Athlone Institute of Technology
3.3 Development of the personal development planning and reflection, action and evidence review modules
Dr Noel Fitzpatrick (DIT) and Dr Jen Harvey (DIT) Introduction
In February 2008, the Learning Innovation Network (LIN) conducted a sector-wide survey of teaching and learning activities and needs in all of the institutes of technology in Ireland (excluding Sligo IT), including Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). 84.6% (55) of all Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) respondents expressed an interest in further academic/professional development/training. In addition, 65.5% (36) of all AIT respondents were interested in following the accredited route. The most popular programme format was a series of accredited one-day workshops leading to a qualification, for example a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Certificate. 59.1% (13) of lecturers and 50% (8) of assistant lecturers indicated a preference for this approach. Findings from a needs analysis conducted by the Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre (LTTC) with newly appointed and existing academic staff on the institution data collected in 2002 and again in 2005 had also previously indicated that a broad range of professional development opportunities were required by staff, including workshops, CPD courses and accredited programmes.
Initially, a 5-ECTS CPD programme was considered by the LIN accredited professional development (APD) working group as the model for the shared APD programme (see Section 2.2). In order to inform the development of such an APD model, a pilot of the CPD model was carried out in AIT in 2008. The focus was on the development of a learner-centred approach to teaching and the development of academics as reflective practitioners. With the
requirement by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) of a minimum volume of 10 ECTS credits per named award, a 10-ECTS modular structure was used for the LIN APD Special Purpose Awards. As outlined previously, the LIN project subsequently commissioned the development of seven Level 9 Special Purpose Awards in Learning and Teaching in seven different partner institutions. However, while initial feedback suggested that participants were only interested in completing individual modules, a need soon emerged: staff were becoming interested in combining them into a Postgraduate Certificate or using them to gain exemptions into a Level 9 Postgraduate Certificate in Third-level Learning and Teaching (30 ECTS credits). Different learning pathways had already been considered in order that institute of technology (IoT) staff could potentially gain access to a Diploma in Higher Education (through DIT, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) and University of Ulster), a Masters or eventually a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) at Level 10.
A number of different possible combinations of the seven awards into an accredited postgraduate award were explored through the creation of different learner pathways. At that time, a number of issues (outlined in Section 2.2) – for example regarding consistency and quality of approach, potential overlap in content between awards and concerns regarding the overall quality and level of learning outcomes achieved across the combined awards – were of concern to the validating institutions. By way of addressing some of these concerns, it was proposed that two short 5-ECTS modules would be developed (see Section 2.2 for an outline of their development and Appendix 2 for an outline of the modules). At that stage, the intention was for these modules to function as capstone modules as part of the LIN model to support the attainment of such a Postgraduate Certificate qualification (30 ECTS credits) through their combination with two HETAC Special Purpose Awards
(5 + 10 + 10 + 5 ECTS credits). In part, they would serve to ensure to the institution validating the award attainment of the standard required for programme learning outcomes at Level 9 within the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) framework.
PDP module design and development
By serving as capstones, the 5-ECTS modules were initially designed to firstly prepare participants prior to commencing their first APD award and then to reflect upon their later APD learning experiences as they prepared evidence of having achieved the overall LIN shared programme outcomes. The modules aimed to emphasise the developing generic competencies underpinned by professional values within the context of their own subject-disciplinary practice. These competencies include designing individual learning plans, use of a variety of teaching and learning support methods and resources, skills to support student learning more effectively and strategies for reviewing and evaluating their own teaching and professional development. It was also felt that these modules might be of more general interest to staff who already had a heavy workload and would benefit from guidance and support of their existing teaching practice. Appendix 1.3 provides an overview of the way it was envisaged that the modules might relate to the three proposed LIN learning pathways.
During the stage of developing a major LIN award, a hybrid model was offered by DIT to LIN partner staff. This provided staff completing a recognised 10-ECTS APD Special Purpose Award with an opportunity to progress onto a DIT Postgraduate Certificate in Third-level Learning and Teaching module. For successful completion of the full Level 9 programme, the participant would complete a 15- ECTS Certificate module and a 5-ECTS capstone module in addition to their 10-ECTS award. The final 5-ECTS personal development process (PDP) module would serve to pull together evidence of
having achieved all the learning outcomes of the full DIT 30-ECTS postgraduate award.
The DIT Postgraduate Certificate in Third-level Learning and Teaching programme has been offered in DIT since 2000 and was offered in AIT and IT Carlow from 2007. The Postgraduate Certificate was designed to provide the increasingly diverse teaching and learning expertise needed by academic staff in all subject disciplines in today’s higher education institutions. All DIT staff are required to undertake the Certificate if they do not already possess an equivalent qualification. The modules are offered to existing appointed members of IoT staff who teach or support teaching on a full- or part-time basis. Teaching activities may include lecturing, demonstrating, or leading seminars or tutorials. The DIT Postgraduate Certificate was revalidated in January 2010 as a Postgraduate Diploma in Third-level Learning and Teaching. Staff who have completed the Postgraduate Certificate can upgrade their award to the major award by completing a bridging course with DIT.
DIT Postgraduate Diploma
Programme aims
To enable academic staff in the third-level sector to:
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be effective, competent lecturers, by providing them with a range of skills and knowledge to design, deliver and evaluate education programmes; and•
plan, develop and then reflect upon their own professional development.Programme learning outcomes
By successful completion of this programme, participants will be able to:
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critically reflect on and develop their teaching through a range of self, peer and student monitoring techniques to develop their own teaching philosophy statement;•
critically review the concept of professionalism within the context of their professional practice and identify professional values underpinning best practice;•
engage with a community of teachers in higher education from a variety of subject disciplines and academic staff in learning and teaching;•
utilise national and international research findings to develop their practice in line with relevant research in the field of educational research;•
inform their teaching practice with a critical awareness of the socio-cultural context of changes within higher education;•
implement a student-centred approach to teaching practice; and•
develop a strategy for their continued professional development in the context of lifelong learning.PDP module delivery and implementation
In March and May 2010, DIT implemented the first of the PDP modules; 16 participants were from IADT and AIT, along with two participants from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The programme took place over two full days. In between the face-to- face sessions, participants had access to online resources and PowerPoint notes from the sessions. The course was supported by
the use of the DIT virtual learning environment (VLE), webcourses. The first day concentrated on developing a common understanding of a LIN value system and competencies, and developing a project for personal development. It was important from the outset that the professional development of participants would be set against an agreed set of competencies and values. The group discussion facilitated by the tutor enabled the group to start a refection process that would underpin the personal development project that they wished to undertake. The LIN core values were used as a guideline to the discussion.
Once an agreed framework for development had been established, the group explored how to structure a personal development plan. The different models of personal development proved to be a moot point of discussion for the group. Again, agreement was needed to aid the participants in establishing their own PDP. However, because of the tight timeframe the projects would involve minor changes to practice, informed by literature, that could be documented. At the end of the one-day session, each participant had defined a personal development project that would be put in place before the end of the semester.
In between the face-to-face sessions, the participants were given the opportunity to discuss their personal development project with their peers and the tutor. The participants were also given the opportunity to obtain formative feedback on their written assignments. However, not all participants availed of the opportunity. Because the programme is validated as a Level 9 award, it was important to place emphasis on the quality of research and the presentation of research for the assignments. The second day- long session took place in May; each participant reported on how their project was developing and presented it to their peers. In June 2010, all participants submitted a 2,500-word assignment. In September 2010, all participants had passed the course and were awarded their Certificates in October 2010. One of the graduates
has now progressed onto the Postgraduate Diploma programme with DIT.
Lessons learned from the pilot
For future iterations of the programme, the timing of the sessions would need to be revised. Informal feedback from the participants indicated that this time of year was particularly busy, and they found it difficult to carry out the necessary research to back up their personal development plan. The implementation of change and any attempt to measure that change would also need to take place over a longer period of time. Therefore, it is recommended that the module be delivered early in the first semester and that the participants be given much more time to evaluate the implementation of any change that they wish to research.