Associate Fellow (Descriptor 1)

On this page:

  • Typical Applicants
  • Differentiation of Descriptor 1
  • Statements at Descriptor 1
  • Vignettes
  • Evidence at Descriptor 1
  • Application Process

Typical Applicants

Applicants for recognition at this level will be able to provide evidence of an understanding of specific aspects of effective teaching, learning support methods and student learning. For example: 

  • Early career researchers with some teaching responsibilities (e.g. PhDstudents, contract researchers/ post-doctoral students etc.)
  • Staff new to teaching at Aberystwyth/Bangor Universities  (including those with part-time academic responsibilities)
  • Staff who support academic provision (e.g. learning technologists, learning developers and learning resource/ library staff)
  • Staff who undertake demonstrator/ technician roles that incorporate some teaching- related responsibilities
  • Experienced staff in relevant professional areas who may be new to teaching and/or supporting learning, or who have a limited teaching portfolio.

Differentiation of Descriptor 1

Within this descriptor, individuals need to demonstrate engagement with a minimum of two of the first four Areas of Activity. They should choose areas that are relevant to their work and/or which develop their skills for future roles and activities. In addition to the Areas of Activity an awareness and commitment to all the Professional  Values should be evidenced. This could be through: the rationale for adoption of a teaching approach (V1), how the design of programmes values individual learners' experience and encourages engagement (V2), how teaching and learning is underpinned by research/scholarly activity (V3), and how the institutional context influences teaching and learning activity (V4). Individuals should also demonstrate Core Knowledge relevant to the two Areas of Activity that are appropriate to their practice.

Statements at Descriptor 1

Individuals should be able to provide evidence of the following six statements:

  1. Successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity
  2. Successful engagement in appropriate teaching and practices related to these Areas of Activity
  3. Appropriate Core Knowledge
  4. A commitment to appropriate Professional Values in facilitating others’ learning
  5. Relevant professional practices, subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities
  6. Successful engagement, where appropriate, in professional development activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilities

Vignette at D1

Hannah is a Reader in the School of Management and supervises a number of PhD students. Due to the nature of her contract the majority of her time is spent carrying out research activities. She is however able to clearly evidence engagement with two of the Areas of Activity through her research supervision and is keen to further develop her supervisory skills. Hannah engages in CPD activities both within her disciplinary area and in respect to her role as supervisor and wants to further develop her facilitatory skills to ensure that she is enabling the students to achieve their potentia

Evidence at Descriptor 1 and 2

Summary of your learning and teaching philosophy (~300words)

This section provides an opportunity for you to outline your learning and teaching philosophy and how this reflects your Professional Values. This is a reflective statement  of your practice (over the past 5 years) reflecting your philosophy. The statement  will be informed by all the Dimensions  and appropriate Descriptor  of the UKPSF. 

Area of activity 1 - Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study (~600 words)

This area is about how you plan for learning, and the ways in which you contribute to the design and planning of learning activities. These might include involvement in the design or redesign of curricula, courses and programmes of study and/or identifying and planning different kinds of interaction with learners in various contexts for single sessions or larger programmes.

Equally it might include indirect involvement through, for example, participation in validation panels, contribution to the creation of learning resource packs and computer-based or open learning materials or the development of virtual learning environments.

Other activities equally valid include personal tutoring, internal/external examination responsibilities, disability support, e-learning support, acting as ‘critical friend’ to a colleague, peer observation activity, mentoring of students or other staff, research related to design or planning.

Within your own work context, consider the contribution you make to design and planning of learning, your choice of approach to this activity, and how your chosen approach contributes to the learners’ understanding of the subject.

Evidence should reflect an understanding of the pedagogic literature in this area, and might include principles of curriculum design such as constructive alignment, and principles of teaching method. Assessment method may also be considered and discussed in relation to design and planning.

Area of activity 2 - Teach and/or support learning (~600 words)

This area is about how you work with learners including students and other staff. Consider the range of teaching and learning activities or techniques you use and comment on how you came to use them and why you think they are successful in supporting student learning. In addition to lecturing, tutorial and seminar work the activities might include, for example, studio, clinical, laboratory or workplace-based teaching, distance learning and the use of virtual learning environments. Support might include, for example, teaching and supervision of postgraduates, mentoring inexperienced staff or contributing to in-house learning and teaching programmes.

Other activities that could be included are co-working with a colleague, acting as ‘critical friend’ to a colleague, peer observation activity, mentoring of students or other staff.

Within your own work context, consider reasons for your choice of activities and techniques and how they relate to developing the learners’ understanding of the subject.

Evidence should reflect an understanding of the pedagogic literature in this area, and might include principles of student-centred learning, the appropriate use of various teaching methodologies, an awareness of appropriate student support, and connection with curriculum design decisions.

Area of activity 3 - Assess and give feedback to learners (~600 words)

This area is about your approach to assessment and feedback to learners, whether they are students or other staff.

Consider the types of formative and/or summative assessment you use with learners, whether formal or informal. Justify how and why you choose the approaches and methods you use, in so far as this is your own decision. In your justification you may wish to address the issues of how you ensure your assessments are valid indicators of what you want your learners to learn, that the marking is reasonably reliable and the standards you set are appropriate.

Consider how you give feedback to learners (e.g. in writing, orally, as part of the supervision of research students). Justify how you try to ensure that the feedback you give to learners helps them to improve their performance and develop as learners.

Other activities that could be included are giving feedback to colleagues, acting as ‘critical friend’ to a colleague, peer observation activity, mentoring of students or other staff.

Within your work context, give reasons for your choice of activities and techniques and how they relate to developing the learners' understanding of the subject.

Evidence should reflect an understanding of the pedagogic literature in this area, and might include principles of formative and summative feedback and assessment, assessment for learning (rather than of learning), recognition of the diversity of the student cohort, and connection with curriculum design decisions.

Area of activity 4 - Developing  effective learning  environments and approaches to student  support and guidance (~600 words)

This area is about the ways in which you provide support for learners. Consider the range of ways in which you contribute to making the learning environment effective for learners.

Developing effective learning environments might include:

  • managing the physical environment or virtual environment so that they are appropriate to the learners’ needs
  • working with learners and service providers to ensure that learners can access and use a broad range of learning opportunities

liaison and planning activities in support of fieldwork or work placements

You may also wish to consider how, from the students’ perspective, the aims and objectives, teaching and learning methods and assessment processes are appropriately aligned.

Learner support might include such activities as personal and academic tutoring, one-to-one advice, counselling (where appropriate to your work role), developing practice to meet the learning implications of widening access, work placement or project supervision, supporting learners with disabilities, learner support in IT/ study skills workshops etc, laboratory work, studio critiques, information retrieval and management.

Within your work context, consider reasons for your choice of approaches and how they relate to developing the learners' understanding of the subject.

Evidence should reflect an understanding of the pedagogic literature in this area, and might include principles of student-centred learning, the way in which students learn, current thinking on learning environments and social spaces, recognition of the diverse needs of the student population, and how we might provide equitable access to learning for all. 

Area of activity 5 – Engage in continuing professional development on subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation  of professional practices. (~600 words)

This area is about how you evaluate the effectiveness of your practice and engage in CPD to improve it. This may include the use of research, scholarly activity and/or professional activities to develop your practice to enhance student learning.

Consider how you evaluate your own teaching/learning support activities, both formally and informally, and how you use your findings to improve the student learning experience and your working practice. Consider how you seek feedback on your practice from colleagues and learners and how you evaluate this feedback. Provide examples to show how you have used feedback in developing subsequent activities.

You could also refer here to any activities you have undertaken to update yourself on aspects of teaching and learning, for example, staff development activities or conferences on learning and teaching or participation in projects to develop learning methods. Indicate how you have used the learning from these activities in your own teaching.

You could also include peer learning opportunities, working groups and other professional groups where appropriate. You may include co-working relationships with more experienced colleagues, peer learning/ peer observation opportunities, mentoring opportunities, work placements including the clinical environment, work shadowing etc, one’s own professional practice (e.g. as designer, sports coach, dietitian).

Any evidence of how you continue to keep up to date in your role/subject area can be included, e.g. reading papers, articles, etc, attending conferences, becoming familiar with new legislation, employment regulations, new ideas. Consider ways in which you draw upon discipline-based and pedagogic research, scholarly activity and/or other professional activities in the support of your role.  Activities undertaken as part of a group or team are valued as much as individual activities.  Relevant professional activities may include those you engage in outside the higher education context.

Within your role, consider how you have actively sought opportunities to use research, scholarly activity and/or professional activities to create connections to enrich your teaching and/or support of learning.

This area may include your own publications in print, web or other format, or the use of others’ publications or expertise. It may include attendance and/or presenting papers at conferences, subject based professional bodies, common interest groups, associations/ societies etc, working groups, employer liaison groups.  You may include funding you have secured. You may also include peer review or other editorial activities for journals/ conferences/ professional publications etc.

You may include discussion of the relationship between research, scholarship and teaching in your discipline area, e.g. innovative curriculum design, innovative assessment, student involvement in research, etc.

Application Process for Descriptors 1 and 2 (Associate Fellow or Fellow)

Applicants submit by written application on the provided proforma.  This must be submitted d in digital format to fellows@aber.ac.uk.

This will include:

AFHEA Checklist

AFHEA

 

 

 

Application Form

 

Total word count 

 

1400 words max

Personal details

 

 

✓

Teaching Philosophy Statement/

A brief summary of your learning and teaching philosophy.

 

300 words

Claim Grid

 

Claim grid: Evidence of the three Dimensions of the UKPSF. (minimum of two Areas of Activity for D1). Statements must demonstrate all the dimensions of the UKPSF.

 

700 words

2x Peer Observation Reflective Statements

 

Reflection on Peer Observation.

 

400 words

Other information

 

 

✓

CPD Plan

A CPD plan for future personal development in teaching and supporting learning.

 

✓

Referee statements

 

2 x Disciplinary Peer References

 

✓ x 2

Institutional/Line Manager’s verification  statement

A signature from your line manger to support your application (indicating that the evidence is correct and that you have worked in HE for a minimum of 2 years).

 

✓