Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE)
The Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE) Programme introduces the principles of effective learning, teaching, and assessment in higher education (HE). It is designed to provide early-career developmental support for:
- Doctoral students who will be undertaking work as postgraduate teaching assistants (PTAs)
- Postdoctoral researchers with limited teaching responsibilities
- University associates (e.g., staff at INTO or NHS) who teach or support learning
- Professional services staff (e.g., technical staff, education technologists, library staff, etc.) who teach or support learning
- Other staff who are interested in but have limited experience or official duties associated with teaching or learning support
The LTHE programme is designed to inspire educators to think creatively about a range of aspects of learning and teaching in HE and to make connections between personal experiences, the experiences of others, and learning and teaching theories that have been developed by researchers and practitioners.
If you are interested in learning more about the programme and/or would like to enrol, please visit our dedicated LTHE programme site.
You can also contact the LTHE team at:
Programme structure and delivery
The programme runs a series of face-to-face sessions (at Penryn and Streatham campuses) in Autumn Term and repeated in Spring Term. We also run an online only route three times per year in the Autumn, Spring terms, and over the summer.
On-campus route (Autumn and Spring Terms):
Each unit involves 2 - 3 hours of scheduled on-campus activity (14 hours in total), plus 1 - 2 hours preparatory/consolidation work per unit.
Online only route (Autumn term, Spring term and summer):
Expect to undertake at least 2 hours of online synchronous activity, plus 18 - 20 hours of self-paced online study.
Programme structure
The programme consists of five taught units:
- Unit 1: An introduction to learning and teaching in higher education (an intro to key concepts in learning and teaching and exploring your identity as an educator)*
- Unit 2: Session Planning and Design (plan for active and inclusive learning)**
- Unit 3: Assessment, Marking and Feedback (examining the role of assessment and supporting your practice and judgement around marking and feedback)***
- Unit 4: Microteach (deliver a 10-minute session to your peers)
- Unit 5: Contextualising your Practice (reflect on the wider higher education landscape and your professional development as an educator)
* Mandatory for anyone looking to begin work as a Postgraduate Teaching Associate (PTA)
**Mandatory for PTAs who will be designing any of their own sessions
***Mandatory for PTAs who will be supporting marking and feedback
Prospective participants can choose to register for either Unit 1, Units 1-3, or Units 1-5.
There are a variety of optional extra sessions, reading groups, and 1:1's available to support participants throughout the programme.
Learner experience
Whether run online or on campus, sessions are designed to be interactive and engaging. The programme provides ample opportunities for experiential learning, both on an individual basis and through group work. Participants are invited to draw on their own experiences as learners and educators, and to engage in discussions with both peers and LTHE tutors.
"Opened my eyes to the large scope of how important teaching is, as someone who's always been on the student side. It has really prepared me well for moving forward in my career."
(Online 2026)
"The overall design of the course content is comprehensive and reflects a clear understanding of the foundations of learning and teaching. All essential aspects are covered, from theoretical concepts to practical application."
(Online 2026)
"Preparing a microteach helped bring all the learning together in a really practical and tangible way."
(On-campus 2026)
"I loved the examples of teaching techniques embedded in sessions and the further resources offered."
(On-campus 2026)
"Thank you so much, I’ve really enjoyed this course and I’ll be able to use a lot of the lessons in practice"
LTHE participant (On-campus 2023)
"I really enjoyed the module and feel much more confident to start teaching."
LTHE participant (On-campus 2023)
"Very supportive, open environment in sessions. Confidence boosting to have received some training."
LTHE Participant (On-campus 2023)
"The LTHE programme provides thorough knowledge and skills needed to the HE teaching. They are all key and easy-to-understand information. Moreover, the programme offers a very flexible and comfortable way of studying!"
LTHE participant (Online 2023)
"The instructors are supportive and provide a friendly environment to discover learning and teaching. Peers are passionate about educating. The structure of the programme is clear and rich materials are available."
LTHE participant (Online 2023)