Griffith College Dublin

About the course:
The course aims to develop the ability of the participants to identify, select and apply dynamic and engaging pedagogy appropriate to the needs of their audience, and to justify their choice in the light of current theoretical and research literature. The course presents an environment where participants gain a systematic understanding of teaching and training knowledge at the forefront of the teaching and learning field, and insight into the context of learning as it relates to programme design and delivery. Participants will be expected to develop excellent training practices, which should be part of a continuous reflective development plan to be continued long after the course has been completed. It is envisaged that this course will introduce participants to a ‘change of life’ experience within their professional life that will sustain ongoing reflective practice and development.

The course relies extensively on ‘putting best practice into practice’ through the use of innovative, engaging training methods, and leading edge pedagogy and technology. Collaboration, peer and tutor feedback, continual self evaluation and critical reflection are all core aspects of the course that will enable the participant to grow both personally and in their professional practice. Throughout the course, participants will focus on the bodies and processes influencing training and education, including regulatory and validating bodies, QA procedures, and how these influence course structure, content, and assessment.

The course is designed to be delivered on a part-time basis by means of four linked modules. These broadly reflect the different stages involved from course design, through delivery and assessment to reflection. The component modules are sequenced and scheduled to support participants as they address the related stages of their own training delivery to learners. Each module has a distinct theme, and also links and supports the other three modules.

Module 1, Programme Design, focuses on the general environment in which education and training is currently organised, and examines the drivers of training and education and their influence on programme design and delivery.
Modules 2 and 3, Pedagogical Practice and Assessment Strategies respectively, challenge participants to examine existing current teaching and training practices, and push participants to put aside preconceived ideas about teaching and assessing, by considering a broader range of methods and solutions. Throughout both modules, participants are supported by the sharing of new pedagogical experiences with colleagues and seeking feedback and input from colleagues.
Finally, in module 4, Evaluation and Reflection, participants explore the role of programme evaluation and feedback in informing change, and are required to bring together all their experiences into a final piece of reflective work – the teaching portfolio. While many of the work-shops, discussions and lectures will have a practical focus, the background reading of the participants will provide the theoretical epistemology for these, enabling informed discussion and a consequent depth of learning.

A key element of participant development will be through the integration of the college Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Moodle. Moodle which is based on social constructivist pedagogy is flexible enough for the lecturer and participants to use in many ways as they see fit. Moodle includes as a basic feature tools to help support a classroom community such as rich featured forums, chat rooms and wikis as well as quizzes and multimedia resources including RSS feeds.

For whom:
The course target audience will be qualified discipline experts interested in training and teaching within their own area of expertise. The participants at entry level to this course will already have a very high degree of expertise in their own specialist field; in general this will be a Level 9 or higher qualification. They will have a depth of understanding of the paradigms in their own disciplines and consequently they will bring authoritative levels of academic and professional engagement to the process; they will expect to be challenged and to engage at a similar level in the educational field. Bearing this in mind, the participants will be expected to apply an advanced academic and intellectual approach to this course from the outset. They will be expected to understand the value of underpinning good practice with sound theoretical foundations. They will be referred to the apposite research and literature and required to read extensively; and to demonstrate an ability to evaluate, relate and apply this theoretical basis in practice.

Pre-requisite:
Minimum Requirement: Hons Degree (level 8) Desirable: Post graduate award in area of specialty

Fees: €1750
The above costs include the following: Fully Equipped Room, use of all materials, publications and materials on video/audio cassettes, complies with the terms and conditions laid down by the copyright owner, Exam Fees and Manuals.