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Graduate Certificate in Designing Learning for Programmes

Understand learning needs, designing future-oriented learning programmes and analysing quality and evaluation in different learning contexts.

Graduate Certificate in Designing Learning for Programmes


Overview

The Graduate Certificate in Designing Learning for Programmes (GCDLP) is a 15-credit unit, 16-week programme comprising three courses focusing on understanding learning needs, designing future-oriented learning programmes and analysing quality and evaluation in different learning contexts.

Graduates of the GCDLP will be able to systematically appraise learning needs, the role and influence of stakeholders and the selection of types of data to provide insights in learning needs analyses. They will be able to design a coherent and cohesive learning programme, and to critically discuss and assess quality and evaluation issues in learning programmes.

The GCDLP is an elective certificate in the Master in Boundary-Crossing Learning and Leadership (MBX) programme, and stackable towards that qualification.

The GCDLP is an elective certificate in the Master in Boundary-Crossing Learning and Leadership (MBX) programme, and stackable towards that qualification.

The GCDLP is a core certificate in the Adult Learning track of the Master programme.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

  • An undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised university

  • Have at least 2 years of working experience

Skills

  • Effective verbal and written communication skills that meets the English Language Proficiency Requirements (ELPR)* if your undergraduate degree is not awarded by an English-medium university, or your undergraduate degree is awarded by an English-medium university but the language of instruction was not English

* at least an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5, or a TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based) or 85 (internet-based), or a PTE Academic score of 58, or C1 Advanced score of 180 [score must be obtained within the last 2 years at point of application].

Refer here for SUSS's Graduate Studies Admissions Requirements.

This programme is currently unable to take in international students, i.e., you must be a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or a resident in Singapore (e.g., Employment Pass holder) in order to apply for admission

Programme Structure

The programme will be conducted within a semester (4 months) and consists of 3 modules.

BXL651: Understanding and Analysing Learning Needs

Designing learning is always done with a purpose, an intent, in mind. Designers, be they a workplace supervisor, training manager, lecturer, or facilitator need to understand the purpose, the issue, problem or developmental needs of workers and the organisations they work in or across. Public run courses also need to be underpinned with an understanding of the purpose of the course/programme. Understanding this requires a deeper examination of the problem beyond that which may be given. Additionally, learning designers also need to understand what learners will bring to the course or learning programme of learning.

To this end, learners will identify an issue / problem and undertake a learning needs analysis. Learners will be introduced to the role of stakeholders, to different forms of data collection and analysis to understand the learning need(s), and to ways in which they frame the learning needs analysed, in order to influence decision makers who have the power to provide resources and funding for a learning programme or course.

BXL652: Future-oriented Learning Design

In this course, the focus is on design of learning for programmes, or for those supporting learning in the workplace, to develop an intentional overall approach over time for their team, or department or the whole of the organisation. Learners will learn about recent developments in design of learning / curriculum pertinent to adults, such as, the Six Principles of Learning Design, future oriented assessment, dialogic inquiry; sense-making, through lines in curriculum, and designing seamless movement across different modes of delivery. These will be compared to more traditional approaches as a means of engaging in critical evaluative dialogue about different frameworks/models/approaches, thus enabling learners to deepen understanding and develop their theoretical stance.

They will interact with practitioners and researchers from workplaces and from educational institutions, to hear about their challenges and how they overcame them. With the group of learners and their institutional setting (educational institution/provider or workplace) that learners undertook a learning needs analysis for in Understanding and analysing learning needs, they will design a short programme, and gain feedback from peers and mentors to critically reflect on their design.

BXL653: Quality and Evaluation in Different Contexts

Understandings of quality can be more implicit than explicit in, for example, assessment design, reporting and evaluation processes, or physical layout or navigation of learning and working spaces. The preferred methods of assessment, and the use or not, of a bell curve, for example, sends messages to teachers and students alike. In workplaces similar implicit understandings of quality and standards of performance are promulgated through who and what is rewarded and recognised, who has access to valued knowledge, tools and so on. Measurement of quality is undertaken through data and evaluation processes, often perceived as being beyond the influence of many in an organisation or system.

In this course, we deconstruct quality and evaluation processes, clarify their intended and unintended purposes and effects, and examine our roles and possibilities in these processes. As such, learners will move iteratively between theory and practice as they identify, label, categorise and critique quality and evaluation processes in their own or a selected organisation. They will be introduced to international experts who use innovative approaches to evaluation, and discuss the day to day challenges, surprises and gains with practitioners in the field. Quality and evaluation work involve leadership as influence; when change is required it involves developing a convincing case for change or improving that which is working well. It is this case in relation to an organisation they are familiar with, that they will present to their peers who will provide formative feedback as part of their assessment.

This programme is relevant to learners who are interested to understand how to kickstart and/or sustain workplace learning at their respective enterprises. They may include enterprise employees that play a pivotal role in strengthening employee capability and performance, notably those in human resources and learning & development, as well as adult educators.
A minimum CGPA of 2.5 (out of 5.0) shall be required to successfully complete the GC.
The minimum candidature is 6 months and the maximum is 24 months.
  1. What happens if I do not complete the graduate programmes (e.g. Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master) within the candidature period? Can I apply to take the remaining courses via CET pathway?

    Students who have not completed their graduate programmes within the stipulated candidature period will not be eligible for the award of the qualification for such graduate programmes. Such students however may apply to take, via the CET pathway, the remaining courses which they did not complete under their graduate programmes as part of their personal learning and development . Such application will be subjected to the CET admission requirement. However, as such students have exceeded the candidature period for their graduate programmes, they will not be awarded the qualification for such graduate programmes even after taking and completing the remaining courses via the CET pathway (“Condition”).

    PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COURSE, IS one of the courses under a graduate programme. THEREFORE, APPLICANTS FOR THIS COURSE ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING CONDITION. BY SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR THIS COURSE, THE APPLICANT AGREES TO BE SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING CONDITION.

  2. Instead of signing up for a Graduate Certificate programme, can I just register for one course?
    Applicants may continue to sign up for modular courses as CET by submitting an application via the CET application portal. Upon successful completion of and attainment of the minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.50 for the required modular courses, eligible CET students may apply for the graduate certificates
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