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The SHINE scheme provides an experience-based route to professional recognition of learning and teaching for both early career staff and those who are experienced teachers. It is open to full/part time members of staff at St George’s University of London (SGUL), honorary fellows who are involved in teaching and/or supporting the learning of St George’s students and doctoral students who support students’ learning.
The scheme is aligned with the Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education which is the nationally and increasingly internationally recognised framework for benchmarking success in higher education teaching and learning support. You are welcome to apply for professional recognition of learning and teaching via SHINE if you are involved in teaching and supporting learning across a range of roles and responsibilities, including:
- research and teaching roles
- teaching only profiles
- professional practice-based teaching and assessment roles
- laboratory-based teaching responsibilities
- library services
- learning technology related roles
If you are on probation or new to teaching in higher education and your role has a substantive teaching component, the taught route for Fellowship via the PgCert in Healthcare and Biomedical Education may be more appropriate. Find out more about this route and apply.
To make a claim for professional recognition via SHINE you should:
- Register your interest to apply for professional recognition via SHINE. You can register on the scheme here. When you have registered, the link to Canvas self-learning resources will be sent to you.
- Engage with self-learning Canvas resources.
Which Fellowship category is right for you will depend on your experience in teaching/supporting and leading educational work in higher education. To identify the appropriate Fellowship category for individual applicants, you will need to develop a sound understanding of the PSF. To help with this, the applicants must engage with the self-learning Canvas resources.
Once you have identified the category of Fellowship that is suitable for you, the next step is to register for the relevant ‘Getting started with your SHINE application’ workshop. If you need support to identify the right category of Fellowship for you, please get in touch with the SHINE scheme director, Dr Thushari Welikala.
We expect you to submit your SHINE application within 6 months of attending a ‘Getting start with your SHINE application workshop’. You will have support from a mentor, your Study Group and Canvas resources to achieve this goal. You can also update/further enhance your knowledge, skills, and understanding of fundamental aspects of effective, active and inclusive teaching and/ supporting learning by attending the “Developing Teaching short course”. For further information about this 6-week blended course and to register for the next intake, please visit the “Developing Teaching” course website.
For further details about the support available, please see SHINE Participant Handbook, pp. 15-21.
- Book a place to attend a ‘Getting started with your SHINE application’ Workshop at an appropriate category of Fellowship. In order to register for the appropriate workshop, please follow these links for Associate Fellow and Fellow or Senior Fellow.
- Make a note of the relevant submission date for your application (this will be dependent on your start date on the programme). Submission dates can be found here. [link]
- Work with an allocated SHINE mentor to audit your experience and develop an action plan for making an application for professional recognition. Information about how to work with your mentor can be found in the SHINE Participant Handbook which you can download from Canvas.
- Participate in other appropriate programmes of professional development activities, including Peer Observation and Review of Teaching (PORT) to further develop your teaching skills.
- Attend a ‘SHINE writing retreat’ for further support in developing your application. Book a place on a ‘writing retreat’ here: Associate Fellow and Fellow or Senior Fellow.
- Approach 2 colleagues (only 1 if you are applying for Associate Fellow) who will act as your referees and provide you with supporting statements. Guidance for referees and relevant forms can be found in Canvas (see ‘Application Forms and Supporting Documents’)
- Send a draft of your completed application to your mentor and work on the feedback you receive
- Submit your application with the supporting statements to shine@sgul.ac.uk
Your submission will be assessed by the SHINE Review Panel and you will receive the outcome of your submission within 2 weeks of the SHINE Review Panel to which you have submitted your application.
SHINE scheme is based on the Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF) which provides a structure through which the staff can claim recognition for their experience in teaching and/ supporting learning.
PSF encompasses 3 interrelated Dimensions and 4 Descriptors which define the main characteristics of four categories of practice. Incorporating Dimensions, each Descriptor identifies the practice that is required to meet the criteria for different categories of Fellowship (see PSF 2023, p. 06).
The Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023) provides a general description of the main Dimensions of the roles of teaching and supporting learning, outlining a framework for recognising and benchmarking teaching and learning support roles within higher education.
Dimensions
Written from the perspective of the practitioner, Dimensions of the PSF identify the Values that underpin the foundation of higher education professional practice and the forms of Knowledge that are connected to and informed by different communities and contexts and required to undertake Activities that higher education practitioners involve in.
Professional Values (V1-5) underpin all forms of Core Knowledge and Areas of Activity as the foundation of professional practice.
Core Knowledge (K1-5) represent key forms of knowledge which are connected to and shaped by communities and contexts and required to undertake the Areas of Activity. They are informed by the Professional Values.
Areas of Activity (A1-5) bring together the Professional Values and forms of Core Knowledge, showing the range of essential activities that support delivery of effective practice in higher education.
Descriptors
Descriptors are a set of criteria statements (Descriptor criteria). They recognise that higher education practitioners undertake different roles and practices and introduce key characteristics of four categories of higher education practice that reflect the variety of these practices. Incorporating Dimensions, each Descriptor identifies the practice that is required to meet the criteria for different categories of Fellowship: Associate Fellow; Fellow; and Senior Fellow (see PSF, p. 06).
The PSF provides a framework that guides you to write a personalised, reflective account of your experience in teaching and/supporting learning and continuing professional development in your professional practice. The framework does not present a strict set of performance criteria. It offers a flexible and adaptable tool to engage in a range of educational development activities in ways that suit your teaching and learning context.
You can download a copy of the PSF 2023 and explore the key components of the Framework.
Fellowships are awarded on the basis of your ability to successfully and effectively demonstrate your engagement with one of the four PSF Descriptors. In deciding which category of Fellowship to apply for, you will need to identify which of the four Descriptors of the PSF is most appropriate to your practice as a higher education professional.
The Advance HE awards four different categories of Fellowship.
Associate Fellow
Associate Fellowship is appropriate if you are involved only in certain aspects of teaching, assessing, or supporting learning. Your teaching and or supporting learning experience may only evidence some Dimensions. Staff or doctoral students who support academic provision with limited teaching activities can be suitable candidates for Associate Fellowship.
You need at least 18 months of experience in teaching and/supporting learning in higher education to apply for Associate Fellowship via SHINE (see SHINE Participant Handbook, p.11)
Fellow
Fellowship is appropriate for you if your practice with learners demonstrate breadth and depth, enabling you to evidence effective, inclusive engagement with all Dimensions of the PSF 2023: all Professional Values; all forms of Core Knowledge; and all Areas of Activity. If you are new to teaching in higher education, the PgCert in Healthcare and Biomedical Education is likely to be a more appropriate taught route to Fellowship. You should have three years of experience in higher education practice to apply for Fellowship via SHINE (see SHINE Participant Handbook, p.12)
Senior Fellow
You will be a suitable candidate for Senior Fellowship if you are able to demonstrate a sustained record of leading or influencing the practice of those who teach and/or support learning. Your comprehensive understanding and effective, inclusive practice should provide a basis from which you lead or influence the practice of other higher education practitioners. You should have more than three years of experience in higher education practice to apply for Senior Fellowship via SHINE (see SHINE Participant Handbook, p.13).
Principal Fellow
Principal Fellowship is suitable for you if you are a highly experienced professional and you can demonstrate a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership with extensive impact on high quality learning. You should evidence that your strategic leadership has had a sustained record of effectiveness and positive impact institutionally and/nationally or internationally, over a period of five to seven years.
The accreditation of the SHINE scheme covers three categories of Fellowship: Associate Fellow; Fellow; and Senior Fellow. Colleagues who are interested in applying for Principal Fellowship will be supported to make a direct application to Advance HE. For further information, please contact the SHINE scheme director Dr Thushari Welikala.