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Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP)
What is PCAP?
This accredited course, which has been shaped by feedback from participants and by broad consultation across the University, leads to your recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. It is run for University staff, by academic colleagues in the Graduate School of Education, in conjunction with colleagues in Education Enhancement.
Who is the PCAP programme for?
The programme is aimed at Lecturers (Education and Research) to enable them to gain fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), as part of their probation. It is also strongly recommended for Lecturers (Education and Scholarship), and advised for other staff who have a role in the University which entails creating effective student learning.
What will you get out of the PCAP programme?
By the end of the PCAP course you will have gained an externally accredited qualification, and will be able to:
- demonstrate additional knowledge and understanding of political, social and theoretical issues in higher education
- identify and address key professional issues
- demonstrate improved practice in relation to a number of identified issues
- continue to develop a reflective approach to their individual professional practice which will act as a basis for further continuing professional development
- work co-operatively within an interdisciplinary forum exploring educational issues
The PCAP ethos
PCAP is designed to support you in building on your existing skills and knowledge to become more effective academics and professionals in your departments, in the University and within national and international contexts. The course addresses issues associated with teaching, research, administration and ‘outreach’ beyond the University. It provides political, social and theoretical frameworks through which to understand these issues better, but is firmly grounded in the demands and practicalities faced by new lecturers and others who teach and support learning across the University’s three campuses.
The PCAP programme:
- enables you to locate your own work analytically within a context of higher education that is changing rapidly and in controversial and contested ways;
- draws on theoretical and empirical evidence about effective adult learning;
- incorporates negotiated elements in its curriculum, including a choice of modules to suit your role, and assessments tailored to your professional interests;
- encourages you to engage in dialogue with colleagues in order to develop areas of practice particularly relevant to your role(s).
PCAP for Lecturers
As a lecturer you take two modules in order to gain the full Postgraduate Certificate, which confers upon you Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy: HEA Fellowship is a requirement for successful completion of your probation.
Module 1 The Contemporary Academic in Context is taken as the core module by staff appointed to joint teaching and research roles within the University. This module requires attendance at meetings over a two-day block, out of term-time, followed by a one-day meeting in mid-term. Additional tutorial support is arranged by negotiation.
As a lecturer, you can choose between the following two modules which explore aspects of teaching in higher education, but they offer distinctive modes of study and different approaches to assessment
Module 2 Creating Effective Learning in Higher Education comprises seven half-day sessions, running on alternate Friday mornings during term time, plus two short sessions to be arranged by negotiation. This module is offered in both the Autumn and Spring terms.
or
Module 3 The Professional as Learner, Teacher and Researcher involves a two-day block, out of term-time, followed by a one-day meeting in mid-term, additional tutorial support is arranged by negotiation.
PCAP for Lecturers (Education and Scholarship) and other University staff with a teaching and/or student support role
If your main role is to teach or support students’ learning, you are strongly encouraged to take at least Module 2, which enables you to develop your teaching-related practice through engaging in dialogue with colleagues and peers, and achieve Associate status of the HEA. If you wish, and with the agreement of your College Dean or Head of Professional Service, it is then possible for you to take a second PCAP Module, normally Module 3, in order to gain the full certificate. If you are a Lecturer (Education and Scholarship), you are particularly encouraged to complete the full PCAP, which will lead to your gaining Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
How is PCAP assessed?
Thirty M-level credits are awarded upon the successful completion of each module. Each module is assessed on the basis of a portfolio. After discussion with their mentors, participants enter into an Individual Learning Agreement with the course team. These agreements are intended to help participants to select and prepare appropriate materials for their portfolios. The emphasis is on project and presentation work tied to the needs of participants.
Is the programme externally accredited?
Yes. The Exeter PCAP was accredited in 2007 by the Higher Education Academy, the professional body for those who teach and support learning in the higher education sector, and is aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework. Successful completion of the PCAP therefore allows participants to claim the nationally recognised status of Registered Practitioner.
Go to the HEA website to access the National Subject Centre for your own discipline. In collaboration with the HEA, these subject centres offer a range of discipline-specific events and resources.
