D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
1. General principles to consider in preparing your portfolio
There are three parts to your portfolio. Part 1 consists of a reflective account of your professional
practice (RAPP), Part 2 is a reflective CPD review and plan. Part 3 consists of two references from
people who can comment on the appropriateness of your application for D1.
Your portfolio must have the following:
1. Your RAPP (1400 words)
2. Your CPD review and plan (600 words)
3. Two references
You are not asked to write a CV but should select and provide appropriate evidence to demonstrate
how you meet the D1 criteria.
All examples you choose should be related to work at level 4 or above and should be within the last
five years. However you may reference events that are more than 5 years ago that are now
influencing your current academic and professional practice.
You should include corroborating evidence particularly of impact throughout your portfolio. This
could include hyperlinks to relevant documentation (be selective and only link relevant sections),
testimonials and comments from ‘others’, (students, colleagues, externals etc.,) For example, “I would
like to take this as an opportunity to thank for the tremendous support you gave me” Level 6 student. You
can also include hyperlinked examples to such things as learning materials that KUDOS Reviewers
could access.
Evidence should be short, to-the-point and relevant to D1.
You should consider the context of working at the University of Wolverhampton. Reference should
therefore be made to the institutional vision, mission and core values:



Our vision: To be “The University of Opportunity” – renowned for creativity and innovation
– developing students and staff who are entrepreneurial, eminently employable and well
connected within a research and professionally informed environment.
Our mission: To be an employer-focused university connected with our local, national and
global communities delivering opportunity and academic excellence.
Our core values, these values guide the decisions we make and how we engage with our
communities locally and globally. At the University of Wolverhampton we will be:
o Ethical
o Respectful
o Transparent
o Inclusive and fair
o Challenging
o Confident
o Collaborative
o Professional.
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.
D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
Throughout your RAPP you should map the appropriate dimensions of the UKPSF in your writing.
For example “I believe every student should be given the opportunity to reach their potential. When I plan
my teaching I try to vary the activities that I want my students to do so I can offer an inclusive learning
experience. I follow up my teaching sessions by using a blog where students can post questions that they
want clarifying. (A1, K4, V1, V2)”
For D1 in addition to evidencing at least 2 areas of activity you must also demonstrate K1 and K2
from Core Knowledge and all the Professional Values V1-V4.
(K1) The subject material
(K2) Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area and at the level of
the academic programme
(V1) Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
(V2) Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners
(V3) Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and
continuing professional development
(V4) Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates recognising the
implications for professional practice
2. Part 1 writing your RAPP (1400 words)
Concentrate on 2 areas of activity from the list below A1 – A4 of the UKPSF and use these as sub
headings for your account.
Areas of Activity
A1
A2
A3
A4
Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
Teach and/or support learning
Assess and give feedback to learners
Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance.
Aim to write approximately 700 words on each of your two chosen areas of activity, spread evenly
across both. You should not just describe what you have done but should reflect on your own
academic practice. Consider questions such as “Why did you do something the way that you did?
What was the impact you were hoping to achieve? Why was this important? What are your
professional values? How do these influence you? What is your approach to learning? Why?”
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.
D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
2.1 Evidencing A1: Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
This Area of Activity refers to all your professional educational activities where you are preparing
for engagement with learners. For example you might:




Design or redesign curricula, courses and programmes of study;
Identify and plan different kinds of interaction with learners in various contexts, whether for
single sessions or larger programmes;
Participate in validation panels;
Contribute to the creation of learning resource packs and computer-based or open learning
materials or the development of virtual learning environments.
If you are going to use A1 then you should address the following:
1. Introduction and context. The main ways in which you design and plan learning activities
and/or programmes of study.
2. The reasons for your choice of:
a. subject material;
b. activities and techniques;
c. the particular learning technologies included in your plan
3. How your choices facilitate your students’ learning in general and within their subject area
4. Which dimensions of the Core Knowledge you utilise, how and why?
5. Which dimensions of the Professional Values were particularly relevant and why?
2.2 Evidencing A2: Teach and/or support learning
This Area of Activity is about your direct engagement with learners whether in groups or
individually. These encounters may be in a wide range of environments, such as classrooms, seminar
rooms, lecture theatres, labs, learning support centres, offices, etc.
Your teaching activities might include for example, lecturing, tutorial and seminar work, studio,
clinical, laboratory or workplace-based teaching, distance learning and the use of virtual learning
environments.
The support you give might include, for example, teaching and supervision of postgraduates,
mentoring inexperienced staff or contributing to in-house learning and teaching programmes.
If you are going to use A2 then you should address the following:
1. Introduction and context. The main ways in which you teach and/or support learners.
2. The activities or techniques you use and why.
3. How you came to use them and why you think they were successful in supporting student
learning? Give reasons for your choice of activities and techniques and how they relate to
developing the learners' understanding of the subject.
4. Which dimensions of the Core Knowledge you utilise, how and why?
5. Which dimensions of the Professional Values were particularly relevant and why?
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.
D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
2.3 Evidencing A3: Assess and give feedback to learners
This Area of Activity is about how you use assessment and feedback to foster and encourage
learning, assess progress and make judgements about your students’ learning. The assessment you
undertake may be formative or summative, formal or informal. Feedback may for example, be face
to face, written through annotating students’ work, or through using electronic means such as
podcasts and social media.
If you are going to use A3 then you should address the following:
1. Introduction and context. The main types of formative and/or summative assessment that
you use with learners, whether formal or informal?
2. How and why you choose the particular approaches and methods you employ, insofar as
this was your own decision.
3. How you ensure your assessments are valid indicators of what you want your students to
learn, that your marking is reliable and the standards you set are appropriate.
4. How you give feedback to learners.
5. How you ensure the feedback you give learners helps them to improve their understanding
of the subject or their performance and development as learners.
6. Which dimensions of the Core Knowledge you utilise, how and why?
7. Which dimensions of the Professional Values were particularly relevant and why?
2.4 Evidencing A4: Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student
support and guidance
This Area of Activity is about how you make effective use of both the formal and informal learning
environment to facilitate learning, and how you seek to meet the needs of your learners for
educational support and guidance. It includes how you:


Utilise and manage the full range of physical or virtual learning environments so that they are
appropriate to your learners’ needs
Work with learners and service providers to ensure that your learners can access and use a
broad range of learning opportunities. Learner support might include such activities as personal
and academic tutoring, one-to-one advice, counselling, developing practice to meet the learning
implications of widening access, or supporting learners with additional needs.
If you are going to use A4 then you should address the following:
1. Introduction and context. The main types of educational environment in which you work
and/or what kinds of support and guidance you give to your learners, whether formal or
informal.
2. How you have contributed to making the learning environment more effective for learners.
3. The ways you have contributed to supporting and guiding your learners.
4. Why you chose those particular strategies and how well they worked.
5. Which dimensions of the Core Knowledge you utilise, how and why?
6. Which dimensions of the Professional Values were particularly relevant and why?
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.
D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
3. Part 2 CPD review and plan (600 words)
Your CPD Review and plan must address the Area of Activity A5
“Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy,
incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices.”
This section should concentrate on demonstrating how you have engaged with CPD and how this
has impacted on your academic practice outside of the two examples you have already given as part
of the RAPP. This should be brief and address any dimensions of core knowledge or professional
values that you have not already covered.
Show how you have engaged in professional development activities relevant to your academic
practice.
These activities are likely to be wide ranging, incorporating both formal and informal approaches to
continuing professional development. Examples include:
1.
Presenting or participating in conferences on teaching and learning (often disciplinespecific);
2.
Attending workshops or training events;
3.
Engaging in peer observation or peer review of teaching;
4.
Less formal activities such as:
a. Regular departmental meetings where discussion is about teaching and learning
issues,
b. Peer discussions about learning and teaching,
c. Bidding for and involvement in projects or research on teaching and learning;
d. Implementing new approaches,
e. Subject and other network activities,
f. Reading,
g. Visits to other institutions/organisations.
You should then suggest what CPD activities you think would enhance your academic practice and
outline what impact you would hope this would have on your students’ experience and why.
4. Part 3 Two references
You should pick two referees that can comment on the evidence you have provided and relevance
to D1. Your referees should be familiar with the UKPSF as they should be able to affirm and endorse
your evidence for the relevant descriptor. Ideally at least one should hold a Fellowship from the
HEA. Your referees should have seen a final draft of your portfolio.
Each reference should be no more than one side of A4. Your referees must provide contact details,
these can be email addresses.
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.
D1 (Associate FHEA) Guidance Notes
Email KUDOS@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions.