General OverviewGeneral Programme Aims
To provide a professional certificate HE course in the area of digital learning design that meets the needs of practitioners who are increasingly responsible for creating and delivering digital learning.
To support students to develop comprehensive and detailed understanding of learning technologies and their application to effective learning by modelling the best practice and principles of digital learning design.
To enable students to acquire and critically apply knowledge and skills in digital learning development and implementation.
To provide opportunities for students to develop and evidence a range of graduate attributes including personal and vocational skills and characteristics: to become Universal, Work-ready, and Successful (“I am UWS”).
To cultivate an attitude of professionalism, and develop good online communication skills.
To emphasise to students their future role and responsibility as online educators.
To provide the student with the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in their own professional context.
General Description of the Programme
The Certificate HE Digital Learning Design will enable students to develop an understanding of learning technologies and their application to effective learning, as well as acquire and critically apply knowledge and skills in digital learning development and implementation.
The programme is primarily targeted at working professionals in learning and development roles who have a recognised professional qualification for their sector (e.g. Social Work, Social Service, Health, or Education) and experience in delivering learning. The programme addresses a specific skills gap identified by our partners in Health, Social Care, and Education, and has endorsement from industry partners in these sectors.
The programme is entirely online and the content is agnostic and applicable to any professional who has a requirement to create online content for learning. The activities and assessments will focus on the application of learning in the workplace and will draw on learners' work experience and practices.
The main subjects covered are as follows:
- Fundamentals of Effective Learning Design
- Maximising Learning: User Experience Design
- Learning in a Networked World
- Assessment and Credentialing in Digital Learning
- Applying Technologies for Learning (project)
Employment Prospects
This qualification is aimed primarily at working professionals who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of digital learning design, but as it embeds graduate attributes also ensures that those who complete the programme have further developed a range of personal and vocational skills and characteristics, as valued by employers.
More information
The programme is unique and embraces multi-media and e-pedagogies, demonstrating new and established online approaches including synchronous and asynchronous activities, independent and group work, and a variety of assessment methods.
Groups are small to facilitate and encourage online participation and consideration has been given to the scaffolding of activities to foster community.
The Education Futures Team will lead by example in the delivery of online distance learning and will make extensive use of online environments. The standard VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) within the University is Moodle but this course employs a range of online tools to develop digital confidence and fluency.
A variety of assessment methods are used throughout the programmes. These range from digital portfolios and online presentations to reports and essays. The aim is to embed the application of theory into practice and encourage ongoing reflection and self-development in what is a fast-changing environment albeit underpinned by more traditional learning theories.
Students can contact staff via e-mail or other online communication tools, and students are supplied with staff contact details (including e-mail addresses).
Both group project work and individual project work are incorporated into the curriculum so that students develop the skills associated with group and independent working as well as giving online presentations on their work. Formative feedback and constructive comments are given to the student on their work. Anonymous marking is undertaken, where possible.
|