Newcastle Educational Practice Skills (NEPS)

There are both immediate and longer terms benefits for participants who successfully obtain Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) through NEPS. 

Fellowship (FHEA) recognition:

• Is an internationally recognised indicator of professional practice of teaching and support of learning within Higher Education

• Demonstrates your commitment to enhancing your teaching career opportunities

• Is based on extensive research across the higher education sector about professional teaching and support of learning through the Professional Standards Framework, giving you confidence in your teaching and/or learning support practice

• Supports you in developing a reflective and critical approach to your teaching and/or learning support practice that will support life-long learning and development in your career

The NEPS route will support your development to achieving FHEA recognition by introducing you to some key pedagogy and practice in Higher Education.

Newcastle Educational Practice Skills (NEPS) offers participants the opportunity to gain practical teaching experience, develop educational strategies, and receive mentorship from experienced educators. NEPS focuses on fostering reflective teaching practices, providing workshops, peer feedback, and teaching opportunities, all aimed at building confidence and competence in educational roles within higher education.

As a NEPS participant you will complete the following:

1) NEPS Introduction

NEPS begins with an introductory workshop where you will learn about the NEPS process, the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), pedagogy and reflective practice. You will also have the opportunity to meet other NEPS participants from across the University.

The NEPS Introduction covers the following;

• Becoming a reflective practitioner
• How learners learn
• Introduction to scholarship/pedagogies
• Partnership in learning
• Networking and community building

2) Blended learning units

Each unit includes self-paced online learning material to work through independently, before attending a one-hour online workshop.

• Designing modules  
• Developing an engaging teaching environment
• Digital technologies and digital learning
• Effective groupwork
• Engagement through playful learning
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Evaluating your teaching  
• Large group teaching
• Introduction to assessment
• Effective feedback
• Supporting Learners
• Small group teaching

3) Observations

You will undertake 3 observations of your teaching or learning support practice, by:

• Your NEPS mentor
• A colleague from your department/service
• A NEPS peer

You will also observe a NEPS peer in their teaching or learning support practice.

NEPS observations are developmental and supported by a structured peer dialogue template. Observations can be of a wide range of different types of teaching and/or support of learning.

4) Prepare and submit a PSF Fellowship application

The NEPS blended course materials, 2-day introduction and observations will help you identify and develop your effective teaching practice. You will select examples from this experience to use as evidence and prepare your application for Fellowship recognition with support from your NEPS mentor.

You have the choice of applying through the documentary option (written) or the dialogue option (a professional conversation with two reviewers).

You should complete NEPS by submitting your final Fellowship application within 12 months of the NEPS Introduction. The process of preparing your application and completing the other elements of NEPS is designed to be flexible so that you can manage it around your other time commitments.  

You can submit to any of the 3 submission dates each academic year, which are scheduled in early October, early January, and mid-April each year (the exact dates for the current year will be shared with you when you begin NEPS). Many participants use the full 12-month period, while some participants choose to submit to an earlier submission date. 

Your Academic Unit/Service should permit you to have 100 hours per academic year workload allocation to meet the NEPS requirements which are listed below.

• NEPS Introduction: 2-day workshop, in either early September or early January

• 12 NEPS units: 90 minutes to 2 hours self-paced online learning and 1-hour synchronous online workshop per unit

• Observations: 3 observations of your teaching, and 1 observation of a NEPS peer

• Fellowship application: estimated total time to prepare your application is 3-5 working days, with support from your NEPS mentor. You can choose to work on your application over a time period that suits your schedule

NEPS is supported by a small and experienced team in the Learning and Teaching Development Service. To support your application, the team can arrange a mock dialogue or review your written application before you submit. To contact us email apt.lts@newcastle.ac.uk.