Applying for Higher Education Academy Recognition Through the University of Hertfordshire CPD Framework

Applying for Higher Education Academy Recognition through the University of Hertfordshire CPD Framework

General Introduction

The University is keen to promote the notion and application of dual professionalism. We expect all our academic staff to not only be subject specialists but also to be experts in teaching in higher education. As part of this commitment our staff must consider their practice and continuously develop their practice to ensure continuous enhancement of student learning (Student Experience Strategy, 2010).

The UK Professional Standards Framework

In 2006 the higher education sector developed a framework to guide and support academic staff in their role as teachers. The UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) is a national framework for comprehensively recognising and benchmarking teaching and learning support roles within Higher Education. It was revised in 2011, and outlines key areas of activity for staff involved in teaching and supporting learning, as well as identifying the core knowledge they require and the professional values they must demonstrate. It provides descriptors aligned with the level of practice relating to individuals’ responsibilities and experiences. Engaging with, and putting into practice the elements of the UKSPF supports the continuous development of a teacher, or supporter of student learning.

Figure 1: The dimensions of practice from the UKPSF

The role of the Higher Education Academy

The UKPSF was reviewed by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on behalf of the sector in 2011, and now provides a recognition and accreditation service which enables staff providing teaching and/or learning support to be recognised, depending on their role and experience as:  Descriptor 1: An Associate Fellow of the Academy  Descriptor 2: A Fellow of the Academy  Descriptor 3: A Senior Fellow of the Academy  Descriptor 4: A Principal Fellow of the Academy

Applying for Recognition from the Higher Education Academy at the University of Hertfordshire

The University has a number of routes to recognition:  Successful completion of the module Teaching and Supporting Learning from the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (CPAD) leads to recognition as Associate Fellow of the HEA.  Successful completion of the full Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education programme (CPAD), or the Health specialist awards; the Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Medical Education or the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical and Healthcare Simulation, leads to recognition as Fellow of the HEA.  Successful submission of an individual application through the University’s CPD Framework leads to recognition at Associate, Fellow or Senior Fellow of the HEA.

If you work at the University and have not completed one of our accredited Postgraduate Certificate programmes you should apply through the University’s CPD Framework for professional recognition as an Associate Fellow or Fellow, depending on your experience.

If you are already a Fellow of the HEA, or are a very experienced teacher in higher education, and have developed your leadership of learning and teaching within or beyond your discipline, you should apply through the University’s CPD Framework for recognition as a Senior Fellow.

Whilst the UH CPD Framework does not cover Descriptor 4 of the UKPSF, the University will support individuals on a one-to-one basis who wish to apply directly to the HEA for recognition as Principal Fellow. For more information please contact the Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre via [email protected]

Which level of recognition is right for me?

The University’s CPD Framework allows for recognition at Associate, Fellow and Senior Fellow. For each of these, you need to submit an account of your professional practice evidencing how it relates to the UKPSF. More detail on the format of this submission can be found in appendices A, B and C. The first step is to take a look at the descriptions of each level below and decide which is most applicable to you.

Associate Fellow To become an Associate Fellow of the HEA you should be able to provide evidence of successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity as described in the UKPSF plus consideration of Core Knowledge elements; K1 and K2 and your commitment to the Professional Values (see figure 1). For further details of the requirements for Associate Fellow please see appendix A. Individuals considering application for Associate Fellow status are likely to include; early career researchers or PhD students with some teaching responsibilities; staff very new to teaching; staff who support academic provision (e.g. learning technologists, digital literacy support staff) and staff who have limited teaching or support related activities (e.g. technical staff, careers and placement officers, outreach staff).

Example activities that could be reflected upon as part of your application Lesson/workshop/practical class planning including consideration of specific teaching activities Examples of teaching materials/methods/resources that you’ve developed and consideration of how they’ve benefited learning Contributions to skills development (e.g. introducing the use of equipment/technologies/techniques, running mock assessment centres/interviews) Assessment of student work and consideration of assessment criteria Provision of constructive feedback (formally and/or informally, e.g. in a laboratory class) Integration of your research into teaching activities Support of students (e.g. dissertation supervision, pastoral guidance, application support) Involvement in the quality assurance processes (e.g. providing information on resources for a programme review panel or providing input into the development of a new curriculum). Figure 2: Examples of activities that could support an application for Associate Fellow

Fellow To become a Fellow of the HEA you should be able to provide evidence of successful engagement with all five Areas of Activity as described in the UKPSF plus consideration of all aspects of the Core Knowledge and commitment to all Professional Values (see figure 1). For further details of the requirements for Fellow please see appendix B. Individuals considering application for Fellow status are likely to include; early career academics; academic related and/or support staff with substantive teaching roles; experienced academics relatively new to UK higher education; experienced research staff who may have recently taken on teaching responsibilities; staff with teaching responsibilities within for example, work-based settings.

Example activities that could be reflected upon as part of your application Module design/development including consideration of curriculum content and teaching and assessment activities Development of learning outcomes at session, module and/or programme level Development of learning and/or support activities to ensure all students can contribute effectively and can demonstrate their learning (e.g. personal tutoring, considering inclusive teaching activities and developing an inclusive curriculum) Examples of teaching materials/methods/resources that you’ve developed and evaluation of how they’ve benefited learning Consideration of different learning environments relevant for your discipline Use and evaluation of relevant learning technologies Selecting and using relevant assessment methods and criteria for formative and summative assessments Providing formal and informal feedback to support student learning Support of students through research projects (e.g. final year /Masters dissertations, PhD supervision) Pastoral support of students (e.g. personal tutoring, year tutor) Activities which have enhanced your personal practice (e.g. consideration of formal and informal student feedback, peer observations with colleagues, peer working, module team evaluation, reviewing performance data, attendance at/learning from, relevant courses/events/conferences) Involvement in the quality assurance processes (e.g. being part of a development committee for a periodic review or validation; contributing to annual monitoring reports, being an external examiner, being part of a review panel). Figure 3: Examples of activities that could support an application for Fellow 4

Senior Fellow To become a Senior Fellow of the HEA you should be able to provide evidence of successful engagement with all five Areas of Activity as described in the UKPSF plus consideration of all aspects of the Core Knowledge and commitment to all Professional Values (see figure 1). You should be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning. In addition you should be able to provide evidence of your sustained commitment to learning and teaching related CPD, your incorporation of pedagogic research and scholarship into your activities and the support and supervision of others in relation to learning and teaching. For further details of the requirements for Senior Fellow please see guidance in appendix C. Individuals considering application for Senior Fellow status are likely to include; experienced staff with responsibility for leading, managing or organising programmes/subject/disciplinary areas; experienced subject mentors; experienced staff with learning and teaching responsibilities at School or University level.

Example activities that could be reflected upon as part of your application Leading the design or development of a curriculum Ensuring that programme design and delivery meet quality assurance and/or professional statutory regulatory body requirements Programme/ module leadership ensuring the teaching activities are effective for student learning and that there are effective pastoral support processes Development of learning and/or support activities to ensure all students can contribute effectively and can demonstrate their learning (e.g. personal tutoring, considering inclusive teaching activities and developing an inclusive curriculum) Examples of teaching materials/methods/resources that you’ve developed and evaluation of how they’ve benefited learning Designing, using and evaluating the use of relevant learning technologies Incorporation of scholarship and research into your teaching Leading discussion and implementation of effective assessment and feedback methods Leading of workshops/projects to enhance learning, teaching and assessment Providing support/mentoring or guidance for new staff Consideration and evaluation of your own professional development (e.g. consideration of formal and informal student feedback, peer feedback, leading module/programme evaluation, reviewing programme performance data, attendance at and presenting at relevant learning and teaching courses/events/conferences) Engagement with quality assurance and enhancement processes (e.g. external examining, peer review of a programme validation, annual monitoring reports, policy development or implementation, participation in relevant committees) Examples of external engagement (e.g. with a partner institution, involvement with professional/disciplinary societies, reviewing and providing feedback for pedagogic grants or journal submissions). Figure 4: Examples of activities that could support an application for Senior Fellow

Preparing your submission

There are five main ways in which you can be supported in your application:

1. Support at Academic School level; We have provided guidance for line managers, supervisors and mentors to help them support you in thinking about how your understanding of the UKPSF develops in your day to day role. You should have a discussion with your line manager about your application; if you are applying for Fellow or Senior Fellow they will need to provide you with a reference so it is good to involve them from the start. Your line manager is responsible for encouraging you to develop your professional experience and expertise in learning and teaching, and this should form part of your discussions within your appraisal and six- month reviews. Your line manager must be supportive of your application for professional recognition and an informal conversation will help you reflect on some of your experiences and good practice. It will help you focus your thoughts in preparation for your written application or oral assessment. Each Academic School should have a strategy in place to ensure that there is local support available for you, talk to your Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) who will be able to advise which colleagues in your School who already have HEA recognition would be willing to share their experience with you.

2. Attending a workshop on professional recognition; Monthly workshops are facilitated by the Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre (LTIC) which will introduce you to the UKPSF, the elements of our Framework and consider the types of evidence required for each of the Descriptors. Details of the workshops can be found on Studynet Events Central. The workshops provide opportunity for you to discuss and begin considering examples of evidence you could use within your application. In addition to the monthly workshops there are regular supported writing days where quiet, reflective space is available for you to come along and work on your application away from the distractions of your office or home. LTIC staff support these events and are in the room to read, review and give feedback on your draft application.

3. Peer pairing for discussion and reviewing; As part of the workshops, you will be paired with someone else considering an application at the same Descriptor level as you. You can then discuss examples of evidence and together consider how your CPD has supported your academic practice. It is intended that you will remain in touch after the workshop and support each other in the development of your applications. We suggest that you peer review each other’s application prior to submission as peer review is an excellent way of engaging with the assessment criteria, for self- reflection on your own submission, and for the identification of any gaps according to the criteria. Deadlines for these processes to be completed will be put in the place by the workshop facilitator to ensure that the start you will have made in the workshop leads to your application being completed.

4. Online resources provided through Studynet The Learning and Teaching Knowledge Exchange has materials to support you further; workshop resources, links to the HEA, exemplars and more - for more information look at the pages on Professional Development.

The next step is gathering your evidence; take a look at the CPD Learning Landscape overleaf (figure 5) as this will help you to think about all the different ways in which you engage in professional development. You will be asked to use the CPD Learning Landscape to shape the part of your submission on how your professional development has impacted on your practice.

Other things that you might find helpful to review when thinking about your experiences include:  Drawing up a time line of your experiences in teaching, learning and assessment  CV  Appraisal forms  Peer review and student feedback data  List of responsibilities  Programme reviews/validations/curriculum development  CPD activities  Funding applications/awards  Professional and other organisations you are involved with  Pedagogic research/evaluations  External examiner work

These are a useful basis for reflection; however you must not submit them with your application as it is your reflective account of how your experiences meet the UKPSF that is important, not merely the records of your activities.

If you have a specific question about your application please contact one of the Learning and Teaching Specialists in LTIC, their contact details are available on the LTIC Meet the Team Staffnet page.

Reflection on Team teaching sessions teaching Peer Review PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Learning Education conversations Learning Learning Higher level Coaching study from from and Workshops, mentoring conferences and activities colleagues seminars

Learning Learning Pedagogical from from the research Supervision students literature Disciplinary research Working with student reps Professional updating Listening to and acting on Scholarly feedback reading Co-creation of materials and assessments

Figure 5: The CPD Learning Landscape to reflect upon when preparing your submission

Applying for Recognition - A Brief Summary (for details please see the relevant appendix)

Attend a workshop on “Applying for Higher Education Academy Recognition”. Workshops are aimed at those applying for Associate Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow and are designed to give information on the process and initial guidance

Review the guidance, think about your experience and select which recognition you wish to apply for

Associate Fellow Fellow Senior Fellow

For Associate Fellow and Fellow you can choose whether to submit For Senior Fellow you must submit a written application or an oral assessment both a written application and have an oral assessment

Written application Oral assessment Written application Oral assessment Written application and Oral assessment

Complete Associate Prepare presentation of Complete Fellow evidence Prepare presentation of Complete Senior Fellow Write about the Prepare for a 40min Fellow evidence 10mins to cover 2 of the template for all the Areas 20mins to cover Areas of evidence template for sustained discussion with the template, selecting 2 of Areas of Activity from of Activity A1-A4, 600 Activity A1-A4, prepare for a all Areas of Activity A1- effectiveness of Panel on how you the Areas of Activity A1-A4, prepare for a words covering two discussion of A5 and A4, 600 words covering your work; this support others from A1-A4, 600 words discussion of A5 and examples for each Area of questions to last 20mins two examples for each should be evidence (whether individuals covering two examples questions to last 20mins Activity, with a further (40mins in total) Area of Activity, with a based and and/or teams) in for each Area of Activity, (30mins in total) 800-1000 words on your further 800-1000 words research-informed relation to teaching with a further 4-500 CPD activities on your CPD activities through your own and learning. In your words on your CPD Fellows of the HEA are exempt practice and preparation, you activities from this part but must instead related to the should identify two write about how their L&T has developed in relation to the pedagogic explicit examples UKPSF since getting FHEA literature. that you will be able (1500 words) [1000 words] to speak to.

Self-check / peer review against criteria Self-check / peer review against criteria Self-check / peer review against criteria Get two references to support your application Get two references to support your application, one must be Get three references to support your application, one must be from an your line manager individual whom you’ve supported, and one must be your line manager

Attend Assessment Submit to Assessment Submit to Assessment Attend Assessment Panel, Submit written template to Assessment Panel Panel, presentation / Panel Panel presentation / discussion Attend Assessment Panel, presentation / discussion discussion

Assessment Panel decision Assessment Panel decision Assessment Panel decision

Successful Not yet successful Successful Not yet successful Successful Not yet successful

Associate Fellow status Referral for support Fellow status Referral for support Senior Fellow status Referral for support 9

Understanding the Process

Applying for Associate Fellow

You can choose to make a written application or take part in an oral assessment. In either case, you will need to select two of the Areas of Activity from the UKPSF which are relevant to you and be prepared to reflect on your experience in light of these. We look for evidence that you meet elements of Core Knowledge K1 (The subject material) and K2 (Appropriate methods for teaching and learning in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme), demonstrate commitment to the Professional Values, and that you demonstrate an understanding of specific aspects of effective teaching, learning support methods and student learning aligned with Descriptor 1 of the UKPSF.

 If you choose to make a written application, you will need to complete the Associate Fellow application form and evidence template, selecting two of the Areas of Activity from A1-A4, you must write 600 words for each chosen Area of Activity indicating which of the core knowledge and professional values you feel are evidenced by your examples. You also need to write 4-500 words on how your CPD activities have informed your practice; you should use the CPD learning landscape in Figure 5 to reflect on your activities - learning from colleagues, learning from students, learning from events and learning from the literature.  If you choose to make an oral assessment, you will need to prepare a presentation of 10mins to cover your two chosen Areas of Activity from A1-A4 and submit the Associate Fellow application form. This will be followed by a discussion with the Panel regarding your CPD and some questions, this should last around 20 minutes. You may use visual aids if you wish within your presentation.  Please see appendix A for more information about your application, including reference requirements.

Applying for Fellow

You can choose to make a written application or take part in an oral assessment. In either case, you will need to consider all of the Areas of Activity from the UKPSF and be prepared to reflect on your experience in light of these. We will be looking for evidence that you meet all aspects of the Core Knowledge, demonstrate commitment to all the Professional Values, and that you demonstrate a broad understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to high quality student learning aligned with Descriptor 2 of the UKPSF.

 If you choose to make a written application, you will need to complete the Fellow application form and evidence template, covering Areas of Activity A1-A4, you must write 600 words for each chosen Area of Activity indicating which of the core knowledge and professional values you feel are evidenced by your examples. You also need to write 800-1000 words on how your CPD activities have informed your practice; you should use the CPD learning landscape in Figure 5 to reflect on your activities - learning from colleagues, learning from students, learning from events and learning from the literature.  If you choose to make an oral assessment, you will need to prepare a presentation of 20mins to cover Areas of Activity A1-A4 and submit the Fellow application form. This will be followed by a discussion with the Panel regarding your CPD and some questions, this should last around 20 minutes. You may use visual aids if you wish within your presentation.  Please see appendix B for more information about your application, including reference requirements.

Applying for Senior Fellow

You must submit a written application and additionally you will have an oral assessment. You will need to consider all of the Areas of Activity from the UKPSF and be prepared to reflect on your experience in light of these. We will be looking for evidence that you meet all aspects of the Core Knowledge and demonstrate commitment to all the Professional Values, and that you demonstrate a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning, aligned with Descriptor 3 of the UKPSF.

 For your written application, you will need to complete the Senior Fellow application form and evidence template. - For colleagues not already Fellows, part one covers Areas of Activity A1-A4, you must write 600 words indicating your thorough understanding of each Area of Activity indicating which of the core knowledge and professional values you feel are evidenced by your examples. You also need to write 800-1000 words on how your CPD activities have informed your practice; you should use the CPD learning landscape in Figure 5 to reflect on your activities - learning from colleagues, learning from students, learning from events and learning from the literature. - For colleagues who are already Fellows, part one is 1500 words on how your understanding of learning and teaching has developed and deepened since recognition as a Fellow. We will be looking for evidence that you have moved from a broad to a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support.  The Senior Fellow evidence template part two requires you to write 1000 words about the sustained effectiveness of your work; this should be evidence based and research-informed through your own practice and related to the pedagogic literature.  In addition to your written submission, you will need to prepare for a 40min discussion with the Panel on how you support others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning. You should identify two explicit examples that you will be able to speak to.  Please see appendix C for more information about your application, including reference requirements.

Assessment of your application

Full information regarding submission and assessment is included within the appendices of this Applicant Handbook. If you are applying to become an Associate Fellow or Fellow you have the option to make a written or oral submission; Senior Fellow applicants need to make both a written submission and attend an oral assessment. Templates are provided to assist you with your submissions and can be found in appendix A (Associate Fellow), appendix B (Fellow) and appendix C (Senior Fellow). Oral assessments are shaped by a selection of questions used by Panel members to structure the discussion and examples are provided in each of the appendices.

Your application will be considered by our assessment Panel. Members of the Panel are experienced academic staff or students/recent students who have received training in making recognition judgements at each Descriptor level of the UKPSF.

Panels for those seeking recognition as Associate Fellow or Fellow will be chaired by a member of the University who is either a Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow of the HEA, and will comprise:  Chair  A member of the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance  A member of the Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre  A current student, Student Union sabbatical officer or alumnus from the PGCert programme

An invitation will always be extended to the External Reviewer, who may attend one of these Panels a year and who will sample the assessment records throughout the year.

Panels for those seeking recognition as Senior Fellow will be chaired by a member of the University who is a Principal Fellow, and will comprise:  Chair  An Associate Director or above from the University’s Centre for Academic Quality Assurance  A member of the Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre or an Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching)  A current student, Student Union sabbatical officer or alumnus from the PGCert programme  An External Reviewer

•Application submitted to panel Submission •Submission of references. to panel

•Successful; guidance about sharing good practice and consideration of next steps (e.g presentation at annual L&T conference) Feedback to •Not yet succesful; feedback indicating gaps in submission and feedforward on applicant how to improve application for re-submission.

•Sample of submissions from range of descriptor levels, type of submission and applicant type. Moderation

Feedback will be provided to you within three weeks of the panel meeting and will include comments regarding the strength of your application. If successful, the panel will provide guidance on dissemination opportunities and will inform your Dean of School or Head of SBU in celebration of your success.

If not yet successful, the panel will provide feedback on the strength of your application and identification of gaps in the submission. There will be feed-forward advice regarding how to improve the application for re-submission, with individual support from an appropriate colleague.

Quality and Enhancement procedures

A moderation process will be applied to ensure fair treatment of applications and having a member of the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance on each panel will enable consideration of the process in relation to other quality procedures within the University. A sample of applications will be provided to the External Reviewer on an annual basis and this will include applications; at different descriptor levels; in different submission formats; from staff in different roles. The External Review will attend all Panels considering applications for Senior Fellow, and is invited to attend at least one of the Panels for Associate Fellow / Fellow each year.

Appeals can be made according to the standard University policy and any feedback from applications about the process will be gratefully received to enable continuous enhancement.

Accreditation of prior certificated learning is available to existing Fellows of the HEA when applying for Senior Fellowship; you will need to provide evidence of your Fellowship status and complete a different Part One of the application to those without recognition as a Fellow.

Certification

Once your application has been successful, the panel will inform the HEA and you will be sent the relevant certification from the HEA. The panel will inform your Dean of School/Head of SBU in celebration of your success.

HEA Fellowships allow you to use post-nominal letters: AHEA, FHEA or SHEA, depending upon which level of Fellowship you have attained.