Academic Credit for Continuous Professional Development

1

Academic Credit for Continuous Professional
Development Individually negotiated programmes
for Health Care Professionals in the U.K.

Ann Minton, Learning Through Work, University of
Derby, United Kingdom  
2
The Problem for the Learner

• Alignment of
• Professional Body /or Development requirements
• Frameworks for progression ( NHS KSF)
• Employer and service development requirements
• With Higher Education provision

3
Key Issues for Alignment

• Curriculum and Assessment activity
• Timing and method of Delivery
• Valuing Prior learning

4
Curriculum Assessment

• Ideally
• Curriculum negotiated to match individual
  development needs
• Assessment is based within the working practice
  of the learner
• Learning and assessment activity mapped directly
  against promotion requirements

• Issues
• Tightly defined curriculae generic modules
  limited specialist availability
• Theoretical approach to assessment related to
  practice
• Learners need to produce additional evidence of
  application to their work for promotion

5
Timing and Method of Delivery

• Ideally
• Flexibility in delivery method
• Flexibility and negotiation of timescales

• Issues
• Accessibility
• Timescales may not meet work/ family commitments
• Ethics committees

6
Valuing Prior Learning

• Issues
• Tightly defined core curriculum
• Transferring credit between institutions
• Valuing experiential learning

• Ideally
• Flexibility to negotiate elements of curriculum
• Other HEI credit recognised
• Mechanism for valuing and accrediting
  experiential learning

7
Learning Through Work at Derby

• Based on a broadly constructivist perspective of
  valid knowledge
• Socially situated individuals relate the familiar
  contexts of their work environments to the
  requirements of an academic award.
• Individual programmes are aligned with Quality
  Assurance Agency (QAA) level descriptors for
  awards at various levels in the HE sector.
• (Bosley and Young, 2005)

8
Approach

• Blended learning
• On-line learning contract negotiation platform
• Combined with events self-paced learning and
  telephone/ face to face tutorials
• Utilises Bouds (2001) principles of work based
  learning

9
Learning contract development

• Personal reflection on learning to date
• Self audit / SWOT analysis of opportunities for
  learning and development
• Component development
• - learning outcomes
• - curricular content/ learning activities
• - evidence for assessment
• (QAA subject benchmarks)

10
Quality Assurance

• Marked by tutor (s)
• Internal moderation across module
• Reviewed by external examiner(s)
• Approved at assessment board
• Title ratified

11
Chris B.Sc. (Hons.) Professional Development
(Continence Nursing) 

• Component Level Credits Type
• Learning Contract 6 15
  LTW
• Promotion of Continence 6 20 APCL
• Promoting Better Health 5 10
  APCL
•  
• Research Methods 6 15 LTW
• Published article 6 30
  Negotiated
• Independent Study 6 30 LTW

12
DeniseB.Sc. (Hons) Professional Development
(Specialist Continence Nursing) 

• Component Level Credits Type
• Learning Contract 6 5
  LTW
• Service management 6 30 Negotiated
• Evidence Based Prac. 6 15 UoD named
  
• Intro. to Research 5 10 APCL
•  
• Spirituality and Health 6 10 APCL
•  
• Ethics 6 15 APCL
•  Independent study 6 30 LTW

13
LindaM.Sc Health and Social Care

• Level Credits Type
• Learning Contract 7 15 LTW
•  Counselling 7 30 APCL
•  
• Intro to Research 7
  15 UoD
•  
• Research Methods 7 15 LTW
•  
• CPD 7 15 Self-
  Negotiated
•  Reflective Practice 7 15 UoD
•  
• Annotated Book Review 7 15
  Self-Negotiated
•  Independent Study 7 60 LTW

14
JillM.Sc.Osteoporosis

• LTW Programme Profile Level Credits Type
• Learning contract 7 15 LTW
•  
• PG Cert. Osteoporosis 7 60 APCL
•  
• Professional Development 7 15
  Self-Negotiated
• Diagnosis of Osteoporosis
• Research Methods 7 15 LTW
• Exercise and Osteoporosis 7 15 Self-Negotiated
  
•  
• Independent Study 7 60 LTW

15
Do we meet the ideal?

• Ideal
• Curricular flexibility
• Work based assessment
• Matched to key drivers
• Flexibility of delivery and timescale
• Ability to build in prior learning 7 credit from
  other Heis

• LtW Derby
• Learning contract to personalise curriculum
• Work based assessment
• Within learning contract
• Negotiated within contract
• Negotiated within contract

16
Conclusion

• Flexibility within a QA assured framework
  facilitates individual negotiation
• Develops concepts of lifelong learning, in terms
  of identification of opportunity, assimilation of
  concepts and self-assessment of progress.
• Improves evidence base upon which health care is
  practiced, thereby enhancing the quality of
  service to the patients/clients