Executive Summary

GCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework 2012

This document updates the current GCU CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework (2008).

Continuing professional development (CPD) in learning and teaching at GCU aims to improve the quality of the students’ learning experience by encouraging staff with a teaching or student learning support role to develop innovation in learning and teaching throughout their careers.

The new AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework provision – Recognising Achievement in Teaching Excellence - is co-ordinated by GCU LEAD (Centre for Learning Enhancement and Academic Development) and supported collaboratively by Schools and Support departments.

Aims of GCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy:

  • Confirm the university’s commitment to providing opportunities for continuing professional development in learning and teaching for all teaching/student-engaged staff irrespective of role, department or school.
  • Support quality continuing professional development in learning and teaching for all teaching/student-engaged staff, which meets the needs of the individual and the institution
  • Raise the profile and status of learning and teaching across GCU by encouraging scholarly activity through a distributive leadership approach.

Aims of the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework:

  1. Provide flexible routes for staff to engage in Continuing Professional Development in Learning and Teaching.
  2. Support the professional recognition of staff in teaching and student learning support roles.
  3. Confer professional recognition in all four categories of the UK Professional Standards Framework (2011) to GCU staff on behalf of the Higher Education Academy using newly accredited, devolved status.

CPD (Learning and Teaching) Provision:

A range of professional development activities and action-based educational research at both School, Department and Institutional levels, focus on developing capability for leading and engaging with innovation in learning and teaching across all levels of the teaching community. Opportunities include: Mentoring, Peer Support, Graduate Teaching Assistant workshops, accredited teaching and learning programmes, Recognition of Prior informal Learning, Communities of Practice, School/GCULEAD collaborative learning and teaching projects, CPD workshops, and Caledonian Scholars and Associates.

Career Development through Teaching and Learning

Engaging in CPD in learning and teaching offers opportunities for advancement through GCU’s academic advancement and promotion procedures and is integrated into the university’s People Strategy (2012).

The GCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework (2012)

Introduction

This document updates the GCU CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework (2008). Part 1 outlines the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy for the university. Part 2 details how this policy will operate through the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework – Recognising Achievement in Teaching Excellence.

Part 1

GCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy

1CPD in Learning and Teaching Defined

1.1Continuing professional development in learning and teaching (CPD L&T) at GCU aims to improve the quality of the students’ learning experience by encouraging staff with teaching or student learning support roles to engage with innovation in learning and teaching throughout their careers. A range of professional development activities and action-based educational research at Institutional, School, and Department levels focus on developing capability for leading effective and innovative practice in learning and teaching across all levels of the teaching and student support community. The Distributive Leadership model[1] encourages the development of learning communities around a variety of scholarly activities such as mentoring, facilitation, peer networks, technology enhanced learning, action research, work based learning, and publication and dissemination. The framework supports the university’s strategic aims for learning and teaching, including the development of scholarly and reflective teaching practice, and the professionalrecognition of teaching and student learning support staff. This flexible approach provides staff across the university with a range of CPD opportunities at all stages of their careers to raise the profile of teaching and learning at university, national and international levels through the co-ordination afforded by GCULEAD.

2CPD (Learning and Teaching) Co-ordination

2.1CPD (Learning and Teaching) is co-ordinated through GCULEAD[2]and supported collaboratively by Schools and Support departments.

2.2 Generic staff development for all staff is supported by the Organisational Development department.

2.3 Academic Schools provide discipline based staff development.

2.4 CPD in learning and teaching is facilitated through the Performance Development Annual Review (PDAR).

4 Aims of GCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy

4.1 For the institution the policy aims to:

  • Confirm the university’s commitment to providing opportunities for CPD in learning and teaching for all teaching/student learning support staff irrespective of role, department or school.
  • Encourage professional recognition though aligning the AcceleRATECPD Policy (Learning and Teaching) with the UK Professional Standards for Teaching and Support Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF, 2011).
  • Support quality CPD in learning and teaching which meets the needs of the individual and the institution.
  • Raise the profile and status of learning and teaching across GCU by encouraging scholarly activity through a distributive leadership approach.
  • Create an innovative and forward-looking learning and teaching environment based on scholarly activity and action-based research.
  • Facilitate CPD (Learning and Teaching) that supports and enhances the student learning experience and reflects the priorities and objectives of the university’s Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy.
  • Enhance networking across Schools and Departments through CPD opportunities and initiatives
  • Enable the University to respond to educational initiatives and developments according to University strategic plans, priorities, and strategies, and relevant external bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

4.2 For Schools, and Central Support Departments the policy aims to:

  • Facilitate CPD that supports and enhances the student learning experience and reflects the priorities and objectives of the University and School Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy and Departmental Plans.
  • Facilitate collaboration within and across Schools and Support departments to enable vibrant learning and teaching communities of practice to develop around key priority issues within institutional, national and international contexts.
  • Develop a community of staff engaged in scholarly learning and teaching activity in collaboration with their Schools, support departments and GCU LEAD to enhance the student experience at GCU.
  • Provide a framework of CPD opportunities for learning and teaching for staff new to teaching or the HE context, and experienced staff with a teaching and/or student learning support role.
  • Offer support for the development of scholarship in learning and teaching at all levels of the institution.

4.3 For individual members of staff the policy aims to:

  • Encourage continuous engagement in innovative learning and teaching to enhance career progression.
  • Introduce staff to the philosophy and methodologies of student learning and to enable them to identify and use their skills and experience to enhance the quality of student learning.
  • Enable staff to participate in, and contribute to communities of practice focussed on key priorities in learning and teaching.
  • Support staff to develop scholarly and reflective learning and teaching practice.

5Responsibility for CPD in Learning and Teaching

5.1Individual members of staff are encouraged to reflect on their professional development needs and interests in relation to learning and teaching in their own context, and to liaise with appropriate people in their School/Support Department to identify development opportunities. This process is formalised through the Performance Development Appraisal Review (PDAR). In terms of the main units responsible for CPD initial contacts are:

Schools: Head of Department, Associate Dean Learning, Teaching and Quality and/or Departmental Learning and Development Co-ordinator

Central Departments:Director and/or Departmental Learning and Development Co-ordinator

5.2Professional Body requirements: It is the responsibility of each employee to ascertain any professional body requirements for CPD. Any CPD related to professional bodyrequirements should be discussed with the relevant Departmental Learning and Development Co-ordinator and/or through the PDAR.

6Record keeping of CPDactivities

6.1 CPD is recorded through the university’s PDAR.

7Scope of CPD:

7.1The AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy encompasses the CPD activities and action-based educational research at School, Department and Institutional levels. It focuses on developing capability for leading and engaging with innovation in learning and teaching across all levels of the teaching community.

7.2Opportunities include: Mentoring, peer support, Graduate Teaching Assistant workshops, accredited teaching and learning programmes, recognition of prior informal learning, communities of practice, School/GCULEAD collaborative learning and teaching projects, CPD workshops, Caledonian Scholars and Associates initiative.

8.Professional Recognition of CPD (Learning and Teaching)

8.1GCU’s AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy prioritises the professional recognition of teaching and student learning support staff in line with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF, 2011).

8.2The AcceleRATE Policy and Framework have been accredited by the Higher Education Academy (September 2012). This accreditation devolves responsibility to GCU for the conferment of professional recognition to eligible staff in all categories of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF, 2011).

Part 2

The AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

9Aims of the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

9.1 The specific aims of the Framework are to:

  • Co-ordinate flexible developmental routes for staff to engage in CPD in Learning and Teaching.
  • Align the developmental routes with the professional recognition requirements of the UKPSF (2011).
  • Integrate all CPD (Learning and Teaching) into one single university accredited Framework

10 Structure of the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

10.1The new AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching)Framework is structured into two principal CPD routes across a range of four CPD categoriesof UKPSFfellowship – Associate Fellow, Fellow, Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow. Appendix 1 provides an illustrative overview.

11 Definitions of the Fellowship Categories

11.1Associate Fellow: Staff setting developmental targets in this category will typically include:

Staff who support student learning but with no/little responsibility for teaching

eg: Librarians, Programme Administrators, School Managers, Learning Technologists, Academic Development Tutors, Learning Development Centre staff, part time lecturers new to teaching, , or who have a limited teaching portfolio, PhD students with small responsibility for teaching.

11.2Fellow: Staff setting developmental targets in this category will typically include:

staff who support student learning holding substantive teaching and learning responsibilities; academic-related and/or support staff with more than 9 hours teaching per week and less than 3 years teaching experience; staff holding responsibility for substantive teaching in work based settings; experienced academics relatively new to UK higher education.

11.3Senior Fellow:Staff setting developmental targets in this category will typically include:

Experienced staff able to demonstrate impact and influence through, eg responsibility for leading, managing or organising programmes, subjects and/or disciplinary areas; experienced subject mentors and staff who support those new to teaching; experienced staff with departmental and/or wider teaching and learning support advisory responsibilities within an institution

11.4Principal Fellow: Staff setting developmental targets in this category will typically include:

Highly experienced and/or senior staff with wide-ranging academic or academic-related strategic leadership responsibilities in connection with key aspects of teaching and supporting learning; Staff responsible for institutional strategic leadership and policy-making in the area of teaching and learning; Staff who have strategic impact and influence in relation to teaching and learning that extends beyond their own institution.

12Definitions of the AcceleRATE Framework Routes

12.1Route 1: Formal, taught credit bearing programmes: This route supports the continuing professional development of staff new to teaching and/or supporting student learning, or to the HE sector, and less experienced staff. Recognition will be based on staff successfully completing summative coursework for the accredited modules comprising each taught programme.

12.2Route 2: Recognition of Prior informal Learning (RPiL): This route supports the continuing professional development of staff with experience, normally more than three years, in teaching and supporting student learning in Higher Education. Recognition will be based on staff successfully presenting a Recognition Claim normally in the form of an e-portfolio.

13. Governance of the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

13.1The AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework will be located within GCU LEAD. The governance structureis depicted in Table 1.

Table 1:

14 Quality Assurance and Enhancement

14.1Route 1: Formal, taught programmes

14.2The award of accredited programmes is achieved through achievement of pre-determined assessment criteria and successful presentation at the GCU LEAD Assessment Board.

14.3Composition of the Assessment Board is inaccordance with GCU Quality Assurance requirements.

14.4Route 2: RPiL

14.5Recognition judgements are based on successful submission of an e-portfolio of evidence of current and prior experience satisfying a set of pre-determined recognition criteria by the GCU AcceleRATE Recognition Panel.

14.6The composition of the AcceleRATE Recognition Panelcomprises

  • Senior representatives of learning and teaching fromall three Schools and GCULEAD
  • An external representative from thehigher education sector
  • An external accreditor from the HEA moderates the AcceleRATE Recognition Panel decisions.
  • Staff holding Fellowship at any category of the UKPSF may be invited to participate as the initiative gains momentum.

14.7Each Recognition Claim will be considered by two internal members of the AcceleRATE Recognition Panel who will provide a written record of their consideration of the Recognition claim for approval by the AcceleRATE Recognition Panel. Where no agreement can be reached between the two internal members a third internal member of the Panel will make a final judgement. One external Panel representative will scrutinise 25% of the Recognition Claims presented at each Panel.

15 Appeals

15.1There is no automatic right of appeal regarding either assessment decisions for Route 1 taught programme submission, or for Route 2 RPiL recognition claims. Exceptionally, only for RPiL recognition claims, the Head of AcceleRATE will moderate and where appropriate seek guidance from an HEA accreditor where a member of staff remains unconvinced of the final judgement.

16 Conferment of HEA Fellowship

16.1Successful staff from Routes 1 and 2 will be presented to theGCU AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework Board who will, on behalf of the HEA, confer fellowship to eligible staff on receipt of formal approved documentation from either the AcceleRATE Assessment Board or the AcceleRATE Recognition Panel. Decisions by the AcceleRATE Framework Board will be communicated to the Higher Education Academy.

16.2The composition will compriseChair of the Route 1 Assessment Board, Chair of the Route 2 Recognition Panel, and GCU LEAD Senior Lecturer (Professional Activities)/Director of AcceleRATE.

16.2The role of the Framework Board is to confer professional recognition to those staff recommended as eligible from the Route 1 Assessment Board and the Route 2 Recognition Panel and in so doing ensuring parity of conferment across the two routes.

17.Career Development through the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

17.1Promotion Criteria

Engaging in CPD in learning and teaching offers opportunities for advancement within GCU and our promotion criteria set out the university’s expectations of professional teaching practice.

18Celebrating Success

18.1GCU, through the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Policy and Framework, celebrates the success of staff who participate in CPD to enhance their practice and provide leadership and collegiate support to GCU’s learning and teaching community. Recognition initiatives include formal awards, internal recognition titles and showcase events. These reflectGCU’s commitment to enhancing the quality of the student learning experience through engaging staff in CPD in learning and teaching.

September 2012

Appendix 1: Overview of the AcceleRATE CPD (Learning and Teaching) Framework

[1]Traditional leadership theories are based on exclusive, hierarchical models of organisations which can limit the overall capability of the organisation through a failure to recognise leadership potential and to engage in efforts to actively build “leadership capacity” (West-Burnham 2004). Distributive leadership theory recognises the power of shared, collective leadership and offers opportunities for staff to engage in leadership at all levels of an organisation – a handing over of control through a model of extension, enhancement and empowerment.

[2] GCULEAD is the central academic department supporting educational scholarship, research and learning and teaching practice across the university’s community