MA Clinical Education

Overview

Course Length:2-5 Years Part-Time
Start Dates:February 2017, September 2017, February 2018
Department:Faculty of Health and Social Care
Location:Edge Hill University
  • Join a multi-professional programme specifically designed for doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals involved in the support and assessment of learners in clinical practice;
  • Systematically and creatively analyse the complexities of clinical education, based on active and reflective learning from your own experiences in practice;
  • Experience highly flexible study on a course delivered through a blend of online learning and face-to-face sessions.

The MA in Clinical Education offers a supportive and challenging learning environment in which clinical educators can critically review and develop both theoretical perspectives and practical skills in the facilitation of learning and assessment. You will systematically and creatively analyse the complexities of clinical education, based on active and reflective learning from your own experiences in practice.

The programme will be run on a multi-professional basis, allowing practitioners such as medical doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals to share their knowledge, experience and skills in teaching and supporting learning and the assessment or evaluation of teaching. You will improve your teaching skills and develop a critical understanding of how individuals learn in a clinical environment.

Faculty of Health and Social Care

Course in Depth

What will I study?

To exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education (60 level 7 credits), you need to complete a core module in Research and Clinical Education (20 credits) then two further 20 credit modules from a choice of optional modules.

The optional modules are designed to allow you to explore different aspects of clinical education which are relevant to your role.

For the award of MA Clinical Education, you will need to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education and write a 60 credit (level 7) dissertation, which can include the preparation of a paper suitable for publication.

How will I study?

The course is delivered primarily using online learning through the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The online learning is blended with a small number of face-to-face days. A typical module may include up to three face-to-face days, although due to the flexibility of the programme, attendance is not compulsory.

How will I be assessed?

A range of assessment strategies are employed in this programme including online tasks, critical reflection on practice, assignments, evaluative reports and portfolios. You will be expected to write approximately 4,000 words (or equivalent) for each module. The dissertation will be 15,000 words (or equivalent). Assignments are submitted electronically through the VLE.

Who will be teaching me?

The academic team is comprised of highly experienced tutors from Edge Hill University. Many of the team are research active in the field of clinical education and are University Teaching and Learning Fellows with an extensive publication record. Some of the academic tutors are, or have been, practising clinicians who have specialised in clinical education and others are experienced educationalists from a range of backgrounds.

A Great Study Environment

The Faculty of Health and Social Care is one of the leading providers of education and training for health and social care professionals in the North West of England.

Offering some of the best facilities for health and social care students in the country, the innovative £14m Faculty of Health and Social Care building provides outstanding teaching and learning resources, including leading edge clinical skills facilities, ten teaching rooms, an 860-seat lecture theatre and a number of social learning spaces.

The faculty is home to a thriving research culture which includes a series of staff and student conference programmes, guest lectures and seminars, as well as active research groups.

Modules

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CPD7001 Research and Clinical Education (20 credits)

Research and Clinical Education focuses on the generation, development and application of research within the area of clinical education. While not a generic ‘research methods’ module, it covers major debates within the research area, various approaches to research and evidence-based practice, and some of the major research methods which are employed in the study of clinical and professional education. You will learn to critically appraise research findings in clinical and professional education and how they affect practice. The module also helps you to plan and develop research inquiries of your own or initiate joint research projects with other clinical practitioners.

CPD7010 Clinical Education Dissertation (60 credits)

Clinical Education Dissertation allows you to conceptualise, develop and realise a significant piece of primary research in the field of clinical education. It is designed to ensure that professionals who are clinical practitioners in a wide variety of professions / specialities in health care are able to carry out research which relates to, and which informs, professional practice as clinical educators. It will give you first-hand experience of supervised research in this rapidly developing and increasingly important subject.

You will select two of the following modules:

CPD7002 Careers Management within the Health Services (20 credits)

Careers Management within the Health Services offers you an introduction to managing your own clinical career and supporting others with career planning. The syllabus is designed to meet the needs of clinical professionals carrying out a range of supervisory, advisory and guidance roles, as well as those who aspire to take on such roles. This module will therefore enhance your understanding of major theories underpinning the professional activity of career management, plus further develop awareness of the tools and assessments used to manage careers in the healthcare professions.

CPD7003 Curriculum Design in Clinical Education (20 credits)

Curriculum Design in Clinical Education focuses on sharing an understanding of what constitutes curriculum and sets curriculum design for clinical educators in a broader context (e.g. professional bodies and NHS initiatives). It examines models of curriculum design, as well as some specific design tools. The module reviews the process of curriculum design and also looks at the more controversial debates with particular reference throughout to the clinical setting.

CPD7004 Educational Leadership in Health Settings (20 credits)

Educational Leadership in Health Settings provides you with a critical and evaluative perspective on educational leadership. The module will address leadership theories, styles and approaches in the specific context of clinical education and will facilitate the application of theory to practice. Educational leaders can face unique challenges in working across organisational and professional boundaries and you will, therefore, be encouraged to apply leadership concepts to your own role and consider your personal contribution to the development of ‘learning organisations’.

CPD7005 Educational Supervision in the Clinical Context (20 credits)

Educational Supervision in the Clinical Context explores the role and skills of educational supervision in the clinical workplace. The module will introduce and raise your awareness of key concepts involved in supervision in medical education, drawing on theory, practice and the broader scholarly literature. Assessment for learning and the use of critically constructive feedback to support learning will also be considered.

CPD7006 E-learning in Clinical Education (20 credits)

E-learning in Clinical Education analyses on the development of e-learning within the health context. It draws on the growing international research literature to identify key pedagogic and design principles which should underpin the effective use of communication and information technology applications in the field of clinical education. The module also facilitates you in applying available research to your own work environment, your own teaching, and in critically evaluating the potential of e-learning opportunities.

CPD7007 Improving Practice in Clinical Education (20 credits)

Improving Practice in Clinical Education allows you to focus on a specific issue or topic of relevance to their educative role, in a supported way, within your own workplace. The precise focus of work will be negotiated and the subject of an individual learning agreement completed at the start of the module.

CPD7009 Using Simulation to Support Clinical Learning (20 credits)

Using Simulation to Support Clinical Learning will offer you an introduction to simulation for teaching, supporting learning and learning in the clinical workplace. Examining simulation techniques and technologies from low-fidelity to high-fidelity, this module will raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of using and designing simulation-based training activities to create effective, high quality learning and training opportunities for health care professionals.

CPD7011 Mentoring and Coaching in Clinical Education (20 credits)

Mentoring and Coaching in Clinical Education focuses on mentoring and coaching in relation to the purposes, context, processes, skills and impact on the clinical learning environment. You will engage in an analysis of the nature of supportive/developmental relationships in the field of clinical education, including conducting an evaluation of the theoretical constructs of mentoring and coaching, current research and the benefits to both the individual and the organisation. You will explore the roles of mentoring and coaching in your own specific area of clinical practice in some depth.

Optional modules provide an element of choice within the programme curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements.

For more information about each module, including the dates and times of module sessions, please visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/cpdmodules.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Entry Criteria

Entry Requirements

To join this programme, prospective participants are expected to be experienced professionals in a medical, dental, nursing or allied health speciality, with some responsibilities for education within the workplace.

You will be expected to hold a Postgraduate Certificate in a relevant subject (such as PGCert Teaching and Learning in Clinical Practice or an equivalent) as the first 60 credits of the award.

Please note, if you wish to access any of the modules on a stand-alone basis you do not need to have completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Clinical Practice or an equivalent course of study. These applications will be considered on individual merit.

You will be asked to provide references. Interviews may also be used to supplement the application process.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’).

Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.

Career Prospects

What are my career prospects?

The MA Clinical Education programme will provide specialist knowledge that would be useful for any career that involves the support of learning and assessment in practice. In addition, the programme will enable you to develop skills of critical analysis and research commensurate with postgraduate study.

Finance

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for part-time study on this MA are:

  • £31 per credit for UK and EU students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2016/17, i.e. £620 per 20 credit module;
  • £32 per credit for UK and EU students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2017/18, i.e. £640 per 20 credit module.

180 credits are required to complete a Masters degree. Please note, the University may administer a small inflationary rise in part-time postgraduate tuition fees in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.

Financial Support

For comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK and EU students joining postgraduate courses at Edge Hill University, together with details of how to apply for potential funding, please view our Money Matters guide for your intended year of entry.

Apply

How to Apply

Apply directly to Edge Hill University.

Download the Health and Social Care Professional Development pathway application form and notes for guidance (pdf).

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions about this programme, please contact:

If you would like to talk to the programme leader about the course in more detail, please contact:

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Course Changes

This page outlines any material changes to course content, programme structure, assessment methods, entry criteria, and modes of study or delivery, implemented since 1st September 2015.

No material changes have been made to the information for this course since 1st September 2015. Any future amends will be tracked here.