3rd level / professional teaching qualifications

Not my usual name

Would appreciate any feedback from folks on here. I know these types of posts come up quite a bit, but anyway... I'm considering a full-time career change into 3rd level lecturing / further professional training. I have lectured part-time (on a professional level 8 degree course) for a number of years so I have practical experience.

I'm aware of the pitfalls (lack of permanent jobs, inconsistent hours, inconsistent pay rates etc) but I have established a decent enough academic / professional network that I can leverage to identify potential employment opportunities.

I've worked in industry for c.20 years. During that time, I completed various courses (part-time) including an MSc, MBA & 2 level 8 degrees (these are all in business related areas). I don't, however, have formal lecturing / teaching training - in particular, I need expertise in assessment methodologies and course design.

The Griffith College PGDip in training & education seems to fit the bill for me. I need a part-time / block release structure to fit around my work / home life.

Does anybody have experience (good or bad) of this course? Are there any other recommendations and / or options I should consider? Thx

Tom Dunne

The job requirements for an assistant lecturer are an honours degree, plus three years post-grad experience, which I am sure you are aware of and, by all accounts, you meet.

If you want my honest opinion, as somebody who has sat on many interview panels for such posts, don't waste your time doing these courses. Most, if not all IoTs/Universities will have Teaching and Learning departments that can train you up should you get the job.

What I would do is talk to your fellow lecturers on courses you have taught on. Look at the assessment strategies, have an opinion on what worked, what didn't work and why. Look at what characteristics you (as a lecturer) are trying to nurture in a graduate and how the assessments will contribute towards that goal. Be aware of the marks and standards document (all third level institutions will have them), be aware of the assessment schedules for each of the courses you teach/have taught on. Come up with alternative assessment methods (e.g. I found a 2000-3000 essay on X wasn't working with my students, so instead of that, I got them to create a video. Massively successful, still met the learning outcomes, desperately challenging to mark, but they loved it and it built on their digital skills).

Also consider looking at a PhD and have an idea where you would do it and in what area. Or, if you want to stay with the educational slant, look at an EdD.

Not my usual name

Tom Dunne wrote: »

The job requirements for an assistant lecturer are an honours degree, plus three years post-grad experience, which I am sure you are aware of and, by all accounts, you meet.

If you want my honest opinion, as somebody who has sat on many interview panels for such posts, don't waste your time doing these courses. Most, if not all IoTs/Universities will have Teaching and Learning departments that can train you up should you get the job.

What I would do is talk to your fellow lecturers on courses you have taught on. Look at the assessment strategies, have an opinion on what worked, what didn't work and why. Look at what characteristics you (as a lecturer) are trying to nurture in a graduate and how the assessments will contribute towards that goal. Be aware of the marks and standards document (all third level institutions will have them), be aware of the assessment schedules for each of the courses you teach/have taught on. Come up with alternative assessment methods (e.g. I found a 2000-3000 essay on X wasn't working with my students, so instead of that, I got them to create a video. Massively successful, still met the learning outcomes, desperately challenging to mark, but they loved it and it built on their digital skills).

Also consider looking at a PhD and have an idea where you would do it and in what area. Or, if you want to stay with the educational slant, look at an EdD.

Thanks - great advice there.

One of my reasons for considering the PGDip is that I don't currently have any experience setting / marking assessments - or creating a course from scratch. The course I currently lecture on is on behalf of a professional institute (not an IoT or uni). The tutors are primarily professionals who lecture part-time. There are very few pure academics. Frankly, they're weak on the assessment / course content side of things. The whole course needs a revamp & I'm not convinced the people concerned have the expertise to do it properly, so they wouldn't be the best source of advice to be honest. I could contact some of the lecturers who have taught me in the past, so I’ll look into that for sure.

I did look into a PhD, but have no appetite for doing one part-time while I'm still working - it would take 6 years, and likely result in divorce and a custody battle :-)

I'd only consider a PhD if I had a full-time academic post. I think the reality of the job market is that a transition to FT would require me to gain more experience as a part-time hired gun for a variety of IoTs/unis/prof institutes before I'd stand a chance getting a FT post in an IoT / uni (although I love to be proven wrong).

Tom Dunne

Not my usual name wrote: »

One of my reasons for considering the PGDip is that I don't currently have any experience setting / marking assessments -

Ok, now I see. That would be somewhat of an issue, but not a showstopper.

Not my usual name wrote: »

or creating a course from scratch.

Believe me, none of us did when we started, so that is not an issue. You very much learn on the job, and in conjunction with departments such as I mentioned above - e.g.Teaching and Learning unit, and the Quality unit.

Not my usual name wrote: »

The course I currently lecture on is on behalf of a professional institute (not an IoT or uni). The tutors are primarily professionals who lecture part-time. There are very few pure academics. Frankly, they're weak on the assessment / course content side of things. The whole course needs a revamp & I'm not convinced the people concerned have the expertise to do it properly, so they wouldn't be the best source of advice to be honest.

Ok, now I see where you are coming from.

Not my usual name wrote: »

I did look into a PhD, but have no appetite for doing one part-time while I'm still working - it would take 6 years, and likely result in divorce and a custody battle :-)

I totally understand, but if you were to make preliminary enquiries into one and had an idea what you might do, it would stand to you at interview time.

Not my usual name wrote: »

I'd only consider a PhD if I had a full-time academic post. I think the reality of the job market is that a transition to FT would require me to gain more experience as a part-time hired gun for a variety of IoTs/unis/prof institutes before I'd stand a chance getting a FT post in an IoT / uni (although I love to be proven wrong).

And you would be competing with people who are either starting a PhD/EdD, are in the middle of it, or have one. So you don't have to have started it, but do look into it, if nothing else, for a discussion point at an interview. This is something candidates for positions are marked on, so do not under estimate the value of looking in to it.

I will offer my standard advice for this time of year - part-time lecturing posts are being advertised. Keep the day job and get yourself one or two nights lecturing a week. It will be hell (been there), but ultimately, it will get your foot in the door and remedy some of the issues you outline above and get you valuable experience.

Crazyteacher

Tom, what age job prospects like after a PhD ? Is it mainly lecturing jobs?

Tom Dunne

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Tom, what age job prospects like after a PhD ? Is it mainly lecturing jobs?

Ask me next year.

I think it depends on the discipline. The sciences and some technology PhDs would be sought after by industry, but the rest would primarily be in academia.

However, in the IoT sector, as you can see from my post above, having a PhD is almost (and I stress almost) becoming a requirement.

Not my usual name

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Ask me next year.

I think it depends on the discipline. The sciences and some technology PhDs would be sought after by industry, but the rest would primarily be in academia.

However, in the IoT sector, as you can see from my post above, having a PhD is almost (and I stress almost) becoming a requirement.

Yip - based on my recent experience as a part time MBA student in DIT, 50-60% of our lecturers had PhDs. For those who didn't, they were either in the process of getting one, or said they were under pressure to get one. Granted, that was in a business related discipline - people with business PhDs are almost non-existent in industry. I've only met a small handful during my career. I'd agree most are in academia.

In contrast, on the degree course I lecture (for a professional institute - not IoT or uni) none of the lecturers have PhDs, about 30% have a Masters, and the rest have degrees (granted with 20+ years industry experience)