriate learning technologies.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Apply and critically evaluate appropriate teaching, learning and assessment strategies within your own discipline and the wider higher education context.
4. Appraise and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum approaches to support, facilitate and promote an engaging student experience.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Articulate and evaluate your learning and teaching strategies in relation to the way in which you support the needs of a diverse community of learners.

Formative Assessment, Learning activities, tasks and taught session
• Workshops/Seminars/Lectures: Inclusion, teaching methods; planning learning environments; assessment and marking; assessment for learning; guiding and supporting students; module and course design; programmes; TEL; employability. Composition of the module learning opportunities are built around UKPSF Descriptor 1 requirements
• Formative Assessment integrated into lectures and seminars during the course of the module.
• Set up OneDrive Professional Development Portfolio for the programme and populate with formative assessment outcomes, work-based materials and provided proforma.
• Completed Learning and Teaching Plan in relation to UKPSF (this is developed with support from the AGM at the beginning of the module and is revisited during scheduled meetings with L&TM at bimonthly meetings during the module
• Engagement in a Professional Practice Observation and completed tutorial reflections

Summative assessment
• Reflective essay (2000 words +/- 10%) drawing on personal perspectives and experience of student-centred teaching, learning, and assessment. This should also be supported by pedagogical literature and research.
o Module Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5
o Demonstrating evidence required at UKPSF Descriptor 1 of UKPSF Dimensions Areas of Activity A1, A2 and A4, Core Knowledge K1- K3, and Professional Values PV 1-4

None

None

This module reflects the requirements of Descriptor 1 of the UKPSF which are aligned with certain KSBs of the Academic Professional apprenticeship Standard. It introduces you to the roles and responsibilities of an Academic and teacher in the Higher Education Sector. It explores the strategies for planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation together with a critical exploration of the theories that underpin them. You will be given opportunities to share good practice examples with peers from a range of different disciplines and teaching and learning environments. You will be supported to reflect on your practice in terms of your academic, professional and employability goals using technology enhanced learning approaches reinforced by the sector standards. You will be encouraged to actively debate theory and policy relating to the sector and consider how your practice can be transformed to meet personal, organisational and national requirements. You will be assessed using engaging strategies designed to support your practice and allow you to find solutions to authentic issues supported by research and current debate.

The assessment for this module, as well as demonstrating successful completion of the module learning outcomes is fully integrated with the requirements for HEA Associate Fellowship (D1) and certain aligned KSBs (see appendix 2 in Module Handbooks).