Teaching methods
The degree uses a range of teaching and learning methods, all of which are mediated through our virtual learning environment (VLE). Working in close collaboration with the St Mary’s Technology Enhanced Learning team, materials and activities have been designed with best practice principles in mind.
You'll have access to a wide variety of asynchronous material such as bite-sized presentations delivered by lecturers researching in the field. You'll also have dynamic materials such as branching scenario activities and interactive videos to engage with.
This asynchronous content is supported with live online sessions with your tutors, exploring the material in more detail, with a focus on encouraging you to take a critical approach to existing research and theories. The live sessions will also be used to guide you through the assessments, providing formative feedback on your activity and helping you to achieve the learning outcomes.
You're are encouraged to take responsibility for self-paced learning with regular, supportive check points to assess your progression.
As well as live and asynchronously presented material, additional independent learning materials will be made available, such as research papers, podcasts, and relevant videos. You'll be encouraged to post to discussion boards, moderated by staff, to share and consider the material.
You'll have optional individual tutorials, easily bookable to suit you, available throughout your degree. In other words, the staff will give you all sorts of opportunities to engage with the material and will support you on your whole learning journey!
Assessment methods
All the assessments are coursework based (no exams) because we want you to display your deep critical knowledge and understanding, not simply the ability to remember facts.
The assessments on this course have been specifically designed to help you learn about all the BPS GBC curriculum areas in a meaningful way.
Research reports are supplemented with tasks where you're asked to apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
For example, in the module Development across the lifespan you'll be asked to think about how our understanding of learning theories can be used to support children with specific learning difficulties.
In another example, the Social Psychology module asks you to take a story currently in the news and explain how psychological research can explain people's behaviour.
The staff on the course will support you throughout with regular tutorials and chances for formative feedback.