University of the Highlands and Islands - Further Education Teaching Programme: consultation

Consultation Document

The University of the Highlands and Islands

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is the United Kingdom's leading integrated university, encompassing further and higher education. It is an academic partnership of 13 colleges and research centres, awarded full university status on the 1 February 2011. The TQFE programme brings together two areas of expertise in education provision that have evolved separately in the University: the Tertiary and Higher Education Scheme and Teacher Education.

The Tertiary and Higher Education Scheme includes the M.Ed. Tertiary and Higher Education and the PgCert Research Methods with the addition of the M.Ed. Digital Pedagogy, the PgCert Clinical Pedagogy and the three CDP modules. The M.Ed. was introduced to offer teaching staff the opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification in either further or higher education as appropriate for university that offers a range of programmes across further and higher education.

Teacher Education is strategically important to UHI, and to the geographical, social and linguistic constituency that the university serves. The University has developed a range of provision across initial teacher education, beginning with a PGDE Primary programme in 2013 – 14 and now offers four PGDE programmes in English and Gaelic and undergraduate programmes for Gaelic Medium Education; Food, Nutrition and Textiles Education for teaching Home Economics in secondary schools and most recently, Moral and Philosophical Studies with Religious Education for teaching Religious Education in secondary schools. In each case, the university has responded actively to local and national demands for teachers. This included the addition of a masters programme to support the career long professional learning of teachers the MEd Critical Enquiry, and the MEd Specialist Qualification in Headship or MEd Educational Leadership. Student numbers have increased from 20 on one programme in 2013 -14 to just over 300 across 8 programmes in 2020-21. This development has been led by Professor Morag Redford, appointed as Head of Teacher Education in September 2014.

The successful development of teacher education has integrated academic and professional requirements in a series of programmes that reflect professional and academic enquiry, as well as the acquisition of complex professional competence. This combined with the depth of teaching and research experience in further and higher education across the University, places UHI in a unique position to offer a TQFE programme. The research informed teaching practice in teacher education and in the Tertiary and Higher Education scheme underpins a digitally innovative TQFE programme that utilises a wide range of experience in further and higher education across the nine colleges who are members of the University Partnership.

• Argyll College UHI
• Inverness College UHI
• Lews Castle College UHI
• Moray College UHI
• North Highland College UHI
• Orkney College UHI
• Perth College UHI
• Shetland College UHI
• West Highland College UHI

The TQFE Programme

Content, Nature and Duration of the TQFE programme

The UHI TQFE is a one year part-time online programme for lecturers in Scottish colleges. It will equip lecturers with the knowledge, skills and attributes to support their registration with the General Teaching Council of Scotland as a Lecturer. The programme will use a collaborative approach to online learning, with learning activities designed to help lecturers develop professional knowledge and understanding, engage in professional dialogue and develop critical enquiry to inform practice. Participants will develop skills in reflective practice; engage with educational theory and research, policy and complex professional issues in this sector of education. The programme will support lecturers to develop their teaching practice with positive outcomes for themselves and their learners.

• The programme will be fully online, allowing participants to fit their studies around professional and personal commitments;
• Lecturers can complete the award as a CPD award at SCQF level 9 or a PgCert at SCQF level 11;
• Lecturers completing the award at SCQF level 9 can progress to complete an undergraduate degree;
• Participants will have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the sector, from different colleges and subject areas;
• Participants will carry out a reflective enquiry in their own workplace; and
• Successful completion of the course (subject to Scottish Government approval) will give lecturers a teaching qualification to support registration as a lecturer with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Educational Aims of the Programme

The educational aims of the TQFE programme are aligned with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) Standard for Lecturers in Scotland's Colleges (SLSC) (GTCS, 2019).

The programme is designed to support participants to evidence the SLSC and enable successful participants to apply for registration as a lecturer with the GTCS. To enable this all applicants must be employed in a tertiary institution and hold a minimum teaching contract of 120 hours during the time they complete the programme. Their application must be supported by their employing institution, as lecturers taking a TQFE programme must be allocated 150 hours of study time across the two semesters (NJNC 03/18). Each applicant must agree their hours of work and remitted study time with their employers prior to commencing the programme.

The programme aims:

• To provide lecturers with a knowledge and awareness of the complexity of student learning needs;
• To enable and support individual development as a critical, reflective and enquiring professional;
• To build knowledge and skills through collaborative and interpersonal learning, teaching and assessment opportunities; and
• To prepare lecturers for effective teaching in tertiary establishments, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and attributes requisite for them to hold the teaching qualification required for them to register with the GTCS as a Lecturer.

On successful completion of the programme participants will have:

1. Demonstrated a critical understanding of the principal theories and concepts in education, as appropriate to their work setting;

2. Used a range of the principal skills, practices and materials associated with education in their subject area;

3. Demonstrated their ability to critically identify, define, conceptualise, and analyse professional issues and make professional judgements from a range of sources;

4. Used a wide range of skills to develop a critically enquiring approach to professional practice in education;

5. Worked effectively, under guidance, in a peer relationship with qualified practitioners; and

6. Satisfied the requirements of National Bargaining for career progression purposes.

The Programme approach to Professional Learning and Development

This extract from the programme handbook illustrates the approach to professional learning and development that underpins the programme:

The programme has been carefully designed to facilitate your learning, on the programme and in your own institution, with support and feedback from staff in both learning contexts, so that as you critically engage with a range of ideas and experiences, you review and consolidate your own professional identity as a lecturer. You will study independently and collaboratively and contribute to dialogue within your study group to explore academic literature, the Scottish policy context and curriculum as influences on your teaching practice. You will take responsibility to develop a digital portfolio that evidences your practice in relation to the Standard for Lecturers in Scotland's Colleges and submit assignments that articulate your knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy and your professional role as a lecturer. All of these tools and structures will support you in building your capacity and confidence as a teaching professional (TQFE Programme Handbook, p.4).

The structure of the Programme

The Appendix (see p.18 – 23) provides detailed information about the structure, content and assessment of the programme, and the connections to the SLSC.

The programme differs from other TQFE programmes in the expertise the University holds in the teaching of FE courses and collaboration between colleges and the delivery of programmes in an online environment. A second difference is that the programme is presented and taught in an integrated structure, through the University virtual learning environment (VLE), as successfully developed in our initial teacher education programmes and illustrated in the Appendix. In practice this means participants will see one set of learning activities for the programme rather than separate sets of learning activities in different module spaces. The participants will study in small groups, with support from a study group tutor, who is also their personal academic tutor. The study groups will be created to match the needs of the participants and their supporting colleges e.g. for UHI colleges the groups will be mixed to include participants employed by different colleges and teaching different subject areas. From its inception, UHI has emphasised a student-centred approach to learning and teaching. The programme team is committed to these principles, to support participants to move from lecturer-centred teaching to student-centred learning, through innovative approaches to curriculum and pedagogy.

The assessment of the Programme

The success of the programme will be assessed by outcome against the programme objectives:

1. To work in partnership across UHI to promote an effective partnership approach to the delivery of a high standard TQFE programme.

2. To provide lecturers on the programme with access to a variety of learning opportunities and teaching styles, through integrated delivery of the programme by a programme team.

3. To utilise the online virtual learning environment to prepare lecturers to become critical, reflective and enquiring professionals, with a commitment to their own career-long development.

4. To enable lecturers to consolidate their learning at a time that suits their personal and professional circumstances.

5. To develop lecturers' awareness of the complex nature of student learning.

6. To prepare lecturers to work collaboratively with colleagues, in teams, within their work setting.

The programme objectives will be measured by the programme team, who will meet regularly to maintain and review the academic standards and quality of the programme, in line with the UHI Regulations and the GTCS Standards. UHI has a strong self-evaluation system at module, programme and subject network levels. Annual self-evaluation reports and action plans at these levels are reported to the subject network and the University Quality Monitoring Group.

The programme will utilise university module questionnaires and support this through evaluations of learning activities embedded in the programme structure. This will be reviewed on an annual basis by the TQFE team, and evidenced in an annual self-evaluation report to the UHI Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee. Students contribute to this process through feedback to Personal Academic Tutors, evaluative student group discussions and consultation with external examiners.

The Programme Design

The TQFE programme is provided according to national requirements, at SCQF level 9 and SCQF level 11 within the Academic regulations of the University.

The programme has three modules of 20 SCQF credit points, with each module available at SCQF level 9 and three at SCQF level 11. It is taught through an integrated structure across SCQF levels 9 and 11, with differentiated assessment tasks and Learning Outcomes for SCQF level 9 and SCQF level 11.

1. Professional Practice (Tertiary)

2. Curriculum and Pedagogy (Tertiary)

3. Professionalism (Tertiary)

The programme is taught across two semesters. All participants study Professional Practice (Tertiary) across both semesters, Curriculum and Pedagogy (Tertiary) in semester 1, and Professionalism (Tertiary) in semester 2. The content, structure and relationship with the SLSC can be seen in the Appendix.

The programme asks participants to study independently and collaboratively. There is an expectation that they will engage with others on the programme and explore the SLSC in depth as they build their capacity and confidence as a teaching professional.

The programme utilises the range of expertise and knowledge of teaching available across the nine colleges in the UHI academic partnership. A wide range of experts will contribute to the programme through 'Talking head' inputs, pre-recorded presentations that participants can revisit. The programme is built from a depth of experience of mentoring and staff development in UHI colleges and actively promotes and uses our academic and practical knowledge of online and remote learning. The design of the programme facilitates individual learning, on the programme and in each participant's employing institution. The structure will provide support and feedback/ feedforward for lecturers in their workplace and on the programme. This will enable participants to critically engage with ideas and experiences as they consolidate their own professional identity as a lecturer.

The Programme's Teaching Themes

The timetables on the following pages illustrates the key content and connections between and across teaching themes.

Semester 1

Induction week – complete enrolment, explore the module spaces in the VLE and find out who your mentor is in your employing college

Dates Week of programme	Weekly themes for Curriculum and Pedagogy (Tertiary)	Assessment for Curriculum and Pedagogy (Tertiary)	Weekly themes Professional Practice (Tertiary)	Digital Portfolio Professional Practice (Tertiary)
1	Concepts of learning, curriculum and Pedagogy		Meet your study group and study group tutor	Create your digital portfolio, upload one artefact
2			Lesson Planning	Meet your local mentor, record discussion
3	Student experience and the role of the lecturer		Introduction to Critical Reflection	Study group presentation of lesson plans
4		Observe a colleague teaching and reflect on that through pedagogy frameworks (Formative)	Frameworks, Governing Bodies and Policy
5	Pedagogy of Assessment		Planning for Assessment	1st Observation – written reflection on professional dialogue.
6			Reflection on observation
7	Inclusive practices to support student engagement		Introduction of Critical Incidents
8			Identifying critical incidents
9	Lecturer Identity		Reviewing critical incidents
10			Academic reflective writing
11	Reading week/ assessment preparation		Adding artefacts to the portfolio
12		Summative written assessment – reflection on one critical incident		Initial evaluation against the standards, evidenced by artefacts

Semester 2

Re-join programme – enrol for your second semester, explore the module spaces for updates and confirm your strategy for the year with your local mentor.

Dates Week starting Monday	Weekly themes for Professionalism (Tertiary)	Assessment for Professionalism (Tertiary)	Weekly themes Professional Practice (Tertiary)	Digital Portfolio Professional Practice (Tertiary)
1	Professionalism, professional standards and governing bodies	Discussion post	Re-establish contact with study group and tutor	Revist the standards, update with any artefacts since the end of the last module
2			Self-evaluation tools	GTCS Coaching wheel
3	Lecturer Identity	Discussion post	Theory and purpose of Enquiry
4			Micro lesson (recorded)	Reflect on micro lesson recording
5	Professional capital	Enquiry proposal (formative)	Student voice
6	Professional Capital	Discussion post	Digital literacy
7	Values and lecturer identity		Carrying out enquiry
8		Discussion post		2nd Observation Reflection and dialogue contribute to enquiry
9 10	Professional roles and responsibilities	Discussion post
11	Collaborative Practice		Impact on practice of enquiry	Submission of portfolio with artefacts evidencing the Standard
12		Enquiry poster (L9 and L11) and executive summary (L11) summative	Evidencing the Standard
			Professional dialogue and professional action	Marking/mediation/ feedback combined.

Teaching Practice

A key part of this programme are the connections between professional practice, as a lecturer employed in a tertiary institution, and professional learning as a participant on the programme. Each participant is supported in their own institution by a mentor, agreed with their employing college prior to commencing the programme, and either their mentor or an appointed observer, in their employing college, will carry out one classroom observation of their teaching. As second observation of their teaching practice will be carried out by an experienced observer who is part of the UHI TQFE teaching team. These observations are part of developmental structure that sits at the centre of the UHI TQFE programme in professional practice.

The tertiary nature of the University, teaching across FE and HE, with a diverse student body ensures that all TQFE tutors have the skills and knowledge to recognise and work with the individual needs of participants in relation to their working context, the subject frameworks, curriculum and policy framework they are employed within.

The connections between workplace and programme begin in induction, where participants are asked to contact their mentor and share the programme information with them. The programme starts with learning activities that develop reflection, and at the end of the first set of activities participants are asked to reflect on that first conversation with their mentor. Their work on the learner experience and pedagogy in the second set of learning activities links to lesson planning which is shared with their study group prior to an observed lesson by their mentor in week 5. This experience is again shared with their study group as they go on to develop a deeper understanding and knowledge of assessment, inclusive practice and the use of critical incident analysis. Their teaching practice, reflections and critical analysis of practice provide the framework for professional learning and development. In semester 2 the work on professionalism, professional capital and identity links to teaching practice through micro lessons and a second observation carried out by a UHI tutor in week 8. The classroom observations may be in person/ virtual and are designed to stimulate reflection and professional dialogue around practice.

The University will provide the following information to the participant and their mentor:

The Observation has three main elements:

1. observation of learning

2. observer discussion with the student group (dependent on teaching circumstances)

3. professional dialogue between the lecturer and the observer

During the lesson observation, the observer will consider the following:

• How effective is the learning and teaching?
• Are learners engaged in the learning environment?

• What range of learning and teaching strategies are being used to promote learning?
• How well were the needs of learners being identified, met and supported?

Stages of the Observation and Professional Dialogue:

• The observer will discuss with the lecturer an appropriate time for the observation at least one week in advance
• The lecturer being observed will email a lesson plan to the observer at least 24 hours before the planned lesson
• The observation will normally last one hour
• The professional dialogue will take place as soon as convenient to the observer and lecturer after the observation and will allow for active reflection and feedback
• The observer will record the observation, dialogue and agreed actions and send a copy to the lecturer.

An integrated learning experience

The programme outlined above provides a range of experiences of different types of learning, pedagogy and assessment for participants to experience as learners themselves. They are asked to reflect and take into lecturing practice the pedagogical practice they experience as students on the programme. The integrated structure of the programme supports reflection and will support participants as they embed their professional learning within their practice. This is scaffolded through the collaborative learning activities where shared experience and responses to professional learning will enable each study group to develop a wide knowledge of teaching approaches appropriate to each learner, including those with a range of additional support requirements.

The Programme's Learning and Teaching Approaches

The range of learning and teaching approaches to be used in the programme are illustrated in the Appendix. As a post-employment TQFE programme the learning journey for each lecturer begins with a focus on reflection and the development of reflective practice. The inclusion of a practitioner enquiry built from critical incident analysis demonstrates the role of independent resource-based learning, research and investigation in the programme.

The programme has been developed to sit within the guidelines in the UHI's Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy.

The programme team is committed to the student-centred approach to learning and teaching in this strategy and will work with the 12 enhancement values as follows:

1) Learning for employment: The programme is designed for learning in employment as a lecturer in Scotland and as such supports the development of professional knowledge and understanding, professional dialogue and critical enquiry to inform practice as a lecturer. Completing the programme will provide a route to registration with the GTCS as a lecturer and enhance individual career prospects within tertiary education.

2) Learner choice and personalisation: Learner choice and personalisation is available through the learning activities and assessment tasks in each module. The activities and assessments are designed to enable each learner to complete them according to their individual learning requirements for their workplace. Learners are supported to shape their participation in the programme from their context, subject discipline and the SCQF level they are learning at.

3) Providing connected learning experience: The integrated delivery model of the programme has a collaborative focus which connects the teaching and learning experiences of participants from a range of settings, subjects and across all SCQF levels. The learning activities support a direct connection to individual practice as a shared understanding of the learner experience is developed.

4) Evidence-based educational practice: Evidence-based educational practice is central to this programme which seeks to connect the practice experience of lecturers, with their developing understanding of student learning in their subject area.

5) Engaging students as researchers: The programme focuses on developing a disposition of being an enquiring reflective practitioner in tertiary education. Participants will explore a variety of research methods and strategies, with particular emphasis on the use of enquiry to inform practice development.

6) Assessment and feedback for learning: Following the praxis researched and developed on the PGDE programmes in the Teacher Education and the MEd Critical Enquiry, there will be a strong emphasis on feedback, feed-forward and formative engagement with lecturers throughout every aspect of the teaching, learning and assessment process in the programme. Student feedback will be collected through surveys, followed-up with evaluation at module level, with feedback given back to students in terms of actions taken.

7) Active and creative use of technology: The programme is based in the VLE, with use real-time online technologies for discussion and debate, and asynchronous learning activities with evidence for the SLSC collated in a digital folder.

8) Integrated and sustainable teaching practice: The programme team have substantial experience of teaching in the University virtual learning environment and connecting individual practice knowledge and experience to programme content through digital tools. The integrated teaching plan will support the team to present a sustainable programme and support participants to develop sustainable teaching practice.

9) Harnessing open education approaches: The programme will utilise openly licensed digital resources that are available through the UHI-toolkit and other resource repositories.

10) Supporting the learner as an individual: The focus in the programme on individual development linked to workplace setting is structured to actively support the learner as an individual within their work context, encouraging them to enjoy their career in tertiary education. Participants will be supported to join the level of the programme relevant to their professional development. Their employing institution will support them with a mentor, who will work closely with the participant and programme team to support individual learning throughout the programme. This structure provides each participant with a framework to plan and undertake future professional development relevant to individual learning needs.

11) Reflective practice and continuous improvement: The programme has a particular focus on the development of reflective practice and the use of research and enquiry to inform professional learning with an impact on practice.

12) Supporting professional development in learning and teaching: The programme is for participants employed as lecturers in tertiary education. It has an individual and collaborative focus on the development of reflective practice and the use of research and enquiry to inform professional learning with an impact on practice.

The Programme's Quality Assurance Arrangements

As noted above the programme will work within the University structure of quality assurance to monitor and maintain the quality of the curriculum, teaching and assessment in the programme. The structures are illustrated in Chapter 2 of the Regulations.

The programme will work within all relevant University policies to ensure the equity of the student experience.

The programme delivery will be supported by work in the University on the current QAA Enhancement Theme Resilient Learning Communities (2020- 2023). The Theme was selected to assist HEIs in Scotland to meet the needs of our diverse and changing student body, alongside the rapidly changing external environment. The TQFE programme seeks to establish Resilient Learning Communities of lecturers through the integrated teaching and assessment structure of the programme. The programme is designed to bring together lecturers employed by different colleges, teaching a variety of subjects, across a range of curricula and SCQF levels. The structure enables the development of individual professional confidence, knowledge and skills that will support individual and group resilience within the programme. This resilience will extend through the focus on professional practice to the work of each lecturer in their own employing college.

The integrated delivery of the TQFE programme recognises the range of roles of students and lecturers in each learning community, with resilience used as a weekly theme to draw those experiences together as lecturers complete the programme. The programme team look forward to contributing directly to the university work that is planned for this theme.

The QAA Enhancement theme will be a focus for the review work carried out by the programme team who will meet regularly to maintain and review the academic standards and quality of the programme, in line with the UHI Regulations and the GTCS Standards. The programme will utilise university module questionnaires and support this through evaluations of learning activities embedded in the programme structure. This will be reviewed on an annual basis by the TQFE team, and evidenced in an annual self-evaluation report to the UHI Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee.

2.2 Monitoring and assessment of individuals undertaking the programme

The monitoring and guidance for participants in this programme is combined in the role of study group tutor. Each participant will be part of a study group, of up to 12 individuals led by a TQFE tutor who will also be their personal academic tutor (PAT). These groups will meet in real-time virtually every two weeks in each semester of the programme. Teacher education has successfully used this approach and found that it is particularly relevant for a part-time distance learning programme that is based in the participant's workplace. This ensures that the tutor has knowledge and understanding of the challenges of studying part-time for a workplace-based award and can provide guidance in relation to the programme and other support available in each college, if required.

The programme has a 'cyclic and iterative approach to dialogic feed-forward' (Hill and West, 2020, p.9) which incorporates opportunities for self-assessment by the participants. This approach is supported by Winstone and Carless (2020, p. 79) who advocate 'multi-stage' assessments or, a 'series of overlapping, interlinked or integrated tasks …. In which feedback from an earlier task can be applied to a later one'. The structure, timing and connection between assessments will support participants to link their learning on the programme to practice and the SLSC.

The Appendix illustrates the implementation of this approach to assessment in the student journey through the programme. In the first semester participants begin in week 1 with a formative task identifying artefacts to add to their digital portfolio, this is followed with a formative written piece on observed teaching in week 4. The task interlinks the work on the SLSC with the work on reflection and observation, supporting the local observation of the participant in week 5. The study themes for weeks 6 to 11 build on those first tasks, supporting a formative self-evaluation against SLSC and summative reflective written assignment in week 12.

The assessments in semester 2 are built through short discussion board posts into an enquiry proposal in week 5 that links directly to the reflection on SLSC and the use of a coaching wheel approach (GTCS) to identify current professional priorities. The work on the enquiry is supported iteratively through a second series of discussion posts, linked to the second UHI observation of teaching and the completion of an enquiry poster and the digital portfolio of artefacts and reflective posts in relation to each of the standards in the SLSC.

The TQFE tutors will each lead a study group through the programme. The marking of assessments will be completed by a different TQFE tutor, with moderation and second marking led by the Module Leader. Marking, as befits a programme that is evidencing a professional standard, will be pass/ fail, with results being presented at an exam board in June of each academic year. An external examiner will consider a sample of the work assessed and join observation visits with UHI tutors, to review the teaching assessment within the programme. The programme will follow UHI regulations (Chapters 17 and 18) for resubmission of failed work and appeals. The document is available online.

The award for completion of the programme at SCQF level 9 will be a CPD Certificate Teaching Qualification Further Education, and at SCQF level 11 at PGcert Teaching Qualification Further Education.

Admission and access to the programme

This programme will initially recruit internally in UHI with direct links through CPD leads in UHI College and will then be marketed to lecturers employed in tertiary institutions across Scotland. The programme is structured to support access and widen participation to lecturers in any subject area holding the qualifications relevant to their subject area. All participants to this programme will be nominated by their employer, who will provide a mentor in their setting to support the development of their professional practice in tertiary education. Through the nomination process applicants will have been supported to apply for the programme at an appropriate time in their professional development. Contact with all applicants and any related negotiations with colleges will be led by the Programme Leader of behalf of the University.

All applicants must be employed in a tertiary institution and hold a minimum teaching contract of 120 hours during the time they complete the programme. Their application must be supported by their employing institution as under the National Bargaining Agreement NJNC 03/18, lecturers taking a TQFE programme must be allocated 150 hours of study time across the two semesters involved. Each applicant must agree this with their employers prior to commencing the programme.

All applications will be reviewed by the Programme Leader, with places offered on the basis of the application and supporting statement.

• For entry at SCQF Level 9

Applicants must meet the nomination conditions and hold an HNC or HND in their own subject area. Where the highest qualification available in their subject area is an HNC they must also have completed one of the following awards:

• GC87 49 PDA Teaching Practice in Scotland's Colleges (16 L9 points)
• GR5K 49 Teaching Practice in Scotland's Colleges .
• GG82 49 PDA Developing Teaching practice in Scotland's Colleges (40 L9 points)

Consideration will be given to applicants holding an HNC and passes in other relevant PDAs.

The programme is designed to enable supported access to the programme at SCQF level 9 for all lecturers. The university is committed to widening access to higher education and encourages applications from individuals who do not have standard entry qualifications. This is supported through a university commitment to the recognition of prior learning, whether certificated or not.

• For entry at SCQF Level 11

Applicants must meet the nomination conditions above and hold a degree in their subject area. An honours degree is preferred. The University will consider applications from those holding an ordinary degree with relevant practice experience.

Prior to the beginning of the programme participants will receive an Induction pack with information about the programme to discuss with their mentor. This pack will include information to support their transition to part-time study, through essential student skills which addresses blended learning, collaborative learning and the technologies used at UHI.

2.3 Functions of the governing bodies, principals and members of staff of institutions providing the course

See University policy and regulations

Week	Curriculum and Pedagogy (Tertiary) Learning activities are planned in two-week blocks for this module	Assessment (Curriculum and Pedagogy)	Professional Practice (Tertiary) Learning activities are presented in weekly blocks	Portfolio (Professional Practice)
1	Concepts of learning, curriculum and pedagogy – viewed from the learner perspective and teacher simultaneously GTCS Standards 1.1 (understands student needs); 2.2 (engages with current theories of learning); 3.1 (reflects critically on own practice).		Establish contact with Study Group and Tutor. Introduction to the Standards and exploration of professional identity. Ethical considerations in teaching: confidentiality, personal learning support plans	Reflecting on current engagement with the Standards. Engage with one Standard – what artefacts could you include? This module addresses the following GTCS Standards 2.3 Technologies and resources for learning, teaching and work 3.4 Effective application of digital technologies to learning, life and work N.B Students will themselves identify evidence and artefacts for each standard to include in this digital portfolio
2			Lesson planning – linked to course specification documents	Record of initial mentor discussion –establishing professional learning log
3	Links to the student experience Start from learner Move on to teacher experience in tutor role in facilitating that experience GTCS Standards 1.2 (empowers students to engage); 1.3 (reflect critically on...professional values) 2.2 (meeting the diverse needs); 3.2 (plans…to meet the different needs and learning preferences).		Introduction to critical reflection, reading and research (L9 and L11).	Presentation of lesson plans – feedback and reflection (link to Standards)
4		Reflect on a colleague teaching – focus on module pedagogy frameworks. What to take forward in your own practice (500 words formative)	Engaging more deeply with Frameworks, Governing Bodies and Policy (participant choice).
5	Pedagogy of Assessment GTCS Standards 1.2 (embraces and sustains sustainability in learning and teaching; supports personal responsibility); 2.2 (appropriate assessment and feedback approaches; digital technologies to enhance..assessment); 3.2 (plans…a range of assessment strategies).		Planning for assessment.	1st Observation – written reflection on professional dialogue. Criticality and depth of links to research and reading.
6			Study Group discussion -reflection on lesson observation. Identifying a critical incident.
7	Inclusive practices to support and promote student engagement with learning (linked to critical incidents and reflection). GTCS Standards 1.1 (understands student needs) 2.2 (understands the nature of student engagement strategies) 2.2 (continuously evaluates the curriculum…to ensure it meets the needs of students) 3.2 (applies a range of inclusive practices)		Frameworks for engaging with critical incidents (Tripp, 1993)
8			Further reading around critical incidents.
9	Revisit Identity – change from previous roles/ post – build into lecturer identity Place/ position/ who you are/ where you are GTCS Standards 1.1; 3.2 (develops learning relationships) 3.5 (critical reflection)		Share critical incident with Study Group.
10			Supporting academic reflective writing
11	Reading week/Assessment Preparation and tutor drop-in session		Adding artefacts to the Portfolio
12		Summative Written Assessment: Reflection on one critical incident – significance to professional learning, linked to Standards and module readings.		Evaluation against the Standards – include and reflect on additional artefacts.

Week	Professionalism (Tertiary) Learning activities are planned in two-week blocks for this module	Assessment (Professionalism)	Professional Practice (Tertiary) Learning activities are presented in weekly blocks	Portfolio
1	Professionalism – what the term means in context of education – Professional standards and governing bodies in your subject area. GTCS Standards 1.2 Professional values 1.3 Continuous professional improvement 1.4 2.1 Political, social and economic drivers	Discussion Post – What does it mean to be a professional in your subject area?	Establish contact with Study Group and Tutor.	Revisit the Standards – update with any artefacts since the end of the last module. Reflect on your current professional learning priorities, linked to supporting documents.
2			Critical reflection, reading and research linked to self-evaluation tools.	Coaching wheel (GTCS)
3	Identity – Place on the journey, your starting point. Where you are going to – your identity at the end. Reflective process – Include the standard. GTCS Standards 3.5 Critical and reflective practice	Discussion post: Share the Standard that you aim to develop within your micro lesson and the intended impact on your professional practice	Theory and purpose of Enquiry
4			Micro lesson (recorded)	Reflect on micro lesson recording
5	Professional capital – (Hargreaves and Fullan 2015, 2016, 2020) GTCS Standards 3.5 Critical and reflective practice 3.1 Ongoing professional learning	Enquiry proposal (formative)	Student voice
6			Digital Literacy
7	Conflict of identity –challenges of fitting your values/ identity in the place you are working. Focus on confidence in skills to take practice forward. Lecturer as an educationalist rather than as in their original profession. Embedded in practice – becoming a lecturer Reference to values – personal, professional and in the standard GTCS Standards 1.3 Continuous professional improvement 2.1 political, social and economic drivers 3.1 ongoing professional learning	Discussion post: How does your professional identity impact on your learners?	Carrying out an Enquiry: Evidence based enquiry (GTCS), revisit coaching wheel (GTCS) Critique of examples of Practitioner Enquiry – impact on practice.
8				2nd Observation Record of observations including reflection on professional dialogue – criticality and links to research and reading. Reflection and professional dialogue contribute to the Enquiry.
9	Professional roles and responsibilities - links back to relationships in curriculum and pedagogy module Link to college inspection – through impact on students – soft/ hard measures – KPIs Quality assurance Lecturer Resilience. GTCS Standards 1.1 Students at the centre 1.2 2.4 student pathways 2.5 Quality assurance and improvement	Discussion post: Share intended Enquiry focus	Evidencing the Standards. Review of professional identity with a focus on resilience Signpost –further learning opportunities, in UHI the Learning and Teaching Academy	Leading towards a portfolio of evidence which demonstrates digital literacy skills and recognition of student voice; and allows for creativity and choice. Portfolio submission by end of week 11. Marking of the portfolio is mapped against the Standards, detailing where each is evidenced. Participants also provide further links to evidence.
10		Discussion post: Reflect on the place of collaboration in your professional community
11	Collaboration – working with others, with colleagues in different subject areas. National expectations, SQA marking, engagement with stakeholders and employability. National imperatives – e.g. early years expansion. Working with local authority, SQA plus schools GTCS Standards 2.5 Quality assurance and improvement 3.3 innovative curriculum and design
12		Enquiry poster (L9 and L11) and executive summary (L11). Appendix contains details of revisiting the reflection on Standards
			Professional dialogue and Professional action	Marking/mediation/feedback combined. Professional dialogue between tutor and participant – opportunity to expand on portfolio entries and to recognise contributions, looking ahead to next steps.