Learning, Teaching and Assessment

Learning, teaching and assessment for your course are based firmly on the principles set out in the University's Learning and Teaching Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to "foster collaboration between students and staff to ensure that successful learning takes place in a diverse and vibrant learning community".

Staff will be forward-thinking in the design of our courses and in supporting lifelong learning and anticipating and responding to changes in demand and need, providing vibrant and challenging learning opportunities.

The course is designed to promote active and independent learning. You will be supported to actively engage in student centred activities in a variety of modules. In some of the modules you will learn with, from and about students from other health and social care courses in the College. This innovative and collaborative approach will ensure you have a sound basis in midwifery but are also able to deliver care for women, newborn infants, partners, and families with an understanding of how other professionals contribute to their journey through health and social care services.  

You will experience a blended approach to learning and teaching both on campus and in practice placements including:

Campus learning:

• Tutor-facilitated, face to face sessions

• Online synchronous teaching

• Lectures

• Specialist visiting lecturers

• Tutorials with academic advisers

• Supervision and facilitation of learning through reflection on practice

• Reflection on your Professional portfolio

• Projects and Group work

• Presentations

• E-tivities

• Directed learning

• Independent learning

• Skills rehearsal through simulation and workshops

• Technology enhanced learning including anatomy and physiology electronic resources, interactive virtual learning environments, e-workbooks, electronic medicines calculations resources, and clinical skills simulations

• Enquiry-based learning comprising scenarios that are underpinned by contemporary practice and utilising triggers that are generated with maternity service users and clinicians

Practice placement:

• Direct care giving experience with the people we care for

• Preparation for practice learning, including simulated practice

• Observation of practice

• Discussion with experienced registrants from midwifery, and members of the wider interdisciplinary and multiagency teams

• Question and answer sessions

• 360-degree evaluations from people you care for, supervisors and peers

• Peer support and learning

• Supervision and facilitation of learning through reflection on practice

• Record of skills development

• Professional portfolio, including assessment of NMC proficiencies

During your learning experiences on campus and in the practice placements you will be supported by academics, practice staff, support staff and peers undertaking a variety of roles which include:

• Course management team

• Academic teaching teams

• Academic advisers

• Learning Environment Manager 

• Practice supervisors

• Peer support

• Link Lecturer

• Assessment by a Practice Assessor

• End of year assessment by an Academic Assessor

You will progress through the course following successful achievement of assessments addressing the learning outcomes for each module. This is achieved through a varied diet of assessments, individually or in groups, and may include the following:

• Examinations

• Poster presentation

• Reflective care studies

• Assessment of proficiency in practice (eMORA)

• Personal project

• Blogs/other online media

• Group presentation

• Written assessment

• Patchwork assignment

• Objective Simulated Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)