Your Professional Development Journey

You can choose to start with any one of our programmes for which you are eligible (be sure to check the entry requirements), but if you are lecturing students for four of more hours per week, we strongly recommend that you commence your academic professional development journey through the completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts in University Learning and Teaching (TU052).

This programme's focus is on building foundational teaching competencies. It equips lecturers with the knowledge and tools to develop a scholarly and reflective approach to teaching, critically evaluate their practice, and foster inclusive, student-centred learning environments. 

Further information is in the programme page for PG Cert in University Learning & Teaching (TU052).

Our Micro-Credentials are 5- or 10-ECTS credit standalone modules that are designed to address specific topics in depth.

You might choose to take a specific micro-credential because you want to address a particular area of concern in your practice - such as exploring new ways to assess your students, or how to enhance work placement on your programme.

You might have decided that you want to understand the latest developments in some specific area, such as enhancing student engagement, progression and success or Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

You might be on a pathway towards the Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) Master of Arts qualification, which you are working towards by stacking micro-credentials.

Or you might just be keen to do something interesting to enhance your practice and grow your network in TU Dublin by meeting with lecturers and other staff from across the University.

You can read more about these courses on the Micro-Credentials page.

 

The Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) micro-credentials are organised into three categories. The Deep Dive category is comprised of four 10-ECTS credit micro-credentials in our priority areas: Assessment and Feedback, Strategies of Teaching and Learning, Supporting Student Success, Curriculum Design.

By the end of each of these micro-credentials you will have developed an action plan for enhancing some aspect of your practice, such as implementing a new assessment strategy on one of your modules.

At some point in the future, when you choose to implement the action plan, we recommend that you sign up for the corresponding semester-long micro-credential from the In-Practice category. These in-practice micro-credentials are designed to support you as you roll out your action plan. By successfully implementing, evaluating and disseminating the outcome of your action plan, you will gain an additional micro-credential qualification and 5-ECTS credits.

A separate in-practice micro-credential is provided for each deep-dive: Assessment and Feedback in Practice, Strategies of Teaching and Learning in Practice, Supporting Student Success in Practice, and Curriculum Design in Practice. In-practice micro-credentials can be taken in any semester, once the corresponding deep-dive has been completed.

You can read more about these courses on the Micro-Credentials page.

Digital badge mini-courses are offered throughout the academic year. They to not carry ECTS credits or require a significant workload from participants, so they provide you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge in some area without having to take on a whole micro-credential, or complete a substantial assessment.

The Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) digital badges are designed to enable staff to explore new topics in Teaching and Learning through (normally) 4-5 lunchtime sessions, 3 peer group meetings and ~10 hours of independent learning and 3 hours to complete an assessment.

The Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) team is currently offering a Digital Badge in GenAI for Teaching and Learning and a Digital Badge in Understanding University Teaching and Learning.

Further information is available in the Digital Badges page.

Stacking credits means that, as part of your professional development journey, your can add up your credits and use them towards a major award qualification, such as the Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Arts in Higher Education Practice. Note that this is only available to staff who have at least four hour teaching per week, as per the entry requirements.

You can use the credits accumulated through the completion of the Postgraduate Certificate and the micro-credentials to work towards these awards. There is no time limit within which the credits must be achieved in order to be eligible for these awards, subject to the continued offering on the programmes and micro-credentials through which credits are accumulated.

There are requirements for specific micro-credentials to be completed from different micro-credential categories to become eligible for the major awards. In addition, for the Master of Arts award, a final capstone project must be completed. The pathway towards these awards, through stacking of the different categories of modules and micro-credentials, is shown below.

Further information is available in the programme page for the Master of Arts or Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Practice (TU447).

You can choose to take the Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) programmes in whatever order you wish.

However, whether you are stacking credits towards the MA qualification or not, we  generally recommend that lecturers follow the pathway from left to right in the graphic shown in the previous section above. This means starting with the Postgraduate Certificate, then taking one or more deep-dive micro-credentials, then completing at least one in-practice, and taking in-focus micro-credentials throughout. You will only take the capstone module if you are completing the MA.

You can, however, choose to take any micro-credential at any time should you need or wish to do so - once you meet the entry requirements and pre-requisities (for in-practice micro-credentials).

You can take as long as you wish, subject to the continued offering of the programmes and micro-credentials. We do not recommend that staff rush through the suite of programmes in order to gain a major award qualification as quickly as possible. We recommend that staff take a little longer, choosing the most appropriate programmes or micro-credentials for each academic year, and focus on implementing changes to their practice arising from their work on the programmes and micro-credentials.

The dates and times for the programmes and micro-credentials being offered this year are available in the Professional Development Calendar.

The first step to registering for micro-credentials is to express interest using this form. You will then be advised on the steps required to formally apply and register.

Instructions on how to apply for the Digital Badges is provided on the Digital Badge page.

You can apply for the Postgraduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching (September or January intakes) using the University's application system (code TU052). Once you are accepted, you will be advised on how to register.

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These programmes are only available to TU Dublin staff. There are no fees for the Digital Badge mini-courses. While there are fees associated with the Postgraduate Certificate, Master of Arts, Postgraduate Diploma and micro-credentials, TU Dublin staff can apply for a fee waiver (subject to eligibility according to the fee waiver policy).

Contact Learning Teaching Assessment (LTA) to discuss any of these programmes further.