PGCert Handbook - Staff and Departmental Development Unit

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Handbook Route 1: 2005-2006Appendix CQuality Management & Enhancement ProceduresThe Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE) is a University of Leedsqualification, approved by the Learning and Teaching Board as a sixty-credit award at level M. The programme, incommon with all courses approved by the University, is subject to annual and periodic review procedures which areoverseen by the Quality Management & Enhancement Unit. The annual process for the Certificate includes a review of allmodules and of the course as a whole. These reviews are informed by feedback from participants and the ExternalExaminer report.Participant feedbackComments from participants are collected in four ways:• a pre-course questionnaire is used to check the focus and relevance of the course• views of the course in progress are elicited at four stages during the programme:focustiming1 SDDU5110 and administrative procedures end SDDU51102 SDDU5120/SDDU5125 end SDDU51203 SDDU5140 end SDDU51404 SDDU5160 end SDDU5160• an end of programme evaluation• a ‘six months on’ questionnaire, sent to all staff who successfully complete the programme, is used toevaluate how the programme has affected classroom practice.External examinerFor each cohort the External Examiner visits the University in October. During the visit he examines all assignments,meets course participants, and gives verbal feedback to the course team. He provides a written report which is responded toin accordance with University requirements. The examiner is asked to address issues of standards, quality of work, validityand reliability of assessment procedures and course design.The current External Examiner is Dr Paul Blackmore, Director of the Centre for Academic Practice, University of Warwick.http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/cap/Staff-Participant CommitteeThe Committee pass opinions on the organisation, presentation and value of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning andTeaching in Higher Education programme, taking account of University policies and strategies concerning teaching &learning and staff development.The Committee is established at the beginning of module 2 for each programme cycle. It consists of elected courseparticipants (some of whom will be from the previous year’s cohort) and the PGCLTHE course team. The participantmembers will, as far as possible, be representative of the different departments / schools / faculties enrolled on theprogramme. The chair, for all of the meetings, will be elected from the participant members.The group will have at least two formal meetings during the programme cycle, usually in January and April. However, itcould meet at other times if members so require. Minutes of the meetings, which will form part of the annual reportrequired by the University’s teaching quality assurance procedures, will be taken by the PGCLTHE course secretary andconfirmed by the chair. An agenda will be circulated at least one week prior to any meeting, and all members of theCommittee will have the opportunity to submit items for inclusion. Participant members will be expected to consult withprogramme participants in order to ascertain their views on all matters.The chair and one other elected participant member will act as participant representatives on the Learning & TeachingCommittee for approved programmes in the SDDU.The Committee meets the External Examiner each year during the Examiner’s visit to discuss the course. Further detailsare available at:http://vle.leeds.ac.uk/site/nbodington/sddu/pgclthe/pgclthe2004/staffpartic/Staff and Departmental Development Unit Page 16 University of Leeds