Physical Education and Outdoor Education BSc (Hons)

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of:

• Lectures and seminars (for a theoretical perspective on pedagogy)
• Practical seminars (to apply theory within a practical setting)
• Online learning (via Twitter, Blackboard, Camtasia)
• Work Placements (teaching opportunities in local schools/outdoor centres)

You are taught through a combination of different teaching and learning styles to assist your own development of your pedagogical philosophy. In most cases we try to create an interactive environment that allows you to comment and share your knowledge. We encourage an applied approach from theory to practical application to develop your subject specific skills. During the course, you will be taught by an experienced and enthusiastic team of both physical education and outdoor education practitioners who are committed to providing a quality experience that will enable you to become a highly employable graduate.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors (PAT) are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course. Additionally you get regular opportunities to meet with the course leader.

You have an opportunity to undertake a semester long placement in the second year of the course. However, there are many additional opportunities for learning in an applied context in semester time as well as in Worcester Weeks.

Contact time

In a typical week you will have around 12-16 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year you will normally have slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study.

Typically class contact time will be structured around:

• Outdoor practicals: every other week for a full day
• 4 - 6 hours of lectures (large group)
• 5 - 7 hours of practical seminars of around 30-35 students
• 4 hours of slectures (blend of lecture and seminar)

Throughout the three years of the degree there are opportunities to work with pupils applying your subject specific and teaching and learning knowledge. In year three there is a work placement opportunity either within a professional outdoor education setting (SPRT 3058) or a school setting (SPRT 3059).

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 24-28 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve:

• Completing directed study tasks
• Engaging with online activities
• Practice of practical activities
• Reading research articles
• Watching videos
• Working on individual and group projects
• Preparing for assignments and learning experiences
• Reflection and evaluation

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes members of the Physical Education team and Outdoor Education staff from Hereford and Ludlow College.

Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and majority of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

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:

• Practical assessment
• Exams
• Essays
• Presentations
• Video presentations
• Reflective essays
• Viva examinations
• Resource card
• Lesson plans and units of work
• Dissertation.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1:

• Resource card
• Practical assessment
• Essays
• Exam
• Presentation (paired)

Year 2:

• Reflective essay/viva ·
• Exam
• Video presentation
• Essays
• Practical

Year 3:

• Resource pack/video presentation
• Presentation (individual)
• Essays
• Ethical approval
• Dissertation

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. 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.