Parallel - Using research on learning and teaching to develop our academics Sue Morón-García (University of Birmingham)

This paper was about redesigning a Pg Cert programme which had some legacy issues around difficulties with the concept and practice of reflection, staff had a lot of anxiety about doing the programme especially not knowing the literature, there had been many requests for extensions on work, there was difficulty in engaging with peers outside of the class and the marking had been done across the University which had led to variability and some inability for students to follow up comments and feedback.

The programme although traditionally run over one year with 60 credits is now run over three years with 20 credits per year being taken to enable staff to teach and do their research. Also, since November 2011 all new staff had been required to undertake the programme as part of their probation. The programme is mapped against the UKPSF.

The paper then focused on the first module a foundation for learning and teaching which is 20 credits and 200 hours learning. This is run over six months now but with regular contact with the students and time for reflection and peer discussions. The students are all divided into interdisciplinary action learning sets so conversations can occur in a safe environment. The definition of reflection used on the programme is that of Stephen Brookfield (2006:26) “critical reflection is the process by which we research the assumptions informing our own practice by viewing these through four complementary lenses – the lenses of our students’ eyes, colleagues perceptions, literature, and our own autobiography...Finally we can review our personal autobiographies as learners so that we can make visceral connections to, and gain a better understanding of, the pleasures and terrors our own students are experiencing”.

There were 30 students in a cohort and they are divided into 5 groups of six and each action learning set is facilitated by experienced colleagues. Micro teaching is used, a lot of activities in class, teaching inventories and free writing pieces as formative work. One example is focused on what kind of teacher are you? Why is this effective? Is there anything you would like to change? Evaluation of the changes is positive with students developing skills of reflection, engaging with the literature and few extension requests now.