Last Updated on 22/08/2023

Our vision

We aspire to have a teaching and learning programme where…

  • There is constructive alignment between the assessments undertaken by trainees and the teaching and learning programme. Teaching on the programme should focus on the competencies assessed as part of the training programme, and be aligned to the assessment exercises on the programme.
  • The teaching programme is coherent as a whole, well-co-ordinated and without unintended repetition.
  • The teaching and learning experience is flexible and personalisable, in a way that ensures the core elements required for competency development are present, whilst wherever possible allowing flexibility to allow different pathways and choices as to how the required competencies are developed.
  • The format of learning and teaching is primarily determined by best pedagogic practice relating to the topics being taught.
  • Taking account of the above, there is where possible a reduced amount of traditional formal contact teaching. This will allow more time for other forms of learning including problem-based learning, structured self-directed learning, and specific placement and other practice experiences.
  • The architecture of the programme fosters and requires a self-directed ‘adult learner’ approach from trainees
  • Learning sessions deal with content in general, and theory in particular, in a way that makes it clear how it is transferable across setting, research and clinical areas, and into placement and other practice contexts.
  • There are increased opportunities for cross-cohort contact and learning.
  • The learning programme is paced to create a varied learning experience which includes times when there is less contact teaching.
  • There are clear links and where possible a fusion between the teaching and learning of clinical and research skills.

We aspire to have trainees who…

  • Are adult learners, taking primary responsibility for their own learning throughout the programme.
  • Have time and space within the programme to plan and execute their own learning, self-direct, and also plan their self-care as part of training.

We aspire to have teachers who are…

  • From a more diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, including not only practising clinical psychologists but also a wider variety of other professionals and non-professionals, including service users and other stakeholders, including trainees themselves.
  • Are conversant with the programme’s values and vision for teaching
  • Produce teaching plans in collaboration with the strand teams relating to their session(s).
  • Skilled and knowledgeable in terms of available methods of teaching and learning and can make use of and / or access technological tools such as Moodle
  • Are familiar with current best practice in pedagogy.

We aspire to have learning sessions where…

  • There is a conscious awareness of the process as well as the content of learning experiences, and there are learning outcomes targeting both of these elements.
  • In contact teaching there is a focus on skills in the process of practice rather than primarily on developing declarative knowledge.
  • In contact teaching and other group activities there is a focus on action and ‘learning in motion’.
  • The ethos of learning sessions is grounded in the values held by the programme.
  • It is clear how the skills and competencies learned can be transferred to a range of contexts.
  • It is clear how the learning experiences relate to the broader competencies the programme aims to develop in trainees.
  • The experiences trainees have had in practice to date are made best use of within the learning session.
  • There is the potential in as many cases as possible for the learning experience to be used as part of a formative or summative assessment process.
  • There are regular reviews and development of the learning experiences by a range of stakeholders including service users.

Some example features of teaching that we consider may help with meeting this vision.

  • The intended learning outcomes the programme identifies and trains towards needs to be consistent with what is required in the current and future job role and match with the vision held by trainers.
  • A mechanism needs to be in place that facilitates clear and explicit linking of the programmes’ overall learning outcomes and competencies to the aims of individual learning experiences.
  • Building into the system information about teaching sessions and other learning experiences where the learning outcomes for both the content and process of session is identified, and it is made clear how the learning will be transferable.
  • Considering the use of a portfolio approach to assessment
  • Include teaching on ‘life skills’ and on working as an adult learner early in the programme, and having systems in place to monitor and direct self-directed learning throughout the programme.
  • Embed an expectation of adult learning into the architecture of the programme. For example, if learners have been asked to study a specific text prior to a contact teaching session, design the session such that they will not be able to make good use of or engage in the session if this task has not been completed first.
  • Increase the amount of structured reading / and learning outside of formal teaching, creating protected times for this, directing trainees to specific sources, and making more resources available online (including audio and video sources). Identifying content or knowledge-heavy areas of the current teaching and changing this so that it can be delivered by such non-contact methods.