Diploma for Teachers and Trainers
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about the Programme
- For whom is the Diploma suitable?
- What educational level do candidates need before starting the Diploma?
- Who delivers the Diploma?
- How can we become a Diploma Centre?
- What do we have to demonstrate to be considered for eligibility as a Diploma Centre?
- What is the role of the Programme Leader in a Diploma Centre?
- What criteria should a Programme Leader meet?
- What does the online self–study course for Programme Leaders involve?
- What should we do if our Programme Leader changes?
- If an accredited Programme Leader moves centre do they have to complete the approval process again?
- What is the structure of the Diploma?
- How do candidates prepare for the Diploma?
- How long does preparation for the Diploma take?
- What level of English proficiency must candidates have to enter for CIE Professional Development Qualifications?
- Who decides if the candidate is suitable for the Diploma?
- Do we need to register candidates with CIE at the start of their programme?
- What resources to support the Diploma are available from CIE?
- How is the Diploma assessed?
- What are the requirements of the assignments?
- How is the assignment completed and submitted?
- What are the grades for the Diploma?
- How are Certificates issued?
- What can teachers and trainers do with the Diploma?
- What is the fee?
- Are private candidates able to enter for the Diploma?
- Where can I find out more?
- For whom is the Diploma suitable?
- Candidates need to be in a teaching or training role. They can be working in a full–time or part–time teaching or training capacity – in schools, colleges, training organisations, companies, or other institutions. The Diploma is designed for continuing professional development. So generally, it is suitable for all those who wish to develop and update their professional skills and knowledge in the field of teaching and training.
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- What educational level do candidates need before starting the Diploma?
- No specific requirements. The Diploma is designed to be as accessible as possible. However, the Diploma is a Professional Level qualification: prospective candidates and their Centres need to be confident that they can meet the performance, skills and knowledge requirements, as set out in the syllabus and assignment guidelines. They also need to have reached the level of professional development as provided for and represented by the Certificate for Teachers and Trainers.
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- Who delivers the Diploma?
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The Diploma is a CIE qualification.
CIE:- Sets global performance standards
- Assesses candidates against these standards
- Certificates successful performance
Centres, granted eligibility by CIE, deliver professional development programmes preparing candidates for the Diploma. Centres design and manage programmes to meet the professional development needs of their particular teachers/trainers. They can make as much use as appropriate of the CIE resources available for the Diploma and can choose to design their programmes on the basis of the plans provided by CIE in the Planning booklet for the qualification. - Top of page
- How can we become a Diploma Centre?
- An institution wishing to run the Diploma must apply to CIE for eligibility.
1. First, you need to read and become familiar with the essential documents for the Diploma (see the Resources page).
2. Then you need to send an enquiry form to CIE (you will find the link to this is on the Resources page).
3. We will send you an eligibility questionnaire which is to be completed by the person in the institution nominated as Programme Leader for the Diploma.
4. When we receive the completed questionnaire we will evaluate and decide on eligibility.
5. Subject to successful evaluation, your centre will receive provisional approval and the nominated Programme Leader will receive details on how to logon onto CIE’s online self–study Programme Leaders course. The course will help the Programme Leader plan a programme and learn more about the administration aspects as well as information on valuable CIE resources.
6. Upon successful completion of the Programme Leaders online course, the relevant administrative information and all Diploma-related resources will be available to download from your centre’s CIE Direct account. Your centre will also be eligible to make entries for the Diploma.
Of course, if you are not already a CIE Centre, you will need first to fulfil the general Centre registration procedures and requirements, including inspection. - Top of page
- What do we have to demonstrate to be considered for eligibility as a Diploma Centre?
- In a word, capability for the kind of programme you want to run, within the requirements set by CIE.
For example, we will want to know whether you want to run the Diploma as an in–house programme for your own staff and/or as an external programme for teachers and trainers (this could be locally or, in the case of online/distance programmes, further afield), or as an education/training authority for teachers or trainers under your responsibility in your state/region.
The Centre Eligibility questionnaire is designed to gather the relevant information as efficiently as possible. The questions asked focus on important issues such as your institution’s experience, plans and resources.
You will need to nominate a person as prospective Programme Leader for the Diploma in your institution. This person must complete the questionnaire on behalf of your institution. - Top of page
- What is the role of the Programme Leader in a Diploma Centre?
- The Programme Leader is responsible for designing and managing the Diploma professional development programme in the Centre, normally working with colleague(s) in its delivery. Responsibility includes organising the preparation and support of candidates, and the administration of assignments and assignment submission to CIE.
Normally the Programme Leader will be the institution’s professional development manager or equivalent. He or she is the first point of communication with/from CIE in matters relating to the Diploma.
We provide online self–study courses for Programme Leaders. - Top of page
- What criteria should a Programme Leader meet?
- The Programme Leader should have:
- A minimum of 5 years practice as a teacher or trainer, and hold an appropriate (national) qualification
- A minimum of 2 years responsibility as a team leader for other teachers or trainers
- Current responsibility for organising professional development activities for colleagues and/or teachers/trainers attending the Centre’s programme.
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- What does the online self–study course for Programme Leaders involve?
- The Online Self–Study Programme Leaders Course is designed to help you to
- understand how the qualifications work
- identify the key elements contained in the syllabus
- plan a programme to enable your candidates to complete the qualification successfully
- recognise how to develop reflective practitioners.
You need to enrol on the course within a set time period. However, the self–study format means you can take as long as you need to complete the course. In general we would advise it should take a maximum of three months.
Please note there is a charge for the course (in 2010 £35).
At the end of the course, and on the basis of the understanding gained during the course and thinking about the context and needs of your centre and prospective candidates, you will complete an assignment that involves submitting a programme plan. You submit this by uploading it (using the facility in the online course environment). It is reviewed by the Product Manager and the Principal Examiner for the qualification. You receive feedback (advice and guidance) within 3 weeks of submission.
The Certificate and Diploma for Teachers and Trainers are generic qualifications, so the content of the programme that you are planning will depend very much on the context and the professional development needs of the teachers/trainers who you are planning to bring on to your programme. The syllabus for the qualification provides a very clear framework of what you need to be sure to cover in the programme, and the Planning booklet contains model programmes which will give you a good idea of how you might want to approach your programme. For the final assignment, we would like to see your programme plan for how you are going to organise your formal sessions for Module 1: Design. We will be interested to see
- the balance between topics, given your identification of the needs of your teachers/trainers
- the variety of approaches in the programmes, hoping to see as much active learning as possible
- the timing and duration of the sessions, looking to see that there is sufficient time and space for your candidates to apply what they are learning in practice, and reflect upon their experience.
On successful completion of the course, you will receive an online completion certificate. Please note, this is NOT a qualification. It is a record that you are accredited to act as a Programme Leader for programmes leading to the CIE professional development qualification concerned. The online course is thus an induction into a role which is very important in the administration and quality assurance system for the qualification. - Top of page
- What should we do if our Programme Leader changes?
- A centre must inform CIE if their nominated Programme Leader has changed. The Programme Leader will be required to submit a new eligibility questionnaire on behalf of the centre, in order that our records are up to date, and must enrol on and complete the online Programme Leader course.
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- If an accredited Programme Leader moves centre do they have to complete the approval process again?
- The centre to which the Programme Leader has moved must apply to CIE to become eligible to run the qualification, unless it already has eligibility. Eligibility cannot be assumed on the basis of having a member of staff who has been accredited as a Programme Leader while at another centre.
The application for eligibility will involve explaining to CIE what kind of teachers/trainers are involved, and the approach the centre plans to take in programme design and management. If CIE finds the application acceptable, and the nominated Programme Leader already has Programme Leader accreditation, eligibility will be confirmed. The Programme Leader him/herself may not have to take the course again - CIE will decide this on an individual basis, taking into account various factors including the degree of similarity between the new centre context and the old. - Top of page
- What is the structure of the Diploma?
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Candidates must complete all four modules. These are:
- Design: planning and preparation
- Practice: teaching and learning in action
- Assessment: assessing progress and achievement
- Evaluation: improving teaching and learning.
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- How do candidates prepare for the Diploma?
- The professional development programme is organised by the Centre and may vary in its delivery - it may involve face to face training, or distance (including on–line) training. Programmes which blend formal face–to–face and distance training, local mentoring, informal group learning activities and individual study and research are common. NB: training and practice need to reinforce each other - so Centres need to consider carefully how their candidates are going to apply what they learn in training sessions, how they integrate assignment preparation with teaching and training practice, and the sequence and pace of the programme.
It is important to remember that it is the centre that runs the programme (not CIE). CIE provides a range of support to the Programme Leader and his/her colleagues, including the Guide - an extensive pack of professional learning materials, directly related to the syllabus. - Top of page
- How long does preparation for the Diploma take?
- Each module is designed to take approximately 45 to 60 hours of preparation – the full Diploma therefore 180 to 240 hours. Clearly this will vary – the time will depend, for example, upon candidates’ previous and current experience and knowledge. We expect that as much preparation time as possible is integrated within professional activity.
The duration of the centre programme needs to be as long as appropriate, given the needs and circumstances of the centre and its candidates. In all cases programmes need to provide for candidates to learn new skills and ideas through formal and informal professional development, apply these in practice and be able critically to reflect and report in their assignments, so as to improve for the future. A typical programme will thus be over a number of months.
The centre Programme Leader and colleagues need to be aware of the very active role they must play in the programme e.g. in designing and managing formal professional development activities over a period of time. There is thus a human resource commitment on the part of the centre. - Top of page
- What level of English proficiency must candidates have to enter for CIE Professional Development Qualifications?
- Candidates need to feel comfortable in writing in English. The CIE examiners are very used to evaluating work from candidates for whom English is an additional language. Please note that the qualifications are available in the medium of other languages. Currently these are the languages available:
It may well be possible therefore for the candidate to take the qualification in the language in which s/he is most comfortable and is also the language that s/he works (teaches) in.Certificate for Teachers and Trainers English, Arabic, Spanish Diploma for Teachers and Trainers English, Arabic, Spanish Diploma in Teaching with ICT English, Arabic, Spanish
Please note, it is not possible to mix languages, i.e. either to use more than one language in completing an assignment, or to change languages from one assignment to another. - Top of page
- Who decides if the candidate is suitable for the Diploma?
- Candidates must be attached to and registered with CIE by a Centre which has been given eligibility by CIE to run the Diploma. The Centre’s Programme Leader will need to decide whether a teacher or trainer is suitable to prepare for the Diploma, given his or her professional development context and needs. CIE’s requirements are that candidates must be in teaching and training and must submit assignments which are authentic and practice–based.
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- Do we need to register candidates with CIE at the start of their programme?
- Yes. It is necessary to pre–register candidates before the submission of their first module. Centres will be invoiced for the total entry fee for the Diploma at the point of registration.
Further details of how candidates should be pre–registered will be circulated to Centres eligible to offer the Diploma.
The entry fee covers the total of the individual module entry fees. CIE will charge an additional module entry fee in cases where a candidate has failed a module and is required to resubmit an assignment.
CIE monitors Centre submissions over time in relation to Centre plans and enrolments onto Diploma programmes. It is in everyone’s interests for each and every teacher or trainer enrolling on a Diploma programme to complete the programme – and complete it successfully. - Top of page
- What resources to support the Diploma are available from CIE?
- When eligibility is granted, CIE will make available via CIE Direct the complete Guide. The support material in the Guide provides candidates and their trainers with advice and guidance on key points of principle and practice in the syllabus, including suggestions for ‘bite–size’ activities which can be tried out in teaching and training.
The Guide is a downloadable PDF, organised into sections and bookmarked for ease of use.
We do not expect/require our centres to use the Guide word-for-word, or in its entirety. Instead, as part of the way in which the centre/Programme Leader designs and manages a professional development programme leading to the Diploma, which really meets the needs of the teachers in the centre, we encourage the Programme Leader with colleagues in the centre to take/shape what is relevant - adding other resources as appropriate. - Top of page
- How is the Diploma assessed?
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The Diploma is assessed through on demand practical assignments which candidates complete as and when they are ready.
There are four assignments to be completed in the full Diploma, one for each module. They correspond to the key stages of activity in the design, practice, assessment and evaluation of the learning programme which the candidate is teaching.
Each assignment has two parts: Part A involves step–by–step structured tasks which can be completed during the stage, and Part B involves a reflective report which is completed at the end of the stage. - Top of page
- What are the requirements of the assignments?
- The syllabus contains full step–by–step guidance concerning the assignments. The sample assignments show what is involved in practice.
The assignments are intended to be practical and work–related, to integrate comfortably with practice. The main evidence presented by candidates is in the form of structured reflective reports, which include evidence such as performance observation records by an appropriate person who has observed classroom practice, and learner feedback. - Top of page
- How are the assignments completed and submitted?
- The assignment is prepared and submitted using an electronic template provided by CIE. These templates are easy–to–use Word documents.
The Manual supplied by CIE explains the procedures for such aspects as candidate numbering.
When the assignments are ready to be completed, they are submitted by the Centre via CIE Direct according to the instructions given by CIE. There is an Administrative Calendar which specifies the date each month by which CIE needs to receive assignments which are ready for marking.
As you can see, Diploma Centres and candidates need to be reasonably comfortable with using Microsoft Word and with electronic communication. - Top of page
- What are the grades for the Diploma?
- Each assignment is graded as Distinction, Pass or Fail. These results are printed on the Statement of Results after each assignment is marked. Centres will also receive a Feedback Form for the batch of assignments submitted, which provides feedback from the CIE Examiners on the highlights of the submission and the points for development, including how candidates who may have failed should improve their assignment for resubmission.
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- How are Certificates issued?
- Certificates are issued when candidates successfully complete the all the modules of the Diploma. As each assignment is completed, the centre receives a Statement of Results.
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- What can teachers and trainers do with the Diploma?
- The prime purpose of the Diploma is to provide a framework for developing and enhancing teaching and training skills. The most important direct benefit is thus the impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Other benefits include career development, as completing the Diploma is proof of one’s commitment to and involvement in continuing professional development.
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- What is the fee?
- Please check with CIE Customer Services for the current fee.
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- Are private candidates able to enter for the Diploma?
- No. We do not accept entries for the Diploma from private candidates. All candidates must be attached to Centres which have been given eligibility by CIE to run the Diploma.
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- Where can I find out more?
- Go to the Resources page to find the essential documents for the Diploma, available free of charge. We assume that any institution which expresses interest in becoming a Centre has already read and is familiar with these documents.
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