The MA Education course caters for practitioners and working professionals with flexibly delivered classes 5-8pm on one (part-time) or two (full time) evenings a week. This may increase to 1 more evening class a week when student commences their Dissertation Module.
Teaching/Delivery:
The course will be delivered through blended learning comprising online delivery of lectures (mixture of live streamed and pre-recorded) and associated seminars where we will work with smaller groups to support student learning using online platforms and in-person on campus sessions. A full-time student can typically expect to attend 14-16 lectures online and 4-6 seminars in-person on campus per term (social distancing permitting). Part-time students will have 7-8 online lectures and 2-3 seminars.
The teaching hours and balance between lecture and seminar input will remain consistent with previous years. All study block and assessment block leaders will have weekly online and/or on-campus office hours for students to drop in, as required.
We will be drawing on the various features/functions and benefits offered by technology for our teaching, these, include live face to face online sessions/classes; Q&A/discussions online-live with teaching staff; combination of pre-recorded sessions/recorded live sessions; online quizzes; directed online tasks, activities for individual or in groups via online break out rooms. Overall, allowing students, irrespective location and time, to engage with our content.
Support/resources:
Support Group/Individual tutorials are scheduled within the taught Study Block contact time to help students engage with the content, provide support and address related queries.
Group/individual tutorials related to the Assessment Blocks across each Pathway are also offered to support students in starting and completing their assessment.
Personal tutors, as part of Tutoring@Brunel, assist students in their development as reflective practitioners, learners and support them through the period of their study. Guidance/support is also provided by the Programme Lead, through termly tutorials, communications, and support for the whole cohort. Furthermore, support/guidance is offered by colleagues from Academic Skills Services (ASK), and the Brunel Language Centre who work closely with the MA team in supporting students throughout the programme, and includes contribution on Study blocks, individual/group appointments/ additional writing workshops, practice sessions.
The ASK provision is embedded within the curriculum and the Academic English programme will support the programme in terms of 1-1 support, presentation feedback for the related assessment blocks, and question and answer sessions for dissertations.
We will continue to offer all the above support for group/individual students using the online platforms and various modes of remote/online tools available to us. This includes Zoom, Collaborate, etc. with workshops, breakout rooms, and still offer opportunity for I to I remote appointments- i.e. face to face online/phone.
Overall the balance between, lectures, seminars and self-learning/ support offered will not change and be consistent with previous years.
Teaching Hours - No change.
Assessments:
Our assessments include: a range of 5000 word written assignments, an oral presentation with an accompanying portfolio and a dissertation. There are no changes to our assessments which remain consistent with previous years. However it may be noted that an assessment like an oral presentation will take place online if not possible in the physical space due to COVID 19 restrictions or challenges, but overall there is no change to the content/structure/aims of the assessment itself.