Abstract
Available only on this companion website, this chapter delves into the development and delivery of online PGCerts, which have become of interest in the sector, globally. I address both the opportunities and challenges of online provision across practical, pedagogical, infrastructural, and institutional dimensions. This chapter provides insights into collaborative design processes and practical considerations for effective online PGCert courses.
In most institutions, PGCert courses have traditionally been delivered on-site or in a blended format, usually for internal staff who do not pay course fees. However, there is a growing move towards developing entirely online PGCerts in response to changing educational priorities, international collaborations and new market demands. Online delivery increases flexibility by enabling varied modes of engagement and opens up participation beyond institutional and national boundaries. For some universities, it also offers the possibility of welcoming external, fee-paying participants and supporting overseas partner institutions, particularly in regions where no equivalent teaching qualification currently exists.
Different models are emerging as institutions respond to these opportunities. Some continue offering a face-to-face or blended PGCert for internal staff, while designing a separate online version for international or external audiences. Others have shifted their entire PGCert provision online. A few institutions now maintain two parallel routes, one on-site and one online, tailored to different participant groups. Each model brings new possibilities, but also raises questions about course design, teaching presence, support structures and the experience of participants.
However, it is important to recognise that the move to online PGCerts is not only a pedagogical or technical decision. Institutional strategies, funding models and external pressures such as the drive for international recruitment or compliance with professional standards also shape these developments. These factors can influence academic workload, job security and the status of teaching, particularly in research-intensive universities. There is a risk that online PGCerts may be used primarily for institutional branding or market positioning, rather than as vehicles for genuine professional development. Ongoing critical reflection is needed to ensure that the interests of both PGCert practitioners, PGCert participants and their students remain central.
I invite you to think about these prompts in your professional context.
Activate your inner dialogue… How would you answer?
What makes an online PGCert successful?
If you were (re-)designing a PGCert for an international partner, what would you prioritise?
It is important to be clear about what is meant by “online” in this context. Most online PGCerts are not fully asynchronous and self-paced. Instead, they usually combine asynchronous learning activities, such as reading, recorded inputs, other multimedia content and independent reflection, with scheduled live sessions conducted via platforms such as Zoom or Teams. These synchronous elements are often weekly and play a key role in enabling real-time discussion and maintaining a sense of connection between participants and tutors. Online PGCerts vary in the balance of these elements and that balance needs careful consideration, particularly when participants are based in different time zones or have different access needs.
Is online (still) perceived as second best, compared to in-person (Daniel 2012)? Platt, Raile and Yu (2014) note that students do not always perceive online and face-to-face classes to be equivalent. However, their study highlights that perceptions improve with prior exposure to well-designed online learning. Learners with more experience of online formats report increased levels of perceived interaction, flexibility and knowledge gained. These findings suggest that digital learning becomes more effective and more positively received when underpinned by good learning design and scaffolded digital skill development.
Designing an effective online PGCert is not a matter of uploading existing materials or following the same structure used in a face-to-face version. High-quality online provision requires careful planning and resourcing such as ongoing pedagogic and technical support. It also relies on clear decisions about how participants will engage with content and with one another. A common misconception is that online provision is easier or cheaper to run. The book Online and Distance Education for a Connected World (Amrane-Cooper et Al 2023) discusses four issues that have been found to be particularly important for the quality of the distance learning student experience: (1) Assessment for learning, (2) Peer support, (3) Learning analytics combined with contextualised qualitative research and (4) Critical points of transition. In practice, online courses demand significant effort at the design stage and well thought out facilitation throughout delivery.
One of the main challenges lies in deciding whether materials are being created for tutor-led delivery or for participants to use more independently, in other words whether they are meant for synchronous or asynchronous use. Many PGCerts that moved online during the pandemic did so quickly and with limited capacity to redesign materials. As a result, some content still assumes a guided experience, structured lesson-by-lesson in a way that mirrors a physical classroom. That approach is familiar and may work well when a tutor is regularly present. But it is not the only model. Other materials are now being developed specifically for learners to use autonomously. These are written with the understanding that the learner is largely in control of their progress and they include built-in support such as clear signposting, feedback mechanisms and a sense of momentum that does not rely on real-time interaction.
There is also a marked difference between an online PGCert that has been intentionally designed for digital delivery and one that has been retrofitted in response to external pressures. While the rapid shift to online formats during the Covid-19 pandemic was a pragmatic response to an urgent situation, those courses were often constrained by existing structures. By contrast, purpose-built online PGCerts can take full advantage of digital pedagogies, incorporating a wider range of media, interactive tools and flexible learning pathways. They can also allow more varied forms of participation and assessment, enabling participants to engage with course content in ways that suit their working lives and personal contexts.
This distinction, between adapted classroom materials and those designed for autonomous engagement, reflects a deeper question about who is in charge of the learning process. Some online PGCerts keep the tutor at the centre, even when the delivery is digital. Others deliberately shift responsibility to the learner, providing structured opportunities for independent inquiry and peer collaboration. Neither approach is inherently better, but each has different implications for how participants experience the course and how tutors support them.
Research by Zhu et al. (2024) explored how students manage their own learning in online settings. The study found that participants’ motivation, planning strategies and reflective habits were central to their success. It also highlighted the importance of course design, particularly the structure of activities and the presence of supportive teaching practices, in shaping students’ satisfaction and engagement. These findings serve as a useful reminder that successful online learning is not only about access to content; it also depends on how learning is organised, facilitated and experienced.
There is general agreement within the PGCert world that online PGCerts often attract participants with more complex support needs. Many are combining the course with full-time work, caregiving responsibilities, or participation from different countries and cultures. Tutors therefore need to be skilled in online pedagogy and confident in building relationships with participants who may never meet them in person. Presence, responsiveness and an ethic of care all become central to the role of the PGCert tutor in these contexts, linked to the ‘intentionally equitable’ value discussed in chapter 1.
The move to online learning is not without risk. When poorly designed, online PGCerts can become isolating and transactional. The strongest examples are those that carefully attend to the relational aspects of learning, where participants feel seen, supported and connected to a wider community of practice. These courses do not attempt to recreate the in-person classroom online, but instead embrace the potential of the medium to offer something different: a more flexible, often more personalised learning experience, shaped by dialogue and collaboration.
Ultimately, the shift to online PGCerts raises deeper questions about the kind of learning environments we want to create. Are we preparing participants to take initiative and build confidence in navigating complexity? Are our materials supporting independent thought, or simply replicating old routines in a new format? Are we attentive to the different needs, contexts and constraints our learners bring with them? These are the design questions that matter. Online PGCerts offer an exciting opportunity to rethink long-held assumptions about staff development. They invite us to be ambitious, to be intentional and to create courses that are not only accessible but also meaningful and relational. However, this apparent alignment between online provision and inclusion should not be taken for granted. As Wallbank (2023) cautions, ‘the assumption that online or digital learning fosters accessibility and inclusion is not as unproblematic as it is made out’.
The following contribution offers a first-hand account of the opportunities and challenges encountered when designing online PGCerts. As you read, notice what specific skills and design decisions are needed to create effective online PGCerts that do not simply replicate face-to-face teaching.
Julia Horn and Danielle Hinton on ‘Opportunities and challenges of designing online PGCerts’
Introduction
Since the pandemic, demand for and provision of online and distance learning PGCert courses has grown hugely. As educational developers we have been involved in several different versions of online and distance learning including flying faculty models, fully online PGCerts and self-paced resources.
This shift in the context of teaching and learning raises crucial questions about the skills a PGCert participant needs to develop. We argue that more attention needs to be paid to the skills, competencies and scholarly evidence base needed to design and teach online, including working in collaboration with learning designers. These are skills which are needed both by educational developers and academic staff.
The context has changed
Academic staff are increasingly teaching in blended, hybrid or online environments. In addition, their own learning locations have changed. Staff in the same institution may be located at branch or overseas campuses (permanently or as flying facility) or work from home for significant periods.
Modelling Good Practice, Values and Beliefs
It is important to explicitly encourage the connection between an academic’s experience of being a student while on a course from both a design (“ooh I could use that in my teaching”) and a supporting student perspective (“I felt (dis)connected when this happened, I should adapt my teaching….”).
The majority of online PGCerts will require redesigning an existing course rather than starting from an intentional online design. Often this will require some accompanying translation of University ‘codes of practice’ in the online arena, whilst we wait for policies to catchup. This pragmatic reality does not have to mean replication of the same experience, however. In designing a new online distance learning PGCert , we needed to mirror the face-to-face modality but design for the differing needs of the learners combined with the differing learning space and time. Contact time which was 12 three hour monthly F2F block were transformed into a more flexible and asynchronous model. Taking on board 20+ years of online distance learning practice research, a study block was transformed. It became three contact hours that needed to be completed over a designated 2 week period – providing flexibility and structure. Learners needed to timetable study time around their workload and personal responsibilities. The course team values a discursive and participatory approach and therefore we utilised predominantly discussion boards with some live sessions, allowing everyone to explore, reflect and share their evolving teaching practice.
Lesson Planning
Our PGCerts should always model lesson planning, benefiting our learners’ dual roles of student and teacher. Themes are delivered within Canvas discussion page(s) and contain a) header with indicative study timings and mapping to AdvanceHE’s Professional Standards Framework; b) the main body of the learning materials; c) task (of two types) with trigger questions and guidance on the type of response expected.
It is essential to design and plan activities carefully and purposefully, remembering that online learners don’t have the same opportunities to ask clarifying questions ‘in the moment’. Issues of anxiety, motivation and stress related to making sense of an activity can become heightened. Think carefully about how you might trigger engagement, building activity patterns (e.g. Time to Talk) that have clear scaffolding support built-in. In doing so, we are modelling good practice, the most powerful and transformative messaging.
Partnership and Collaboration
Ashwin (2020: 87) posits that ‘a high-quality university education is collectively produced’ and argues that “It is important to acknowledge and respect the production of knowledge and the production of educational experiences as a collective human endeavour rather than an individual one”. (p.87) This is now reflected in The Professional Standards 2023 (AdvanceHE) Value 5, “Collaboration with others to enhance learning” (V5). We would like to propose that in the future, all PGCerts should be developed in partnership between educational developers and learning designers, where available. Each brings different perspectives, skills and practices.
Partnership between educational developers and learning designers led to the development of Hinton’s 8 curriculum lenses (2018) reminding us of the importance of keeping the context and situational aspects of design for learning at the forefront of design. The Student and Staff Lens encourage us toexplore and/or reorient ourselves to who our learners are (through use of personas in design and via analysis of demographics); to consider and adapt to the positionality and expertise of the teaching team. The Subject, Sequencing and Space Lens direct us to consider how our subject matter impact and influences our design; the importance of paying attention to sequencing of content and learning types (timetabling, storyboarding, activity planning); and aiming to produce ‘evergreen’ or reusable resources and using multimedia learning theories to guide choices. The Standard and Scene Lens remind us of the importance of alignment to policy, codes of practice, statutory and legal frameworks (eg. copyright and accessibility) and accreditation frameworks. Finally, the Scholarship Lens assists in being research-informed in drawing on and contributing to the robust 25yr+ rich history underpinning online learning and teaching, as well as the wider field of research into teaching and learning. Making our design decisions and curriculum development practices explicit to participants through setting expectations can also help to open up and grow discussion about teaching and learning online.
Just three things?…consider including these in your future practice
– Require one section of a PGCert to be studied fully online, even for an in-person course, so that all new academic staff have an experience of being an online student.
– Require PGCert participants to create and showcase a short sequence of online learning (with attention to accessibility, active learning, multimedia learning theory etc).
– Educational developers should collaborate with learning designers and other peers with a love of pedagogy – they are a community of practice within your institution. Learn from each other. Get their input into your (blended or online) curriculum design and learning materials.
References
Ashwin, P (2020), Transforming University Education: A Manifesto, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London.
Hinton, D. (2022). Curriculum Futures: Situational Factors in Learning Design Framework Workbook. National Teaching Repository. Educational resource. https://doi.org/10.25416/NTR.20029274.v1
Inclusivity Note
Online PGCerts can increase access to professional development, especially for staff who are disabled, located internationally, working remotely, or managing complex personal commitments. However, inclusion is not guaranteed by format alone — it must be actively designed into the course.
Challenges
Digital inequality remains a barrier, with variation in access to stable internet, suitable devices and digital confidence. In addition, global cohorts may find that examples and assumptions built into the curriculum reflect narrow or localised perspectives.
Intersectional factors such as race, gender, disability and socio-economic status can limit engagement.
Top Tips
Check with each participant who discloses a disability what tools, formats or supports they require. Use multiple modes of engagement (e.g. captions, transcripts, chunked content and optional live sessions) to support different cognitive and linguistic needs. Build in varied, authentic assessments that suit participants’ contexts and uphold academic integrity, even in fully online environments.
While design choices and support structures can help, institutions must also address broader and systemic issues through targeted outreach, flexible policies and, where possible, practical support such as equipment loans or bursaries.
Ensuring inclusivity in online PGCerts goes beyond the selection of learning materials, it extends into the digital spaces where learning unfolds. Accessibility, engagement and related support structures must be intentionally designed into the virtual environment. This requires careful planning and a critical assessment of the technology in use, to ensure that digital tools and platforms do not inadvertently exclude or disadvantage any learners.
Digital Readiness and Learning Design
Before designing a fully asynchronous PGCert, course teams need to consider what digital and pedagogical capabilities will be required of both staff and participants. Fully online learning environments place greater demands on learner autonomy, digital confidence and self-regulation. Likewise, teaching teams must possess not only technological fluency but also the pedagogical sensitivity to design inclusive, human-centred online experiences. Before launching an online PGCert, educators should carry out a critical technology audit. This involves assessing participants’ digital access and readiness and reviewing the institutional platforms available. The choice of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and supporting tools should not be taken lightly: technologies are not neutral, but carry embedded pedagogical assumptions. These must align with the course’s values, structures and modes of assessment.
Digital spaces should be designed to be inclusive, easy to navigate (user-friendly) and welcoming. Where possible, PGCert alumni or current students should be involved in the co-design of these spaces to improve usability and relevance. Establishing shared expectations for active participation and netiquette helps build a clear and supportive online culture.
Equally important is the humanisation of the online experience. As argued by Estrada et al. (2018) and Pacansky-Brock (2020), embedding “kindness cues of social inclusion” in the early weeks of the course can promote a greater sense of belonging. This might include personalised welcome messages, introductions from the teaching team and early opportunities for interaction that do not place a heavy cognitive or technical load on participants.
The Guildhall School’s PGCert in Performance Teaching offers an instructive example of how learning technology can play a pivotal role in a fully online PGCert. In the following narrative, notice how the course’s digital infrastructure is not simply a delivery mechanism, but a curated environment that shapes the student experience.
Evan Dickerson on ‘Learning Technology support for online PGCert Courses’
The PGCert Performance Teaching course is the only wholly online award-bearing course offered by Guildhall School of Music & Drama. With an annual September intake, the cohort typically consists of Guildhall staff and externally recruited students who are experienced teachers with private or university students. In addition to the PGCertificate in Performance Teaching exit award, FHEA recognition is possible.
The course is delivered by practitioners in their disciplines via weekly Zoom sessions held each Sunday during term time throughout the academic year. This is supplemented by a course of webinars. As the course is wholly online, all the supporting resources including reading lists, links to journals and tutor curated collections of articles to accompany each online teaching session, or to support more in-depth student research and self-reflection, as well as links to other internet-based sources are available on Moodle. Over the past few years the course’s academic team have developed a suite of interconnected Moodle sites to support the course. These are focussed on the following areas of activity: Course general information; Workshops; Webinars and Drop-in Sessions; Assessments; Resources for Online Teaching. This last area was developed and added during the Covid pandemic, but has been maintained to assist students whose professional teaching practice continues to include online delivery. The assessments site contains all the assessment briefs and marking rubrics for the course. Submission points for all written formative and summative assessments, together with uploads of students recording micro-teaching presentations, are available so their submission is date and time stamped. Selected anonymised examples of previous students’ work, together with the grades achieved, are available as reference points for students to consult when preparing their own assignment submissions.
The Moodle sites for the course are rolled over by the learning technologist each May in preparation for the following academic year. After this, the learning technologist works with the course team to reflect on how the course has run during the current year and identify any improvements that they wish to implement for the forthcoming year. The course team are the subject experts and ultimately responsible for preparing the Moodle sites for delivery, the learning technologist provides assistance as needed to create new resources or uploading materials. The learning technologist also checks that all links to external resources are still live. Increasingly, an accessibility audit of all online resources added since the last rollover is undertaken and, if needed, accessible versions of materials are added where it is possible to do so.
As for all courses of study, prior to the start of the course user accounts are created, in collaboration with the IT department using Registry records and student access is granted to all of the course’s Moodle sites. Moodle inductions and training are provided for new members of the course teaching and support teams.
Once the course board for the previous year has taken place, the sites for that cohort are archived. In line with Office for Students guidance and institutional policy, all assignment briefs, assignment submissions and feedback are retained within Moodle for seven years post-graduation.
Regarding the quality of Moodle provision, the course’s External Examiner observed in 2022/3:
‘[The use of] Moodle is even better [than before]; love the overall navigability and structure; easy connections [are/can be made] between micro/macro course levels; Moodle use on a level with best established distance learning courses in terms of quality.’
Moodle is used as the launching point for every aspect of the student experience throughout the PGCert Performance Teaching course. At previous institutions where I have been a learning technologist, I have often attended the first teaching session of similar courses to introduce myself. Often, I have delivered sessions focussed on the pedagogic approaches of blended and online learning within such courses too. The approach the Guildhall School takes is focussed on using the first day of teaching to deliver some initial content, but also ensure the students get to know each other, key members of the teaching team and have the opportunity to meet professional support staff including the learning technologist and other members of the library and student services teams. With any wholly online course it is essential for the students to know who they should address any technical queries to and how this should be done. From a learning technology viewpoint, this is an important take away for students from the first day of teaching. The chance to meet the students virtually affords an opportunity for them to surface any questions they have immediately regarding technology use, to gather any issues experienced by the group to get back to the course team on, or provide on-the-spot advice as required in a break-out room.
During the year, close contact is made with the course team about how the course is running with the cohort. Often, the team are in touch following comments or suggestions from students who have suggestions of how things could be improved or delivered differently. They seek advice about how easily the suggestions could be implemented and get hands-on support to do so if the ideas will deliver obvious improvements to the student experience. Staff also ask advice on using functionality within Moodle that they may not have used before, such as polling tools or online forums. As the Guildhall School is a small institution, the learning technologist often provides support in terms of learning design, educational development or emerging agendas including understanding the role and impact of AI in teaching, learning and assessment. The team are exploring how they could extend the use of Moodle beyond the duration of the PGCert course, both in terms of on-boarding a student cohort with pre-arrival information and activities in addition to the creation and support of a post-graduation community of practitioners. Regarding in-year support for students, this is typically focussed upon assignment submission issues and technical or access issues they have regarding Moodle.
Inclusivity note
The narrative shows how prioritizing accessibility and community within a fully online environment can support a diverse cohort of educators, striving for equitable participation and meaningful engagement.
Challenges
Guaranteeing that all learning materials and platforms meet accessibility standards and accommodate varied learning preferences and needs.
Overcoming the risk of participant isolation by maintaining consistent engagement and fostering a sense of belonging in a virtual setting.
Top tips
Regularly audit and update digital resources to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies and to address emerging accessibility needs.
Use interactive tools such as breakout rooms, discussion forums and peer support networks to build connection and promote active engagement throughout the course.
This contribution highlights how learning technology can be intentionally woven into the fabric of a PGCert, shaping not just how content is delivered, but how students experience, navigate and feel connected within a fully online environment.
Mobile learning spaces
Today’s learners operate within what Trede et al. (2019) describe as a “distributed technology–human environment”, which increasingly includes mobile devices. Far from being distractions, these devices can serve as powerful tools, enabling participants to access materials and engage with peers in ways that suit their circumstances. This aligns with Middleton’s (2015) concept of ‘back pocket’ learning: accessible, mobile and flexible.
However, the potential of mobile learning depends on addressing persistent issues of digital inequality. Digital poverty, varying levels of device access and unstable internet connections may prevent some participants from engaging fully. Open Educational Resources (OER) can help to level the field, particularly when they are easy to access on mobile devices and do not require high-bandwidth streaming.
As Boehm (2021) suggests, educators might move away from simply curating knowledge and instead create spaces where learners contribute dynamically. PGCert designers should consider: How are participants using mobile devices to study? Which types of content are best suited to small screens? Are asynchronous formats such as podcasts, short videos, or interactive PDFs effective in supporting flexible, inclusive engagement?
Audio-based materials can serve multiple purposes. A podcast, for example, might double as a teaching resource and a regular communication tool. Brief, reflective audio prompts can invite participants to respond while commuting or during quiet moments, extending the learning space beyond the desktop. Encouraging students to reflect on their own digital practices such as device use, study environments and attention management can strengthen their digital resilience (Gopal, 2022).
Creating international PGCerts
Designing PGCerts with international institutions brings additional responsibilities. This is not simply about adapting a home course for a global audience; it requires deep engagement with local contexts, professional needs and different educational values.
If the course builds on an existing PGCert, a series of design decisions must be addressed early:
- What aspects of the course structure or content must be adapted, rather than transferred directly?
- Should the curriculum remain standardised or be tailored to regional teaching frameworks and ‘local’ accreditation systems?
- What level of autonomy will the partner institution have?
Ethical design involves more than technical adaptation. Without care, exporting a Western model can unintentionally impose pedagogical assumptions that marginalise local knowledge and practice. This can amount to educational colonisation. A decolonial approach, by contrast, values mutual exchange and makes space for alternative ways of knowing and teaching. Hence, to ensure relevance and sustainability, PGCerts must be designed with—not just delivered to international partners. Effective strategies include:
- Co-designing the course with local educators from the outset
- Offering shared mentoring schemes that enable reciprocal learning across contexts
- Creating virtual ‘teaching exchange’ initiatives to support observation, feedback and practice development
- Building online communities of practice that extend professional dialogue beyond the formal boundaries of the course
By taking a participatory approach to international PGCerts, institutions can build reciprocal rather than extractive educational partnerships, ones that genuinely enrich learning for all involved.
Evaluating online PGCerts
Chapter 6 is (in the printed/ebook edition) is entirely dedicated to PGCert evaluation and much of what is discussed there regarding short, medium and long-term PGCert evaluation as well as capturing the impact on both individuals and institutions applies equally to online provision. In that chapter you can read a case study from an online PGCert alumni about the educational gains of that experience.
While the fundamental purpose of evaluation remains constant for both online and traditional on-site PGCert courses, the practicalities of how and what you assess diverge considerably. For mid-course evaluation, online PGCert evaluation relies more on digital data, such as VLE analytics, the quality of virtual interactions and the accessibility of the digital environment, whereas on-site PGCert evaluations focus more on classroom dynamics and face-to-face engagement. If the evaluator is not the PGCert course leader, they have varied roles: acting as a judge, consultant, collaborator and at times a critical friend (Baume in Amrane-Cooper et al 2023). A robust evaluation plan for an online PGCert should be openly discussed and clearly structured, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights and always aiming to inform improvements.
Chapter summary and reflections
At the start of this chapter, I invited you to think about these prompts in your professional context.
Activate your inner dialogue… How would you answer?
What makes an online PGCert successful?
If you were designing a PGCert for an international partner, what would you prioritise?
In this chapter, I have explored the complexities of designing and delivering online PGCerts, including pedagogical design, accessibility, technological infrastructure and international partnerships. A successful online PGCert is not merely a digital translation of its face-to-face counterpart; it must be intentionally designed to support engagement, model inclusive practice and meet the needs of diverse learners in different professional and geographical contexts. This includes attention to the balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning, the purposeful use of digital pedagogies and the importance of building human connection in online environments.
Well-supported online programmes can enable strong engagement among diverse and mature cohorts, including participants with neurodiverse conditions, but outcomes depend heavily on design and context rather than modality alone.
Designing an online PGCert with international partners requires more than curriculum adaptation. It calls for cultural responsiveness, mutual respect and co-design. Without this, there is a risk of exporting a Western model that may not align with local educational values or structures. Instead, an impactful international PGCert should be shaped through genuine collaboration.
It is also important to be realistic: not all online PGCert initiatives succeed as intended. Despite best efforts, some participants may feel isolated or disengaged and the use of digital monitoring tools can raise concerns about privacy and surveillance. Digital tools and spaces ‘can place barriers upon the ability of the working memory’ (Wallbank 2023). This serves as a reminder that digital learning environments can unintentionally reproduce exclusion, particularly when cognitive load and neurodiversity are not carefully considered. In some cases, the shift to online provision may inadvertently erode the sense of collegiality and shared purpose that comes from in-person learning. Recognising and learning from these ambiguities and trade-offs is essential for ongoing improvement, rather than assuming a straightforward path from innovation to success.
Key Takeaways
Design with intention: online PGCerts should not replicate in-person models but be structured purposefully to enable flexible, engaging and inclusive learning experiences.
Integrate digital pedagogy and accessibility: a well-designed online PGCert includes mobile-friendly content, varied formats and digital activities that meet the needs of diverse learners and professional contexts.
Build reciprocal partnerships: international PGCerts should be co-created with local institutions, respecting regional practices and avoiding an extractive model of curriculum development.
Chapter 10 Bibliography
Amrane-Cooper, L., Baume, D., Brown, S., Hatzipanagos, S., Powell, P., Sherman, S. and Tait, A. (eds.) (2023). Online and Distance Education for a Connected World. London: UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781800084797
Baume, D. (2023). Monitoring and evaluating online and distance education. In L. Amrane-Cooper, D. Baume, S. Brown, S. Hatzipanagos, P. Powell, S. Sherman, & A. Tait (Eds.), Online and Distance Education for a Connected World (pp. [insert page numbers if known]). London: UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781800084797
Boehm, C. (2021). A letter to those leading universities for the future. [Blog] WonkHE. Available at: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/a-letter-to-those-leading-universities-for-the-future/
Estrada, M., Eroy-Reveles, A. and Matsui, J. (2018). The Influence of Affirming Kindness and Community on Broadening Participation in STEM Career Pathways: Kindness, Community, & STEM. Social Issues and Policy Review. 12. 258-297. 10.1111/sipr.12046.
Daniel, J. (2012) ‘Dual-mode universities in higher education: Way station or final destination?’ Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 27 (1), 89–95.
Gikandi, J. W., & Morrow, D. (2015). Designing and implementing peer formative feedback within online learning environments. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 25(2), 153–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1058853
Gopal, N. (2022). The Peculiar Case of Space and its Relationship with Equity in Asynchronous Online Learning. [online] facultyfocus.com. Available at: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-delivery-and-instruction/the-peculiar-case-of-space-and-its-relationship-with-equity-in-asynchronous-online-learning/
Middleton, A. (Ed.). (2015). Smart Learning: Teaching and Learning with Smartphones and Tablets in Post-Compulsory Education. Sheffield Hallam University: MELSIG
Pacansky-Brock, M. (2020). How to humanize your online class, version 2.0 [Infographic]. https://brocansky.com/humanizing/infographic2
Trede, F., Markauskaite, L., McEwen, C. and Macfarlane, S. (2019) Epistemic Fluency and Mobile Technology: A Professional-Plus Perspective. In: Education for Practice in a Hybrid Space. Understanding Teaching-Learning Practice. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7410-4_12
Wallbank, A. J. (2023, April 12). Is online and digital learning really as accessible and inclusive as we’d like to think? SEDA Blog. https://thesedablog.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/is-online-and-digital-learning-really-as-accessible-and-inclusive-as-wed-like-to-think/