Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching & Learning

  Institution: Taylor’s University

PGCHeTL is specially designed for the professional development of university and college teachers to enhance their knowledge and skills in higher education teaching and learning and understanding to become effective teachers, to gain the confidence to innovate and explore ways of enhancing the student learning experience.

What is a PGCHeTL?

The Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning (PGCHeTL) focuses on the teaching role of the academic in higher education, with reference to the diverse ways in which students learn. The PGCHeTL provides a practical and theoretical grounding in learning and teaching in higher education and emphasises the links between conceptual frameworks and professional practice. The PGCHeTL aims to encourage candidates to develop a scholarly, reflective enquiry base to inform their teaching and its development.

What will you gain from PGCHeTL?

By the end of the PGCHeTL, graduates will be able to:

• Understand and apply the theories in relation to curriculum, teaching and learning and assessment to a tertiary learning environment.
• Justify the critical roles played by a subject’s curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment principles and practice in promoting, enhancing, sustaining and improving the learning and teaching of a subject according to the domains of learning.
• Apply the skills of problem solving and critical thinking in relation to the teaching and learning context.
• Express ideas clearly and relate to others in accordance to social context.
• Adapt and meet the demands posed by changing global environment in transforming teaching and learning.

Programme Delivery

The programme will be delivered in three unique delivery modes according to the three domains of knowledge.

• Blended Learning
  The 3 modules on the science of teaching and learning will be delivered through a combination of e-learning and face-to-face. The lectures are given online during the weekends, followed by online continuous assessment. Next, students read and reflect and on Thursdays, attend face-to-face tutorial sessions.
• Discovery and Self Directed Learning
  The 2 modules on learning areas will be taught using a combination of consultative and discovery modes. Students are matched with a supervisor and mentor teacher according to their learning areas and age segment specialisations. They will work with the mentor teacher and consult the faculty supervisor to achieve their learning outcomes.
• Situational Learning
  The final module of the programme requires professional practice from students. They will be assigned to mentor teachers in a learning environment and have to plan and teach lessons related to the learning area they have chosen.

Programme Structure

The duration of the programme is 1 year. The programme comprises 3 modules on teaching and learning, 2 modules on learning areas, 1 elective and 1 module on professional practice, a total of 22 credits.

The programme is well grounded in theory, practice and functionality. The curricular experience will take students through two domains of knowledge. They master the core subjects in the sciences of teaching and learning and pedagogy related to their learning area. Students also have the opportunity to put into practice the theory they have learned through the professional practice module.

Programme Assessment Mode

This programme uses both formative and summative mode of assessments to promote active learning on the part of the learners – an important prerequisite to quality learning. These modes will include:

• e-portfolio
• online discussions
• short quizzes

Approaching the assessments this way gives considerable flexibility to the learners to structure their learning time, as well as increases the applicability of the knowledge gained from the programme.

Source: Taylor’s University