Postgraduate certificate in academic practice
On this page
This course is intended for both new and experienced teaching staff and others who directly support learning in higher education. It will give you the opportunity to develop your own professional practice in the light of current research in the field of teaching and learning in HE. It examines a wide range of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment and asks you to explore these in relation to your own practice. You will also investigate how you can use a range of technologies to support student learning in different teaching contexts. Studying this course involves taking part in online activities.
Course facts
A postgraduate course in Education.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | H812 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
The course explores issues of teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. It builds upon your experience and understanding as a teacher and practitioner and challenges you to reflect upon this in order to enhance your own professional practice in supporting your students’ learning. It takes your own teaching context as the starting point so that you are able to relate the theories and approaches introduced in the course to your own practice. This includes engaging with a range of media in learning design.
The course is fundamentally concerned with the ways in which your practice as a teacher can contribute to effective student learning. You will examine this in collaboration with other participants on the course through engaging in a range of online activities. These will give you the opportunity to relate the learning theory and concepts introduced in the course to good practice in your own subject area. The course culminates with a small-scale inquiry into your own practice. This will help you to apply what you have learnt throughout your studies to your own teaching and learning context.
The course is divided into four blocks.
Year One:
Block 1 Supporting learning and teaching: an introduction to theories of learning and teaching in higher education and the implications of these for your own practice.
Block 2 Design of learning environments: exploring the potential of learning design in different contexts, for example, in face to face, e-learning, distance learning, and the possibilities offered by a wide range of media and digital applications in your practice, such as Web 2.0, social networking, blogs and wikis.
Year Two:
Block 3 Assessing student learning: examines in detail the relevance of theories and approaches to assessment and how you can use assessment to support and enhance student learning. You will explore assessment in your own subject area and the context in which you are teaching.
Block 4 Improving practice: offering you the opportunity to apply your knowledge and understanding gained during the course. You will undertake a small practitioner inquiry into an aspect of teaching and learning in your own context and explore how you are changing and developing your own thinking and professional practice and how you expect to build upon this in the future.
On our faculty website you can find out what our students say about the benefits of studying H812 for their professional practice.
Entry
This is a practice-centred course for those currently teaching or otherwise supporting student learning at higher education level. During the course you will need to be teaching or providing learner support in higher education for, typically, at least 50 hours. You should also be prepared for study at postgraduate level. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
You can claim the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (C68) on completion.
H812 is an optional module in our:
Masters degree in Education (F01)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
In this course you are expected to use a wide range of resources and to study emerging online technology. Most of these will be delivered as web pages, PDF files and web-based tools. We have tried to avoid using inaccessible resources, but some material which is core for the course may not be easily accessible for assistive technology users. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. Some students find the amount of reading from technically different sources challenging. In many cases there will be sufficient alternative activities and material to complete assignments successfully. Where this is not the case, you will be given individual support by your tutor, in collaboration with other OU staff. Support for access to Library resources is available from the Library's Learner Helpdesk. It is your responsibility to make your particular needs known to the University.
If you are a new student, or new to study using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
For courses which study the use of emerging online tools, and audio conferencing, you may find the services of a non-medical helper will be beneficial. Advice on this is available from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Study materials
What's included
Online study materials and readings, online forums and activities, website.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
The course is taught entirely online and you will be placed in an online tutor group. Your tutor will give you formative feedback on your assignments and offer guidance and support in preparation for your practitioner inquiry towards the end of the module.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
Professional recognition
The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (C68) has now been recognised as an accredited programme by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). This means that participants who successfully complete this 60-credit course are eligible to become an HEA Fellow.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012. We expect it to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Course facts
A postgraduate course in Education.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | H812 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credits
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Your questions
We may have already answered it in our frequently asked questions.
Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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