Advancing Practice BA (Hons) Top Up

Teaching

This mode of delivery involves a blended learning approach. You are taught through a combination of face-to-face teaching, live-on-line learning, tutorials and guided online learning alongside independent study time. Online learning is mostly in a virtual learning environment (VLE) called Blackboard. You will require a good level of ICT competence and computer and software including access to broadband and an up-to-date web browser. Face to face learning takes place in small study groups providing opportunities to interact with other students who are studying on the top-up, they may be from the other related pathways so providing an enriching environment. These study groups provide you with a supportive peer learning environment where you can develop your skills and share your learning. In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the across the year.

Both face-to-face teaching and live-on-line online learning take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion, small group activities and individual learning. Group and individual tutorials enable the discussion and development of knowledge, key concepts and skills as well as providing support as you approach key assessments.

In addition to the weekly learning sessions, there will be twice yearly conferences on Friday evening and Saturday daytime with set study sessions that provide the opportunity to work with other students on your pathway from across the county giving you an additional layer of peer support and networking opportunities.

Teaching location

This University of Worcester award is delivered by the partner institution The Learning Institute. Delivery venues range across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, London and Somerset, (though not on the University of Worcester campus). The running of the degree and of individual groups will be subject to minimum numbers.

Contact time

In a typical week you will have around 8 hours of planned learning via teaching, guided study or tutorials. The planned learning sessions will comprise a range of learning activities which will change week to week depending on whether they are face-face or live-online and from module to module.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 29 hours of personal self-study per week some elements of which could take place within the workplace. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual projects, undertaking research using the online library or when possible within the workplace, as well as preparing coursework assignments.

Duration

1 year full time

Timetables

Scheduled teaching will take place on the same single day each week for most weeks of the year and you will be aware of the day and timing of these sessions at least two months before registration. Detailed timetables are normally available one month before registration. Additionally there is the expectation that all students attend both Friday evening and Saturday conferences as these are an integrated part of the study programme which include face-to-face teaching for specific modules.

Teaching staff

The team includes professional practitioners from across the fields of study covered by the degree programme. Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy and is based on considerable experience of practices in the field.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include coursework assessments such as critical reflections, portfolios, critical evaluations, projects or business plans.

A typical formal summative assessment pattern for the course is:

• 1 x critical reflection 
• 2 x portfolio
• 1 x critical evaluation
• 1 x project or business development plan

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.