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Graduate Certificate in Innovative Approaches to Adult Learning

Understand the practice of adult learning, designing for learning and assessment in the adult learning context, and integrating technology in learning at the workplace.

Graduate Certificate in Innovative Approaches to Adult Learning


Overview

The Graduate Certificate in Innovative Approaches to Adult Learning (GCIAL) is a 15-credit unit, 16-week programme comprising three courses focusing on understanding the practice of adult learning, designing for learning and assessment in the adult learning context, and integrating technology in learning at the workplace.

Graduates of the GCIAL will have a good understanding of major learning theories and their own beliefs and assumptions about adult learners and learning. They will be able to design and facilitate learning and assessment appropriately and relevantly for their adult learners, and draw on technology effectively to support adult learners in the classroom, work settings and online. The GCIAL is an elective certificate in the Master in Boundary-Crossing Learning and Leadership (MBX) programme, and stackable towards that qualification.

The GCIAL 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.

BXL641: Adult Learning, Learners and Their Contexts

Adult learners are diverse, and bring different expertise, needs and experiences to learning opportunities. To understand learners and their learning, learners will examine diverse instances of adult learning in differing contexts, and in the process examine learning theories and the assumptions behind the major learning theories. Through this process, they will critically analyse major trends in adult learning such as the use of technology, workplace learning, self-directed learning, and what such trends mean for learners. Learners can flourish or struggle in different contexts that afford differing learning opportunities and challenges and contribute or not, to enhancing identities as a learner, and professional identities.

To uncover learners’ experiences, circumstances and biographies and the kinds of knowledge and expertise they bring, course learners will undertake in depth interviews with a small number of adult learners, and in the process develop some knowledge of interviewing design and technique. By delving deeper into interpretations of these interviews, assumptions about knowledge, about learners and learning will be uncovered, contributing to a reframing of beliefs and assumptions about learners, learning, knowledge and skills, and their theoretical perspectives.

BXL642: Innovative Design, Facilitation and Assessment of Learning

Design of learning is often limited to ‘instructional’ design or curriculum, referring to formal, structured courses, usually delivered in educational settings. ‘Design of learning’ is a term which provides opportunity to innovate beyond educational settings to a range of different settings in which adults live and work. Keeping in mind that different instructional, curriculum, and learning design approaches, and their different teaching and learning strategies reflect particular learning theories, learners will consider the benefits and limitations of these varied strategies, approaches, principles and models.

Drawing on their own experience and empirically-based case studies, they will examine the different theoretical and practical approaches to design and facilitation of learning and assessment, and be encouraged and supported to try approaches and techniques new to them. They will also facilitate sessions, of learning in a setting(s) of their choosing. This course will model innovative teaching and learning design and facilitation. Using a dialogical inquiry approach, feedback from peers will contribute to identification and naming (with reference to theory) of the assumptions and theoretical approaches they are using.

BXL643: Integrating Technology and Workplace Learning

This course brings together technologies for learning and workplace learning, important for work-based learning experiences. Technology is ubiquitous in learning and in workplaces; just as learning is ubiquitous in work settings. In this course, we will zoom in to use a range of technological apps in online, classroom and work settings and critique their possibilities and limitations. In the process, learners will experience different pedagogical approaches and examine the online learning environment and how it informs possibilities for facilitating learning. In addition, learners will explore a range of workplace learning strategies, and their use and effectiveness in work and online settings. These different spaces of learning will be brought together through examining different examples, drawing also from their own experience.

A critical engagement with literature from differing perspectives of workplace learning, and technology enabled learning will provide the context for evaluations of different strategies for learning in workplace and technology enabled settings. The focus is to develop seamless learning experiences across different learning environments. Learners will choose a technology enabled and/or workplace learning setting to apply teaching and learning strategies they design, and evaluate their design and facilitation, with peers.



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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