PGCAP Module 1: The Confident Teacher

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply knowledge of a range of pedagogies underpinning learning and teaching in HE and within discipline-specific subject/s.
• Design approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning appropriate for subjects and level of study
• Use scholarship/pedagogical research of teaching and learning and evidence-based approaches to underpin effective teaching practice
• Critically evaluate the effectiveness of learning and teaching activities/resources to facilitate quality learning
• Design and plan learning activities that support students' learning and respect student diversity

This module is designed for flexible learning, giving you the opportunity to plan your development according to your professional needs. The module is designed to support the development of your teaching practice by enabling you to apply and critically reflect on the concepts, theories and approaches explored during the sessions within your own disciplinary context. The core sessions cover topics for teaching in higher education. These include the wider higher education context; designing, planning and facilitating aligned learning; inclusive teaching and student engagement; assessment and feedback; reflective practice; the appropriate use of technology; and AI in education. Formative learning activities will allow you to experience new approaches from a learner’s perspective, engage with emerging technological capabilities, and consider the academic capabilities that students and educators require in an increasingly AI-mediated educational environment. The core sessions are complemented by microlearning sessions delivered with professional services and specialist teams. These offer practical guidance on University-approved tools, resources and services and demonstrate how they can be used to support inclusive, accessible and engaging learning. The microlearning sessions connect practical application with the pedagogies and theories considered in the core module sessions. You will also participate in reciprocal peer observation within the module and in your department. This will provide opportunities to receive developmental feedback on your own teaching and to observe a more experienced educator within your discipline, School or Faculty. Through these observations, you will explore how educational theories and approaches are applied in practice and identify ways to develop your own teaching.

The taught sessions will use a range of evidence-informed and inclusive approaches, including interactive presentations, individual and small-group activities, peer learning, discussion, case-based exploration and formative learning activities. Sessions will be delivered through a blend of online and in-person learning. Their workshop-style design will enable you to engage actively with ideas, apply them to your own disciplinary context and experience different teaching approaches from a learner’s perspective. Through class discussions and collaborative activities, you will critically reflect on your teaching practice, explore how scholarship and evidence can inform your decisions, and relate examples from your practice to the dimensions of the Advance HE Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023). Activities will also provide opportunities to explore emerging technologies, including generative AI, and to consider critically their implications for learning, teaching, inclusion, assessment and academic practice. Microlearning sessions, delivered with professional services and specialist teams, will provide practical experience of University-approved technologies, resources and support services. These sessions will connect the pedagogical principles explored in the core sessions with their practical application in different learning and teaching contexts. You will also learn through observing colleagues and being observed by them. This reciprocal process supports the sharing of effective practice and promotes a culture of collegial professional learning, with participants acting as supportive “critical friends”. Blackboard will support both synchronous and asynchronous learning across the module. It will provide access to module materials, resources, the handbook and session materials, as well as quizzes, pre-session and flipped-learning activities, interactive resources and formative learning opportunities.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Feedback

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Verbal
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Individual reflection

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Verbal
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.