Language, Literacies and Dyslexia MEd/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

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This new blended learning Language, Literacies and Dyslexia programme is for teachers, speech and language therapists and other professionals working with children, young people and students in further and higher education who have difficulties with learning literacy skills.

The masters level programme is essential for practitioners seeking to become specialist practitioners, employable to assess and teach learners with dyslexia and literacy difficulties of school age or in further/higher education. Successful completion of modules 1-3 and meeting the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) criteria in practical assessments, allows students to apply for BDA Accreditation (pending for AMBDA, ATS).

The University of Birmingham offers three awards to students studying this masters programme:

  • PGCertificate (12 months) which also offers the BDA accreditation
  • PGDiploma: (24 months) a further three modules can be selected from the DISN menu of distance education modules
  • MEd award : (36 months) Students completing 5 subject modules (3 in Yr1 and 2 in Yr2) may study the research methods module Practitioner Inquiry in Education (MEd only) at the end of Yr 2, and complete their dissertation in Yr 3. 

Course fact file

Type of Course: Continuing professional development, distance learning, taught

Study Options: Distance learning

Duration: Three years (MEd); two years (PGDiploma); one year (PGCertificate).

Start date: 2013

Details

The programme provides a broad and critical perspective of language, literacy and literacy difficulties/dyslexia through sociocultural and cognitive research, as well as education policies. It embraces school and educational demands of literacy skills, the demands of family and social literacy practices, and peer demands of new literacies, such as digital literacies.

The programme establishes the fundamental relationship between language and literacy in typical and atypical development. Students study literacy difficulties/dyslexia in contexts of monolingual, multilingual and multimodal (eg digital literacies).
Students are required to study through English and to practice in an educational context of monolingual or additional English (EAL/ESL/EFL) for programme study purposes. Reference would be made to contexts that are multilingual and multimodal.

The Department of Disability Inclusion and Special Needs (DISN) in the School of Education, has a very strong profile in professional development, regionally, nationally and internationally.  The tutors who run this programme have strong national and international profiles in the field of research and practice in language and literacy difficulties and dyslexia.

Modules

Module 1

Language and literacies in development. The first module provides students with an introduction to the nature of development of language, literacies and literary practices, and literacy skills. Research-based theories of dyslexia are introduced. This module provides a necessary foundation for upcoming modules.

Module 2

Identification and assessment of dyslexia/literacy difficulties. The second module introduces students to theories, research and practice in identification, diagnosis and assessment in relation to literacy difficulties/SpLD/dyslexia. Assessment will be through professional practice in assessment of dyslexia as well as a written assignment.

Module 3

Managing curriculum and intervention for dyslexia/literacy difficulties. This module will cover intervention and curriculum management for dyslexia/literacy difficulties. Assessment will be through professional practice in intervention and curriculum management of dyslexia as well as a written assignment.

Fees and funding

Fees Home/EU 2013-2014 

  • Code 9735 PGCert £2,010
  • Code 9736 PGDip £2,010
  • Code 9737 MEd £2,010  

The fees shown above are annual fees for students starting their courses September in 2013. Please note that where courses last more than one year, the annual fees for subsequent years on the course may increase due to inflation.

Learn more about fees and funding  

Scholarships and studentships

School-based students each year may apply for and be awarded government scholarships which will fund all or part of the programme. This is currently administered by the Teaching Agency.

For further information contact the School directly or the Student Funding Office via online enquiries.

Entry requirements

In addition to a degree or equivalent, applicants must have at least one year’s relevant experience and regular professional access to learners/students with dyslexia-type needs for the duration of the programme through schools and FE/ HE institutions. To obtain the AMBDA award applicants must be qualified teachers with at least two years teaching and support experience.

How to apply

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

Apply now

Key Information Set (KIS)

Key Information Sets (KIS) are comparable sets of information about full or part time undergraduate courses and are designed to meet the information needs of prospective students.

From September 2012 all KIS information will be published on the Unistats website and can also be accessed via the small advert, or ‘widget’, below. On the Unistats website you will be able to compare all the KIS data for each course with data for other courses.

The development of Key Information Sets (KIS) forms part of HEFCE’s work to enhance the information that is available about higher education. It will give you access to robust, reliable and comparable information in order to help you make informed decisions about what and where to study.

The KIS contains information which prospective students have identified as useful, such as student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, learning and teaching activities, assessment methods, tuition fees and student finance, accommodation and professional accreditation.

Learning and teaching

At the beginning of each year of study, students are introduced to the programme in a two-day residential at the University of Birmingham. The residential introduces students to each other in their tutor group, to their tutors, to the programme and to the method of learning. The method of learning is through blended learning which is a combination of online learning and discussion with fellow students in your tutor group, and your tutors. Study activities include reading chapters and articles on research and practice, quizzes, online discussion of case studies, webinars. Developing studying skills include online searches for research papers, policies and teaching materials, critical reading, problem-solving, and writing skills. There is personal online tutorial support through ‘reflective journaling’ with your tutor. Regular group monthly tutorials with your tutor group and tutor are held by Skype.

The date of the next two-day residential will be Thursday 29 August - Friday 30 August 2013

Employability

The PGCert award in Language, Literacies and Dyslexia will allow professionals in the field to apply for BDA awards. The BDA offers two professional practice awards on successful completion of the PGCert at the University of Birmingham. The Associate Member of the Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) is awarded to teachers with qualified teacher status or equivalent. The Associate Teacher Status (ATS) is awarded to professional practitioners with other professional qualifications, eg. Speech and Language Therapists.

Together these awards are recognised in the UK as a basis for specialist practitioners to be employed to assess and teach learners with dyslexia and literacy difficulties of school age or in further and higher education.