Further particulars – FELS



[pic] |Faculty of Education and

Language Studies | |

|Information for applicants |

|Post title: |Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies and/or Developmental Psychology |

|Salary: |£34,793 - £41,545 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience |

|Grade: |Academic grade 3 |

|Post reference: |5008 / F0142 |

|Closing date: |28 October 2008 |Interview date: |To be confirmed |

Information included in this pack:

|Section: |1.0 |The post |

| | |1.1 |Post details |

| | |1.2 |Job description |

| | |1.3 |Person specification |

| | | |

| |2.0 |Applying for the post |

| | |2.1 |How to apply |

| | |2.2 |Application information |

| | | |

| |3.0 |University and Faculty information |

| | |3.1 |The Open University |

| | |3.2 |Faculty of Education and Language Studies |

| | |3.3 |Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning |

| | | |

| |4.0 |Benefits and facilities |

|Section 1.0: THE POST |

|Section 1.1: Post details |

|Post title: |Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies and/or Developmental Psychology |

|Reports to: |Head of Centre |

|Unit and/or team: |Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning |

|Salary details: |AC grade 3 salary scale £34,793 - £41,545 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience |

|Location: |Walton Hall, Milton Keynes |

|Working hours: |Full time |

|Contract type: |Fixed term contract for 2 years |

|Job share considered: |No |

|Criminal Record Check: |All applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check before the |

| |appointment is confirmed. |

|Section 1.2: Job description |

Overall job purpose

To contribute to the development, production and presentation of courses that are the responsibility of the Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning. The majority of these courses are either part of the Psychology Programme or the Childhood and Youth Studies Programme. The person appointed should be able to bring an inter-disciplinary perspective to this work.

To contribute to the Faculty’s programme of research and scholarship, and to the academic development and organisation of the Faculty of Education and Language Studies and The Open University as required.

Main duties

1. Involvement in the planning and preparation, writing and updating of distance learning courses and resources that may include the use of audio, video and information and communications technology (e.g. synchronous and asynchronous computer mediated communication). This may involve briefing, liaising with and co-ordinating the work of consultant writers as well as briefing, debriefing and training of part-time teaching staff (Associate Lecturers). It is expected that the person appointed will engage with and develop educational materials within the OU’s virtual learning environment.

2. Contribute to the maintenance of relevant courses, including preparing tutor-marked assignments and examination papers, monitoring of assessment, and membership of Examination and Award Boards.

3. Conduct research and scholarship aligned with the Faculty’s strategic priorities to promote research excellence through contributions to academic publications, conferences and external activities.

4. Act as Course Team Chair and/or any other managerial positions as required.

5. Contribute, as required, to the work of the Faculty of Education and Language Studies generally.

|Section 1.3: Person specification |

Qualifications, experience and expertise

Essential

1. Higher degree (or equivalent) and experience, in developmental psychology and/or childhood and youth studies.

2. Knowledge and experience necessary to contribute to the development and production of courses related to developmental psychology and/or childhood and youth studies.

3. Experience or evidence of a motivation to work in an inter-disciplinary context involving teaching and research.

4. An ability to produce high quality teaching material and communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

5. Proven ability to work flexibly and collaboratively in a team with others.

6. Proven ability to plan and organise work to agreed deadlines, within resource constraints, and sometimes under pressure.

7. Demonstrable experience of having used information and communications technology for learning and teaching, and evidence of understanding of the potential of new and emerging technologies to enhance learning.

8. A motivation to achieve research excellence and contribute to research activities in ChDL.

Desirable

1. Experience of producing open- or distance-learning materials.

2. Record of publications in a relevant area.

3. PhD in a relevant area.

|Section 2.0: APPLYING FOR THE POST |

|Section 2.1: How to apply |

The following guidelines are designed to help you submit a job application in line with our requirements. Applicants who do not follow the procedure set out below will be at a disadvantage.

|a) |Application form: |

| |Please ensure you complete all the sections of the form giving as much detail as possible, including your date of |

| |birth. The latter will not be used by members of the appointment panel during the selection process. It is, however,|

| |required for administrative purposes in connection with the University’s retirement policy (see section 2.2) and we |

| |will have to contact you if you do not complete this part of the form. |

| |Once completed, you must sign and date the application form to confirm that the information and any attachments are |

| |correct. |

| |Internal applicants only – information about references: When completing the ‘References’ section of the application |

| |form, please ensure you specify your Head of Unit as your ‘current employer’, as he/she is responsible for providing |

| |this reference or nominating an appropriate alternative referee. Please be advised that the employing Unit is |

| |responsible for requesting references from your referees. |

|c) |Covering letter: |

| |Write a covering letter indicating how you believe your experience and personal qualities match the criteria in the |

| |person specification. |

|c) |Curriculum vitae (CV): |

| |Applicants for academic posts may wish to enclose a CV with their application. This should include details of |

| |relevant publications but it is preferable not to duplicate information included in the application form. |

| |Please do not include any information in your CV that might give an indication of your race, religion or belief, or |

| |sexual orientation, as these details are irrelevant to your application. |

|d) |Submitting your application: Provide six copies of your application form, covering letter and, if applicable, CV – |

| |that is, top copy plus five photocopies. Note, however, that you should provide only the original of the Equal |

| |Opportunities Monitoring form which is attached to the application form. |

| |Send these documents to the following address, to arrive by the closing date shown in section 2.2 below: |

| |Staffing Assistant |

| |Faculty of Education and Language Studies |

| |The Open University |

| |Milton Keynes |

| |MK7 6AA |

| |Telephone: 01908 652381 |

|Section 2.2: Application information |

|Eligibility: |The post is open to both internal and external applicants. |

|Closing date: |28 October 2008 |

| |Applications received after this date will not be accepted. |

|Pre-applications |If you have any queries about the role and nature of the post prior to applying, please contact: |

|enquiries: |David Messer, telephone 01908 654752 or e-mail d.j.messer@open.ac.uk |

|Shortlisting: |Shortlisting will be completed as soon as possible after the closing date. We are unable to contact |

| |non-shortlisted applicants. If you have not heard from us by 24 November 2008 you should assume that|

| |you have not been shortlisted for interview. |

|Interviews: |Interviews will be held in Milton Keynes. Candidates will be asked to complete a test or exercise |

| |relating to point(s) of the job description and criterion/criteria of the person specification. |

| |Please note that applicants who reside outside the United Kingdom (UK) who are invited to interview |

| |will be reimbursed only from their port of entry into the UK. If you are likely to incur other |

| |significant expenses, please contact the Staffing Assistant following receipt of the invitation. |

|References for |All referees whose details are included on the application form will be contacted before the |

|shortlisted candidates: |interview unless you have indicated that you wish otherwise. |

|Disabled applicants: |The Open University welcomes applications from disabled people. If you require any adjustments to |

| |enable you to attend the interview please ensure that you have provided this information on your |

| |application form. If you are called for interview, please discuss any adjustment you may require to |

| |carry out the duties of the role with the interview panel so that the appropriate arrangements and |

| |any adjustments can be made if necessary. |

| |(Under the Disability Discrimination Act, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment |

| |which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal |

| |day-to-day activities.) |

| |Please let us know if you need your copy of this ‘Information for applicants’ document in large |

| |print, on computer disc or on audio cassette tape. Access details for disabled applicants are |

| |available from the Faculty’s Staffing Assistant on 01908 652381. |

|Proof of eligibility to |Successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK by |

|work in the UK |producing verifiable documents. Details of the required documents will be sent to the successful |

| |candidate at the written offer of employment stage. |

| |If you require a work permit, this will be applied for should your application to employment be |

| |successful. To find out what visas and permits you may require in order to work in the UK, please |

| |see .uk or telephone 0845 010 555; the general enquiries line is open from 09.30 to |

| |13.30, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. |

|Retirement age: |The Open University operates a normal retirement age of 65. Applications can be accepted only from |

| |people up to the age of 64 years and 6 months at the date of their application. This is in line with|

| |the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. |

|Recruitment procedures: |If you have any comments or concerns about any stage of the recruitment process, please write to the |

| |HR Adviser, Central Academic Units, Human Resources who will look into the matter. |

|Section 3.0: UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY INFORMATION |

|Section 3.1: The Open University |

The Open University transforms lives through education. It has become by far the largest university in the UK, now teaching well over 200,000 people every year. We have expanded our activities throughout Europe and our highly rated teaching materials are used by other institutions in many parts of the world. We are consistently achieving high rankings both in research and teaching quality assessments.

Teaching is through the provision of specially designed, high quality, materials encompassing traditional print texts, television, video, CD-ROM, internet and electronic conferencing together with first class personalised tuition, learning feedback and support.

The success of the Open University is due to our outstanding staff. There are around 4,500 staff plus over 7,000 Associate Lecturers. Staff and potential staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, disability, religious or political beliefs, family circumstances, sexual orientation or other irrelevant distinction.

We are also committed to the development of our staff to their full potential through lifelong learning, offering a range of formal and informal training and development activities to ensure that staff are able to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities and to help meet individual and University objectives. Our objective is that all staff undertake a minimum of 5 days’ development activity in each year.

|Section 3.2: Faculty of Education and Language Studies |

The Faculty of Education and Language Studies has a staff of approximately 265, based in Milton Keynes and in regional centres, together with over 850 Associate Lecturers supporting approximately 24,000 students. The majority of these are in the UK, but the Faculty also has students in the Republic of Ireland, Continental Western Europe and elsewhere in the world. The Faculty’s curriculum comprises programmes at undergraduate, Masters and doctoral levels. It offers undergraduate programmes in Early Years, Working with Young People, Childhood and Youth Studies, Inclusive Education, Child Development, Sport and Fitness, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English Language. The Faculty offers initial teacher training through a flexible PGCE programme in six secondary subjects: Mathematics, Science, Design and Technology, Music, Modern Foreign Languages and Geography.

Academic staff belong to one of the four sub-units which are involved in producing and presenting courses, and conducting research:

← Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning

← Centre for Language and Communication

← Department of Education

← Department of Languages

Further information about the Faculty can be found at



The Faculty research activities are directed from the Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET).

|Section 3.3: Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning |

The Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning (ChDL) embraces staff from a number of academic disciplines: developmental psychology, childhood and youth studies, education, anthropology, cultural studies, sociology and cultural geography. There are 17 academic and research staff members located at Walton Hall, 4 academic staff located in regional offices, ten full time postgraduate students and 3 Ed.D. post-graduate students. Support is provided by 1.5 secretarial staff. (see )

Our teaching ranges from openings courses to higher degrees. Important strands in are Developmental Psychology, Childhood and Youth Studies and Education.

In the case of the Psychology Programme we are responsible for the level 2 undergraduate course Child Development (ED209) (about 3000 students a year) which is part of the Psychology Degree. In addition, we are involved in two post-graduate courses both of which are components of the Masters in Education programme. Educational Enquiry (E891) is concerned with research methods and Child Development in Families, Schools and Society (ED840/ED841) brings together both psychology and education (it also is included as a course in the Psychology M.Sc. programme), with it being one of the highest recruiting courses on the Masters in Education programme.

In the case of the Childhood and Youth Studies Programme we make significant contributions to the courses and pathways associated with Degrees and other qualifications in Childhood and Youth Studies. Our Level 2 undergraduate course Childhood (U212) is taken by all students in the BA (Hons) in Childhood and Youth Studies degree programme and attracts over a thousand students a year.  The Centre also contributes the level 3 course Research with Children and Young People (EK310) which is the other compulsory course in the undergraduate programme; it attracts an annual registration of over 600 students.  The Childhood and Youth Studies programme is now embarking on postgraduate provision starting with the course Children and young people’s worlds: frameworks for integrated practice for a first presentation in October 2009.  This is the first course in a cross-faulty Masters award in Childhood and Youth Studies.

In addition, members of ChDL contribute their expertise to the development and presentation of other courses in the faculty and beyond. One current project is the new undergraduate course Children’s Literature (EA300), we also are involved in the running of an Openings Course (Understanding Children (Y156), and we contribute to Foundation Degrees in Early and Primary Years Education. There are plans to develop introductory courses concerning children and child development.

Research in the Faculty is organised within the Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET).  Most members of ChDL are members of the Child and Youth Studies Research Group (CYSG, see ).   CYSG is also the home of the pioneering Children’s Research Centre – see .  ChDL has a very strong research orientation with 80% of permanent staff members being entered in the OU 2007 RAE submission to the Education panel. Since 2001 we have been involved in research grants with an income of over £3 million. ChDL has good laboratory facilities for recording and editing, together with an eye tracking facility, and good contacts with local schools.

Members of the Centre are academic advisors to the BBC1 programme Child of Our Time and have been responsible for the related information available on

|Section 4.0: BENEFITS AND FACILITIES |

The following is a summary of staff benefits and facilities. Full details will be provided on successful appointment.

|Staff development: |We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. |

| |This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and |

| |development needs. The objective is that all staff should undertake at least five days’ development |

| |activity in each year – this may include attendance at formal courses or other learning e.g. use of |

| |self-study material. We invest substantial time and money in our staff development provisions and we|

| |waive fees for staff wishing to study our own courses. |

|Annual leave: |The annual leave entitlement is 30 days (for secretarial and clerical staff) or 33 days (for |

| |academic, academic-related and research staff) in addition to all bank and other public holidays and |

| |an additional 3 days at Christmas when the University is closed. |

|Study leave: |Permanent central academic staff (those on contracts of two years or more) are entitled to study |

| |leave on full salary for research or other approved academic purposes for two months in each leave |

| |year. For regional academic staff the entitlement is to study leave on full salary for two months |

| |within each period of two years’ completed service. |

|Pension schemes: |Staff have the option of contributing to a Final Salary pension scheme and the University contributes|

| |around 14% of salary. Full details will be sent with any offer of employment but any preliminary |

| |enquiries should be addressed to the Pensions Section, Human Resources Division 01908 652431 or |

| |652957. |

|Relocation expenses: |Staff are normally expected to live within a reasonable travelling distance of their place of work. |

| |The University will make a grant for expenses necessarily incurred for removals and disturbance, |

| |within certain rules and subject to a maximum payment. Full details will be sent with any offer of |

| |employment. The removal grant does not apply on appointments of less than two years’ duration. |

|Family friendly |Staff are entitled to 52 weeks’ maternity/adoption leave. Statutory maternity/adoption pay will be |

|policies: |paid for a maximum period of the first 39 weeks, made up to full pay for the first 18 weeks, subject |

| |to minimum service conditions. Staff have the right to return to work at any time within 52 weeks of|

| |the maternity leave start date, again subject to certain conditions. |

| |Staff are entitled to a maximum of 10 days’ paid paternity leave in connection with their |

| |wife’s/partner’s confinement in any one leave year in addition to normal leave entitlement, again |

| |subject to certain conditions. |

| |Pre-School Childcare Subsidy: we have a means-tested childcare subsidy scheme. Those eligible are |

| |provided with a Childcare Voucher that can be used as part payment for the care of children under 5 |

| |years of age. For further information about the scheme contact Human Resources on 01908 655050. |

| |Childcare Vouchers: our salary sacrifice scheme enables staff to take advantage of tax and NI |

| |exemption on up to £243 of childcare vouchers per month. The scheme is managed by Busy Bees. |

| |Further information will be provided on appointment. |

|Local education (Milton |Information on local schools can be obtained from the Learning and Development Directorate, Milton |

|Keynes): |Keynes Borough Council on 01908 253489 or visit their website at . |

|Nurseries (staff based |The Mulberry Bear Day Nursery and Pre-School is a purpose-built nursery on the Walton Hall campus. |

|in Milton Keynes only): |It is an independent charity supported by The Open University and managed by parents. OU staff |

| |applications are given priority and, whilst there are full- and part-time places available now, there|

| |may be a waiting list in some age groups. For further information, please telephone Milton Keynes |

| |01908 653867, e-mail: |

| |mulberrybear-enquiries@open.ac.uk or see their website at .uk. |

| |There are a number of other private nurseries in the Milton Keynes area. |

|Facilities: |Catering facilities at Walton Hall provide meals, snacks and drinks. Facilities in regional centres |

| |vary. |

| |Open University Club (offering a number of club and society events, sports and social outlets). |

|Facilities located at |Occupational Health Department provides professional advice to individuals and managers on all work |

|the Walton Hall campus: |related health issues. |

| |NatWest bank sub-branch. |

| |Shop selling general provisions. |

|Smoking policy: |Please note that smoking is not permitted in University buildings, bars and catering areas. Smoking |

| |is permitted only in designated outdoor areas. |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download