PGDip/MA in Higher Education

STUDENT HANDBOOK

SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW................................................2Introduction..........................................................................................................................2Programme Team...............................................................................................................5Structure of the Programme..............................................................................................8Timetable for PGDip/MA modules running in 2013/14...............................................10

SECTION TWO: THE CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME.....................................11CORE MODULES............................................................................................................11UN825: Educational Research Methodology..........................................................11UN824: Interrogating Higher Education Research.....................................................13UN812: Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education..................................15UN813: Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor.............................................15UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment..............................................17UN821: Assessment and Professional Development.................................................17UN899: The MA Dissertation..........................................................................................20Style Guide........................................................................................................................22Bibliography.......................................................................................................................22Referencing.......................................................................................................................22Help with MA study and writing dissertations...............................................................23

SECTION THREE: GENERAL INFORMATION......................................................25Accreditation of Prior Learning: Policy and Practice...................................................25Academic Management of the Programme..................................................................27Quality Assurance Agency Descriptors for Masters-Level Work..............................29Registration Procedure for Taught Postgraduate Students.......................................29Course Management Student Data System.................................................................30Support and Resources...................................................................................................31

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SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Introduction

Welcome to the PGDip/MA in Higher Education. This course is run through the Centre for the Study of Higher Education. We hope you will find it interesting and challenging and that you will become involved with other initiatives organised by the Centre. We are based in the UELT building on the Canterbury Campus although some taught sessions are held elsewhere on campus.

This programme offers an opportunity for HE professionals to deepen their understanding of the theoretical background, methodological approaches and context of research into higher education. Practice-based specialist modules are combined with modules supporting the development of research skills, culminating in a dissertation. The emphasis throughout is on a critical understanding of the HE context and its implications for the contemporary academic environment.

There are a number of routes through the programme. The PGDip is worth 120 credits at ‘M’ level and can focus upon either research or practice. The University of Kent PGCHE, or a similar qualification, will give you 60 credits advanced standing. The additional sixty credits are achieved through two core modules (45 credits) and one optional module (15 credits). A further 60 credits at ‘M’ level are achieved through the completion of a dissertation for the successful accomplishment of the MA.

Overview

Who is it for?

The PgDip/MA is aimed at people interested in studying policies, practices and theories associated with the higher education sector. It is aimed at people who have recent experience or are currently working within the higher education sector either in teaching, research or senior administrative roles.

You should normally have completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Further or Higher Education, or equivalent, or provide evidence of an ability to complete such a programme and have a minimum of two years’ experience of working in Higher Education. Current HE teaching is not a requirement for entry to the PGDip/MA programme.

How long does it take?

Full- time students can complete the MA in Higher Education in one year.

Part-time students can take up to three years to complete the PGDip and a further two years to complete the MA; although the general expectation is that part-time students will complete the whole MA in two years.

What does it involve?

Students are expected to have 60 credits at M level or equivalent qualifications/experience prior to embarking upon the PGDip/MA programme. This would normally be in the form of a PGCHE qualification. See page 27 for more information on the Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning.

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PGDip students must then complete a further 60 credits.

Students wishing to follow a practice route must select four 15-credit option modules from the current offerings. Option modules run mainly in five-week blocks, although a couple involve taught sessions at intervals throughout the academic year. You will find a full timetable of current option modules on page 10 and full details of the content of each module on pages 11 to 27.

Students wishing to follow a research route must take only ONE fifteen-credit option module, plus two core research modules: UN825 Educational Research Methodology (15 credits) and UN824 Interrogating Higher Education Research (30 credits).

Taught modules: Each module is convened by members of the programme team and encourages students to share their experiences and to explore new ideas and methods. As taught modules are cross-disciplinary they will enable you to reflect on similarities in, and differences between, teaching and research in different disciplines.

Personal study: You will be asked to undertake preparatory reading for many of the taught sessions, undertake investigations relevant to your own research interests and spend time reading more widely during your period of registration on the programme. Articles and shorter texts are available through Moodle (see below for further details) while the Templeman and Drill Hall Libraries hold a large range of books and periodicals. Please see page 31 for more information.

How is it taught?

Most modules combine a lecture-style element with seminar-type discussions and in some cases workshop activity, encouraging students to share their experiences and to explore new ideas and methods. Students may be asked to engage in critical discussion of selected pre-reading materials or to give a presentation on a relevant topic to other course participants.

What support is available?

Each student on the programme is assigned a personal tutor from the teaching team for the duration of the programme. In addition, MA students will each be assigned an individual supervisor who will work with them whilst they are undertaking the dissertation.

Moodle

The University of Kent’s virtual learning environment, Moodle, is used to support face-to-face provision and to offer some modules in a ‘blended learning’ format.

We use Moodle for four purposes:

Administrative: Individual module folders include module information such as the module guide and assessment guidelines.

Reading materials: Module convenors will regularly post relevant reading materials on the site. It is therefore necessary that you regularly log in to the site to check for any updated information and essential reading materials.

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Although specific readings for individual classes are specified in the module guide, we add resources to the site throughout the academic year.

Discussion boards: You will be expected to participate in online discussion for some modules. Full details will be given in each module guide.

Assignment dropbox: You will need to submit one copy of each piece of assessed work via Moodle.

Please note that you will need to enrol online as a student on the PGDip/MA programme in order to access Moodle; it is not possible for you to use any other login or password for this purpose.

Administrative advice

The academic practice team is supported by a full-time Programme Administrator, Juliette Dack, who should be your first point of contact for general administrative purposes. Juliette can be contacted on 01227 824013 or by emailing J.C.Dack@kent.ac.uk. Alternatively you can email HEProgsAdmin@kent.ac.uk.

Juliette, and the rest of the programme team, can usually be found on the first floor of the UELT building. The full address is: Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NQ.

Progression/Further Study

PhD in Higher EducationResearch on Higher Education at Kent includes work on education policy, the philosophy, economics, management and politics of higher education, disciplinary teaching and learning, learning technology, academic practice and sociological perspectives on academic work.

Because the Centre draws on expertise from across the University of Kent, we can offer high-quality PhD supervision across a wide range of research topics, and we work very carefully to match you with a supervisory panel that suit your interests and ambitions. You can find out more about the research activities and publications of individual members of staff by following the links at http://www.kent.ac.uk/cshe/about.html.

In addition to regular meetings with supervisors, all research students take part in a tailored research training programme, which can include research methods modules offered by the Centre or by other Schools, as appropriate. As well as attending the regular research seminars offered by the Centre, students are encouraged to participate in the seminars, workshops, newer researcher networks and masterclasses offered by the scholarly bodies in the discipline, including SRHE and BERA. Most students of the Centre are studying part-time, and we aim to provide a lively academic community which makes full use of the professional and scholarly diversity of our staff and students.

If you are interested in applying for the PhD in Higher Education, please contact Dr. Janice Malcolm, the Centre Director, to discuss your plans before making a formal application.

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

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Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticePGCHE Programme Director and Director of Graduate StudiesChair: Board of ExaminersModule Convenor:

UN816: Learning and Teaching Innovation UN817: Teaching Languages for Specific /Professional

Purposes UN819: An Introduction to Learning, Teaching and the

Academic Environment UN821: Assessment and Professional Development

Tel: 4167; Email: F.M.Beaton@kent.ac.uk

Programme Team

Dr Joanna Williams is the programme director for the PGDip/MA in Higher Education. Joanna should be the initial point of contact for queries regarding the programme by both current and prospective students.

Joanna Williams

Joanna Williams joined the Academic Practice Team in 2007. Joanna’s research primarily involves policy analysis and focuses upon the impact of changing political objectives upon education. She has looked at the development of post-compulsory education in relation to government policies designed to promote social inclusion. Most recently, Joanna has explored the impact of increasing university tuition fees and the effect this has upon higher education, students, and academics. Her book ‘Consuming Higher Education: Why Learning Can’t Be Bought’ was published with Bloomsbury in November 2012. Joanna’s current research interests involve exploring the concept of ‘public good’ in relation to HE and the impact of institutional charters upon the student experience. Joanna regularly writes for the Times Higher Education and her research has also been published in a number of academic journals.

The members of the programme team are:

Fran Beaton

Fran's background is in Modern Languages, chiefly German and French but with substantial experience in teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language. Fran

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Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticeProgramme Director PGDip/MA in Higher EducationModule Convenor:

UN820: Critical Perspectives on Academic Practice UN814: The Inclusive Curriculum UN824: Interrogating Higher Education Research UN826: Internationalisation and Higher Education

Tel: 7137; Email: J.G.Williams@kent.ac.uk

Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticeModule Convenor:• UN813: Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor• UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment

joined the University of Kent in 2004, after many years at University of London, Goldsmiths College. She has been involved in designing and teaching on postgraduate teacher education programmes for over fifteen years and has extensive experience of working with teachers in Adult and Community Education. Fran recently co-edited a book on the nature and impact of support offered to part-time and sessional teachers in Higher Education which was published by Routledge in Autumn 2012. She is currently researching into the experiences of staff who work both in practice (eg Law, Creative and Performing Arts) and as university teachers. She is a member of the editorial board of Teaching in Higher Education and of the Conference Committee of the Staff and Educational Development Association.

Juliette Dack

Juliette joined UELT in 2013. She has been at the University of Kent for over 14 years, having previously held roles within the Schools of History and European Culture and Languages. Juliette completed her degree in History 4 years ago.

Jennifer Leigh

Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice

Module Convenor UN825 Higher Education Research Methods

Tel: 7015; Email: j.s.leigh@kent.ac.uk

Jennifer joined the Academic Practice Team full-time in 2013. Prior to that she worked as a Research Associate for the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, and completed doctoral studies in the School of Education at the University of Birmingham. She explored reflexivity and embodiment, and is now interested in how this relates to professional practice. She has worked as project manager on several large funded studies employing mixed methods of research, including the National Evaluation of Gifted and Talented Physical Education and Imagining Autism, an evaluation of a drama intervention for children with autism. Her research interests include academic practice, programmes for academic development and part-time teachers as well as aspects of teaching and learning in higher education.

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Programmes Administrator, APT; Centre Administrator, CSHE

Tel: 4013; Email: j.c.dack@kent.ac.uk

Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticeModule Convenor:• UN813: Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor• UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment

Janice Malcolm

Janice Malcolm is Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher

Dr. Janice Malcolm is Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, and Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice. Her principal research interest is in academic work and the construction and practice of academic and disciplinary identities. She has a particular interest in the nature of the academic workplace, and the impact of policy and regulation on disciplinary practice. In addition to teaching and tutoring on the PGCHE, she is responsible for the new PhD in Higher Education. Janice served on the Governing Council of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) from 2005-2011 and is a member of the Editorial Board of Teaching in Higher Education, as well as reviewing for several other HE journals.

Edd Pitt Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticeModule Convenor UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment

Simon Thompson

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Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic PracticeModule Convenor:

UN822: Individual Investigation in Higher Education

Tel: 4579; Email: J.Malcolm@kent.ac.uk

Professor of Logic and Computation Module Convenor:

UN812: Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education

Tel: 3820; Email: s.j.thompson@kent.ac.uk

Simon Thompson is Professor of Logic and Computation in the School of Computing of the University of Kent, where he has taught computing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the past twenty eight years, and where he was formerly department head for seven years and is currently Director of Research and Enterprise. His research work has centred on functional programming: program verification, type systems, and most recently development of software tools for functional programming languages. His team has built the Wrangler tool for refactoring Erlang programs, as well as performing clone detection and allowing users to extend the tool with their own refactorings. His research has been funded by various agencies including EPSRC and the European Framework programme. His training is as a mathematician: he has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge and a D.Phil. in mathematical logic from Oxford.

He has written four books in his field of interest; Type Theory and Functional Programming published in 1991; Miranda: The Craft of Functional Programming (1995), Haskell: The Craft of Functional Programming (3rd ed. 2011) and Erlang Programming (with Francesco Cesarini, 2009). Apart from the last, which is published by O'Reilly, these are all published by Addison Wesley.

Structure of the Programme

To complete the PGDip you need to achieve an additional 60 credits at M level on top of a PGCHE or similar qualification.

These 60 credits can be obtained by following a ‘practice’ route or a ‘research’ route.

If you are taking a PGDip by practice then you will need to take four option modules (each worth fifteen credits).

If you are taking a PGDip by research then you will need to take two core research modules (worth 45 credits in total) and one option module.

To complete the MA you need to achieve an additional 60 credits on top of the PGDip in Higher Education.

These 60 credits are to be obtained through the completion of a supervised dissertation.

Please note: you cannot take the MA dissertation if you have not successfully completed (or been exempted from) the two core research modules.

Core research modules:

UN825 Educational Research Methodology (15 credits)

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UN824 Interrogating Higher Education Research (30 credits)

Option modules available in 2013/14:

UN812 Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education UN813 Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor UN815 Technology in the Academic Environment UN821 Assessment and Professional Development UN826 Internationalisation and Higher Education

See our website for information about option modules which, subject to sufficient numbers, we plan to offer in 2014/15.

We ask you to make your option module choices by Friday 11th October 2013. If you are in any doubt about which modules to choose, we recommend you discuss this with your Personal Tutor or the Programme Director. You should also consult the Programme Director or the Programme Administrator if you wish to make a claim to be exempt from any element of the programme.

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Timetable for PGDip/MA modules running in 2013/14

Module When Find Out More

CO

RE

MO

DU

LES

UN825Educational

Research Methods

Wednesdays

2/10/13to

4/12/1317:30 – 19:30

Page 11 of this handbook

UN824Interrogating Higher Education Research

Wednesdays

22/01/14to

02/04/1417.30 – 19.30

Page 13 of this handbook

Module When Find Out More

UN812Developing as a

Researcher in Higher Education

Fridays15/11/13

to20/12/13

Page 15 of this handbook

UN813Developing as a

Research Degree Supervisor

Fridays16/05/14

to13/06/14

Page 16 of this handbook

UN815Technology in the

Academic Environment

Fridays24/01/14

to21/02/14

Page 17of this

handbook

UN821Assessment and

Professional Development

Fridays16/05/14

to13/06/14

Page 18 of this handbook

UN826 Internationalisation

and Higher Education

Fridays16/05/14

to13/06/14

Page 19 of this handbook

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SECTION TWO: THE CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME

CORE MODULES

UN825: Educational Research Methodology

Level: MCredits: 15Convenor: Jennifer Leigh

Entry requirements: This module is primarily intended for students registered for the PGDip/MA.

Module Outline: The main purpose of this module is to provide programme participants with a basic introduction to some of the methods most commonly employed in higher education research. You will be encouraged to explore a range of qualitative and quantitative methods and to assess their suitability in relation to particular research questions. There will be opportunity to critique methods employed in existing research as well as to consider methods you may wish to apply to your own research investigations. We will look at what makes a good research question; the relationship between questions and methods; and the ethics of educational research.

This course will assume no prior knowledge of higher education research methods. It is intended to help participants planning their own research projects (such as the MA dissertation) to think critically about a range of methods they could employ. Participants who are not intending to engage in their own research projects will be able to critically appraise the methods employed by other researchers in the area of higher education.

This course will be taught through a combination of traditional ‘face-to-face’ seminars and on-line tuition.

There will be four two-hour long ‘face-to-face’ seminars. These will take place on:

2nd October 2013 23rd October 2013 13th November 2013 4th December 2013

 Assessment: There are two parts to the assessment for this module. You need to pass both parts in order to successfully complete the module.

For the first part of the assessment you will be asked to give a presentation to your fellow course participants. The presentation is to last for ten minutes with an additional ten minutes for questions. The presentations are expected to take place during our final taught session, on Wednesday 4th December 2013. The presentation is to be on the subject of a piece of published research into higher education that is of interest to you. The research could be in the form of a journal article or report. You need to summarise the research, paying particular attention to: the clarity of the researchers’ chosen questions; the appropriateness of the chosen methodologies; any ethical implications that arise from the research; and the confidence in any conclusions drawn from the research.

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The second element of the assessment is a written assignment which is expected to be between 2500 and 3000 words in total. For the first part of the assignment you are asked to complete a project proposal form outlining a research project you may plan to undertake in the future. To complete the form, you will be expected to identify:

An appropriate research question of your own The aims and objectives of your proposed project The methodology you intend to adopt Any ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration The rationale (explanation and justification) for the decisions you have made

For the second part of this assignment you are asked to write an accompanying critique of your project proposal form. Here you can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal and expand upon any limitations to the research, or problems and difficulties you envisage may occur.

The deadline for the written assignment is Friday 21st March 2014. This is a considerable time after the completion of the taught sessions. This is intended to give those subsequently undertaking module UN824, Interrogating Higher Education Research, an opportunity to digest the ideas discussed during the course of that module and hone their project proposals accordingly. Of course, participants are very welcome to submit work in advance of this deadline.

Session Date Format Topic

1 2/10/13 Face-to-face Introduction to module

Theoretical overview Defining key terms

2 9/10/13 On-line Interviews and interviewing

Types of interviews Sampling and sample size

3 16/10/13 On-line Interpreting qualitative data

Coding Thematic review Discourse analysis

4 23/10/13 Face-to-face Ethics

Power relations Confidentiality Anonymity

5 30/10/13 On-line Questionnaires and surveys

Design Use Sampling and sample size

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6 6/11/13 On-line Analysis of quantitative data

Dealing with survey data Interpreting statistics

7 13/11/13 Face-to-face Planning your research project

What makes a good question? Linking questions to methods

8 20/11/13

On-line

Ethnographic and observational research methods.

9 27/11/13 On-line Participatory and action research methods.

10 4/12/13 Face-to-face Assessed presentations.

UN824: Interrogating Higher Education Research

Level: MCredits: 30Convenor: Joanna Williams

Entry requirements: PGDip/MA students taking this module should either have completed, or been exempted from, UN825: Educational Research Methodology (see previous entry).

Module Outline: The aim of this module is to encourage participants to examine critically a range of theories and methods employed in educational research. This module will build upon some of the concepts introduced in Module UN825: Educational Research Methodology and also introduce new ideas which have influenced the shape and direction of research within the social sciences and the field of higher education research in particular. Taught sessions will follow a loosely historical structure, interrogating the impact upon educational research of ideas from Critical Theory to the more recent ‘biographical turn’.

There will be eleven taught sessions, each lasting for two hours. These will take place on Wednesday evenings throughout the Spring term. Each session will be based upon a critical interrogation of a journal article which participants will be expected to have read in advance and to bring with them to class. Introductions to the relevant articles will be provided by either the course tutor, a guest speaker, or students themselves as part of the module assessment. There is also an expectation that students will read beyond just the named text for each week and detailed reading lists will be provided to this end.

Assessment: Students will be expected to give a twenty minute in-class presentation (including ten minutes for questions) and submit a 5000 word critical essay. Specific topics for the presentation and titles for the essay can be negotiated with the course tutor. The presentation and the essay should cover separate

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theoretical areas. For the presentation, students will be expected to introduce a peer-reviewed journal article (or section from such an article) to the group alongside a critique of the theoretical approaches selected by the author(s). For the essay, students will be expected to identify a relevant topic in HE research and critically analyse a range of theoretical approaches to addressing this topic.

Essay deadline: Friday, 11th July 2013

Module dates:

Session Date Theme

1Wednesday

22/01/145:30 – 7:30

Introduction to module Why does educational research need interrogating? Development of HE research Disciplinary origins

2Wednesday

29/01/145:30 – 7:30

Theory and method in HE research The aims of educational research Difference between theory and method Relationship between theory and method

3Wednesday

05/02/145:30 – 7:30

Truth in HE research Positivism, realism and truth claims Grand narratives of HE research The post-modern challenge to truth

4Wednesday

12/02/145:30 – 7:30

Critical Social Theory Antonio Gramsci Jurgen Habermas

5Wednesday

19/02/145:30 – 7:30

Higher Education and society (1) Bourdieu and cultural reproduction Field Habitus and widening participation

6Wednesday

26/02/145:30 – 7:30

Higher Education and society (2) Bernstein and socialisation Horizontal and Vertical Discourses Pedagogic Rights

7Wednesday

05/03/145:30 – 7:30

Paradigm shifts in HE research Beyond structural-functionalism Young and the new sociology of education

8Wednesday

12/03/145:30 – 7:30

Feminism and HE research Feminist theory Researching Absences in the Academy

9Wednesday

19/03/145:30 – 7:30

The discourse of higher education The significance of language Fairclough and critical discourse analysis

10Wednesday

26/03/145:30 – 7:30

Social and Critical Realism Roy Bhasker Margaret Archer

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11Wednesday

02/04/145:30 – 7:30

The biographical turn in HE research Narrative and story telling The researcher in the research

Optional Modules

UN812: Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education

Status: Optional Level: MCredits: 15Convenor: Professor Simon Thompson

Module outline: This module offers existing researchers the opportunity to develop and enhance the understanding and skills required for a successful research career in a university, as well as a forum for the recognition, discussion and resolution of problems encountered doing research in higher education. Contributors to the module are drawn from different disciplinary areas across the University. The module explores the policy framework of research, the mechanisms used to assess research quality, and the structures and networks through which research funding is distributed. The researcher’s own role in developing successful research is explicitly acknowledged through sessions on grant applications and reviews, and on the varied disciplinary practices of dissemination and publishing. Participants are encouraged to review their own practice and to consider future strategies for developing research careers.

Assessment: A negotiated assignment equivalent to 2,000 – 3,000 words. Full details are included in the module guide

Deadlines: Coursework for this module should be submitted by Monday 27th January.

Module dates:

Seminar dates,Autumn Term 2013 Theme

Fridays15/11/13 – 20/12/13SW101, Computing

Themes for individual sessions will include:

The academic as researcher: career patterns, disciplinary and interdisciplinary practice and the varieties of research career

Planning, writing and managing research funding bids

Grant applications and the review process Research policy: funding, quality and ethics; UK

government research policy and the Research Evaluation Framework

Dissemination, publishing and engagement; the “impact agenda”

Skills development and career planning

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UN813: Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor

Status: Optional Level: MCredits: 15Convenor: Dr. Janice Malcolm

Entry requirements: You should have current or prior experience of undertaking research student supervision at PhD level or for a Masters degree by research, whether alone or as part of a supervisory team. If you are unclear about your eligibility, please contact the module convenor.

Module outline: This module offers supervisors, whether new to the role or more experienced, the opportunity to develop and enhance their understanding of the supervision process and their own supervisory skills. Participants will explore models of supervision, the policy and regulatory context, and the ways in which students can best be supported through the process of becoming, and being recognised as, independent researchers. The module also provides a forum for the discussion and resolution of problems encountered in supervisory work, with contributions from experienced supervisors in different disciplines. Indicative topics include: international and disciplinary conceptions of the research degree; the training and skills agendas; the supervisory relationship; academic and pastoral support for a diverse student body; assessment and the examination process.

Assessment: A 3,000 – 4,000-word piece of writing, which will reflect critically on your own supervisory practice and professional development. Full details will be included in the module guide.

Deadlines: Coursework for this module should be submitted by 4:30 pm on Monday, 29 September 2014.

Module dates:

Seminar Dates

1 Friday 16/05/1410:00 – 12:30Room TBA

2 Friday 23/05/1410:00 – 12:30Room TBA

3 Friday 30/05/1410:00 – 12:30Room TBA

4 Friday 06/06/1410:00 – 12:30Room TBA

5 Friday 13/06/1410:00 – 12:30Room TBA

Details of the content and reading for each session will be available in the Module Guide.

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UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment

Status: OptionalLevel: MCredits: 15Convenor: Edd PittCap: Numbers are capped at around 15 due to the number of terminals

available in the suitable computer room and due to the scheduling of the first assignment task.

Entry requirements: You should have basic ICT skills suitable for Higher Education work.

This module does not provide initial training in the use of Moodle; such training is available from your Faculty Learning Technologist.

Module outline: This module provides participants with an overview of the field of Learning Technologies and offers an opportunity for experience of various technologies from the points of view of the student, tutor and other HE staff. Participants will analyse and discuss pedagogical principles which underpin possible uses of new technologies and the implications variously on learning and teaching, research and administration, in terms of staff development and student support. Indicative topics are: modes of pedagogy (eg the spectrum of pure face-to-face through blended learning, or combined mode, to computer-mediated distance learning) and assessment, including tools such as quizzes, personal response systems and other mobile devices; modes of computer-mediated communication (eg one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many); Web2.0; the real and the virtual, artificial intelligence, and conceiving learners and teachers; quality, automation of the academic environment and information management; technology in society and diffusion of innovations. This module does not consider new technology for its own sake nor does it focus upon technical specifications.

Assessment: There are two pieces of assessed work for this module, both of which you need to pass.

For the first task, students will contribute to each online forum discussion task within this module, both as student discussant or as moderator when adopting the latter role. This will require a certain dedication of time and attention to the course in between face-to-face sessions in the first half of the Autumn Term. You will write a 1,000-word piece of critically reflective prose reviewing your contributions and performance in both roles and include a brief plan for your future needs and continuing professional development.

In the second task, you will conduct an enquiry into usage of technology and write a 2,000 – 3,000-word piece, in the form of a project report or an essay. It will be up to you how to focus this piece of work. Full details will be included in the module guide.

Deadlines: Coursework for this module should be submitted by 4:30 pm on Monday, 1 July 2014.

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UN821: Assessment and Professional Development

Status: Optional Level: MCredits: 15Convenor: Fran Beaton

Module outline: This module focuses on two main areas: assessment and student learning, and professional development for academic staff. The first part of the module covers the impact of the educational and policy context on approaches to assessment, the relationship of assessment to learning, including approaches to giving feedback and the impact of ‘stakeholder’ (eg, student, employer, institutional) perception on assessment and design. In the second part of the module we consider practical strategies for designing assessment tasks. Finally, what of our own development? We review the context informing current approaches to professional development and the application of these to individual engagement in continuing professional development.

Assessment: There are two assessment tasks for this module, both of which you need to pass.

The assessment task relating to student learning is to create a poster (or other visual presentation) of a proposed or actual assessment strategy at module or programme level. This should be accompanied by a 1,000-word written commentary critically evaluating the methods selected.

The assessment task for the outcome relating to continuing professional development is a critical evaluation of a selection of CPD activities. These will be identified and negotiated individually. The evaluation should be presented in written form (eg, learning journal, essay – the structure will also be negotiated) of approximately 1,500 words, supported by appendices including a plan for future development.

Full details are included in the module guide.

Deadlines: Assessment task 1 should be submitted by Friday, 12th July 2014 and task 2 should be submitted by Monday 8th September 2014.

Module dates:

Seminar Dates Theme

1

Friday16/05/14

10:00–13:30

UELTSR

Approaches to assessment The policy context Institutional implications for students and staff

perceptions and tensions

2

Friday23/05/14

10:00–13:30

RLT2

Assessment and criticality: challenges in assessment design and feedback

Practical strategies in assessment design

3 Friday18

30/05/1410:00–13:30

RLT2

Assessment in a modular age: patchwork, a rich tapestry or a tangled ball of wool?

4

Friday06/06/14

10:00-13:30

RLT2

Personal professional development: concepts and practices

5

Friday13/06/14

10:00-13:30

RLT2

Evaluating development: preparation for assignments

Arrangements for 1-1 tutorials

UN826: Internationalisation and Higher Education

Status: OptionalLevel: MCredit: 15 Convenor: Joanna Williams

Module outline: Higher Education institutions in the UK are increasingly seen as operating within a global marketplace, recruiting staff and students from all over the world. This module offers you an opportunity to reflect critically upon trends associated with internationalisation in higher education in relation to institutions, students and academics. We will consider the impact of a range of institutional, national and international policy documents, research and scholarship upon our practice. You will be encouraged to critically reflect upon, analyse and describe your own practice and/or the practice of others in relation to issues of equity and inclusion; the international student experience; and the university curriculum.

This module is taught in five sessions running on consecutive Friday mornings in the Spring term. Each session will run for two and a half hours. You will be expected to complete some reading in advance of each taught session.

Assessment: This module is assessed through one 3,000 word written assignment. The title of the assignment asks you to: Critically reflect upon the development of the internationalisation of higher education. How do current policies and research impact on your own practice, and the practice of others, including institutions? Specific advice and guidance on the completion of the essay will be given in the taught sessions. All students are encouraged to show a draft of their essay to the module convenor prior to final submission.

Deadlines:

Essays should be submitted by 4:30 pm on Friday, 4th July 2014.

Module Dates:

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Session Date Theme

1

Friday28/02/14

Introduction to module: Historical context to internationalisation of UK

HE Current policy directions

2

Friday07/03/14

Internationalisation in practice: Issues of equity The global market place Regulating the HE experience

3

Friday14/03/14

The student experience: More than just a fee-payer? From mono-culturalism to integration and

inclusion? Beyond the academic department

4

Friday21/03/14

The International Curriculum: English as an additional language Academic expectations Interrogating a ‘Western Curriculum’

5

Friday28/03/14

The International Academic The impact of technology Working in a global labour market Collaborations and partnerships

UN899: The MA Dissertation

Status: A requirement for students wishing to progress beyond the PGDip to achieve the full MA award.

Level: MCredits: 60Convenor: Joanna Williams: students will then be allocated a member of the

Academic Practice Team to act as dissertation supervisor.

Entry requirements: Participants will be expected to have completed (or in exceptional circumstances be near to completing) the PGDip in Higher Education.

Module outline: The aim of the dissertation is to allow students to examine critically, and in some detail, a higher education topic that is of interest to them. It is expected that the dissertation will build upon the theories and methods encountered in the two core research modules but go beyond this to encompass a review of relevant literature in the chosen field of study as well as a negotiated empirical investigation.

The final dissertation is to be between 12, 000 and 15,000 words in length. Although it 20

will be completed independently there will be a number of opportunities to receive support and advice from peers and members of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education. The dissertation will be supervised by a member of the programme team with expertise in the area of research identified.

Students have one academic year in which to complete the dissertation. There will be an initial two hour briefing session at the start of the academic year which will take participants through the steps needed to undertake the research, from selecting an area for research and framing a research question, through to the production of the dissertation. This briefing will include details of the ethical considerations to be taken account of in the research process.

Students will then have two weeks in which to complete a project proposal form. This form serves two main purposes. First, it helps participants to identify their research question and the nature of the research project they wish to undertake. This in turn allows the course convenor to suggest a suitable member of the programme team to supervise each dissertation. Secondly, the form requires a discussion of the ethical issues which may potentially arise from the completion of research projects. The completed form will be assessed by the CSHE research ethics committee and students will be notified shortly after submission if their project has received ethical approval.

Students will then be allocated a supervisor and it is then up to participants and supervisors to negotiate how frequently to meet and how much structure and support will be required. Their supervisor will be able to recommend reading material for the literature review, advise on the nature of the research project and comment upon drafts of written work.

There are a number of learning outcomes which will be assessed through the final dissertation. Upon completion you will be expected to be able to:

Demonstrate a capacity to identify and formulate a feasible and appropriate research question

Demonstrate a familiarity with literature, theories and methodologies relevant to the research topic

Demonstrate a capacity to gather, organise and synthesise data and information from a variety of sources

Demonstrate a capacity to analyse and present an analysis to others, developing reasoned arguments based on critical judgement

Important dates:

Wednesday 25th September 2013,5:30 – 7:30pm

Initial dissertation briefing session

Wednesday 9th October, 2013 Project proposal form submission deadline

Monday, 1st September, 2014 Final deadline for dissertation submission

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Submission requirements of dissertation:

Two hard copy (spiral bound) to the Programme Administrator in the UELT General Office, by post or in person.

One electronic copy via Moodle at http://moodle.kent.ac.uk

Both hard and electronic copies should be submitted by 4.30pm on the day of the deadline.

Style Guide

Bibliography

Each PGDip/MA module guide includes references to preparatory readings and a bibliography for further reading on each topic covered. The preparatory readings are normally tailored to specific taught sessions, and you should ensure you have read these in advance of each session, as indicated in the module guide. These readings comprise the minimum you will be expected to refer to when you are writing up assessed work for any given module. As for any Masters level programme, you should show that you have read more extensively and provide evidence of this through direct quotations in your text and a bibliography. This bibliography normally includes some books or articles from the module guide, but you are strongly encouraged to include other reference sources, for example ones relating to your own subject area or discipline.

Referencing

The system we use throughout the programme is the Harvard Referencing System. This is the system in most common use in Social Sciences (the Faculty to which the CSHE is attached) and Humanities, and we advocate its use. An example of this is:

Rogers, J. (2002) Adults Learning, London: Open University Press.

If you are quoting directly from a published piece of work, all quotations should be clearly placed between quotation marks in the text: ‘I learnt more in five days on an archaeological dig than I had in two terms of academic study.’ (Rogers 2002, p. 6)

You should then cite the source in full in the bibliography.

If you are synthesising a number of sources without directly quoting from any of them, then you should still indicate the sources you have drawn on in the text . For example:

Hayes and Ecclestone’s work over the last decade has explored the developments in the Further Education sector, and the implications of major policy changes on that sector’s traditional constituency and purpose. Indeed, Hayes (2007: 2) contends that the language of current political discourse presents, “A negative and diminished vision of young people [which is] by its very nature, difficult to express in policy documents except in terms of ‘caring’, ’protection’ and ‘safety’.”

If there is a different system in general use in your own academic discipline which you would prefer to continue using, that is perfectly possible. Whichever referencing system you are using, please make sure your citations are consistent.

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Please be aware that failure to indicate your sources is considered poor academic practice and may result in you being penalised for plagiarism. If you are uncertain about this, or any other aspect of academic writing, we encourage you to consult the Academic Integrity website at http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/. If you are still uncertain please contact your tutor or the module convenor.

Help with MA study and writing dissertations

There are many books which can offer help and advice on completing your Masters degree in general, and writing your MA dissertation in particular. A few that are available from the library include:

Ridley, D. (2008) The literature review: a step-by-step guide for students: Sage.

Rudestam. K. E. (2001) Surviving your dissertation: a comprehensive guide to content and process (2nd Edition): Sage.

Walliman, N. (2005) Your research project: a step-by-step guide for the first time researcher (2nd Edition): Sage.

Taylor, G. (1989) The student’s writing guide for the arts and social sciences: Cambridge University Press.

Hart, C. (2005) Doing your Master’s dissertation: realizing your potential as a social scientist: Sage.

Rose, J. (2007) The mature student’s guide to writing (2nd Edition): Palgrave.

Assessment

As in any academic programme, the processes of assessment include both ‘formative’ and ‘summative’ assessment.

Formative assessment is the process whereby you can evaluate your own performance and learn from experience. Important components of this are:

Self-assessment: We encourage you to engage in a cycle of reflective practice, whereby you reflect on and evaluate your work as a professional working within higher education and as a researcher, identify changes which need to be made, experiment with the changes and assess how successful they have been.

Peer assessment: We encourage students to work with one another; this could be in preparing presentations, discussing reading material or appraising assignments prior to final submission.

Assessment by your tutor: One of the responsibilities of your module lecturer and programme tutor is to discuss with you your academic progress on the programme. You should also make full use of the opportunities to raise problems with, and ask for advice from, your lecturers and tutors. Do not wait to be invited!

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Summative assessment is the process of determining whether you have successfully completed each module undertaken and can be awarded the PGDip or MA in Higher Education.

Please note: Each piece of assessed work has a word limit to which students are expected to adhere. We will accept work which is up to 10% below or above the limit specified.

The expectation is that you will successfully complete all elements of the programme within the normal registration period. This is one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students. If you consider there are circumstances which may affect this, you should contact your tutor or the Programme Administrator as soon as possible and, in any case, in time for an extension to be considered by the Concessions Committee

NB: The maximum part-time registration period for any University postgraduate programme is four years. Extensions cannot be given beyond the maximum registration period

Full details of the Submission of Coursework Policy and requests for extensions/concessions can be found on page 28.

If you pass an individual module or modules, rather than the whole programme, you will receive a results transcript confirming the award of credit for each completed module. Full details and further advice on assessment for each module will be provided by the module convenor.

Classification

Your result will be classified as Distinction, Pass or Fail. You will be required to achieve a Pass in all your assessments in order to be awarded the PGDip or MA in Higher Education. Candidates whose work is judged not to have met the requirements of all, or part of, the programme will be given the opportunity to resubmit for the next Board of Examiners. Support and guidance will be offered in the form of formal assignment feedback and tutorials with relevant module convenors.

It is important that you keep the University informed of your current address at all times so that you receive any correspondence that we send. This is

particularly important with regard to receiving your results and official University transcript.

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SECTION THREE: GENERAL INFORMATION

Accreditation of Prior Learning: Policy and Practice

General approach to APL

The teaching team recognises that participants bring to the programme a wide range of experience of education as learners themselves. Participants also have varied levels of prior experience as University teachers and researchers. Our general approach is to recognise this through Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) and/or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), so that participants are able to claim exemption from elements of the PGDip/MA programme, should they wish to do so.

To ensure academic standards are maintained, credit is given only for activities that are the equivalent in breadth and depth of the parts of the taught programme for which credit is claimed. APE/CL can be claimed for:

Credits obtained on an appropriate assessed Masters course, for example, an MA course in Research Methods or Educational Studies

Evidence of learning derived from experience, for example, teaching Social Science Research Methods to final year undergraduates or M level students

Regulations

There is a limit to the amount of APL that can be claimed. At Kent you can be exempt from half the credits of a taught postgraduate programme.

Please bear in mind that programme participants have already been awarded sixty credits advanced standing for the completion of the PGCHE or equivalent and therefore those students taking PGDip only (120 credits) have already obtained all the exemption to which they are entitled.

Students taking the full MA may be exempted from a maximum of thirty credits.

APL may be claimed on the basis of accredited learning (APCL) and/or learning through experience (APEL), in any proportion or combination. The academic level of any certificated learning for which credit is claimed should normally be the same as the level at which the claim for credit is made. Certificated learning should normally have been completed within the last 5 years.

It is the individual participant’s responsibility to identify the learning for which credit is claimed and to make the formal case for exemption from part of the PGDip/MA programme. Any claim must be made before the start of the programme or module; it is not possible to make a claim retrospectively.

Definitions and Evidence

Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL)Credit will be granted on the basis of the completion of a comparable programme of study elsewhere, or a discrete part of a course, for example, a module or unit. The academic level (ie, Honours or Masters) of the programme should be equivalent to that

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part of the PGDip/MA for which you are making the exemption case. Typical evidence of this might include:

a copy of the certificate a copy of the syllabus or transcript describing the work undertaken and credits

awarded a description of the assessment undertaken (not the assessed work itself)

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

Application for credit may also be made on the basis of prior experiential learning. The evidence should be accompanied by a written account explaining what you have learned from participating in these activities and how this has informed your development as a University teacher. Appropriate evidence to support a claim might include:

records relating to courses and/or other formalised learning/training/development activities for which accreditation was not available. Please note that an attendance certificate is not in itself useful evidence!

evidence of taking part in relevant work activities, such as:

o an outline of programmes you have been responsible for leading and/or delivering and/or assessing, eg undergraduate modules, postgraduate modules

o examples of course design and/or innovation in practiceo details of your involvement with other institutions, eg external examining,

institutional audito a bibliography of key texts which have informed your approach to learning

and teaching

Criteria for the judgement of APL

We will use the same criteria in judging your claim for APL as we do when assessing work produced by participants in ‘taught’ modules.  It is essential for participants to indicate how they have met the learning outcomes associated with each of the modules for which they are making an APL claim.

Components of an APL claim

APL claims, whether based on APCL, APEL, or a combination of the two, should include the following:

Your name and contact details (email/phone)

The module(s) your APEL claim relates to: Please check our website for full details of the modules at:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/academic-practice/apt-dev-prog/PGCHE/modules.html

Brief CV

List of evidence: This document lists the items of evidence being presented in support of your claim so that items can be located easily and clear cross-references can be made in the supporting statement.

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Supporting statement: For each module for which you are making a claim for exemption. This should normally be a maximum of 1,000 words for a 15-credit module. If your claim is based mainly, or entirely, on certificated evidence your supporting statement will obviously be much shorter.

Procedures for the consideration of APL

Those intending to apply for APL should inform Joanna Williams, the PGDip/MA Programme Director, and Juliette Dack, the Programme Administrator, of their intention to submit an APL claim (contact details below). The completed application and supporting documents should be submitted to the PGDip/MA Programme Administrator in the UELT building.

1. You are strongly encouraged to submit a claim as soon as possible and in any case before the start of any module to which your claim relates. You should submit your claim for exemption by the Monday of the first week of the term in which the module runs.

Each claim will be assessed by a member of the PGDip/MA programme team.

2. We will do our best to turn round claims and let you know the result before the start of each module.

3. Successful claims for APEL will be formally recorded at the PGDip/MA Board of Examiners.

Contact Details

Joanna Williams, Programme Director, PGDip/MA: J.G.Williams@kent.ac.ukTel: 01227 827137

Juliette Dack, Programme Administrator: J.C.Dack@kent.ac.ukTel: 01227 824013

Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NQ

Academic Management of the Programme

The programme is managed through the administrative structures of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Academic management of the programme is exercised by:

Staff/Student Liaison Committee: Chaired by a member of the Academic Practice Team and includes PGDip/MA student representatives. A copy of the Committee’s Constitution and past Minutes can be found at: http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/academic-practice/apt-dev-prog/PGCHE/committees/sslc/membership.html

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Graduate Studies Committee for CSHE Programmes: Chaired by UELT’s Director of Graduate Studies and includes representatives of all three Faculties, the programme team, student representatives, and the Director of UELT. A copy of the Committee’s Constitution and past Minutes can be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/academic-practice/apt-dev-prog/PGCHE/committees/ltc/membership.html

Board of Examiners: Consists of the External Examiner, all internal examiners and is chaired by the Chief Examiner. The Board of Examiners meet in November and June to confirm the award of certificates and credits, and to review the progress of all students on the PGDip/MA programmes. A letter will be sent to you if you have been awarded a certificate or credits, or are required to resubmit coursework. A copy of your transcript will be enclosed.

Concessions Committee: Meets throughout the year as necessary and shortly before each Board of Examiners to review cases where a request for further time to complete assessed work has been made.

Submission of Coursework Policy

It is your responsibility to ensure all coursework deadlines are met in order to fulfil the requirements of your Programme of Study.

Each piece of coursework has a word limit; we will accept work which is within 10% (under or over) the word count. We recommend that, when printing, you duplex your submission in order to save paper.

Once you have submitted your work, we aim to mark and return it to you with feedback within three working weeks. However, you should note that this does not necessarily apply to work handed in before the deadline, or late – even when a concessionary case has been approved by the Concessions Committee.

Work submitted prior to the essay deadline will not normally be marked before the due-date. If there are particular circumstances that require your work to be submitted early then please notify both the module convenor and the programme administrator.

Each piece of coursework should be submitted as follows: One hard copy to the Programme Administrator in the UELT General Office One electronic copy via Moodle at http://moodle.kent.ac.uk

Both hard and electronic copies should be submitted by 4.30pm on the day of each deadline.

If you feel that you will be unable to meet a coursework deadline due to circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen, you should contact the Programme Administrator for an Extension Form before the deadline. You should complete the form and return it to the Programme Administrator, who will ask your tutor and the module convenor to comment on your progress to date, and make a decision. It is, therefore, essential that you maintain contact with your tutor so that they are aware of your situation. You will be informed of the outcome by the Programme Administrator via email.

If you fail to submit by the required deadline without prior agreement for an 28

extension by the Module Convenor, then you will need to submit a Concessions Form explaining the reasons for the late submission. Supporting documentation (if available) should be attached. Your concessions case will be considered by your tutor, the Module Convenor and the Programme Director.

In general, cases for concessions or extensions should be based on circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen, such as illness . If you are unable to submit assessed work by the due date it is your responsibility to seek a formal extension. Please note:

a) that a request for an extension is not automatically grantedb) that a request for a further extension is only considered in wholly exceptional

circumstances which have arisen since the original extension was granted

If your case is accepted then the coursework will be passed on for marking as soon as practicable.

If you have medical or other factors preventing you from fulfilling the obligations of your Programme of Study you should inform your tutor or Programme Director as early as possible so that appropriate support and guidance can be offered.

Quality Assurance Agency Descriptors for Masters-Level Work

These can be found at:(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/fheq/EWNI/default.asp#annex1)

Registration Procedure for Taught Postgraduate Students

In the first instance, please contact either Joanna Williams or Juliette Dack for a PGDip/MA application form. Once this form has been returned to us we can process your application and liaise with the University Admissions Office. Please ensure the following steps have been taken:

1. The Admissions Office will send you an offer letter and the Getting Started at Kent booklet.

2. Please go online and enrol (at www.kent.ac.uk/gettingstarted) following the instructions in the Getting Started booklet. A photo is required, which can be taken at the Registry if you wish.

3. After enrolment, please claim your student email account. This can be forwarded to a different email account if you wish. However, it is essential that you claim your account to avoid missing vital messages and information about your modules, etc.

4. Then collect your Student ID card from the Registry. If you do not collect yourstudent card, you will not be fully registered on the programme and risk being de-registered.

5. Further information can be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/newstudent/.

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6. Please make sure you keep your personal details, especially your address, up to date so that you receive any correspondence that we send – you can update this via CMSDS.

Course Management Student Data System

As a registered student you will have access to the Course Management Student Data System (CMSDS). This system allows you to access your student record at any time of day, on and off campus.

You will be able to find information about:

Timetable Deadlines Board of Examiner Results Attendance

To access CMSDS:

Go to https://records.kent.ac.uk/account/ Enter your student ID login (eg tkp12) Enter your password

Using your account for the first time:

Please note that some students have found it difficult to access their accounts off campus. The first time you use your account, please login on campus using one of the university’s computers. This allows access anywhere else.

Any problems?

If you need to reset your password, or have your student email forwarded onto another email account that you use more often, please contact the IT Helpdesk in the Templeman Library on 4888.

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Support and Resources

You will find many resources such as journal articles and book chapters on Moodle. However, there are obviously many more resources available that may be relevant to your work. Copies of the main books included in the reading lists for each module are housed in the Templeman Library. You will find these shelved either under Education or, in the case of publications which relate to an aspect of learning and teaching in specific disciplines, in your subject area. Please consult Templeman Library staff in the first instance if you have any queries about where to look. Copies of core texts are also available in the Drill Hall Library; colleagues based at Medway can arrange for books to be delivered from the Canterbury campus.

The University subscribes to a number of education journals, such as Teaching in Higher Education, which can be consulted in the Library or accessed through the Library website.

Locations and classmarks

In the Templeman Library you can find the main Higher Education collection on Level 3 West beginning at classmark LA11.

Higher Education journals are shelved at the very back of Level 3 West beginning classmark perL16.

Classmarks for Education Subject Areas:

Classmark Subject AreaLA11 History of educationLA217 Contemporary issues in higher educationLA271 International perspectives on higher educationLB7 Philosophy of educationLB1025 Curriculum innovation in HELB1028 Researching educationLB1028.5 Technology in the HE environmentLB1051 Educational psychology and learning theoriesLB1778 Academic identityLB2322 Teaching in HELB2341 Management and leadership in HELB3051 Assessment of students’ learningLC67 Education policyLC156 Sociology of educationLC5146 Adult education and lifelong learning

Finding Journal Articles

Databases help you find journal articles and other relevant material for your essays or research. Some services find data on specific disciplines or subject areas, others index only certain types of publications.

Databases usually give you the reference only, but many work with the 360 link service to provide links to the full text where this is available at Kent.

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Databases for education

Database DescriptionBritish Education Index The British Education Index provides information

on research, policy and practice in education and training in the UK. Strengths include aspects of educational policy and administration, evaluation and assessment, technology and special educational needs. It covers all aspects of education from preschool to higher education. Sources include education and training journals, mostly published in the UK, plus books, reports, series and conference papers. International materials as well as Internet documents are included.

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center database)

This database is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to provide extensive access to education-related literature. ERIC provides coverage of journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, books and monographs.

Other useful databases

Database DescriptionWeb of Science Despite its name, this indexes over 8,000 journals

from all subjects published from 1970 onwards. It also gives citation data

Zetoc Mainly a current awareness service from data provided by the British Library. It includes searchable details of 20,000 journal titles and 16,000 conference proceedings covering all subject areas from 1993 onwards.

Personal current awareness services based on table of contents information from individually selected journal titles or selected keywords are also available from Zetoc Alert and Zetoc RSS

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Research methods

Education tutorialhttp://www.vtstutorials.co.uk/tutorial/education

Social statistics tutorialhttp://www.vtstutorials.co.uk/tutorial/socialstatistics

Social research methods tutorialhttp://www.vtstutorials.co.uk/tutorial/socialresearchmethods

National Centre for Research Methodshttp://www.ncrm.ac.uk/

Education and social science resourcesBritish Education Index (through Templeman Library)http://search.proquest.com.chain.kent.ac.uk/professional/britisheducationindexor http://www.leeds.ac.uk/bei/index.html

Australian Education Indexhttp://search.proquest.com.chain.kent.ac.uk/professional/australianeducationindexor http://www.acer.edu.au/library/aei/about-aei

ERIC (US index of educational resources and publications)http://www.eric.ed.gov/

Education-line (‘grey’ literature including conference papers)http://www.leeds.ac.uk/bei/COLN/COLN_default.html

BUBL link for Social Scienceshttp://bubl.ac.uk/link/linkbrowse.cfm?menuid=2822

Higher Education Academyhttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/

Leadership Foundation for Higher Educationhttp://www.lfhe.ac.uk/

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teachinghttp://www.carnegiefoundation.org/

Data SourcesHigher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)http://www.hefce.ac.uk/

Higher Education Statistics Agencyhttp://www.hesa.ac.uk/ Quality Assurance Agencyhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx

Economic and Social Data Servicehttps://www.esds.ac.uk/

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Eurodata Research Archive (Mannheim)http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de/frame.php?oben=titel_e.html&links=n_mzes_e.php&inhalt=eurodata/frm_eurodata_e.html

Council of European Social Science Data Archiveshttp://www.cessda.org/

National Statistics onlinehttp://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html

Department for Business, Innovation and Skillshttp://www.bis.gov.uk/

Educational research and funding organisationsBritish Educational Research Associationhttp://www.bera.ac.uk/

Society for Research into Higher Educationhttp://www.srhe.ac.uk/

Society for Educational Studieshttp://www.soc-for-ed-studies.org.uk/

Economic and Social Research Councilhttp://www.esrc.ac.uk/

Association for the Study of Higher Education (USA)http://www.ashe.ws/

HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia)http://www.herdsa.org.au/

MediaTimes Higher Educationhttp://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/

Guardian Higher Educationhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/education/higher-education

Chronicle of Higher Education (USA)http://chronicle.com/section/Home/5/

Inside Higher Ed (USA)http://www.insidehighered.com/

University World Newshttp://www.universityworldnews.com/

Duz (German HE periodical)http://www.duz.de/Revue Internationale de Pédagogie de l’Enseignment Supérieure (French HE periodical)http://ripes.revues.org/

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