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Teaching

Our teaching is designed to be flexible, engaging and supportive, making full use of our virtual learning environment (VLE) to enhance your learning experience. You will benefit from a range of interactive tools and approaches, including:

• Clear guidance to help you confidently use the online learning platform
• Regular communication with module tutors to support your progress
• Scheduled Microsoft Teams sessions, enabling discussion with module leaders and fellow students, particularly valued for those balancing study with work
• High-quality online activities, including opportunities for collaborative learning with peers
• Constructive, formative feedback to help you develop and succeed
• A consistent and visible tutor presence to ensure ongoing support and interaction
• A blend of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (self-paced) learning, with discussion forums encouraging critical reflection
• Opportunities to critically analyse dementia practice across a range of settings

This approach supports an experiential learning cycle, helping you stay engaged and actively involved throughout the programme. You will be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning and to apply your knowledge directly to your professional practice.

If you are studying for this Award as a standalone module, the module leader will usually act as your Personal Academic Tutor, providing tailored support and continuity throughout your studies.

Contact time

Scheduled (live) learning
You will take part in live online tutorials and activities. Typically, this will be on a Tuesday for around 1 hour every two weeks during each 12-week taught semester. Sessions are provided in the morning or late afternoon to fit around work commitments.

If you are unable to attend a live session, you should inform the module leader in advance where possible. Your engagement with the course may also be monitored through the VLE. Additional sessions may be provided where needed.

Flexible (independent) learning
You are expected to engage regularly with the online learning activities each week. This includes contributing to discussions, reviewing materials, and completing learning tasks. This equates to around 2 hours per week.

Additional opportunities to interact with tutors and peers are available through discussion boards and online forums, which you can access at times that suit you.

Independent self-study

In addition to the directed online study, scheduled exercises and virtual seminars within the online learning environment, you are expected to undertake around 6 hours per week of guided independent study.

This will include reading journal articles, books and undertaking online research in addition to working on assignments.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

1 year part time

Timetables

The online learning environment will be available for the duration of the semester and will be available one week before the module commences. Dates for scheduled seminars will be made available prior to the course commencing.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by an experienced Dementia Practice Development Coach and Senior Lecturer who is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

People living with dementia, along with their families, are actively involved in both the development and delivery of the curriculum at the Association for Dementia studies, ensuring the course remains grounded in real-life experience.

Teaching is research-informed and draws on the work of the Association for Dementia Studies. You will also benefit from input from Research Fellows and PhD students who are working at the forefront of person-centred dementia research.

Assessment

The award offers a range of opportunities to develop and demonstrate your learning. You will complete formative (practice) assignments throughout the course, which are designed to help you build your understanding and prepare for the final assessments. These provide detailed feedback to support your progress.

The summative (graded) assessments focus on applying your learning directly within your professional context. Both assessments contribute to your overall module grade.

The graded assessments for this award are:

• Produce a teaching plan for delivering FITS into Practice within your own organisation, including a clear justification for any adaptations made to the standard approach.
• Produce a reflective portfolio based on your planning, implementation and critical reflection on delivering one cohort of the FITS into Practice

These assessments are designed to ensure you can translate theory into practice and demonstrate your impact in supporting dementia care development.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and how these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.