The ADU SMART Learning Center is dedicated to supporting Abu Dhabi University faculty in utilizing inclusive, student-centered, and evidence-based learning and teaching practices and in effectively delivering ADU colleges' online courses and programs.
The Center's instructional designers and assessment specialists support ADU faculty with effective teaching techniques, integrating educational technologies for face-to-face and online learning, and redesigning assessments.
Professional Development Supporting Learning Excellence
The Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PgCHEP)
The Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PgCHEP) provides an opportunity to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to design, teach and assess learning with a specific focus on practice in higher education institutions (HEIs). Its primary focus is to support the professional development of faculty and staff who teach and support learning to ensure the delivery of high-quality teaching and learner support.
The PgCHEP is a 12-credit program comprising three modules. The first module, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, is for faculty who are new, or relatively new, to teaching and learning in higher education. It allows them to develop their understanding of, and practice in, effective learning, teaching and assessment. It is a prerequisite for the second module, Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Education, which focuses on disciplinary pedagogies, the development of effective instructional materials, and the creation of meaningful and inclusive learning experiences. The final module, Educational Technology and Course Development, provides the theoretical foundations for learning in a digital environment and develops the practical skills necessary to design, deliver and assess a course via distance learning.
Abu Dhabi University’s PgCHEP is benchmarked against the UK Professional Standards Framework descriptors I (DI) and II (DII). The first module of the program maps to DI, while completing the first two modules maps to DII. Participants who complete the first module will be prepared to apply to become a Higher Education Academy (HEA) Associate Fellow (AFHEA) via Advance H E in the UK. Likewise, participants who complete the first two modules will be prepared to apply to become HEA Fellows (FHEA) via Advance H E. New faculty appointed at Assistant Professor level will enroll on the PgCHEP for the Fall semester of their second academic year. Academic Advisors, teaching assistants and staff supporting learning have the opportunity to enroll on the first module. There is also an open enrolment option for faculty who may wish to select one course as part of their professional development, For example, an experienced faculty member who wishes to enroll on the Educational Technology and Course Development module for their ongoing professional development. Open enrolment participants who complete the assessments are awarded a certificate of completion. Faculty who enroll and attend, but do not submit assessment, are awarded a certificate of attendance.
