Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice

Key Features

Delivered flexibly (including online and blended offerings), this programme seeks to engage those who teach in higher education in an interactive and collaborative approach to enhancing academic practice which is grounded in evidence-based scholarly practice. The virtual learning environment (Moodle) is used to facilitate flexible engagement with the programme: module material is made available at the beginning of each week to enable asynchronous engagement with readings, recordings and online activities. Any synchronous (live) sessions are recorded and made available for those unable to attend, and peer and mentor meetings can be scheduled online or face-to-face at a mutually convenient time.

The programme is based on the specific professional experiences and interests of individuals who teach in Higher Education. In consultation with a mentor from the Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Centre (LEAD) and guided by scholarly literature, students will engage in an experiential academic practice cycle which involves periods of reflection on their existing academic practice context and personal professional development priorities, engagement with disciplinary literature in areas of professional interest, and the planning, implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based academic practice enhancement initiative.

Career Opportunities

The programme is aimed at those who currently have a teaching role in Higher Education, to be interpreted broadly as encompassing academic staff and professional services staff with a teaching element to their role. The programme thus offers a pathway to progression and further leadership opportunities within Higher Education academic practice.

Student Profile & Perspective

The programme offers an accredited professional development pathway for those who teach in Higher Education, including:

• Academic staff across disciplines
• Educational/learning technologists
• Educational/academic developers
• Research staff
• Library staff
• Support staff

This programme is offered in an online and blended format, thus offering maximum flexibility to students. It is designed to be strongly embedded in practice and therefore complement existing practices and priorities.

Dr Mary Moloney, Lecturer in Early Childhood Care and Education

You might ask, why a lecturer with fifteen years’ experience undertook a Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice. Let me tell you, that doing this programme was one of the best decisions in my career to date. It has transformed how I think about and approach my work. It has sharpened me in every way; my thinking, my knowledge base, my interactions with colleagues and students, my pedagogical approaches, my confidence, and my absolute dedication to what I do.

For me, it was a journey of self-discovery.  Through my own unique learning journey, and with the support of a personal mentor and a peer group, I discovered why I do what I do. Engaging with the literature on the scholarship of teaching and learning, gathering evidence, undertaking research, engaging in exciting professional discussions with other colleagues on the programme, reignited my passion for teaching, and my thirst for knowledge.

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of developing and completing a dynamic professional development e-portfolio. It captures your learning throughout the programme, taking you to places in your thinking that you never thought possible. My e-portfolio is my ‘go to’ reading now, both in terms of reminding me of my professional journey, aiding my reflections and as I add new learning from time to time.

Because of the GCAP programme, I can honestly say, I am more attuned to the critical importance of classroom climate, and how it supports or impedes student engagement. I am a better teacher.