Mode of Study

Part-time

Start Date

22nd Sep 2021, 26 weeks

Day(s):

Wednesday

Time:

15:00 - 17:00

Location

City Campus

Cost

£ 840

Overview

The Professional Development Award (PDA) Teaching Practice in Scotland’s Colleges will provide you with excellent continuing development (CPD) opportunities. The course is ideal for you if you are currently employed in a teaching role in further education or equivalent.  Further details of the topics covered are provided in the section "what you study" below.

You will be assessed continuously throughout this course with the assessments taking the form of observation of your teaching, lesson planning and reflective assignments. There is no final examination.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements

PDA Teaching Practice in Scotland’s Colleges entrance qualifications are given below, but please note that relevant work experience will be taken into consideration.  You must teach a minimum class contact time 2 hours per week throughout the course.

This will be teaching adult learners in further education or equivalent. You need to make your own arrangements for your teaching and have this in place before signing up for this course. This will not be arranged by the tutor team. 

You are expected to have the equivalent of the following:

• Communication skills at SCQF level 6.
• Numeracy skills at SCQF level 4.
• IT skills at level 5.

Additional selection requirements

• You must be teaching a minimum class contact time of 20 hours over the time of the course (ideally 40 hours) and be delivering assessed qualifications to adult learners.
• You need to make your own arrangements for your teaching class contact time. This will not be arranged by the tutor team.

What you study

This Group Award comprises two HN (SCQF level 9) units based on the professional standards for lecturing staff in Further Education Colleges.

The units are:

• Plan and Prepare the Learning Experience (H416 36).
• Learning and Teaching (H417 36).

In the first part of the course, you will focus on how to Plan and Prepare the Learner Experience. This involves creating:

• A profile for a group of learners.
• An inclusive learning, teaching and assessment plan for a minimum of 20 hours of learning.
• Four detailed and consecutive lesson plans.
• A 750-word evaluative report justifying and evaluating your selection of learning and teaching activities, assessment instruments and resources.

Next, you will focus on Learning and Teaching. This involves:

• The observation of a minimum of two teaching sessions covering a minimum of four hours of teaching.
• A 500-word commentary of how the learners were provided with feedback on assessment.
• A 500-word commentary on the two observed teaching sessions.

In addition, you will be observed teaching by a tutor in your own teaching situation. This will be arranged twice on mutually convenient days and times during your course.

Teaching

How the course is taught

Assessment methods