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Professional Diploma in Education (Further Education)    

Programme Description

The Professional Diploma in Education (Further Education),  [PDE(FE)] programme delivered by the Open Learning Centre, NUI, Galway provides the professional knowledge, understanding and pedagogical skills required to carry out teaching roles and responsibilities in further education. The programme is aimed at persons who are currently working in the further education sector. Programme modules include:

• Teaching Practice and Learning Methods
• Programme Design, Development and Assessment
• Psychology of Learning: Theories and Concepts
• Professional Teaching Practice
• Quality Assurance: Monitoring and Evaluation
• The Learning Society: Context, Structure and Policy

Programme Delivery

The programme is a two-year blended learning part-time programme. Programme delivery includes:

• Virtual Learning Environment: all students who have registered with NUI Galway will have automatic access to the     Blackboard Learning System. This includes:

-           Access to course information, course announcements, course materials, course assignments, general notifications

-           Access to assignment submission utility

-           Access to utilities such as blogs, discussion groups, wikis and webinars

-           Access to NUI Galway’s library catalogue and electronic resources

-           Access to a unique NUI Galway email account 

• Self-study of module materials including core content, reference and resource material, supplementary material; all materials are hosted on Blackboard. Students logon to Blackboard to access module materials and resources.
• Blackboard hosted online activities: participation group activities such as webinars, discussion groups, wikis. Asynchronous online activities around the core concepts of the module are scheduled along a weekly timeline. Students are expected to contribute to and participate in all online activities.
• Individual online learning activities such as blogs and reflective journals moderated through Blackboard. Students respond through blogs to questions posed by the module tutor. Students are encouraged to share experiences and resources through their blogs. In addition, students are expected to complete reflective learning journals in which they critically reflect on module learning and its application to practice.
• Participation in face-to-face workshops and teaching practice tutorials held on the NUI Galway campus. Workshops are designed to include learning activities that facilitate exploration and understanding of ideas and concepts that students are studying in programme modules. Experienced tutors facilitate lectures, discussions and group work designed to present new information in ways that assist student engagement with course material. Students are encouraged to draw on their practical experience and to apply new learning to work related situations and contexts. Participation in group learning activities enhances the learning process. Various pedagogical approaches, such as discussions, role-play, debates, case study analysis, project work, are employed to maximise participant learning at individual and group level.

Professional Recognition

The programme has been developed to contribute to the professional qualification of further education teachers. It is designed to allow participants comply with Regulation Five of The Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations, 2009.

For further information on Regulation Five see The Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2009. Available at: http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/

Programme Aims

The PDE(FE) aims to:

• Provide student teachers with the theoretical knowledge, pedagogical skills and professional competences required to successfully teach and facilitate learning in the further education sector
• Develop competent teachers whose teaching practice is underpinned by ongoing reflective learning and by the core values of the teaching profession
• Engender a sense of collegiality and relationship building within the further education sector
• Foster commitment to the teaching profession built on espousing a love of teaching and lifelong learning, and on championing the potential of all learners.

Programme Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the programme, student teachers will be able to:

• Evaluate teaching practices and strategies to select appropriate teaching methods for diverse learners in the further education sector
• Apply relevant theories and concepts of adult learning and teaching to teaching practices and methods
• Develop programme curricula that comply with the requirements of quality assurance policies and national awarding bodies
• Design and develop formative and summative assessment procedures that constructively support learners’ learning and that assess learners’ achievement of learning outcomes
• Design quality assurance procedures that monitor and evaluate the academic integrity and standards of FETAC (or equivalent) accredited programmes
• Reflectively appraise the knowledge and skills that contribute to successful adoption of the core values, beliefs and skills of the professional teacher
• Engage in reflective practice as part of the ongoing development of expert knowledge, pedagogical skills and professional competence.

Proposed Student Timetable

Table 1: Workshop Schedules

Schedule	Module		Workshop Attendance	Venue
Year 1
Oct	Teaching Practice and Learning Methods	2 days		NUI Galway
Nov	Programme Design, Development and Assessment	2 days		NUI Galway
Feb	Psychology of Learning: Theories and Concepts	2 days		NUI Galway
Year 2
Sept	Professional Teaching Practice	Workshop:  2 days Teaching Practice: 100 hours		NUI Galway and Placement School or Centre
Nov	Quality Assurance: Monitoring and Evaluation	1 day		NUI Galway
Jan	The Learning Society: Context , Structure and Policy	2 days		NUI Galway

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for the programme are designed to comply with Regulation Five of the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations, 2009. Regulation Five details the requirements for registration of teachers in the further education sector. For further information on Regulation Five see The Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2009. Available at: http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/

Garda Vetting

Applicants are required to comply with NUI Galway’s Garda Vetting/Police clearance policy. This entails completing the necessary Garda Vetting Disclosure Forms. See http://www.nuigalway.ie/admissions/gardavetting2011.html for further information

Educational Requirements

For acceptance on to the PDE(FE) programme, applicants must comply with 1 or 2 below:

1. Applicants must hold a primary degree or equivalent (not less than Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) carrying at least 180 ECTS credits OR 
2. Applicants must have achieved an ordinary degree (or equivalent) not less than Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications framework and carrying at least 180 ECTS credits.

PLUS

a)     an appropriate additional qualification, or

b)    certified accreditation of prior learning based on a minimum of three years’ experience in a workplace or instructional setting which is relevant to the candidate’s qualifications such as may be recognised by The Teaching Council as suitable for the purpose of registration as a teacher under this regulation which meets such requirements as the Teaching Council may publish from time to time.

NOTE: Before completing their application for the PDE(FE), applicants are advised to contact Ailish Murphy, Further Education Registration Section, Teaching Council at amurphyteachingcouncil.ie for information regarding eligibility for entry on the register as a further education teacher.

Teaching Practice Requirements

In addition to complying with 1 or 2 above, applicants must demonstrate that they are in a position to undertake the teaching practice requirements of the PDE(FE). These include:

YEAR 1 : applicants must be in a position to commence their Teaching Practice Portfolio. For this, applicants are required to compile the following information:

• The mission statement, discipline policy/code and other relevant policy documents of the Teaching Practice school
• The school year calendar
• Student’s teaching timetable (class day, time & duration, class name, subject, room number etc.)
• A list of the names of the students in each FETAC (or equivalent) accredited class being taught
• A record or note about each of the students in each class, where such information is available, on such topics as    previous level of achievement in the relevant subject, particular talents and strengths, as well as any learning difficulties or special educational needs, any medical conditions, and other relevant information (e.g. his/her level of competency in the numeracy and literacy)
• A record of the results of assessment and tests used with classes
• Any other relevant documents pertaining to the TP school or classes.

YEAR 2 : applicants must be in a position to:

• Carry out their teaching practice class requirements  in subject(s) in which they seek to be registered by the Teaching Council
• Arrange teaching practice in an appropriate school or centre
• Arrange their teaching practice to comply with the required 100 hours teaching a FETAC (or equivalent) accredited programme or programmes
• Teach a minimum class size of 12 students
• Prepare for their classes (with lesson and/or unit plans) in accordance with Open Learning Centre guidelines
• Benefit from assisting teachers with class groups such as Special Educational Needs, or Literacy Education (student teachers may not be given full responsibility for a regularly scheduled class with such groups)
• Become fully immersed in the life of the school community and to be in attendance in the school for the full school day; this full and total presence in the school includes being available to management throughout the school day (or as agreed by management and the Open Learning Centre), in addition to scheduled TP hours
• Prepare a Teaching Practice Portfolio in accordance with Open Learning Centre guidelines.

NOTE: It is the responsibility of each programme participant to arrange:

-            A suitable further education teaching practice school or centre

-            Appropriately accredited programmes for teaching practice (FETAC or equivalent accreditation)

-           The required number of hours for teaching practice observation (100 hours)

-           Other teaching practice requirements (class size, class information, subject and so on)

Computer Proficiency Requirements

Applicants are expected to be proficient in:

• Use of Microsoft Office package (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint)
• Use of a web browser, the internet and commonly used internet files and utilities
• Use of Adobe Reader

Who Should Apply?

The PDE(FE) has been develop to provide professional qualifications to:

• Tutors, instructors, trainers (full-time or part-time) who are currently working in further education schools and centres, and who wish to obtain a teaching qualification. Applicants must arrange suitable teaching practice placements.
• Individuals working in the further education sector, who wish to obtain a further education teaching qualification. Applicants must arrange suitable teaching practice placements.

Teaching Requirements

The practical teaching schedule has two broad components:

1. Microteaching: Prior to teaching practice placements, the Teaching Council requires student further education teachers to engage in a minimum of 30 hours teaching practice observation and other learning methods. The Open Learning Centre, NUI Galway intends that the requirement for 30 hours teaching practice observation and other learning methods prior to teaching practice placements be fulfilled through participation in a teaching practice observation and learning methods component that is a core part of each module of Year 1 of the PDE (FE). Day 2 of each module workshop will focus on teaching methods. In practice this means that teaching practice observation and learning methods is a recurrent component of all modules of the Year 1 programme
2. Teaching Practice placement: Currently, the Teaching Council requires practice placements for student further education teachers to consist of 100 hours of teaching recognised courses on FETAC (or equivalent) further education accredited programmes. Practice placements should be augmented by focussed curriculum studies in the specific disciplinary domains within which the student-teacher will be teaching. The Open Learning Centre, NUI Galway requires students to meet the minimum 100 hours supervised teaching practice teaching on FETAC (or equivalent) further education accredited programmes. The supervised teaching practice component of the PDE (FE) takes place throughout Year 2 of the programme.

It is the responsibility of each programme participant to arrange:

-            A suitable further education teaching practice school or centre

-            Appropriately accredited programmes for teaching practice(FETAC or equivalent accreditation)

-           The required number of hours for teaching practice observation (100 hours)

Microteaching

Each module workshop of the PDE(FE) programme includes a Microteaching session in which student teachers have the opportunity to engage in a range of teaching activities designed to enhance their teaching methods:

• Lesson  planning
• Observation and feedback
• Learning to teach: active/interactive learning strategies for all
• Classroom management
• Literacy development within subject
• Assessment (including assessment for and of learning)
• Catering for diversity: differentiation strategies, meeting the needs of all learners
• Educational technology workshops

Teaching Practice Placement

Students engage in placement Teaching Practice (TP) during Year 2 of the programme. During this time, students will ensure that they have the opportunity to carry out TP on FETAC accredited course/s (or equivalent as agreed with school). The following guidelines apply to teaching practice placement:

• Teaching Practice (TP) will be carried out in accordance with the Regulations of the University and of the Teaching Council, in a recognised further education school.
• Ideally, teaching practice classes are to be conducted in subject(s) in which the student teacher will be registered by the Teaching Council.
• The Teaching Council requirement is 100 clock hours of TP. It is the responsibility of each student to arrange his/her teaching practice in accordance with these regulations.
• The minimum class size acceptable for TP is 12 students.
• While students will benefit greatly from assisting teachers with class groups such as Special Educational Needs, or Literacy Education, they may not be given full responsibility for a regularly scheduled class with such groups.
• Teaching practice tutors will be assigned to support student teachers during their teaching practice.

Assessment

Programme assessment is on a continuous basis and includes a range of assessment methods:

• Online learning activities: contributions to Blackboard learning activities (e.g. blogs, wikis)
• Video recordings of teaching practice performance or group work performance during teaching practice laboratory sessions: written critique on video recording of performance (e.g. self-assessment of performance of teaching methods, performance in workshop group project, critique of performance, action plan for performance improvement)
• Teaching Practice Portfolio: development of a comprehensive portfolio of activities around teaching practice knowledge, teaching practice methods and teaching practice competence as a teacher in the further education area
• Reflective Journal: reflection on ongoing knowledge, skill and competence development as a professional further education teacher.

APPLICATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION

There is a limit of 30 places on the Professional Diploma in Education (Further Education)

Apply online using this link.

Brochure

For more information, contact:

Edel Molloy
Tel: 091 494058
Email: edel.molloynuigalway.ie

Pauline Dillon
Tel: 091 494059
Email: pauline.dillonnuigalway.ie

    

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