Why I applied for HEA Fellowship Recognition and its impact on my Practice
In all honesty, my decision to apply for fellowship was driven by the need to meet my probationary targets
My name is Andrew Davies and I have been a senior lecturer of paramedic science in the College of Human and Health Sciences since 2015. Although I had gained a wealth of clinical experience during my career, my experiences of teaching and learning in a higher educational setting was limited. In all honesty, my decision to apply for fellowship was driven by the need to meet my probationary targets and I had very little insight into the application process, the challenges of completing the process or indeed the key outcomes of a successful application.
I attended the induction session, facilitated by the SALT team and was relieved that others attending this session had shared concerns about the process. As the group work unfolded, there was some confusion around the elements within the framework; how they were interpreted, how they supported practice and what evidence could be used to demonstrate they are being applied. However, as the session progressed, these issues became clearer and I started to gain insight and understanding around moving forward to develop my application.
..contextualising the elements of the UKPSF to my practice made me really think about what I do, the way I do it and how I evaluate this
Although preparing the application was challenging; contextualising the elements of the UKPSF to my practice made me really think about what I do, the way I do it and how I evaluate this. Working through the application required an honest and open approach; enabling me to reflect on my practice and analyse how this relates to the various dimensions within the professional standards framework. I maintained contact with someone I met during the induction session and this was really useful. We would occasionally meet or communicate through emails, discussing our progression, sharing ideas around what types of evidence would be best suited and how this could be mapped to the various elements within the framework
Since gaining fellowship, my preparation for lectures, developments of new modules and the development of a new programme are all influenced by the learning that emerged from the experience
In my view, each of the elements within the framework has equal value and the connections between them provide a solid foundation and a mobile framework to support practice moving forward. Since gaining fellowship, my preparation for lectures, developments of new modules and the development of a new programme are all influenced by the learning that emerged from the experiences.
My advice for anyone considering applying for Fellowship would be: engage with the induction session, as this provides insight enabling you to move forward with the process, discuss your ideas, concerns and expectations with others going through the process, take advantage of the supervision that is offered and speak to others who have gone through the process.
