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FST is an Advance HE accredited short course that is taught and assessed by the Learning Enhancement Directorate within Ulster University.

The module is accredited by Advance-HE and leads to Associate HEA Fellowship (AFHEA) for successful participants.

FST provides an opportunity for post-graduate teaching assistants (PGTA) and other staff with more limited learning and teaching roles** to develop their understanding of and practice in effective learning, teaching, and assessment. It is offered as a stand-alone short course and will be of particular benefit to those carrying out tutoring and demonstrating.

** Hourly-paid teaching staff and those from partnership centres should undertake the RUT programme

The course is long and thin in nature: this means that it is delivered over both Semesters 1 and 2 of 2024-25 (October to May). The FST induction will be held online on 09 October 2024.

We use a hybrid approach to deliver the course: this means that you have materials to read and activities to complete independently, before attending the live online sessions. There is also in-person support through a subject advisor who will be an experienced HE educator in your field and opportunities to meet peers and the FST team on campus for coffee catchups.

There are 5 independent learning blocks each followed by a live online session. Engagement with both the independent learning and live sessions is required. You are required to carry out 25 hours of teaching and/or learning support with UIster students over the course of FST.

Indicative Dates for 2024-25

Semester 1

  • 09 Oct 2024 12:00 – 13:00 > FST induction event (online)
  • 23 Oct 2024 12:00 – 13:30 > FST Group Seminar 1 (online)
  • 13 Nov 2024 12:00 – 13:30 > FST Group Seminar 2 (online)
  • 27 Nov 2024 12:00 – 13:30 > Task 1-3 / Assignment 1 Drop-in (online)

Semester 2

  • 29 Jan 2025 12:00 – 13:30 > FST Group Seminar 3 (online)
  • 05 Mar 2025 12:00 – 13:30 > FST Group Seminar 4 and Assignment 2 Drop-in (online)
  • 26 Mar 2025 12:00 – 13:30 > FST Group Seminar 5 (online)
  • 09 Apr 2025 12:00 – 13:30 > Assignment 3 Drop-in (online)

In particular, FST supports your development and understanding of how to teach and/or support learning through appropriate approaches and environments (A2) and to assess and give feedback  for learning (A3).

FST has been designed to:

  • support the University’s Code of Practice for Postgraduate Tutors and Demonstrators
  • support the development needs of contracted staff, for example Research Associates, who teach
  • satisfy the requirements of Descriptor 1 of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023) with particular  reference  to Areas of Activity 2 (teach and/or support learning through appropriate approaches and environments) and 3 (assess and give feedback for learning).
  • take account of Ulster priorities in learning and teaching

Additionally, the assessment tasks have been designed to enable you to provide evidence of your effective practice in these areas.