PSF 2023

Associate Fellowship (D1)

Guide to the PSF 2023
Dimensions
Contents
Introduction 3
Fellowship Category Tool (2023 version) 4

Higher education – eligibility for Associate Fellowship 4

The Professional Standards Framework 2023 6

Using this guide 9

Dimensions required for Descriptor 1 10

Evidencing the PSF 2023 Dimensions 11

Dimensions are inter-related and integrated 11

Context 12

Evidencing the Areas of Activity 13

Evidencing Professional Values 23

Evidencing Core Knowledge 34

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 2

Introduction
This ‘Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions for Associate Fellowship (D1)’ explains the
Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 and the types of evidence of effective
practice required for Descriptor 1 (D1), which is the basis for the award of Associate
Fellowship.
The PSF 2023 acknowledges the wide variety of local and global contexts in which higher
education operates, and the diverse practices and roles that contribute to high-quality
learning.
Associate Fellowship is the appropriate category of fellowship to professionally recognise
individuals from a wide variety of different contexts whose higher education teaching and/or
support for learning practice enables them to evidence some of the PSF 2023
Dimensions; but their practice doesn’t cover all PSF 2023 Dimensions at the depth and
breadth required for Descriptor 2. The examples included within this guide set out the types
of practice that are appropriate for Associate Fellowship.
Individuals can achieve Associate Fellowship in one of two ways:
+ via direct application to Advance HE through submission of an evidence-based
account of practice supported by a referee’s Supporting Statement and which is
peer-reviewed. If you are applying to Advance HE, as well as using this document,
you need to use the Associate Fellowship Applicant Guidance as you develop
your application.
+ via an Advance HE accredited programme or scheme. Advance HE accredits
institutional provision (programmes and continuing professional development
schemes/frameworks) at our accredited member institutions. These programmes
and schemes are accredited for use by the institution’s staff and learners and staff
at collaborative partner institutions. If you are working towards Associate Fellowship
via accredited provision, you should follow the guidance provided by the institution.

This guide starts by introducing and explaining the PSF 2023 and then focuses on each of
the 15 PSF 2023 Dimensions to support you in thinking about your practice and identifying
potential evidence appropriate for Associate Fellowship.
Whichever of the two routes (direct application or accredited provision) you plan to follow to
achieve Associate Fellowship, this ‘Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions for Associate
Fellowship (D1)’ will be useful to support your understanding of the PSF 2023 and the types
of evidence of your teaching and/or support for learning practice that are appropriate to
successfully evidence the PSF 2023 Dimensions required for Descriptor 1.

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Fellowship Category Tool (2023 version)
Before starting to use this guide, we advise you to complete the Advance HE Fellowship
Category Tool (PSF 2023 version), which is free to use on the Advance HE website here.
This should provide useful insight whether you are following a direct application or an
accredited provision route.
The Fellowship Category Tool consists of a set of statements that are aligned to the different
PSF 2023 Dimensions of the Framework and Descriptors. This self-analysis tool will ask
about your professional activities in teaching and/or supporting learning in higher education
(HE). By using the tool to consider your current and recent practice, your choice of
statements as you progress should help to confirm that Associate Fellowship is the most
appropriate category of fellowship for you. Please note that the accuracy of the tool depends
on your own self-reflection and as you look through this guidance, if you feel that you are not
yet able to provide sufficient evidence for Descriptor 1 then you may wish to develop your
practice further before progressing.

Higher education – eligibility for Associate Fellowship

The PSF 2023 sets out the professional standards for higher education (HE). All the
experience and evidence included in an application for Associate Fellowship must relate to
teaching and/or support for learning practice related to higher education provision such as:

+ level 4 or above within the Framework for Higher Education

Qualifications (FHEQ) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or
equivalent
+ level 7 or above within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications
Framework (SCQF) in Scotland on the Framework for Qualifications
of Higher Education Institutions (FQHEIS) or equivalent
+ level 5 or above of the European Qualifications Framework;
+ first cycle or above of the Qualifications Framework in the European
Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA)
+ level 5 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) or
equivalent
+ level 5 or above of the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) or
equivalent
+ other equivalent higher education frameworks
+ activity focused on supporting learners within a Higher Education
context, providing the learner(s) are enrolled on a Higher Education
Qualification may also be considered as evidence equivalent to the
higher education frameworks above
+ delivery of some non-accredited continuing professional
development for academic and learning support staff may also be
considered as evidence equivalent to the higher education frameworks.

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In defining what constitutes higher education teaching and learning within different national
contexts in order to determine eligibility for fellowship, Advance HE uses UK ENIC (UK
National Information Centre) for information about global education frameworks and
qualifications. Programmes will be defined as HE for the purposes of staff teaching and
supporting learning on the programme being eligible for fellowship if they are an integral part
of a programme defined as higher education within the context of the country of study. The
definition of what constitutes higher education has been further defined for staff in UK and
Australasia. If you are unsure whether the examples of practice within your application
meets the eligibility requirements above, please contact [email protected]

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The Professional Standards Framework 2023
The Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 consists of two components:
Descriptors and Dimensions.
Figure 1: Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023

The four PSF 2023 Descriptors define the key characteristics of four broad categories of
HE professional practice. Incorporating the Dimensions of the Framework, each Descriptor
identifies the extent of practice required to meet it and recognises the variety of practice and
roles undertaken by professionals who teach and/or support learning.
This guidance document provides guidance related to Descriptor 1 (PSF 2023, p7) which is
the basis for the award of Associate Fellowship.
Descriptor 1 (D1) is suitable for individuals whose practice enables them to evidence some
Dimensions.
Effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or support of learning is demonstrated through
evidence to meet the three Descriptor 1 criteria statements, D1.1, D1.2 and D1.3, which
are the basis for the award of Associate Fellowship. These criteria statements incorporate
some specified (but not all 15) Dimensions as shown in Figure 2 below:

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 6

Figure 2: PSF 2023 Descriptor 1 showing the three Descriptor 1 criteria statements D1.1,
D1.2 and D1.3

Descriptor 1 is suitable for individuals whose practice enables them to

evidence some Dimensions. Effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or
support of learning is demonstrated through evidence of:

The PSF 2023 Dimensions are 15 statements (PSF 2023, p5) which inform and describe
practice. Essential to professional practice, these Dimensions identify what professionals do
to enable high-quality teaching and/or support of learning in higher education.
The Dimensions of the Framework are arranged as three related sets of five Professional
Values, five forms of Core Knowledge and five Areas of Activity.
Professional Values: underpin all forms of Core Knowledge and Areas of Activity.
They are the foundation of professional practice.
Core Knowledge: informed by the Professional Values, representing key forms of
knowledge required to undertake the Areas of Activity. There are multiple and diverse
forms of knowledge which are connected to and shaped by communities and
contexts.
Areas of Activity: bring together the Professional Values and forms of Core
Knowledge, showing the essential activities that support delivery of effective practice.

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 7

Figure 3: PSF 2023 Dimensions of the Framework

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 8

Using this guide
You might be using this guide for a number of different reasons and we hope that this
guidance will be useful in any of those contexts; for example
+ you might be in the process of developing an application for Associate Fellowship to
apply to Advance HE
+ you might be participating in an institution’s Advance HE accredited programme/
scheme that leads to Associate Fellowship
+ you might be leading an Advance HE accredited programme or scheme and using
examples from this guide to inform your participants
+ you might be considering what professional development and experience you might
need to achieve Associate Fellowship in the future.

In the guidance below, we focus on each of the 15 Dimensions in great detail. We include
lots of different examples of practice to reflect the wide range of roles and contexts in which
HE practitioners work within the global higher education sector. The questions and
examples provided are indicative only and may not be relevant to your practice; you may
have different appropriate examples, depending on your own unique context.
In using this guide, you should focus on where the guidance and examples best reflect your
own practice and skip over sections that are not relevant to you and your current context.
You will need to be able to provide evidence that your practice has been effective and
the prompt questions are designed to help you to consider how you will know and be able to
show that you practice is effective.
Currency of practice is important for the award of Associate Fellowship and so focus on
identifying examples of your recent practice from within the last three years.

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Dimensions required for Descriptor 1
Descriptor 1 only requires evidence of effective practice for specific PSF 2023 Dimensions,
not all 15 Dimensions as shown below (and Figure 2 above):

Descriptor 1 is suitable for individuals whose practice enables them to evidence some
Dimensions. Effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or support of learning is
demonstrated through evidence of:
D1.1: use of appropriate Professional Values, including at least V1 and V3

D1.2: application of appropriate Core Knowledge, including at least K1, K2 and K3

D1.3: effective and inclusive practice in at least two of the five Areas of Activity

You will probably have evidence of your practice that includes some other Dimensions in
addition to those that are required for Descriptor 1; you can include evidence of some of
these additional Dimensions in an application where they are most relevant.

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Evidencing the PSF 2023 Dimensions
In the sections below, we focus on each of the 15 Dimensions in turn to explain what each
one is about and provide wide range of typical examples of professional practice in HE
teaching and/or supporting learning that are relevant to that Dimension as appropriate to
Descriptor 1.
We have included prompt questions in each section. We hope that these questions will help
you to consider and identify evidence of your own effective teaching and/or supporting
learning practice that might be used for Associate Fellowship.

Dimensions are inter-related and integrated

Although each Dimension is discussed separately in the guidance below, the Dimensions
are inter-dependent and integrated in practice, as illustrated in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4: Illustrating how the PSF 2023 Dimensions are integrated within Descriptor 1

Core
Knowledge
2 of the 5 at least K1,
Areas of K2 and K3
Activity

Professional
Values at
least V1 and
V3

Associate Fellowship
(Descriptor 1)

As you work through the guidance for each Dimension, try to consider how you might also
be demonstrating other Areas of Activity and/or applying other forms of Core Knowledge
and/or using other Professional Values in the examples of practice you are identifying. A
short example is given below to illustrate how this might happen in your work:

In designing and planning a learning activity (A1) I apply my knowledge of my

learners learn within this subject (K1) and select an appropriate teaching and
learning approach (K2). I consider the needs of individuals within my learner group
(V1) and plan appropriately to ensure that all learners will be able to fully engage
(V2). I develop appropriate resources to use and set up an online quiz to assess the
learning that has taken place in this session (K4, A3).

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Advance HE direct applications for Associate Fellowship require you to structure your
application around any two of the five Areas of Activity and so the guidance below starts with
A1-5. If you are participating in an accredited programme or scheme, your Associate
Fellowship evidence might be structured differently; you can access the guidance about
each Dimension below in any order to suit your needs.

Context
Teaching and / or supporting learning in higher education is influenced by the circumstances
and situations in which these take place. Examples include: behaviours, cultures, discipline-
and profession-specific practices, environments and participants.
In this guide we use some terms that cover a wide range of global contexts and diverse
ways in which teaching and support for higher education learning take place. You should be
able to identify how the terms listed below relate to your own context. Some examples of
terms used in this guide include:
+ Learners: throughout this guidance we refer to ‘learners’ to include all individuals
engaged in learning in all higher education contexts; this incorporates learners,
colleagues, other staff, work-based professionals, etc. You will identify what types
of learners you work with in your context.
+ Learning environments: this includes all the diverse situations in which learning
takes place, such as on campus, virtual, in practice, workplace, outdoors, home and
community, involving individual and / or groups of learners, and specialist facilities
such as laboratories, performance studios, simulation suites, libraries, etc. You will
identify the specific learning environment(s) in which you teach and/or support
learning.
+ Level of study: (K2) refers to the level of higher education study undertaken by
learners, such as a short course, module, foundation years/enabling programs,
foundation degree, undergraduate degree, diploma, masters, doctoral or post-
doctoral study, etc. You will make clear what ‘levels’ of higher education study your
learners are engaged in.
+ Programme: a part of, or whole programme / course of study undertaken in higher
education such as degrees, modules, courses, units, work-based higher education
programmes and short courses; terminology varies according to context and you
should use the terminology relating to your context.
+ Wider context: broader environments which impact higher education, which may
be pertinent globally and / or nationally / locally such as sustainability, ethics,
employability, socio-political factors, and learners’ well-being.
+ Effective practice: you need to show that your teaching and/or support for learning
practice is ‘effective’ in achieving its intended outcomes. The guidance below for
Dimension K3 will help to give you some examples of the types of evidence you
might be able to use to demonstrate ‘effectiveness’ in your context.

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Evidencing the Areas of Activity
There are five Areas of Activity (A-5); the diverse range of practices, approaches and tasks
that are undertaken when teaching and / or supporting high quality learning.
For Descriptor 1.3 (Associate Fellowship) you need to provide evidence of effective and
inclusive practice in at least two of the five Areas of Activity.
For any two of the five Areas of Activity listed below, ‘In your CONTEXT, demonstrate
that you:

+ A1: design and plan learning activities and/or programmes

+ A2: teach and/or support learning through appropriate approaches and
environments
+ A3: assess and give feedback for learning
+ A4: support and guide learners
+ A5: enhance practice through own continuing professional development.

A1: In your CONTEXT, demonstrate that you design and plan learning activities
and/or programmes
What is this Area of Activity about?

Area of Activity 1 (A1) is about how you plan and prepare learning activities, whether in
person or online or both.
You might decide to focus on a few learning activities or a series of sessions. You may
choose to detail work with individuals or groups of learners if relevant. Include information
about how your plans considered the learning environment(s) you work in.
You may not have had responsibility for all aspects of session planning, but you can identify
design decisions you have made to facilitate learner learning. These may seem minor (like
planning space for learner interaction) but can make a huge difference to the learner
experience.
Be sure to explain why you chose that particular plan or design. As you must demonstrate
that your practice is effective and inclusive, pick a design or plan which worked well.

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Examples of practice relevant to A1
Depending on your context and the nature of your HE practice, examples to demonstrate
that you have designed and planned effective learning activities might include:
+ your creation of appropriate and inclusive lesson plans for a whole session or part
of a session
+ your planning for one-to-one tuition; for example, the plans you created for
individual tutorials, to help learners develop library skills, or to provide individual
study support
+ your development of individual learning plans
+ your planning of a short lecture, a seminar or laboratory activities
+ your planning of guidance for group sessions involving library activities, writing,
learning support activities or practical work (eg in art and design studios, music
technology studios, fieldwork or clinical settings)
+ your planning of activities and/or resources to develop learners’ use of
software/hardware, technical skills or virtual learning environment/learning
management system
+ your planning for teaching and support activities outside standard on-campus
contexts, for example for online support or fieldwork.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What decisions did I make in my planning?

How did I make sure that my learning activities/sessions enabled my learners to
meet wider programme learning outcomes (where relevant)?
How did I plan sessions/ activities to be inclusive so that diverse learners benefited
equally from the learning opportunities I designed?
How did I plan accessible sessions/ activities so that any learners with disabilities
benefited equally from the learning opportunities I designed?
How did I make sure the sessions/activities I planned were well-adjusted to my
learners’ stage of progression and my discipline/profession?
How successful were the activities/sessions I planned? How can I show that they
were effective in facilitating learning?

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A2: In your CONTEXT, demonstrate that you teach and/or support learning through
appropriate approaches and environments.
What is this Area of Activity about?
A2 is about your direct engagement and interaction with learners as you teach and/or
support learning. You may have facilitated the development of specific skills or disciplinary
insights. You may have worked with individuals or large or small groups, remotely or in
person.
You should discuss the approaches and activities you have developed or selected. The
evidence you provide should include an explanation of the rationale for the approach(es)
and activities you have used. Include how you made effective use of learning environments,
whether physical or virtual, formal and/or informal, as appropriate to your context and the
needs of your learners.
It’s important to explain why particular activities were appropriate for your learners in specific
context/s. Also explain how you knew your approaches were effective; for example, how
your learners responded or commented on sessions.
You may have worked individually or as part of a team and/or been responsible for elements
of a wider teaching or learning support process. Contexts vary, but make sure that you are
clear about your specific individual role if you have worked in a team.
Examples of practice relevant to A2
Depending on your context, examples to demonstrate that you have taught and/or
supported learning effectively might include:

+ running seminars or tutorials with individuals or groups of learners to support their

learning in lectures
+ teaching as part of a team, for example, facilitating learning or assisting another
member of staff
+ demonstrating in practical sessions such as in laboratories
+ supporting learning in fieldwork settings or within community events
+ supporting the development of academic skills/research skills; for example,
workshops on mathematics, statistics, critical reading or writing skills for higher level
study
+ creating customised online resources, learner guides and/or resource packs
+ developing digital learning opportunities for specific disciplines or learner needs
+ using performance spaces, specialist rehearsal facilities, sound design facilities and
technologies
+ one-to-one interaction, supporting the development of technical or other skills or the
use of learning technologies
+ facilitating practice-based learning (clinical, educational, in the field)

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 15

 + using digital and non-digital technology through, for example, flipped classrooms
+ supporting the academic progression of learners, including from further education
(FE) to HE.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What learning activities, resources, or approaches have I used with learners? How
did I interact with learners during these specific learning activities?
How did learners interact with each other? How did I ensure that all learners
participated in learning activities and that all contributions were equally valued?
How did I enable learning in the context of my discipline or area of practice?
How did I ensure that my chosen approach met the specific needs of my learner
group(s)?
How did I make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the requirements of
learners with disabilities/specific needs?
How did I adapt the learning environment (online or in person) to facilitate learning?
How do I know the approaches I developed were effective? What examples can I
select to evidence this?

A3: In your CONTEXT, demonstrate that you assess and give feedback for learning
What is this Area of Activity about?
A3 is about your involvement in the assessment of learners’ work, achievement and/or
progress and the provision of feedback to learners. Assessment and feedback to learners
includes a range of activities.
A possible approach to demonstrating the effectiveness of your practice might be to explain
how you have fostered and encouraged learning through assessment, and/or to discuss
your approach to giving feedback.
You may have formally or informally assessed the learning of individual learners or small or
large groups depending on your context.
You may have provided useful feedback to different types of learners.
Your experience of assessment may have involved marking assessment tasks (written, oral,
or practical) which counted towards a qualification (summative assessment).
You may have been involved in assessment which does not contribute directly to the final
mark for a module or programme, but which provides feedback to learners to help them
progress in their learning (formative assessment). Formative assessment tasks might have
helped learners to track their progress.

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The outcome of formative assessment tasks will have enabled you to gauge learners’
progress and adjust your teaching and/or support for learning to ensure that they are
successful. You may have checked that learners are clear about summative assessment
criteria and how they can meet requirements.
Your work on assessment and feedback will often have involved collaboration with others. If
so, make sure you identify your individual role and contribution.

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Examples of practice relevant to A3
Your evidence might focus mainly or entirely on either assessment practice or feedback
practice, or might include both.
Whatever you focus on, you should discuss the appropriateness of the approaches and/or
techniques you have selected for your specific context. You should also explain how you
know your choices were effective and enhanced learning.
Depending on your context and role, examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of your
assessment and feedback practice might include activities such as:
+ familiarising learners with assessment criteria and the requirements of diverse
assessment tasks
+ giving learners timely and constructive feedback on their work which is clear and
actionable
+ commenting on written work and assigning marks through annotating learners’ work
+ undertaking formative assessment on submitted draft work
+ designing formative tasks to help learners prepare for summative assessments
+ undertaking formative assessment of learning in digital literacy sessions,
information skills sessions or professional development programmes
+ designing formative online quizzes and tests to enable learners to keep track of
their learning
+ providing helpful, encouraging feedback to learners whilst enabling them to
enhance the quality of their assessed work
+ giving oral feedback to learners in laboratory/clinical or fieldwork sessions
+ judging learners’ understanding during and following library, or other, induction
sessions
+ assessment and support to learners during study skills/academic literacy sessions
+ providing feedback through online resource/training packages
+ preparing learners for assessment through academic support and self- and peer
assessment
+ promoting well-being by supporting learners’ to be less anxious about undertaking
assessment tasks
+ supporting teams during group assessment projects
+ upholding academic integrity in assessment (eg avoiding plagiarism).

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Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

How have I been involved in assessment and/or feedback to learners?

How have I ensured that my assessment and feedback practices were effective in
supporting learning?
How have I supported learners ahead of summative assessment tasks or prepared
learners for summative assessment?
What were my reasons for providing support using the approaches I chose?
How did I make sure that the feedback I gave to learners was appropriate to them
and to their future assessment requirements?
How have learners responded to my feedback?
How did I consider the impact of my feedback on learners?
How do I know that the feedback I provided helped learners to progress and/or
improve their preparedness to meet summative assessment requirements?
How did I ensure that I applied the relevant assessment criteria when I was involved
in marking teams?
How do I know that the summative assessments I marked were fairly graded?
How have I improved learning through formative assessment tasks?
How did I meet the feedback needs of specific individuals and/or groups?
How have I helped individuals and/or groups of learners to overcome the challenges
they faced?

A4: In your CONTEXT, demonstrate that you support and guide learners
What is this Area of Activity about?

A4 is about actions you have taken to ensure that learners receive the support and guidance
they need for successful outcomes in their learning. You may have guided learners to
enable academic progression and/or supported them to promote their physical and mental
well-being.
The provision of learning support and guidance may be your main role. You may be involved
in a range of areas of specialist learner support such as library skills, careers advice, IT and
technical skills, laboratory or studio support, etc. You may have a role specifically related to
promoting learners’ physical and mental well-being. You may be an expert in the provision
of specific types of guidance.
If you are involved in teaching you might think of A4 in terms of guidance and support you
provide alongside the teaching of programme content. Perhaps learners approach you for
help in understanding an assessment task or require help with structuring a piece of writing.

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Perhaps you refer some learners to a study support service, to pastoral support, or to
institutional support available for learners with disabilities.
Your work may involve providing guidance resources which are available online in a virtual
learning environment/learning management system.
It is important to select examples of effective practice in supporting learners in specific
contexts. Explain how the approaches you adopt and resources you use can support
learning and provide examples demonstrating how you know they are of value to learners.
Examples of practice relevant to A4
Depending on your context and role, examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of your
practice in the provision of support and guidance to learners might include:

+ raising awareness of student support services (both academic and related to well-
being)
+ supporting learners to engage with services that can help with their individual
needs, including emotional well-being and mental health; eg referring learners to
relevant counselling or institutional support services
+ supporting learners in developing academic skills, professional capabilities or
career pathways, guiding them to recognise and build on existing knowledge and
strengths
+ providing support to learners to enable them to develop specific skills, such as
research, writing, referencing or presentation skills
+ developing or providing learner guides and/or resources, perhaps for specific
disciplines or assessment tasks or specific learner needs
+ enhancing learners’ ability to successfully engage in online learning; ensuring online
learning activities can be accessed on a range of digital devices and platforms
+ ensuring that learners understand how to maintain academic integrity
+ recognising that learners’ may experience circumstances will impact on well-being
and student learning, and knowing where to refer learners for counselling and
mental health support
+ modelling inclusive practice by guiding learners in using appropriate cultural and
social protocols (eg use of pronouns, correct forms of address) and avoiding all
types of discrimination on any grounds.

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Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

How did I choose particular resources for and/or approaches to the guidance for my
learners?
How have I adapted the support and guidance I provide to meet the specific needs of
my learners?
How have I collaborated with colleagues to ensure learners receive the support and
guidance they need?
What examples can I give to demonstrate how learners have benefited from my
support and guidance?
How do I know my support and guidance has been effective?
How has my support improved learners’ well-being?
How have I provided guidance to enable learners from a range of backgrounds to
achieve successful outcomes?

A5: In your CONTEXT, demonstrate that you enhance practice through own
continuing professional development
What is this Area of Activity about?
A5 is about how you have used the learning from your own professional development in
your teaching and/or supporting learning and how this has resulted in effective learning for
others.
The types of professional development you discuss will depend on your context and role
and may be formal or informal professional development activities, feedback from learners
or peers, skills gained through informal interaction with colleagues or mentors, or learning
gained from the reading of literature of learning and teaching. You might also include
examples of activities you have undertaken as part of a group, for example to develop new
learning activities or resources, where these have contributed to your skills and/or
understanding of learning and teaching.
Whatever the source(s) of your professional development, you should discuss how you have
used your learning to improve your teaching and/or learner support. Choose examples of
the enhancement of your practice, detailing how it has become more effective as a result of
your engagement with professional development.
Ensure that you select examples which enable you to describe how learners have benefited
as evidenced by positive responses, better student learning, or a more engaging
experience.

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Examples of practice relevant to A5
Depending on your context, examples to demonstrate that you enhance practice through
your engagement in continuing professional development might include:
+ participating in staff development events relating to teaching and learning, generally
and/or in your discipline
+ engaging with a credit-bearing learning and teaching program in higher education
+ observing colleagues’ teaching and/or support for learning sessions
+ inviting observation and feedback on your own teaching and/or support for learning
practice
+ making use of published research about learning and teaching to inform your
practice
+ responding to learner feedback through discussion or observation during a session
and modifying your practice accordingly
+ learning how to meet the needs of diverse groups of learners and using insight
gained to increase accessibility and enhance inclusion.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What discussions have I had with peers or mentors about aspects of teaching and
supporting learning? What did I learn and how did this change the approaches I use?
How did my learners respond?
What have I learnt about teaching and supporting learning during organised
professional development sessions? How has this learning informed the teaching
and learning support methods and activities I use?
How have I learnt from, and acted on, my experience of teaching?
How have I acted on learner feedback or survey data on my teaching and/or support
for learning?
How has studying the literature of learning and teaching or accessing resources
about teaching in higher education enabled me to enhance my practice?
How did I adjust my resources and approaches following professional development
activities?
How can I evidence the positive outcomes of my professional development?

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Evidencing Professional Values

There are five Professional Values; important principles, ethics and beliefs that influence
and guide the practice of those who teach and / or support learning in higher education.
For Descriptor 1.1 (Associate Fellowship) you need to provide evidence that shows how you
use appropriate Professional Values including at least V1 and V3.
For appropriate Professional Values listed below (to include V1 and V3), ‘In your
CONTEXT, show how you:

+ V1: respect individual learners and diverse groups of learners

+ V2: promote engagement in learning and equity of opportunity for all to reach their
potential
+ V3: use scholarship, or research, or professional learning, or other evidence-
informed approaches as a basis for effective practice
+ V4: respond to the wider context in which higher education operates, recognising
implications for practice
+ V5: collaborate with others to enhance practice.

V1: In your CONTEXT, show how you respect individual learners and diverse
groups of learners
What is this Professional Value about? (note: V1 is required for Descriptor 1)
Inclusive practice is an important aspect of HE learning and teaching practice and is
highlighted in both V1 and V2. In V1 the principle of respect is key both for individuals and
groups.
‘Groups of learners’ can refer to two or more learners learning together in the same space,
and/or might refer to your work with a number of separate individuals who share common
characteristics.
Diversity can be defined in a number of ways:
+ by location; such as campus-based learners, distance learners, work-based
learners, etc.
+ by personal characteristics; such as age, ethnic background, gender, disability,
sexual orientation, etc.
+ by cultural, political, or socio-economic factors; such as religion, political affiliation,
minority status, socio-economic class, educational experience, indigenous
experience, etc.

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The evidence you provide for V1 at Descriptor 1 should:
+ demonstrate that you have got to know who your learners are, in terms of any
characteristics/attributes that may be ‘protected’ under local/national legislation
(such as age, disability or sexual orientation) and also cultural or socio-economic
factors
And:
+ demonstrate how you ensure that your teaching and/or supporting learning practice
reflects your learners’ identities, interests and needs.

It is important to remember that many individuals live with multiple marginalising factors,
therefore individuals should not be stereotyped by one or more of their most obvious
characteristics or by global descriptions or stereotypes.
Examples of practice relevant to V1
The evidence you provide will be influenced by the context you work in and your role, but
examples might include discussion of:
+ making time for learners to get to know each other before starting a session or
programme
+ ensuring that you provide time and attention to all learners, valuing their
contributions and setting an expectation of mutual respect where you have charge
of a learner group
+ setting clear expectations for behaviour in the sessions you lead, with a zero
tolerance for discriminatory language and actions
+ encouraging learners to share examples from their own cultures or backgrounds.
+ designing resources for a lesson or tutorial that draw on images, sources, narratives
or other media which represent the global community
+ making sure you know any disability learning needs of your learners and providing
specific adjustment where required.
+ adjusting the seating or environment to encourage peer learning across different
groups
+ finding out who your learners are, both in terms of any characteristics that are
‘protected’ under local/national legislation (such as age, disability or sexual
orientation) but also cultural or socio-economic factors.
+ accessing internal/external CPD relevant to the individual needs and/or diversity
within the learner groups you work with

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Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

How were my learners different to each other? eg What language(s) did they speak?
What did I know about their cultural background and/or previous educational
experiences?
How did I build on the experience and knowledge that my learners brought to their
learning? How did I integrate their existing skills and understanding into the teaching
or learning support I provided?
In what specific ways can I show that I valued the contribution of different learners?
What examples can I provide where I made a difference to an individual learner or
group through activities designed to reflect their background or context?

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V2: In your CONTEXT, show how you promote engagement in learning and equity of
opportunity for all to reach their potential
What is this Professional Value about?
Inclusive practice is a key aspect of contemporary Higher Education practice and is
highlighted in both V1 and V2. There are two complementary aspects to V2; promoting
engagement in learning and ensuring equity of opportunity.
‘Equity’ refers to recognising the barriers that some individuals or groups may face and
employing a combination of proactive measures to reduce barriers to learning and provide
specialist support and guidance, where necessary.
The principle of equity places the focus on ways in which applying different support or
approaches to meet the needs of individuals can help to overcome barriers and/or
challenges, to ensure that all learners have the fair opportunity to achieve learning goals. In
this way we can promote engagement in learning and enable as many learners as possible
and reach their potential.
Your evidence should show your understanding of the importance of being aware of learner
needs (whether they are learners or staff) and awareness of the resources and services
available to support learners. You should provide examples of any actions you may have
taken within the scope of your own practice to enable learners to access the support they
need.
Examples of practice relevant to V2
Depending on your context and role, examples you provide might include:

+ finding out what challenges and/or barriers your learners experience

+ discussing the diversity of your group with other colleagues and implementing some
of their suggestions for adaptations and activities which can support each individual
in the group to achieve the learning goal
+ accessing internal or external professional development relevant to the needs of
different learner groups and considering the application of this to your work
+ ensuring that materials used to guide the sessions (slides/notes) are available in
advance, in a format that is adaptable to learners' needs (eg for screen
readers/change of font)
+ ensuring clarity of instructions in your sessions, taking a variety of approaches to
giving and checking understanding without some learners feeling marginalised; eg
use of Quizzes or Polls that enable anonymity
+ where possible, adjusting to the physical learning environment when supporting
learning face to face to ensure disabled learners or those that need to sit can be
accommodated, for example by rearranging furniture
+ being aware of your own limitations and understanding when learners need
guidance and support and signposting support services and resources where
appropriate.

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Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What did I know about the learners I worked with and in particular, any challenges
and/or barriers they faced in their learning?
When working with my learners and/or planning learning activities, what steps did I
take to engage all learners?
How did I support the engagement of learners with additional needs?
How did I make sure my learning materials, equipment or resources were accessible
to all my learners?
What services and/or support available within my organisation or context were of
value to my learners?
How did I support learners who were struggling with an aspect of learning?
What advice have I received from colleagues or specialist services that helped me to
remove barriers to learning for particular learners?
What professional learning have I undertaken that improved learner engagement or
helped me to address the needs of particular groups of my learners?
What example(s) can I give that demonstrate how I made a difference to the
engagement and/or outcomes of a learner or group of learners?

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V3: In your CONTEXT, show how you use scholarship, or research, or professional
learning, or other evidence-informed approaches as a basis for effective practice
What is this Professional Value about? (note: V3 is required for Descriptor 1)
Demonstrating V3 is about explaining about why you do what you do, in the way that you do
it, and the sources of information, data, and evidence you use when making decisions about
your learning and teaching practice. The key issue is to demonstrate that the approaches
you adopt in your teaching and/or support for learning are not a matter of chance, but that
your practice is evidence-based.
The actual sources of that evidence that you point to can be varied, and will differ according
to your context of work, your role, and the type of teaching and/or support of learning that
you are involved in.
Whatever the evidence base(s) you use to explain why you do what you do, you should
indicate how your learners responded to the activities, approaches or adaptations you
introduced. Showing evidence of any positive impact on their engagement, learning and/or
achievement will help demonstrate that your use of the evidence-based approaches has
helped make your practice effective / has resulted in effective practice.
Examples of practice relevant to V3
Depending on your context and role, examples you provide might include:
+ approaches you adopt that reflect key contemporary theories of learning and
teaching and explaining why you use them
+ activities or ideas you learned through professional development sessions, how you
used or adapted them in your own sessions and how learners responded
+ learning activities that you use which are modelled on, or adapted from, practices in
the workplace and/or your own professional experience, and how you use them to
build learners’ skills and/or understanding for their future work
+ ideas you gained from more experienced teachers (eg through discussion, or peer
observation), explaining how you have used them and what you found most useful
and effective
+ examples showing how you have been able to draw on, and/or integrate, your own
research and learning (eg PhD research or Masters study) to enhance learners’
learning
+ explanations of changes or adaptations you have made to your practice in response
to learner feedback and how this enhanced learning
+ examples where you have drawn on your recent or current work experience to
recommend equipment /software purchases that will equip learners for the
workplace
+ seeking scholarly articles in higher education journals, or education-focused articles
in your discipline, or attending a research seminar or conference presentation, to
inform and guide your practice.

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The examples you provide to show the rationale for your decisions/approaches will depend
on your context and role but whatever the specific examples, you should include:
+ the information / resource / source of guidance used (and remember to cite the
reference and include this in a reference list)
+ why and how you found it useful and relevant to your context or the situation you
faced
+ what benefits or positive impact resulted from following the guidance or acting on
the information.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence of your effective practice:

How do I know that my practice is effective?

Where do I get ideas from to help me to improve my teaching and/or support for
learning practice? - From reading? From professional development (formal and
informal)? From other people (line manager or mentor, peers, learners)? From
experience in the workplace?
What ideas or knowledge about teaching and/or support for learning have been the
most useful to me in my teaching?
Where have I turned to when I have had a problem in my work with learners?
What literature about teaching and/or support from learning have I read? How does it
relate to what I did and how I worked with my learners?
What training programmes or development sessions have I participated in? What
were some of the most useful things I learnt?
What have I learnt from being observed by a colleague? What have I learnt from
observing colleagues? How have I used this learning?
How have I changed my practice because of feedback from learners, whether formal
or informal feedback?
What examples can I give where I have used authentic workplace activities, data or
case studies in my practice?
Have I been able to build on previous (or current) experience in the workplace to feed
into my practice, and if so, how did this enhance learning?

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V4: In your CONTEXT, show how you respond to the wider context in which higher
education operates, recognising implications for practice
What is this Professional Value about?
Higher education exists within a social, cultural, political and physical context and V4 is
about recognition of the significance of the external issues that may affect learning and
teaching in HE and influence on the student learning experience. The particular focus is on
your understanding of, and response to, implications for your own personal work.
Issues that affect learning and teaching in higher education and may be addressed under
V4 are rich and varied. They may include global or national developments and agendas that
impact institutional missions and curricula design, or they may be local social, cultural or
economic factors within implications for the learner experience and/or personal and
collective professional practice on the level of the day to day. No-one is expected to cover
everything, and perhaps more than any other dimension, context and role will determine
what is relevant to the individual.
One of the purposes of the PSF 2023 (p2) is to provide a structure to support institutions
and individuals in advancing higher education practices to meet the evolving needs of
learners and society, such as acting in support of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals.
Evidence for V4 at Descriptor 1 is really about demonstrating that you recognise that events
within their daily life can impact your learners and that national or global issues have
implications for programme design and the activities used in learning and teaching. You will
want to demonstrate that you understand factors impacting your learners and why they are
important to the learner experience and/or wider context.

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Examples of practice relevant to V4
Depending on your context and role, examples you provide might include:
+ Discussion of factors impacting on learners’ engagement in learning and examples
where you have signposted resources and support mechanisms that they can
access to help eg study support, student support services, well-being support
+ Highlighting of regulations and standards which apply to your specific
responsibilities and examples demonstrating that you follow them as necessary.
Examples you refer to might include PSRB requirements, Health and Safety or
control of hazardous substance regulations, equality legislation
+ Examples showing how you have adapted programme materials or learning support
resources to pitch the material to the appropriate level according to national Credit
frameworks
+ Examples of topics or issues you include within learning activities that consider and
respond to global challenges; for example, to promoting sustainability in line with
the UN Sustainable Development Goals where these are relevant to your subject
and programme
+ Ways in which you support learners to prepare for employment; for example, by
conducting training needs analyses to identify gaps in their portfolio of skills and
encouraging them to take advantage of relevant development opportunities.

Whatever examples you discuss, you should indicate how your learners have responded to
the activities or service you have used or any adaptations you have made. Showing
evidence of any positive impact on their engagement, learning and/or achievement will help
demonstrate the effectiveness of your practice.
Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What were the reasons my learners had for entering HE? What were their
expectations and motivations? How did factors within the surrounding social and
economic context impact on their engagement in learning? What were the
implications for my teaching and/or support?
What did I know about the current agendas and key priorities at a local level
(department, school, faculty, etc.) / at an institutional level / at a national or
international level / linked to professional bodies? In what ways were these relevant
within the scope of my work and influenced what I did?
Did I help my learners to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to play their
part in ensuring a sustainable world?
What regulations, standards or requirements did I adhere to in my area of practice?

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V5: In your CONTEXT, show how you collaborate with others to enhance practice
What is this Professional Value about?
Collaborating and working with others is often very much a feature of higher education, and
V5 is intended to focus on the ways in which collaborating with others is a positive aspect of
your work in relation to teaching and/or supporting learning.
At Descriptor 1 your focus may be on support and guidance received from more
experienced colleagues or on work you do with others as part of a team.
You might also focus on collaboration with people who work in different teams from you.
Collaboration across academic staff and other staff teams that support learning, can be
important to solve learning and teaching issues and the development of work-relevant skills.
You might also focus on what you have learnt from your learners, as they can often provide
useful insight into strengths and weaknesses of your approaches and help you to see your
own practice from a different perspective. They may also provide examples to include in
your future work, which can enhance the learning of other learners.
Your collaboration with others may be online and synchronous or asynchronous, for
example through social media, online forums or other online communities.
In providing evidence of this Professional Value you will, as always, want to explain the
context you work in and your role which will significantly impact who you work with and/or
collaborate with. In discussing your collaboration, you should very clearly indicate your own
contribution, and the effectiveness of the part you played.

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Examples of practice relevant to V5
Depending on your context and role, examples you provide might include:

+ learning you have gained through communication with colleagues (eg colleagues,
tutors, co-teachers, previous educators), resulting changes you made to your
practice and positive results this had for learners
+ instances where you asked for help, perhaps to address a particular challenge you
faced, how you acted on the help received and the way(s) in which it helped
+ any opportunities you have had to work as a member of a team or with other teams
across the institution (eg learning development teams or librarians), to develop
appropriate examples, resources and/or activities or a set of support materials
+ any opportunities you have had to work with colleagues on your team for example
to design sessions or activities or share feedback approaches
+ examples of learning from your professional networks (eg by contacting former
workplace colleagues or attending conferences) to enhance the workplace
relevance or currency of activities or resources
+ learning gained through participating in teaching quality activities (eg peer review of
teaching; reflecting on teaching through collaborative processes; participating in
team-based moderation activities)
+ learning gained from scholarship activities undertaken with others (eg participating
in a ‘journal club’ or shared exploration of innovative approaches to an aspect of
teaching).

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

Who helped me in my work? and what did I learn from them that had a positive
impact on my practice? (eg work with a line manager or mentor or colleague(s) from
another team)
How have I used opportunities to work with others to share ideas and learn more
about my area of practice?
Have I observed colleagues or been observed? What did I learn and how did I use
this insight to enhance my practice?
What have I learnt from learners? What useful feedback have I received about my
practice and how did I use this insight to enhance my practice?
How have I worked alongside other colleagues to make sure that I provide a
consistent experience for learners?
How do I know that collaboration with others has enhanced my practice and learner
outcomes?

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Evidencing Core Knowledge

PSF 2023 Dimensions include five forms of Core Knowledge (K1-5); information and ways
of knowing, influenced by context, applied to practice in teaching and / or supporting high-
quality learning in higher education, including practice-based, disciplinary, professional and
indigenous forms of knowledge.
For Descriptor 1.2 (Associate Fellowship) you need to provide evidence that shows how
you apply Core Knowledge in your practice, including at least K1, K2 and K3.
In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of:

+ K1: how learners learn, generally and within specific subjects

+ K2: approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning, appropriate for
subjects and level of study
+ K3: critical evaluation as a basis for effective practice
+ K4: appropriate use of digital and/or other technologies, and resources for learning
+ K5: requirements for quality assurance and enhancement, and their implications for
practice.

K1: In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of how learners learn, generally and within
specific subjects
What is this Core Knowledge about? (note: K1 is required for Descriptor 1)

K1 is about demonstrating how your HE practice is informed by an understanding of how

learners learn in your context. It is important to give specific examples to show how this
knowledge enables you to teach and/or support learning effectively.
The evidence you provide may focus on one or more of the following:
+ what you know about the characteristics of your learners (such as mature learners,
recent school leavers or workplace learners), and how this has influenced your
effectiveness in teaching / supporting learning
+ what you know of learners’ perspectives about how they learn (beyond your own
experience as a learner), and how this has influenced your practice
+ aspects of your subject knowledge or industry / professional expertise that have
helped you to be effective in teaching or learning support
+ how you have taken account of theory or research evidence about how learners
learn in higher education as part of effective practice.
+ where you have drawn on diverse forms of knowledge and cultural beliefs about
education in your context, and where relevant, how you have recognised
indigenous people’s knowledge and understanding.

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Although long theoretical discussions are not expected, it is important to explain and justify
your rationale for the approaches you use with your learners, referring to particular theories
of learning, frameworks, models, or professional guidelines, and explain how they contribute
to your effectiveness. For example, you might describe how you used theories of learning in
a particular task or activity to help your learners become critical thinkers, explaining why
your approaches were applicable to your context.
Examples of practice relevant to K1
The evidence you provide will be influenced by the context you work in and your role, and
may often involve acting on guidance / mentoring from more experienced colleagues, but
examples might include discussion of:
+ applying learning theory to encourage learners to engage actively in learning
+ drawing on your subject, industry or professional knowledge to make effective
feedback available to learners
+ helping learners to learn effectively within particular activities (eg simulations, small
group discussions) based on theories, frameworks or models
+ effectively responding to a specific challenge about how learners learn in your
context
+ effectively supporting learners during induction, or at other key transition points, in a
manner that reflects your knowledge of how learners learn
+ professional development that has changed your perspectives about how learners
learn, and how it has contributed to your effectiveness.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What have I learned about how learners learn in higher education – either generally,
at specific levels (eg first year), or in specific subjects or professional fields?
How did I learn it? (eg learner perspectives, own research or study, industry
experience, professional development, conferences, personal observation)
Were there characteristics of my learners that were important for me to take into
account in my planning and delivery?
Have I gained knowledge of approaches that are especially helpful to learning in
specific subjects / fields?
Were there any common learner misconceptions or challenges that were important
for me to be aware of and to respond to?
How did I apply the above knowledge to carry out my responsibilities? (eg teaching,
learning support, research supervision, designing curriculum, staff professional
development)

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 35

K2: In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of approaches to teaching and/or
supporting learning, appropriate for subjects and level of study
What is this Core Knowledge about? (note: K2 is required for Descriptor 1)
K2 is about demonstrating that you bring to your practice an appropriate knowledge base of
approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning. It is important to give specific examples
to show how this knowledge base enables you to teach and/or support learning effectively.
Possible areas of focus include:
+ how you have drawn on a theoretical principle or model to help you successfully
design resources, or plan activities
+ how you effectively applied knowledge of a pedagogic approach, whether general
or context, subject, or profession-specific
+ how your approach to teaching and/or supporting learning has reflected a
knowledge of professional or industry practices and requirements
+ how knowledge of effective practice helped you to assess learners’ work or to give
feedback to learners
+ how scholarly activities like collaborating with colleagues or attending a conference
have helped your practice and benefited learners
+ the contribution of professional development, formal or informal, to your knowledge
of approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning.

It is important to include the rationale for the approaches you use with your learners,
referring to how particular theories (or frameworks/ models/ professional guidelines, etc.)
have influenced your practice, and to include evidence of the impact on learning.
The examples you provide should demonstrate how your knowledge is appropriate for your
learners, for the context and level of your practice (eg the module and programme and the
year of the learners), and where relevant, for the subject or professional field.
Although your teaching and/or support for learning may be overseen by more experienced
colleagues, it should be clear from the evidence you present that your practice is informed
by your own knowledge base.
Examples of practice relevant to K2
The evidence you provide will be influenced by the context you work in and your role, and
may often involve acting on guidance / mentoring from more experienced colleagues, but
examples might include discussion of:
+ using a specific pedagogic approach (such as simulations or small group
discussions) in teaching and/or supporting learning. It is understood that you may
not have initiated or planned activities yourself; the emphasis is on how you
approached them, working from your own knowledge base, and how learners
responded

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 + using authentic workplace resources and activities within your teaching and/or
learning support practice, and how they have helped your effectiveness
+ varying your approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning depending on the
context, the academic level of study and learner needs, and where appropriate, the
subject
+ applying learning from a professional development activity in teaching and/or
supporting learning and explaining what the outcomes were.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning did I use? (appropriate for
subject and level of study)
Why did I use them, and how did I come to know about them (eg own research or
study, professional development, conferences, mentoring from colleagues)?
How did I know these approaches were beneficial and appropriate for the context,
level of the learners, and where relevant, the subject?
How did I apply this knowledge in my teaching or learning support practice? eg How
does it inform my planning of learning activities, teaching and/or supporting learning,
or assessment and feedback? How have I adjusted my approaches in circumstances
where learners are having difficulty?

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K3: In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of critical evaluation as a basis for effective
practice
What is this Core Knowledge about? (note: K3 is required for Descriptor 1)
K3 is closely related to V3, as part of explaining why you do what you do, in the way that you
do it. K3 is about how, and on what basis, you critically evaluate the effectiveness of your
practice in teaching and/or supporting learning. Here, the word “critically” means “in a
balanced way” ie acknowledging both strengths or achievements and limitations or potential
improvements.
For K3, it is important to show that you make evaluative judgements about your practice
based on evidence. You also need to show that you take action to adjust your approaches
as a result.
Evaluation is about asking how far, to what extent, or in what circumstances, particular
approaches are effective. Quality of evidence and balanced evaluation are more important
than quantity.
It is important to also show that your evaluation has been informed by scholarship or
research or professional learning or other evidence-informed approaches (see Professional
Values, V3).
It is understood that you will not be able to access information beyond the scope of your role
and that some or all of your evidence may be collected informally. For example, you may
not have access to learners’ final marks or grades or to formal surveys, so may have judged
learners’ performance and perceptions based on data you collected informally.
Examples of practice relevant to K3
The evidence you provide will be influenced by the context you work in and your role, and
may often involve acting on guidance / mentoring from more experienced colleagues. Your
evidence may focus on how you evaluated:
+ your contributions to learner support services or initiatives
+ how effectively you taught a particular topic or activity, or carried out research
supervision
+ the design of learning materials or planning of learning activities.

Possible sources of evidence you might use include:

+ learner perceptions of their learning and feedback
+ your own observations
+ discussions with colleagues
+ data you have collected or sourced from university systems
+ data collected about the effectiveness of a particular approach to teaching and/or
supporting learning via a research project or scholarly activity

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 + publications you have consulted
+ formal evaluations of modules, units or programmes of study
+ moderation of marking
+ feedback from industry partners
+ evidence from external evaluation or peer review of teaching
+ formal or informal assessment of learners’ academic progress or performance
+ evidence of improved outcomes following approaches you have adopted as a result
of seeking mentoring and feedback from peers
+ observing a colleague’s practice, evaluating what works and doesn't and applying
this learning to your own practice.

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What indications of learner progress and academic performance were available to

me?
How did learners respond to different approaches I took in teaching and/or
supporting learning? How did I know?
What have I learnt from colleagues about the strengths of my practice or areas that I
need to develop further, either from feedback or through discussions during
professional development workshops?
How was my evaluation informed by scholarship or research or professional learning
or other evidence-informed approaches?
What did I learn from the evidence I collected, and how did I judge success?
What did I do differently as a result?

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K4: In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of appropriate use of digital and/or other
technologies, and resources for learning
What is this Core Knowledge about?
K4 is about knowledge of appropriate use of digital and/or other technologies, and resources
for learning.
For K4, it is important to show that your practice is informed by knowledge of the use of
digital and/or other technologies and resources for learning. Give specific examples to show
how this aspect of your knowledge base enables you to teach and/or support learning
effectively.
Your examples need to demonstrate an understanding of appropriate uses of technologies
and resources in teaching and/or supporting learning, as opposed to simply listing tools or
software. Show how your knowledge has informed your practice, in a manner appropriate to
the context, level of study, and where relevant, subject or professional field.
Examples of practice relevant to K4
The evidence you provide at Descriptor 1 will be influenced by the context you work in and
your role. Examples of areas of focus include:
+ how you incorporated technologies and resources in your practice based on a
knowledge of their pedagogic value and limitations – eg using webinars,
videoconferencing, forums, or blogs etc. or using live polls or online discussions
within synchronous interactions with learners
+ how you planned effectively to ensure the necessary resources were available to
learners, including learners with disabilities
+ how you promoted effective, safe and ethical uses of digital and/or other
technologies and resources for learners
+ how you drew on support and guidance services for learners and staff relating to
technologies and resources
+ how knowledge of subject- or profession-specific applications of technology
contributed to your effective practice
+ how you have supported learners to understand the reports from text similarity
detection systems and to use them developmentally.

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Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What resources and technologies did I use in my teaching or support for learning?
In what ways did I apply my knowledge of appropriate technologies and resources?
In what ways was this aspect of my practice effective?
How did I make sure learners could use technologies and resources effectively,
ethically and safely, whether face-to-face or online?
How did I promote access and accessibility for learners, including learners with
disabilities?
In what ways have my own skills and capabilities developed through the use of
resources and technologies in teaching / supporting learning?

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K5: In your CONTEXT, apply knowledge of requirements for quality assurance and
enhancement, and their implications for practice
What is this Core Knowledge about?
K5 is about the expectations of quality assurance and quality enhancement that apply in
your context, and the implications across the broad range of your practice.
A common definition of quality assurance is that it involves taking deliberate steps to adhere
to regulations or standards, to ensure the quality of the learner experience is appropriate for
learners. In a similar way, quality enhancement is often defined as making continuous
improvements that extend and improve practice and the learner experience.
Understandings of, and approaches to, quality assurance and quality enhancement vary in
different national contexts.
The moderation of assessment marks / grades is one common procedure that subjects,
professional fields and institutions adopt to ensure adherence to expectations of quality and
promote improvement, but there are many others.
At Descriptor 1, K5 is really about demonstrating an understanding of how requirements for
quality assurance and quality enhancement are relevant to your practice, and why they are
important for the learner experience and the broader context of higher education.
Quality assurance and quality enhancement requirements may be formal or informal. For
example, there may be informal local arrangements for reviewing curriculum content,
surveying learners, checking laboratory or clinic safety, and marking moderation, alongside
more formal processes.
Examples of practice relevant to K5
The evidence you provide at Descriptor 1 will be strongly influenced by the context you work
in and your role. Examples might include:
+ discussion of your involvement in learner experience surveys
+ examples of your involvement in quality assuring curriculum, resources and
materials (this might be as simple as a check-in with your supervisor before you
deliver an activity)
+ discussion of your involvement in moderation processes for assessments and
example(s) showing how this has positively impacted your marking practice
+ discussion showing how you align learning activities and/or assessments with the
intended learning outcomes of a module / unit or programme, or with professional
body requirements
+ discussion of measures you adopt to ensure safe working in a laboratory session,
practical activity, clinical or workplace learning context.

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 42

Consider these questions to help you generate evidence:

What do I know of professional, institutional and/or national standards or

requirements that apply to the work I do in teaching and/or supporting learning?
What makes these requirements important?
In what ways do they influence me and how do I take account of them in my
practice?
How have I ensured that activities for which I was responsible met the expectations
for quality assurance and quality enhancement that apply in my context?

Guide to the PSF 2023 Dimensions - Associate Fellowship (D1) 43

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