Learning and Teaching Professional Development

At NTU, we champion active collaborative learning to create inclusive, engaging learning experiences for all students. ACL brings students together to solve problems, share ideas, and learn from each other in a dynamic classroom environment. SCALE-UP and TBL are our two preferred NTU pedagogies.

Student-Centred Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP)
SCALE-UP is an active mode of learning where students learn through solving problems, sharing ideas, giving and receiving feedback, and teaching each other.
Find out more about SCALE-UP on Thrive at NTU  (Internal log-in required)

Team Based Learning (TBL)
TBL offers a structured form of learning with a specific sequence of individual study, group work, immediate feedback and teacher facilitated discussion and debate, to create a motivational framework for student learning.
Find out more about TBL on Thrive at NTU  (Internal log-in required)

Active Collaborative Learning has a proven impact upon reducing gaps in student engagement and attendance, attainment and progression.

Support for Assessment and Feedback at NTU focuses upon ensuring that students actively engage in authentic assessment activities that will support them in accessing the careers of the future. Supporting staff to design effective assessment, with learning outcomes that are constructively aligned, academic standards are upheld while shaping learning that supports the development of successful graduate outcomes.

The Curriculum Design offer supports those who teach and support learning by enhancing the design and construction of modules and courses. We provide knowledge and understanding of course design principles, constructive alignment with backwards course design, and learning outcome creation. Success for All beneficiary groups are considered throughout the curriculum design offer and the creation of student personas, encourages staff to test the robustness and inclusivity of their designs against course data which is already available to them.

DELTA is NTU’s learning and teaching course designed specifically for new colleagues taking up a teaching or teaching related post and can also be accessed by those who are not contractually required to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher education (PGCLTHE). DELTA@NTU has been created as an engaging point of reference for new members of teaching staff, offering practical guidance and downloadable resources at the end of each unit.

The programme supports and enables new colleagues to:

• design and deliver effective teaching sessions, both online and in person
• understand NTU’s approach to assessment and feedback
• become confident in personal tutoring practices
• navigate NTU’s quality assurance processes

Together, these elements help new staff feel prepared, informed, and supported as they begin their teaching journey at NTU.

Find out more about DELTA on Thrive at NTU (Internal log-in required)

The Digital and Academic Practice Workshops equip NTU colleagues with the skills, confidence, and specialist support needed to design high‑quality online and blended learning, make effective and responsible use of digital and AI tools, and enhance teaching, assessment, accessibility, and student engagement across the university.

Digital Academic Practice Training Offer (Internal login required)

Staff development for Personal Tutoring is a key mechanism for providing personalised academic, pastoral, and professional guidance, whilst meeting the increasingly diverse needs of NTU students. Designed to support colleagues in enhancing purposeful and skilled personal tutoring practice, this provides students with relevant support that is aligned with their academic and personal development goals.

The Student Engagement and Transition offer forms part of NTU’s investment guiding and supporting staff and course teams who work hard to deliver engaging and positive student experiences. These workshops provide a forum to discuss prevalent issues and provide a supported, collaborative opportunity to generate shared solutions on topics including designing for student transition, re-engaging low-engaged students and working with students as partners. Together, these workshops offer a space to develop an enhanced sense of belonging and community for students at NTU.

Staff development in support of Success for All is structured around aiding colleagues in enhancing the experiences of underrepresented groups at NTU. The Success for All initiative is designed to support academic teams and staff in developing their provision around this important aspect of the institutional strategy. Success for All represents our commitment to ‘improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from higher education,’ as outlined in our NTU Access and Participation Plan.