Teaching and Learning in Higher & Professional Education

Course members on the Postgraduate Certificate for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher and Professional Education are required to have a mentor. A full description of the role of the mentor is provided in the mentor guide, but briefly the mentor provides guidance and support to the course member for the purpose of their development in the context of their specific teaching practice. As the UK PSF is embedded in the programme Mentors supporting course members on this programme must be a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Detailed guidance on the UK PSF in relation to this programme can be found in the mentor guide and on our University e-learning platform. It is understand that mentors of those teaching HE students in professional practice placements may not have fellowship therefore these course members would be required to have two mentors – one for their professional practice and another mentor in terms of fellowship. This latter role is likely to be fulfilled by one of the module tutors.

It can be seen from the diagram below that learning and teaching falls into three distinct but reciprocal modes which closely relate theory, practice and critical reflection: firstly, a taught element which will involve interactive group sessions and lectures, course member presentations and team activities; secondly a one-to-one mentored strand which will incorporate peer-mentored observations of learning and teaching and discipline-specific support and thirdly, the development of a community of enquiry through action learning groups which will support critical reflection and form a bridge between the first and second modes of the module.

Mentors of participants on the programme perform a vital role in helping course members to link and apply theory to practice and develop their approaches to teaching. Requirements of the mentor review are fully explained in the mentor guide in the right-hand column of this page.

Your support and feedback to our course members is invaluable to them in their professional development as teachers in a higher education or a higher and professional education context. If you have any queries or concerns please contact either Duncan or Jane. Thank you for your support.