Programme Specification 2015-6

MA in Effective Learning and Teaching

Awarding Institution: University College London

Teaching Institutions: UCL Institute of Education

Name of final award

Master of Arts (MA)

Postgraduate Diploma

Postgraduate Certificate

Programmetitle

Effective Learningand Teaching

Language of study

The Institute of Education teaches and assesses participants through the medium of the English language. Competence in English language is required of all applicants. Programme regulations may indicate the level of competence required of each applicant and may make its achievement a condition of admission.

Participants

The programme is designed for experienced and/or qualifiedteachers wishing to extend their understandings of learning in classrooms and beyond.

Educational aims of the programme

The aims of the programmeare:

  • To problematise ‘effective’ learning and teaching, by examining various models of learning;
  • To explore and develop participants’ own learning and teaching inside and outside the classroom;
  • To raise awareness of how classrooms operate, developing appropriate research capacity, sensitivity and critical dispositions to do so;
  • To critically analyse practices that promote student learning;
  • To meet participants’ particular needs and address issues of specific interest in relation to guiding learning and teaching.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants should have:

  • Problematised ‘effective’ learning and teaching, by examining various models of learning and teaching;
  • Explored and developed their own learning inside and outside the classroom;
  • A raised awareness of how classrooms operate, and an appropriate research capacity and awareness to do so;
  • Evaluate critically practices that promote student learning;
  • Critiqued discourses of Assessment for Learning;
  • Met some of their particular needs and addressed issues of specific interest in relation to effective learning and teaching.

Criteria for admission

Participants should hold a good first degree in a relevant area and, normally, have an approved teaching qualification and/or two years’ teaching experience. They should show a commitment to and genuine interest in teaching and learning. Some applicants are asked to write a qualifying essay.

Applicants whose first language is a language other than English may be required to provide evidence of their English language proficiency.

The Institute of Education is committed to admitting and supporting participants with disabilities and welcomes applications from them. Participants do not need to be “registered disabled” to draw on these services, though in order to provide services in the long-term we will need to ask for medical or other evidence, as appropriate.
Disabilities Support can also support people who have a temporary mobility / dexterity impairment / other difficulty as a result of an accident, injury, illness or surgery.
We aim to treat every person as an individual, with needs which may differ from those of other people with a superficially similar disability. We do not therefore have standard procedures for participants with dyslexia, nor standard procedures for visually impaired participants: each person's needs are considered individually.

Mode of study

The MA is taken over a minimum of two years, maximum of four years part time; or one year full time. Full-timestudents take up to two modules each term and part-time students take one. Most teaching takes place in the early evening when full and part-time students can work together and there are some Saturday sessions.

Programmestructures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards

The programme is divided into study modules and each unit counts for 30 credits, with the exception of the dissertation which is worth 60 credits.

For a Master's degree to be awarded, successful completion of a minimum of 180 credits is required. (The Institute of Education uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), as a guide to support periods of study undertaken abroad and to assist student mobility. Currently it is assumed that two UK credits equate to one ECTS. Therefore a module of 30 credits would typically equate to 15 ECTS credits).

Students who for academic or personal reasons are unable to successfully complete the 180 credits required for the masters awardmay exit with the completion of 90 or 120 credits respectively and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma in the subject area.

Programme framework

  • Module 1Guiding Effective Learning and Teaching (compulsory, 30 credits)
  • Module 2Investigating Research (recommended, 30 credits)
  • Module 3Teaching and Learning in Classrooms (recommended, 30 credits)
  • Module 4 Assessment for Learning (recommended, 30 credits)
  • Dissertation in an area relating to effective learning (60 credits) [or a report, 30 credits, in which case a 5thelective module is taken (30 credits)]

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

A wide variety of teaching and learning strategies is used across the programme. These have been selected by the teaching team to motivate the learners, to maximise opportunities for learning and to provide exemplars of good practice in teaching and learning. These typically include: teacher-led exposition (20%), discussion and activities in pairs (10%), small groups (30%) and within the whole group (20%), individual research and presentations (10%), ICLT learning, case studies and action research undertaken in the learners’ own institutions (10%), focused tutorials including feedback (10%).

Because of the international nature of our student intake, we aim to draw on international literature and link teaching activities to participants’ own contexts, whatever their country or language. Intercultural group work has high priority.

The assessment framework of the programme consists of a 20,000 word dissertation; or a 10, 000 word report plus an extra module assignment.

Students are also required to submit a 5000 word essay at the end of each module.In the case of Guiding Effective Learning and Assessment for Learning, a compulsory 1000 word essay is written mid-way through the module. . A formative essay of 1000 words is also required which is fed back on by peers and tutor. Feedback on another 1000 word section of the 5000 word essay can also be requested as the essay is being developed after the module is completed.

For the Investigating Research module, the following assessment requirements are proposed:

Students will submit coursework equivalent to a 5,000 word essay:

a)A critical review of 3-4 research articles addressing a common problem or question;

b)A research proposal, including rationale, research question(s), critical review of relevant literature, study design, methods of data collection and analysis, and ethical considerations.

Information about assessment regulations

Participants must successfully complete all elements of the programme, to achieve the minimum credits required for the award. All coursework is assessed according to the grade-related criteria for the programme level, found in the programme handbook.

All assignments are independently marked by two staff members, who meet to discuss and reconcile the marks and comments for each individual. Assignments are graded from A to D, with D being a failing grade. Participants are permitted to re-present a failed assignment on one further occasion, within 12 months of the original submission.

An external examiner is appointed and plays an important role in monitoring the quality of the programme and evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and support provided for the programme participants and the reliability of the judgements made in assessing them.

Support for learning

Support strategies for Masters students:

  • A programmehandbook that gives detailed information about the programmeand advice on study skills and individual module packs with detailed advice on assessment.
  • An induction programme including introduction to the Institute library, Moodle, IT and other facilities provided by the Institute.
  • Support and supervision by a personal tutor who has specialist knowledge and experience in the student’s own field. The tutor meets with the trainee in regular 1:1 tutorials and offers guidance and support in the writing of the dissertation.
  • Peer support and networking is facilitated in the group by the use of Moodleand collaborative projects.
  • Access to the full range of welfare and union facilities afforded to all Institute trainees

Methods for evaluating and improving the course

Methods for evaluating and improving the programmeinclude:

  • An end of term written evaluation of the programme completed by all students on each module.
  • Internal moderation of both written work and practical teaching on modules is undertaken by programmetutors, including Awaydays on development issues.
  • The external examiner has a quality assurance role; s/he looks at 10% of the programmemembers’ written work, including all D grades and 10% of each other grade.

Indicators of quality and standards

One might expect some or all of the following:

  • Progression of Masters students to go on to do PhD or Ed D
  • Promotion by some students to management roles in their schools
  • Programmeparticipants delivering teaching to other practitioners in their own institutions or on a regional or national basis
  • Publication of outstanding courseworkin peer reviewed journals.

Date of completion/amendment of specification

August 2015