Gateway to Further Study
This module will help you gain the necessary confidence and academic skills for degree level education.
Key facts
Overview
This module is designed to help you gain the necessary confidence and academic skills for degree level education. You will develop core academic skills which are necessary for undertaking any programme at or above level 9. The module will prepare you to undertake degree level study and therefore should be the first module of study.
You will identify a problem/knowledge gap you experience in your own clinical practice. You will then search appropriate evidence using literature searching skills, academic databases and critical reading skills to address the problem/gap.
This module develops critical thinking, reading and writing skills which can be applied in your own practice and future study, encouraging an evidence-based approach.
You will reflect on your own learning needs, skill development and how you have achieved the learning outcomes of this module. You will develop skills in using models of reflection to articulate learning systematically, thinking about what worked well and not so well, why and what you could have done differently.
Flexible learning
This short course forms part of the BSc Professional Practice. You can study other stand-alone continuing professional development (CPD) short courses from this degree:
- Assessing and Managing Symptoms in Palliative Care
- Health and Wellbeing of People with Dementia
- Improving quality through work-based learning
- Mental Health, Everyone’s Business
- Understanding and Assessing Pain
If you’re interested in studying more than one module from this course, please email our Admissions team at postgraduate.admissions@stir.ac.uk to discuss your course of study.
Entrance requirements
This module is available to all health, social care and allied healthcare professionals who are either working in practice or planning to return to practice.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Funding
Find out more about fees and funding.
Objectives
The Gateway to Further Study module will develop your confidence and ability as an independent learner. It will prepare you to move on to further study at degree level.
On completion of this module you will be able to:
- Analyse your learning needs and articulate these into a meaningful plan for learning and development;
- Demonstrate the ability to be critically reflective within professional practice and formal learning;
- Demonstrate the ability to apply critical reasoning and judgement within a range of learning activities;
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of different learning styles and how this can impact on the learning experience.
Structure and content
The module is delivered online via Canvas, our virtual learning environment, and optional workshops on campus.
The module is divided into five learning units, which you may work through at your own pace:
- Introduction to critical thinking
- Identifying critical reading materials
- Critical reading
- Introduction to critical writing
- Introduction to critical reflection and reflective writing
You should expect to set aside approximately 10 hours of study time a week for this module.
Delivery and assessment
The module is delivered using a blend of teaching methods. :
- Fully online accessible live/recoded lectures
- Open office hours
- Themed, weekly online, interactive Canvas based learning
- Independent study
Assessment
A 3,000 word literature review of a chosen area of practice.
Module coordinator
Dr Baraah Khan
Employability
The learning from this module will enhance your evidence based knowledge and understanding to inform your practice and can be used as part of your academic and professional development.
What next?
Contact us
If you have any questions about entry requirements for our continuing professional development and short courses, contact our Admissions team.
For all other questions, please use our enquiry form.