Programme Overview
The Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education programme is aimed to enrich the competence (knowledge, skills, experience and scholarship in learning, teaching, and assessment) of tertiary education or higher education (HE) academics, who do not hold formal university teaching qualification in the following key areas: i) pedagogical approaches; ii) assessment techniques; iii) curriculum design; and iv) use of educational technology tools in teaching learning process. The programme paves an introductory pathway to academia with exposures to professional practices, tools, and resources thereby opening up avenues for lifelong learning and continuing professional development. At a broader level, the programme aims to ensure that the young academics are able to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that meet the learning demands of the 21st century learners.
The duration of the programme
It is one semester (6 months) full time programme leading to PgCert in HE of Royal University of Bhutan (RUB).
Programme outcomes
Upon the completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
- articulate theoretical understanding and competency in facilitating effective and engaging learning experiences in higher education;
- apply teaching methods and practices that are appropriate to higher education students;
- apply appropriate ICT tools to enhance the quality and standards of teaching, learning and assessment in their classroom teaching;
- analyse processes of curriculum design and development and apply to their practice;
- examine the effectiveness and appropriateness of various processes and types of assessments used in higher education;
- engage diverse learners in meaningful exploration, discovery and hands on activities within a supportive learning environment that nurtures and inspires learners to participate, cooperate and collaborate in teaching learning process;
- demonstrate critical understanding of current thinking in pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and technology in higher education;
- stimulate the promotion and application of cutting-edge technology in teaching/learning and assessment in higher education;
- demonstrate positive attitude towards deep and lifelong learning; and
- develop and apply a personal philosophy of teaching that serves as a vision for one’s professional growth and development.
Why should they enroll in the programme?
The PgCert in Higher Education (HE) programme will prepare higher education academics to advance their career in the area of professional development in terms of up-scaling their skills in tertiary level teaching, assessment techniques, use of educational technology tools in teaching learning process and curriculum evaluation and development. The graduates will be in a position to mentor, guide and support effective learning of higher education students, thus modelling exemplary professional and academic practices of HE teaching. Further the programme will help enhance efficiency of the students in the respective colleges through improved pedagogy, assessment practices and array of technological tools and build human capital in diverse fields such as engineers, businessmen, environmentalist, teachers, foresters, etc. Human capital has long been considered the most distinctive features of the economic system of the country. The programme also requires academics to work in teams on numerous occasions. This integration of academics with dissimilar social group will significantly contribute to nation building and interpersonal tolerance. The programme will further promote a culture of deep learning and openness in the graduates which will instill a sense of lifelong learning and broaden their reflective and critical skills.
Programme delivery and support
The programme will be delivered through a variety of pedagogical methods including lectures, small group discussions, micro-teachings, tutorials, seminars, and class presentations. Students’ online learning and interactions will be facilitated mostly through online e-forum discussions via Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as the primary digital learning platform and with other emerging digital learning platforms.
The programme places a high demand on the level of engagement of the students in academic writing which fosters the need for a great deal of reading and critical analysis of literature and journal articles. As such, all four modules emphasise on reflective writing, critiquing research articles, maintaining reading logs, library research, and a constant reflection of their personal teaching practices. The students will have a series of micro-teaching sessions in one of the modules (e.g., PDY512 Introduction to University Learning and Teaching) to help them apply the theoretical knowledge gained from the lectures into hands-on-practice
Programme Structure
The PgCert in Higher Education programme will be offered as six months (one semester) full-time programme. The programme consists of four professional modules of 15 credits each as detailed in Table 1. Each module is equivalent to 15 credits. The total credit for this programme is 60 which is equivalent to 600 notional hours.
Table 1: Programme structure
Semester | Modules | |||
I
|
CUS503 Curriculum Designing and Evaluation in Higher Education | PDY512
Introduction to University Learning and Teaching |
EAS502
Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education |
PDY513
Educational Technology |
The announcement for the programme will be made through the college website (www.sce.edu.bt) well before the beginning of the academic year. The aspiring students must apply online. The RUB website will also contain the detailed procedures for the online application
SELECTION CRITERIA
The selection criteria will be announced through the SCE website.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for enrolment into the PgCert in Higher Education programme, the Bhutanese students should:
- hold a minimum of bachelor’s degree;
- teach in the RUB/private colleges in Bhutan at the time of application; and
- provide a letter of nomination from the respective college.
Foreign Applicants
The College will shortlist foreign students based on the first degree and relevant field. The shortlisted students will sit for an online written test and viva-voce. The focus of the written test and viva-voce will be on analytical reasoning, language proficiency, attitudinal and behavioural aspects of the students.
The final selection will be based on merit ranking. Merit ranking will be determined by the marks scored in the first degree and the marks obtained in English language proficiency test and online viva-voce. The weighting for different components is indicated below:
- Degree marks: 30%
- Viva-Voce: 30%
- Written test: 40%
For more information about the programme, please contact:
Mr. Kuenzang Gyeltshen
Dean of Academic Affairs
Email: daa.sce@rub.edu.bt
Phone: +975-05-365397
(or)
Mr. Lhapchu
Programme Leader
Email: pgche.sce@rub.edu.bt