Griffith College

Faqs

Zoom is an online meeting software (similar to Skype). Zoom meetings are currently used as discursive question and answer sessions where students can tease out issues and receive guidance for module tutors. These usually last from 40 minutes to 1 hour and will take place bi-monthly, usually around 5pm. We are reviewing this schedule currently and so this may be subject to change.

There are no final examinations in any of the three postgraduate programmes. All assessment is continuous assessment and occurs as summative assessment made up of a small number of component parts.

For the Special Purpose Certificate in Education, Learning and Development, you need 25 hours of prior lecturing/training hours experience as an entry requirement.

For the Postgraduate Diploma in Training and Education, you need 50 hours of prior lecturing/training hours experience as an entry requirement.

To apply for the MA in Training and Education, you need 50 hours of prior lecturing/training hours experience as an entry requirement before coming on the MA programme.

There are a few things involved here, the requirements are as follows:

  • The learners you have previously taught are adults
  • There is no restriction on the subject / topic
  • You should be able to clearly identify the Learning Outcomes
  • An assessment of Learning Outcomes should have taken place at the end of the course
  • There is no requirement for the course to be QQI-accredited
  • You will be required to provide evidence that the experience took place. This can either be in the form of a letter from your employer or the company for whom you delivered the lecturing/training hours.

The more information you can provide the easier it is for the Faculty to ascertain the level of experience.

Yes, you can apply via the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).  APEL takes into account all working experience in the field. Due to the difficult nature of compiling and assessing experiential learning, please consult with the Programme Director or delegated Faculty member in the first instance. Please contact Admissions for further details. 

The Faculty considers applications from candidates wishing to enter the programme on the basis of their prior academic or prior experiential learning.  In all such cases, candidates are required to submit evidence of their prior accredited and experiential learning (APL) so that it can be evaluated on an individual basis by the APL College Committee.  The purpose of this is to ascertain the learning which has previously taken place in order to allow it to be mapped against the module(s) /stage(s) for which an exemption is being sought. This evidence must be supplied at the time of application. The College’s policies on Recognition of Prior (Accredited and Experiential) Learning are outlined in QA C3 of the College QA Manual. Please contact Admissions asking for further details.  

Yes, after you have successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma, you can apply to progress to the MA in Education, Learning and Development. In order to be eligible for progression to the MA, students must achieve the equivalent of a 2.2 grade in their Postgraduate Diploma. There are no additional eligibility requirements.

Yes, after you have completed the Certificate, you can apply to progress to either the Postgraduate Diploma or the MA in and Education, Learning and Development in Griffith College.  Please be mindful, additional lecturing / training hours are required.  You need to provide evidence of an additional 25 hours lecturing/training experience. As a QQI-accredited Special Purpose Award, this Certificate will also be recognised by other higher education providers.

Yes, there are two embedded awards within the MA in Education, Learning and Development.  If you exit:

  • After two modules, you can exit with Special Purpose Award Certificate (20 ECTS) in Education, Learning and Development. This programme runs twice a year- once in Dublin from September – January and on the Cork or Limerick Griffith campus in alternate years in the second semester from March to July.
  • After nine modules, you exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (60 ECTS) in Education, Learning and Development, January – December

The programme team provide in-class delivery and online blended supports to facilitate the practice-based elements and learning from both face-to-face and online environments. Lecturers use a cloud-based remote meeting platform called Zoom to support learners. Zoom may be used to deliver the weekly webinars and drop-in sessions. These are discussion focussed question and answer sessions and are provided as a support to face to face/ in classroom teaching.

Griffith College also uses a virtual learning environment called Moodle which supports learners and lecturers through the provision of lecture notes, weblinks, pdfs and a discussion forum.  

The Special Purpose Award Certificate in Education, Learning and Development is delivered over one semester from September to January. There are approximately three classes on campus from September to December (usually Fridays and Saturdays).

The Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Learning and Development is delivered on-campus approximately 3 days per month (usually Fridays and Saturdays) from January to December.

The Masters in Education, Learning and Development (dissertation module) continues January to July.

In addition to the classroom contact, learners are supported with the following:

  • Weekly webinars each Tuesday evening (7:30-8:30pm)
  • Weekly online drop-in sessions each Thursday (12-12:50pm)
  • Plus additional tutorials run by the Library on Saturdays 4-5:30pm 1st and 15th February)

The webinars and drop-in sessions are delivered using a cloud-based platform called Zoom. No special software is required for this. A Wi-fi or 3G connection, however, is necessary to participate in Zoom meetings.

The MA is a part-time blended master's programme which begins in September each year and runs across 24 months.

The programme is composed of three distinct stages:

The first two modules make up the Special Purpose Award Certificate in Education, Learning and Development (20 ECTS). These are: Professional Practice (10 ECTS) and Learning Designs: Contexts and Considerations (10 ECTS).

In the Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Learning and Development (60 ECTS) there are five mandatory modules that build on the knowledge and skills developed within the Certificate. Learners also choose two modules as elective from a current suite of five modules.

The mandatory modules include: Strategic Learning and Development (10 ECTS), Psychology of Learning (5 ECTS), Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (5 ECTS), Research Methods (5 ECTS) and Personal and Professional Development (5 ECTS).

The elective modules include: Emergent Learning Technologies (5 ECTS), Innovation for Learning (5 ECTS), Supervision of Research Projects (5 ECTS), Workplace Learning (5 ECTS), Learning Analytics (5 ECTS).

The MA in Education, Learning and Development (90 ECTS) is comprised of one final module (the 10th module) which is a Dissertation module. In order to be eligible for progression to the MA, students must achieve the equivalent of a 2.2 grade in their Postgraduate Diploma. The Masters is awarded on successful completion of this final module and the successful completion of the previous 9 modules.

No, this MA has specifically been designed for educators who support adult learners. This includes Learning and Development specialists in organisations, role holders in Human Resources departments, trainers from private industry or public-sector, as well as lecturers in third level institutions.  As a result, the teaching practice hours are greatly reduced and do not fulfil the Teaching Council requirement for teaching in primary, post primary or further education.