Contact

Contact the Programme Coordinator, Dr Sarah Thelen (please click here).

Details and Registration

For full programme details (including costs, schedule, etc.) or to register, please click here.

About the Programme

This Certificate in CPD is a 10-credit, level 9 programme. It is an entirely online programme combining pre-recorded lectures, readings, weekly experimentation and written Field Notes, engagement with Peer Learning Groups, and four live sessions at end of each thematic section. It is assessed through a Digital Education Portfolio submitted at the end of the programme which includes an introduction, a statement of your digital education philosophy, 3-5 Field Notes, and a conclusion.

Through engagement with digital education approaches and methodologies (both theoretical and hands-on) participants will explore the ways that digital education can enhance learning, teaching, research, and other professional practices. Participants will be introduced to foundational theories and methodologies in Digital Education in tandem with the evidence and research base informing those approaches. Over the twelve weeks, participants will explore topics including theoretical foundations, learning design, inclusivity and UDL, creating multimedia materials, engagement, group work and collaboration, assessment and feedback, and analytics and student feedback.

This recording of the August 2022 information session provides more details on the programme or click here to download the PDF of the slides.

Click here to view the 2023 syllbus (including details on the portfolio assessment and the reading list).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be teaching while taking the programme?

No, not at all! While we ask that participants have at least one year of teaching experience (more on that below) there is no expectation that you be actively teaching during the programme. Weekly tasks ask you to apply ideas and concepts to your own teaching, but that can take the form of planning how to use an approach, reflecting on past uses of Digital Education, creating teaching materials, etc. in addition to putting an idea into practice in the classroom.

What 'counts' as teaching?

We take a very flexible approach to determining what is or is not "teaching" -- basically any time you're in a position of sharing your knowledge or expertise with others is teaching in my book. So traditional classroom teaching definitely counts as do workshops, seminars, training sessions, supporting students, etc. If you're still unsure whether you meet the requirement, please contact Sarah directly.

Do I need to have a project in mind before starting the programme?

Absolutely not! In fact, we don't expect a formal 'project' as such at any point in the semester. The weekly tasks can, of course, stack up to form the components of a larger project, but they can also be stand-alone efforts to apply ideas to your own practice.

How big/involved do the weekly tasks need to be?

The size and/or scope of the tasks is up to you. What's important to us is that the decisions behind the task are evidence-based and that there's a clear engagement with scholarship of and research in Digital Education in deciding what to do.

So, tasks can range from adding AltText to a few slides of a presentation to outlining plans to move an entire module online. It's entirely up to you and what makes the most sense in your own practice.

How closely tied to Canvas is the programme? (I use Blackboard for work)

All programme content is delivered via Canvas (UCC's virtual learning environment) but the tasks can be done in whatever systems or platforms you use. So, for example, you might watch the lecture in Canvas, but design a task for Blackboard.

Will the programme run in both semesters?

Yes! This programme will run in both semesters. Dates will be posted on the main information and registration page and will be updated by May (for Semester 1) and October (for Semester 2).

How much time will this take each week?

That's a tough questions as each person will work through the content at their own pace and will have different needs or interests so might read quite deeply one week and more lightly the next. So, with that caveat, the minimum expectation would be at least 3 hour/week broken up as follows:

• 20 minutes :: watch context lecture
• 40 minutes :: reading article(s) and pick task
• 60 minutes :: complete task and write Field Notes
• 60 minutes :: meet with peer learning group

Please note that with the exception of the peer learning group meetings, all of the work of this module is asynchronous so can be completed as suits your schedule. Additionally, the tasks can (and should!) be integrated into existing responsibilties, so hopefully everyone can find a way to make this programme fit into their busy lives.

Lastly, compiling the final portfolio (the equivalent of 9,000 words with the option to include multimedia content) will require significant time on top of the weekly commitment outlined above. Again, everyone is different, but we'd guess that those who spend more time during the semester reading around the topics and writing up their field notes in detail will have more to draw on when putting their portfolio together, thus speeding up the process.

Again, this is purely indicative and is not intended to suggest that each and every student will complete all of the work in the programme as described, but is provided to give you a sense of what the programme entails.