Professional Development: Expert Practice in Delivering Person-Centred Dementia Care PG Award

Teaching

The course is delivered completely online via Blackboard, the University's online teaching and learning environment. As a student, you will engage with online lectures, videos, research literature and discussions to facilitate your independent study.  This course provides regular interactive learning opportunities via seminars in a virtual classroom (scheduled live communication) and engagement with students and tutors via asynchronous discussion forums (no timing requirement). 

The programme lead is available for contact throughout the course. Contact with university tutors will be facilitated via email, dedicated module discussion forums and video chat. This module has a specific practice based component which you will carry out in your usual place of employment.

Contact time

Synchronous contact - Scheduled/planned

There will be live tutorials and other live activities using the online learning environment.  A normal pattern of scheduled contact time will be around 1 hour per fortnight over each 12 week semester, therefore 12 hours for this 30 credit module, although additional sessions may be added if a tutor identifies a need. Scheduled online seminar classes are likely to be held in the evening to accommodate student work schedules.

Asynchronous contact - Unscheduled

Students are expected to participate fully in the programme of study, engage actively with learning opportunities including any scheduled sessions.  Students will be expected to spend 2 hours per week in unscheduled contact over 12 weeks, therefore 24 hours per 15 credit module, through activities, chat rooms and discussion boards which will be flexible. This will allow students to have access to a range of material and learning resources which they can access at a time convenient to them, but remains a means of sustaining contact with tutors.

Independent self-study

In addition to the directed online study, scheduled exercises and virtual seminars within the online learning environment, you are expected to undertake around 8 hours of personal self-study per week for this module. Guided independent study will include students planning, design and delivery of teaching and support sessions, as well as reading journal articles, books and undertaking online research.

You will also be required to prepare coursework assignments and presentations. Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

1 year part time

Timetables

The online learning environment will be available for the duration of the semester and will be available one week before the module commences. Dates for scheduled seminars will be made available prior to the course commencing.

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 senior academics, professional practitioners with health and care sector experience, demonstrators and technical officers.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Teaching is informed by up to date research and consultancy.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles on the Association for Dementia Studies staff page.

Assessment

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment will be utilised across the course.  Both types of assessment are relevant to students achieving the learning outcomes.  

Formative assessment

Formative assessment provides students with structure in their study to guide them through content and skill development as well as enable instructors and tutors to support their learning experience. 

A wide variety of formative assessment will be used in the course to assist students to identify their learning needs as well as build on their strengths and provide instructors with opportunities to individualise support through individualised feedback. 

While formative assessment does not carry a grade contributing to the final grade for any given module, it is essential for student learning and effective student support. 

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is designed to evaluate student achievement in relation to the learning outcomes and all summative assessment contributes to the final grade.

You will receive feedback on summative assessments within 20 working days of submission date.

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.