The focus of the Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching (GCULT) is on the development of teaching capability in higher education (HE). The program is designed to assist those who are new as well as experienced teachers in the higher education sector to develop a scholarly approach to teaching. This is achieved by a balance of theory with practice: viewing learning and teaching from a range of perspectives including participants own experiences, the experiences of students and of colleagues, and the educational literature. The process of reflection on these perspectives provides a foundation for individual professional teaching development and for further exploration in higher education.

The program is designed for blended delivery to offer a flexiblity for those teaching in diverse HE settings. Courses in the program include a mix of face-to-face classes with on-line activities designed to promote collegial collaboration, peer review and be interactive and engaging. They are crafted to model a wide variety of good teaching practices in blended settings, and draw from best practice from across a range of disciplines. Assessment tasks are designed to encourage participants to take an evidence based approach to teaching, to reflect on their teaching practice and their students' learning and consider how this might be improved, informed by selected material from the research literature.

Participants commence the program by attending the professional development workshop, Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT), and completing additional assignments for the first compulsory course in the program.

The Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching is a UNSW program supported by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) through the Learning & Teaching Unit and is offered by the School of Education.

The aims of the program are to:

The program-level learning outcomes are:

1. Disciplinary knowledge and practices

Students should have acquired specialised disciplinary knowledge and capabilities related to the areas of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy in higher education, and be able to apply these to their teaching approach and practices across a range of higher education contexts.

2. Enquiry-based learning

Students should be able to use an analytical scholarly framework to examine their educational practice aimed at improving their effectiveness across these areas.

3. Cognitive skills and critical thinking applicable to teaching in higher education

Students should be able:

to identify, research and analyse complex issues and problems related to curriculum, assessment and pedagogy and propose appropriate and well justified solutions

to draw from and analyse a range of evidence from different perspectives to enhance their practice.

4. Communication, adaptive and interactional skills

Students should be able to communicate effectively with a range of audiences, and be capable of using independent and collaborative enquiry to work effectively across and within their disciplinary contexts.

5. Global outlook

Students should be able to analyse the impact of international trends and perspectives in higher education upon their local contexts and practices.

The Graduate Certificate will be awarded after satisfactory completion of 24 units of credit. This program is only available on a part time basis and is usually taken over at least two semesters. Courses will be offered in blended mode and with a mix of classroom/online and structured independent learning activities.

The courses have been designed to support participants to progressively develop capabilities across the program in the key areas outlined above, and each course will build coherently on work undertaken in the previous course. Based on this, all the courses are core, but crafted to ensure flexibility to allow participants to elect an area of interest and focus. In such cases the assessment is project based to allow further exploration of an elected area.

Students must complete 1) EDST5121 and 2) EDST5122 before undertaking other courses.

Core courses offered within this program are:

1. A Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching may be awarded by the Council to a candidate who has satisfactorily completed a program of advanced study.

Admission Requirements
2. Participants in the program are required to have completed a three year undergraduate degree at a recognized university, and all candidates are required to be actively engaged in teaching in higher education throughout the duration of the program.

Enrolment Details
3. If you are interested in enrolling in the program, please contact the program convenor who will determine your eligibility for the program.

Alternatively UNSW staff can arrange to attend the FULT workshop by contacting the Learning & Teaching Unit at FULT@unsw.edu.au.

Credit Transfer
If you are seeking credit transfer you must submit documentary evidence of courses completed at the time of initial enrolment. The Faculty will then determine the number of units of credit to be granted. The maximum credit transfer is 12 UOC (50%). Credit transfer will not be granted for courses completed more than ten years previously.

Contact
Bob Fox
Program Convenor
Learning and Teaching Unit
Tel: +61 (2) 9385 3907
Email: gcult@unsw.edu.au

Fees for UNSW staff members
Course fees for UNSW staff members who are employed in an ongoing or contract capacity will be sponsored by the University upon approval and admission into this program. Staff who are employed on a casual basis may be eligible if they meet requirements determined by the Program Authority.

A candidate who works outside of UNSW will be charged standard fees for UNSW programs.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.