Online Education 2023-2024

The course is part of the BA Childhood Practice and can only be taken by students having access to an Early Years setting where migrant children are being educated.

The course focuses on challenges migrant children and their families face – a small research project on preparing a case study with one of the migrant children in the student’s setting is integral to the course.

This course has been developed as part of the EU ERASMUS+ project KINDINMI, the University of Aberdeen participated in.

The course is part of the BA Childhood Practice and can only be taken by students having access to an Early Years setting where migrant children are being educated.

The course focuses on challenges migrant children and their families face – a small research project on preparing a case study with one of the migrant children in the student’s setting is integral to the course.

This course has been developed as part of the EU ERASMUS+ project KINDINMI, the University of Aberdeen participated in.

 As part of the PGDE (Primary) programme, this professional placement provides further opportunity for students to apply and develop their knowledge of issues in Scottish Education and pedagogical theory. Students will develop the skills to support them as a critically responsive practitioner as they transition into their induction year.

As part of the PGDE (Primary) programme, this professional placement provides an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge of issues in Scottish Education and pedagogical theory in a practical context within Upper Stages of Primary School.

This course follows the same teaching approach as the first two courses. Its distinctive feature is understanding how and why we get caught up in habitual patterns of thinking and behaviour. Mindfulness and Compassion provide the foundation for clear seeing into the hidden mechanisms that give rise to conditioned reactions; and seeing how these have their roots in the subliminal level of mental activity. Practice is developed through Insight meditation and reflection. The module also draws on insights from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and Buddhism.

The course is assessed by a written assignment (6000 words). 

During this online course, models of participation are examined in order to develop a clear understanding of the processes, skills and attitudes that underpin effective participatory practice. The key issues of literacy and literacy difficulties are then considered to provide a framework for understanding the perspectives of the learner and the importance of a collaborative approach with all.  This course is designed to support critical reflection; facilitate professional development; inform and transform practice; and enhance children’s experiences and learning.

This course aims to enable participants to reflect critically on their own professional, participative practice and to consider a range of influences and perspectives in the field of literacy difficulties.  In particular, it will include a critical consideration of the following:

• the principles underpinning effective participative practice;
• models of participation;
• the distinction between ‘deep’ and ‘functional’ collaboration;
• the role of underlying values and attitudes in the genesis of participative practice;
• the impact of power relations, and institutional factors on participation and learning;
• strategies for enabling participation;
• pupil and parent perspectives on learning and participation
• interprofessional working, learning and participation
• different theoretical perspectives on literacy difficulties, including historical developments
• perspectives, needs and rights of pupils and parents
• importance of emotions in learning
• strategies for making the curriculum more accessible
• the wider implications of literacy difficulties within an inclusive and collaborative educational framework

This stand-alone course is to be offered as CPD to both primary and secondary teachers and covers key fundamental principles and underpinning theory to equip you to safely and effectively implement mindfulness in your classroom.  Reviewing best practise in areas such as ethics, safeguarding and dealing with adverse and religious affects, along with the underpinning purpose, science and impacts of a range of common practises you can build an informed mindfulness strategy and a mindful teacher presence for your classroom.  

This stand-alone course is to be offered as CPD to both primary and secondary teachers and covers key fundamental principles and underpinning theory to equip you to safely and effectively implement mindfulness in your classroom.  Reviewing best practise in areas such as ethics, safeguarding and dealing with adverse and religious affects, along with the underpinning purpose, science and impacts of a range of common practises you can build an informed mindfulness strategy and a mindful teacher presence for your classroom.  

Personal and social development linked to health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised as central to an effective education in which the potential of the whole individual is developed.

Curriculum for Excellence and Health and Wellbeing O&E’s emphasize the importance of planned approaches. This module is therefore designed to increase competence in identifying and meeting the developing needs of young people through effective planning.

The module covers aspects below:

• planning, development and delivery of inter-disciplinary programmes of PSHE including assessment, evaluation and improvement planning
• learner-centred approaches and the importance of a supportive climate

This module is offered to all who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in trauma-informed educational practices. This includes specifically classroom teachers, existing principal teachers, guidance teachers, faculty heads and senior managers within schools as well as community educationalists.

The module covers aspects of all areas below:

• Trauma-informed educational policies from Scottish, UK and international perspectives
• Developing a trauma-informed ethos and leadership
• Trauma-informed pedagogies
• Trauma-informed curricula

The second compulsory taught course on the PG Cert, ‘Activities, Knowledge & Values’ will address 5 themes (each delivered in a two-week block), which will be delivered as 5 synchronous interactive seminars (90 minutes). There will be fortnightly, asynchronous discussion-board activities, short video recordings, and topical readings. Overall, this course will balance theory with reflective practice in learning and teaching in higher education.