Unit information: Theory and Practice of Teaching and Learning (Online) in 2025/26

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Theory and Practice of Teaching and Learning (Online)
Unit code MEEDM0040
Credit points 20
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director Mr. Burnett
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

No prior certificate units are required. However, applicants must be practising health care professionals, who must also have some teaching responsibility during the duration of study.

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Bristol Medical School
Faculty Faculty of Health Sciences

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

The NHS is one of the five largest employers on the planet. With over 1.7 million employees, it relies heavily on developing the capability of it’s people
to deliver its healthcare mission. The ability to support learning, rather than just teach, is a foundation of this unit and the Certificate programme.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

This unit serves as an introduction to the HPE (formerly TLHP) Certificate course. It aims to support learners in developing skills in planning, delivering and evaluating their own and others’ teaching based on a critical reading of theory and literature within the field. It also aims to introduce the learners to current issues in Teaching and Learning and to support and promote reflection and criticality in this area. Finally, it seeks to develop skills in academic writing within the discipline of Education.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

The unit offers an introduction to the planning, delivery and self-evaluation of teaching. It includes practical activities that would enhance own teaching abilities. It introduces students to academic literature and theoretical frameworks at Master’s-level (L7) in the social sciences. There is an expectation that students will complete further work beyond the fixed study days/sessions, in addition to submitting a written summative assignment. Completion of the unit is often helpful in demonstrating capabilities to professional bodies during recruitment processes.

Learning Outcomes

  • Design and plan teaching and learning for varied audiences and settings taking account of educational theory and literature
  • Deliver and/or support effective teaching and learning in diverse situations and reflect on the outcomes
  • Evaluate teaching and learning in the light of educational theory and reflect on teacher development to support their own and others’ practice
  • Demonstrate criticality towards educational literature and theory
  • Develop skills in writing within the academic discipline of Education

How you will learn

Synchronous on-line group tutorials. Teaching will be based on best practice on-line interactive teaching/ learning, both synchronous and asynchronous and may include: Group work, Discussion, Presentations, Evaluation of case studies and Peer feedback.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

In this unit, formative assessment in the form of reflection on learning and teaching experiences will be recorded by students in a series of guided ‘patchworks’. Successful completion of this formative assessment is necessary to progress.

Additional group-based activities during study events will seek to support understanding of educational concepts alongside the demonstration of teaching activities and processes as they align to educational theory. A group presentation on learning theories will be developed between study events and delivered during a study event. Additionally, the critique of previously marked work submitted for the unit’s assignment and also a critical consideration of literature in health professions education will serve to support capability in readiness for the summative assignment submission.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

A written essay-format assessment of 3,000 words alongside evidence of reflection and practical teaching application e.g., two reflective patchworks, a teaching session plan and evidence of own teaching observation. This contributes toward 100% of final grade for this module.

Microteaching Activity: The final summative mark is awarded only on completion of a micro-teaching session during a structured study event. In the event of an unavoidable and unforeseeable absence from the designated study event; a narrated PowerPoint submission of the teaching session, alongside appropriate accompanying paperwork may be accepted.

When assessment does not go to plan

If you do not pass the unit, you will normally be given the opportunity to take a reassessment as per the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. Decisions on the award of reassessment will normally be taken after all taught units of the year have been completed. Reassessment will normally be in a similar format to the original assessment that has been failed.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MEEDM0040).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.