New opportunities

The University of the West of Scotland welcomes undergraduate and postgraduate student teachers to the new £70 million state-of-the-art campus, in Ayr, at the start of this academic year. The new campus creates an innovative learning environment and has been developed in consultation with Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The campus provides one of the UK's most modern, environmentally friendly and sustainable Higher Education learning environments. The design was inspired by the area's woodland surroundings and offers a stunning space for study and an excellent conference venue.

In addition to undergraduate studies in childhood practice and childhood studies and undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training, the School of Education continues to develop a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for the wider national and international education workforce. The established programme of CPD Ceilidh events - supporting themes related to Curriculum for Excellence - continues to provide relevant professional engagement for colleagues in Scotland with an added bonus of accumulating up to 10 masters credits. A new programme of events will be published in 2012.

The School of Education is also developing partnership working and award development with the School of Health in the area of Mental Health and Education. This innovative and exciting development draws on the synergies between both disciplines and focuses on the mental health of leaders of learning and of learners themselves. A new joint online postgraduate MSc in Mental Health and Education is being planned.

Research in Education underpins the School of Education's national and international partnership working. The established and developing research portfolio includes such areas as:

  • Youth Identity
  • Territoriality and Youth Offending
  • Modern languages
  • Gaelic
  • Citizenship Education
  • Online learning
  • Early Education
  • Teacher Education
  • Policy Studies
  • Religious Education
  • Moral Education
  • Health and Wellbeing Education
  • Inclusive Education
  • Leadership
  • Art Education

Hugh Smith, the School of Education's Head of Continuing Professional Development, said: "Continuous professional development for those working within education settings must be seen as contextually relevant as well as professionally relevant. A colleague's learning journey begins the very first time they interact with a university and engage with placement training. This establishes the beginning of lifelong professional development managed by colleagues. To support the challenges of geographical isolation and study/work balance, we have developed a CPD portfolio that embeds online/blended learning methodologies along with establishing communities of learning. Technology Enhanced Learning is central to the support and delivery of our CPD opportunities and the School of Education continues to develop expertise within this mode of professional development."

The School of Education's online provision provides named Post-Graduate Certificate, Post-Graduate Diploma and Post-Graduate MEd awards in the following areas: Artist Teacher; Inclusive Education and Leadership for Learning. There are plans to develop a generic online MEd degree that will provide flexibility of choice regarding learning experience modules. Online learning opportunities include:

  • Artist Teacher: Delivered nationally and internationally in partnership with Glasgow Museums and the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD). Contact Diarmuid McAuliffe, Programme Leader at diarmuid.mcauliffe@uws.ac.uk
  • Inclusive Education: Delivered nationally and internationally for those working with learners in inclusive settings. Contact Lisa McAuliffe, Programme Leader at lisa.mcauliffe@uws.ac.uk
  • Leadership for Learning: Delivered nationally and internationally for those working with learners who are experienced practitioners. Contact Lynne Grant, Programme Leader at lynne.grant@uws.ac.uk
  • Postgraduate Learning Experience Modules: Delivered nationally and internationally from 2012, these modules take advantage of the School of Education's technology enhanced learning delivery. Workforce colleagues have the opportunity to select learning experience modules that are relevant to their needs and accrue credit points towards a generic masters degree in Education (subject to validation). Colleagues are required to pass five self-select learning experience modules and pass a core research module and a dissertation module for the successful award of MEd. Contact Hugh Smith, Head of CPD for information regarding this development at hugh.smith@uws.ac.uk

The School of Education's innovative solutions in supporting the workforce provide opportunities for colleagues to suggest themes for post-graduate learning experience development. In addition, schools, clusters of schools and service providers may engage with tailored professional development opportunities.

If you are interested in finding out more about the School of Education's online CPD provision, email cpd@uws.ac.uk

If you are interested in finding out more about post-graduate learning experience modules, or wish to suggest themes for development, please email hugh.smith@uws.ac.uk

issue 42
october 2011