PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
MA Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Awarding body: University College London
Teaching institution: University College London Institute of Education
Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body:
Name of the final award:
MA Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Postgraduate Diploma Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Postgraduate Certificate Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Programme title:
MA Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Postgraduate Diploma Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
Postgraduate Certificate Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties
UCAS/admission code:
P041006
Criteria for admission to the programme
Applicants are expected to have a good honours degree (2.2 or above). European or
international applicants are expected to have qualifications at an equivalent level.
Those who do not meet these criteria will be considered on the basis of their
Personal Supporting Statement, part of the application process.
Applicants will normally have some related professional experience.
Applicants whose first language is a language other than English may be required to
provide evidence of their English language proficiency.
The UCL Institute of Education is committed to admitting and supporting participants
with disabilities and welcomes applications from them.
We provide support for students with a range of conditions which have a long-term
and adverse effect on studying such as:
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Sensory (visual/hearing/speech) impairments
Mental health issues
Mobility or dexterity impairments
Asperger’s Syndrome or other autistic spectrum disorders
Chronic medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, H.I.V.)
Specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia)
Disability and Wellbeing Support will also advise people who have a temporary
mobility/dexterity impairment/other difficulty as a result of an accident, injury, illness
or surgery.
Every person is treated as an individual, and we invite you to contact us as early as
possible so that we can consider your needs and tailor our support to meet them.
This applies to all students – home, EU and international.
Educational Aims of the programme
Programme Rationale
The programme provides the opportunity of advanced study for those wishing to
extend their knowledge of recent advances in understanding the processes involved
in reading and writing.
It also provides opportunities for professional development for those wishing to
extend their repertoire of literacy teaching skills, within a basis of solid research
evidence.
The programme thus generates theoretical and practical work and fosters
understanding of the ways in which theory and practice are related.
Essential elements of the programme include engagement in relevant and focused
reading, discussion and writing and in the ability to engage in educated evaluation of
research evidence and of new initiatives to improve literacy standards.
The programme provides an intellectually challenging context within which
participants can extend their knowledge and understanding.
Programme aims
To extend and develop understanding of:
 psychological and psychosocial research into how children develop literacy
skills;
 developments in educational practice;
 developments in approaches to instruction in the primary age phase;
To extend and develop participants’ ability to:
 assess children’s literacy achievements and needs;
 design appropriate curricula;
 evaluate the success of your teaching;
 evaluate research on theory and instruction
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Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal
reference points used to inform programme outcomes
Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
By the end of the programme participants should be able to:
 contribute knowledgeably to contemporary debate in the field of literacy
development, from both a learning and a teaching perspective;
 produce and communicate reasoned and informed argument, drawing on
critical evaluation of research literature;
 demonstrate how theories and evidence can be used to extend and improve
practice;
 carry out a focused inquiry into educational practice related to the learning
and/or teaching of literacy;
 improve their professional practice through greater knowledge, skills,
understanding and awareness
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be
achieved and demonstrated
Research Methods in Literacy
Aims and objectives
This module aims to:
 enable participants to critically analyse research, specifically to make
judgements about the extent to which conclusions and interpretations are
appropriate on the basis of the adopted research design, sampling,
measurement and analysis
 introduce the major techniques of data collection and analysis, both qualitative
and quantitative;
 equip participants to use these techniques within the context of their work and
their dissertations and reports;
 develop the connection between formulating interesting questions and the
research designs suited to answering them;
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module participants should:
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of the
methodologies used in literacy research;
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of the procedures
used to analyse data resulting from literacy research;
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of how to interpret
data;
 be able to apply this knowledge, understanding and awareness in a critical
and analytic fashion
Content
This module has been designed specifically to help participants develop the skills
they will need in order to read and critique papers presenting research on literacy
development and design and undertake their own research project for their
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Dissertation later in the programme. The module is a prerequisite of developing
understanding of the field.
Assessment
This module is assessed by one essay of 4,000 words in which participants are
asked to read, critique and compare two research papers. As this is the first module
studied on the programme, an opportunity is given for participants to submit and
receive constructive feedback on a 2,000 word critique of a research article
discussed in class to feed forward into their draft Research Methods in Literacy
assignment.
Literacy Development
Aims and objectives
This module aims to provide a systematic introduction to recent theoretical
advances in understanding the cognitive processes involved in reading and spelling,
and their development. Whilst much of the research discussed has been carried out
with primary school children, the concepts introduced are also relevant to the later
school years and beyond.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of the module participants should:
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of theoretical
models and accounts of the processes underlying printed word recognition
and production in skilled readers and spellers, and the ways in which these
processes might develop in children;
 have enhanced understanding and knowledge of what is meant by
phonological awareness, and of the controversial issues surrounding its
relationship with successful reading and spelling development;
 be able to apply this knowledge, understanding and awareness in a critical
and analytic fashion.
Content
The development of phonological awareness and its relation to literacy development.
 Theoretical models of the development of printed word recognition.
 Early spelling.
 The relation between oracy and literacy skills.
 Theoretical advances in understanding spelling and its development.
 Bilingualism and its implications for literacy development.
Assessment
This module is assessed by one essay of 4,000 words in which participants are
asked to write on one topic from a selection provided.
Reading and Spelling Difficulties
Aims and objectives
The module aims to:
 provide participants with an up to date overview of theoretical and clinical
issues in the field of specific learning difficulties;
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develop their professional expertise in assessment procedures, and in
implementing and evaluating assessment-based intervention programmes
with primary and/or secondary school age pupils.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of the module participants should:
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of theoretical
models and accounts of the processes underlying printed word recognition
and production in skilled readers and spellers;
 have enhanced understanding of how children’s difficulties with word
recognition in reading and word production in spelling might be accounted for
by the various theoretical accounts, and how they might be remedied;
 be able to discuss different theoretical accounts critically and analytically;
 be able to apply their enhanced knowledge and understanding to the
assessment of children’s problems with word recognition and production.
Content
The content includes coverage of issues in the classification of dyslexia; introduction
to different theoretical perspectives; investigation of the role of phonological
awareness and phonological processing skills; discussion of early interventions.
Participants will learn procedures for the systematic investigation of the sources of
an individual’s reading and/or spelling problems, and gain practical experience of
assessment and interpretation. Profiles gained from assessments will be used as a
basis for the design of focused interventions.
Assessment
This module is assessed by one essay of 4,000 words which may be an individual
case study. Participants who cannot gain access to a suitable pupil for a case study
may undertake a 4,000 word essay on a topic provided by the module coordinator.
Literacy Practice in Writing and Comprehension
Aims and objectives
The module aims to:
 provide an update on understanding about the processes involved in
understanding a wide range of written genres;
 provide an update on understanding about the processes involved in writing;
 develop participants professional expertise in the assessment and teaching of
these areas for all children including able children and those with literacy
difficulties.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of the module participants should:
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of the theoretical
models and accounts of the processes underlying text production;
 have enhanced knowledge, understanding and awareness of the processes
underlying text comprehension;
 be able to apply this enhanced knowledge critically and analytically to the
assessment of children’s comprehension and production of texts;
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be able to apply this enhanced knowledge critically and analytically when
planning children’s learning experiences.
Content
The content includes coverage of the cognitive processes involved in a)
comprehension of written texts and higher order reading skills across all the Key
Stages; and b) production of written texts. There will be a critical evaluation of the
text level work in the National Literacy Strategy Framework. Participants will learn
how to identify children with particular weaknesses in comprehension and writing
and to design appropriate materials and teaching approaches to ensure pupils make
steady progress and improvement. Participants will also learn about the needs of
able children.
Assessment
This module is assessed by one essay of 4,000 words on a topic which is normally
decided in conjunction with the module coordinator.
Dissertation and Report
Content
A topic for participants’ Dissertation/Report is negotiated in consultation with the
programme leader and Dissertation/Report module coordinator. Dissertations usually
take the form of a small empirical study, investigating some aspect of reading or
writing development. A critique and review of curriculum or policy documents may
also be appropriate.
Supervisor and supervision
Once a Dissertation/Report Outline Form has been completed, submitted and
accepted, a supervisor will be allocated who will help participants refine their ideas
into a suitably modest and manageable, novel and interesting package.
Full-time participants
Those taking the degree full-time will have to begin thinking about their dissertation
during the first term. The Spring and Summer terms will be devoted to researching
and producing the Dissertation/Report, with some group sessions and regular
individual support from a supervisor. Literacy Development and Reading and
Spelling Difficulties will be studied concurrently.
Part-time participants
The Spring and Summer terms of the second year will be devoted to researching
and producing the Dissertation/Report, with some group sessions and regular
individual support from a supervisor.
Assessment
Dissertations are 20,000 words in length.
Reports are 10,000 words in length.
Information about assessment regulations
All taught modules are assessed through a 4000 word assignment. Draft
assignments are requested and feedback provided. For final assignments, grades A
– C are given to those who are successful and grade D to those who are not.
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Feedback
Written formative feedback will be provided on draft assignments and summative
feedback on final assignments.
Support for learning
An induction day at the commencement of the programme informs participants of the
programme content, methods and expectations, and introduces them to Student
Support Services and the Academic Writing Centre.
Programme and module handbooks offer full guidance and advice on studying,
writing and submitting both assignments and dissertations or reports.
The programme leader is available to advise all participants on academic matters,
and to refer them to the range of support services available at the UCL IOE.
Formative feedback is provided on draft assignments to take forward to the final
submission.
Peer support and networking is facilitated in the group by the use of virtual learning
environment (VLE) and collaborative projects.
Participants are all inducted on the use of the library and information services, and of
the VLE operating system.
Participants are allocated an assignment tutor and the Programme Leader is
available to support participants through face-to-face meetings, email, telephone and
Moodle.
For Research Methods in Literacy module, participants are encouraged to produce a
2,000 word unassessed writing task together with a self-assessment form to identify
where they feel they might require additional support, for which they receive
formative feedback.
Participants are asked to write a draft assignment for all modules for which formative
feedback is provided.
Induction into the use of Moodle including the discussion board to aid collaborative
approaches to learning.
A Pre-programme letter sent from the Programme Leader outlining the programme
structure, content and resources.
Methods for evaluating and improving the programme
Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the
curriculum and outcome standards include:
 Module evaluation by participants
 Termly meetings of the Programme Committee including student
representation
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Annual programme review prepared by programme team and considered by
Faculty learning and teaching committee
Periodic programme review and revalidation involving external panel member
Staff review and development
External examiner reports
Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards
Two core modules
Research Methods in Literacy – 30 credits – Year 1, Thursday evenings autumn
term;
Literacy Development - 30 credits – Year 1, Thursday evenings Spring Term;
One recommended module
Literacy Practice in Writing and Comprehension - 30 credits – Year 2, Tuesday
evenings Autumn Term (for full-time participants, this module is studied alongside
Research Methods in Literacy);
Option module
Reading and Spelling Difficulties - 30 credits – Year 1, Thursday evenings Summer
Term;
Dissertation
60 credits (six group sessions across year of study for this module in addition to oneto-one supervisory support). Taken in year two if part time.
Alternative award: Students who for academic or personal reasons are unable to
successfully complete the 180 credits required for the masters award may exit with
the completion of 90 or 120 credits respectively and be awarded a Postgraduate
Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma in the subject area.
ECTS: The Institute of Education uses the European Credit Transfer and
Accumulation System (ECTS), as a guide to support periods of study undertaken
abroad and to assist student mobility. Currently it is assumed that two UK credits
equate to one ECTS. Therefore a module of 30 credits would typically equate to 15
ECTS credits.
Mode of study
The programme is recommended to be taken part-time over two years but it is
possible to be taken full time.
Full-time: All the modules, including the dissertation, are to be taken within one
academic year.
Part-time: All the modules, including the dissertation, are to be taken within two
academic years
Language of study
The UCL Institute of Education teaches and assesses participants through the
medium of the English language. Competence in English language is required of all
applicants. Programme regulations may indicate the level of competence required of
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each applicant and may make its achievement a condition of admission
Indicators of quality and standards
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progression to higher level award programmes;
promotion to management or higher level roles in their place of work;
programme participants teaching other practitioners in their own institutions or
on a regional or national basis;
participation in continuing professional development programmes;
publication of outstanding work in per reviewed journals;
external examiner’s appraisal of how standards compare with other
universities.
Date at which the programme specification was written or revised. Initials of
author.
31 July 2015 ST
ASQEU (BP) 14 October 2014 updated ASQEU (RC) July 2015
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