Teaching
The teaching, learning and assessment strategies are those which have already been tried and tested within both the previously run Post Experience Certificate course, which was managed by the Institute of Medical Illustrators, and the past 6 years of successful delivery of the programme, via Staffordshire University. Students are provided with detailed handbooks that include guidance on study skills, advice on sources of information, and instructions for the completion of coursework assignments, along with assessment criteria. Assignments include specifically designed questions, reports on specific topics, practical tasks and “assignment log books”. Students become active directors of their own learning, by seeking out the knowledge and information they need, in order to complete their assignments successfully. They will be given guidance (in the award and module handbooks) on suitable sources of information, data, technical instruction and theoretical material. They may also expert advice and guidance from the Programme Coordinator; gain on-the-job help from their workplace supervisor, or they may approach the Programme Leader, at the University. It will be the responsibility of the Workplace Supervisor, working with the student and the Programme Coordinator, to ensure that each student has access to the specialist facilities and clinical environments needed in order to complete the practical assignments.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods, including: reports, an essay, question-based assessments and practical assignments will be employed in order to allow students to demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes. Assessment will be carried out by professional specialists who are expert in the particular knowledge and skills being demonstrated in the assignment, and most of whom are experienced in assessing very similar assignments within the Institutes Post Experience Certificate course.
In general terms, students will demonstrate:
• their knowledge, understanding and skills in enquiry and Learning, through their answers to a series of questions
• their skills in application and problem solving, through portfolios of practical work
• their knowledge, understanding, skills in enquiry, analysis and reflection, through the assignment logbooks
• their knowledge, understanding, skills in learning, enquiry, analysis, communication and reflection, through essays or reports
Learning support
In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include:
- study skills such as reading, note-taking and presentation skills
- written English, including punctuation and grammatical accuracy
- academic writing and how to reference
- research skills
- critical thinking and understanding arguments
- revision, assessment and examination skills
- time management
Feedback
Students will receive written, formative feedback on their assignments, from the specialist assessors, as well as a summative grade.