UCD Professional Academy Skill Sprint
Learner Handbook

Dear Learner,

We would like to welcome you to UCD Professional Academy. We are delighted that you have chosen a Skill Sprint with us as part of your professional studies. On a UCD Professional Academy Skill Sprint, you’ll meet like-minded people with similar goals to yours and gain skills which we hope will open you up to new career opportunities and business ventures.

This Learner Handbook will provide you with information on how our Skill Sprints are delivered, how to access the Learning Management System (LMS) containing your training materials and online class links, as well as some general information, such as our Learner Code of Conduct and the UCD Professional Academy Methodology Statement.

If you have any questions, please have a look at our Help Desk as most of the answers you are looking for will be there. If not, please feel free to contact us with your query. We have a dedicated team to ensure you have the best experience and they are available to help you during business hours with any queries or concerns you may have.

We hope that your online learning experience at UCD Professional Academy will open up a rewarding and enjoyable route to professional success.

UCD Professional Academy (PA) believes that authentic communication is at the heart of learning. For that reason, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are encouraged to maximise learner involvement in lessons and to focus as much as possible on their specific learning needs. Though the Skill Sprint materials and content have been carefully chosen and designed, the Professional Academy relies on its SMEs to fulfil the essential role of facilitating learning, engaging with and challenging learners, and to ensure that attending our online classes is a fun and enjoyable experience for all. You, as the learner, are asked to consider your part in this.

To achieve this, the Professional Academy aims to put in place conditions where:

• all lessons have clearly-defined and appropriate learning outcomes, which learners are made aware of

• there is variety within and between lessons, taking account of learners’ different interest, backgrounds, needs and preferences

• all learners in all Skill Sprints have the opportunity to contribute equally to lesson activities and to interact with others

• lessons take place in an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, where learners feel confident in participating to the fullest

• learners’ perseverance and dedication to developing their knowledge and skills is acknowledged and applauded

• appropriate and up-to-date resources are used to engage and interest learners, in a way relevant to their needs

We hope you will enjoy your time at UCD Professional Academy. Our staff are always here to help so please get in contact with us if you have any queries or concerns. You can reach us through the ‘Contact Us’ button on the LMS or by emailing support@ucdpa.ie.

UCD Professional Academy will register you on the LMS so you can access your Skill Sprint resources, assessment details, and online class links.

You will receive an email from professional.academy@learn.ucdpa.ie by the Friday
before your sessions begin with temporary log-in information with the subject line: New User Account. Please be aware this email may occasionally land in a learner’s junk/spam inbox. A temporary password will be issued to you which you will be prompted to change upon logging in for the first time. Your username will always be your email address.

If learners are having difficulty signing into their classes or into the LMS, the Operations
Team is available to assist you. You can chat to us through the ‘Contact Us’ button on the
LMS or by emailing support@ucdpa.ie.

You will have the option to interact with your SME during the online session with any
questions you may have.

UCD Professional Academy uses an online LMS that houses all relevant data relating to your learning.

Login here: https://learn.ucdpa.ie

On the LMS, you can:

• Join your online classes

• Access all Skill Sprint resources

• Access recorded classes

• View your Skill Sprint timetable

• View and complete MCQs

• Contact the Operations Team to raise a query or concern

Upon completion of your course, you will have access to your Learning Management System (LMS) and course materials, including recordings, for a period of 6 months before access is restricted. Please note, downloading course recordings for future use beyond this timeframe is not possible. To keep slide decks or handouts for later reference, we recommend downloading them before the end of the 6-month window.

The regulations described below relate only to Skill Sprints, which are assessed directly by the Professional Academy.
All assessments are designed to gauge the extent to which the desired Learning Outcomes
of each particular Skill Sprint have been achieved by the learner. Each Skill Sprint has its
own unique Learning Outcomes, and these will be made clear to you early on.

Individual Skill Sprints are assessed on a pass/fail basis.Earning a pass grade for a Skill Sprint requires you to successfully meet five requirements, all of which support a Skill Sprint’s Learning Outcomes.

You are to:

• Complete a Pre Learning Evaluation

• Complete and pass the end of Unit 1 -Unit 3 quizzes (80% passing score with three attempts)

• Complete a Post Learning Evaluation
  

These five requirements work together to support rigorous reflection, growth, and skill development. Upon successful completion of the five requirements, UCD Professional Academy will award you the digital badge for your specific Skill Sprint. To further support your learning experience, we recommend completing an Action Learning Log (ALLog) to document your learnings and plans for action. Although we do not provide feedback or grade the ALLog, UCD Professional Academy provides a sample rubric and written guidance to help you maximise your professional benefits.

We want to ensure that learners are satisfied with their learning experience and that they will be able to make satisfactory progress.

As part of the post learning evaluation, you will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on your learning with the UCD Professional Academy. The feedback will be taken into account when considering training needs and improvements to all aspects of our delivery.

Learners are welcome to contact the Operations Team at any time with any comments or concerns via the LMS.

All UCD Professional Academy online classes are recorded. We encourage learners to
have their cameras on to better enhance their learning experience however you are not obliged to. If you do have your camera and your microphone enabled, you may feature in the recording and please be mindful of anyone or anything in the background that may also be visible to others during the session. Live class recordings are used for Quality Assurance and are subsequently deleted, inline with GDPR. Any unauthorised sharing of
recordings and Skill Sprints resources is prohibited.

In order to maintain a happy and safe environment for all members of our community and to engender an atmosphere of respect and dignity, all learners, SMEs, and staff are asked to observe certain standards of behaviour and professionalism while studying or working with us.

These are set out below:

Learners and SMEs should log in to their online classes in plenty of time to begin their class.

Both SMEs and learners should ensure that they have prepared adequately for their online session, to ensure class time is used as productively as possible.

Learners and SMEs are expected to cooperate and communicate with their peers in a mutually supportive manner, sharing ideas and resources while respecting the privacy and
integrity of others.

Learners and SMEs should try to ensure that they are able to take a rest during the breaks scheduled during the class. Neither learners nor SMEs should be under the influence of
any substance during their online class.

Both SMEs and learners are expected to be respectful of the online classroom environment and wear clothing that is appropriate for the virtual classroom.

Learners and SMEs should be spoken to and interacted with in an appropriately friendly,
polite, and encouraging manner at all times. Please utilise hand-raising functions within your online class environment. Be respectful when others are talking and ensure that your microphone is muted unless you are speaking.

All members of the community are responsible for maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect for diverse cultures during their online classes.

Learners and SMEs should endeavour to ensure that all individuals they encounter during their online class are treated with respect, regardless of any aspect of personal identity, such as ethnicity, cultural background, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Learners should not ask for or use SME personal contact details or an SME’s online presence to communicate with them outside the context of the Skill Sprint itself. Where outside contact is necessary, the Operations Team at support@ucdpa.ie will be happy to relay a message to an SME on behalf of a learner.

The Peer Discussion Board is a learning space for you and others in your cohort. To get
the most from it, engage by:

• Sharing an interesting article or resource.

• Giving your perspective on the content.

• Asking others how they are applying newly learned skills.

• Using your own experiences to help others with their challenges.

Should you have a specific question for your Subject Matter Expert, please ask it during one of your live sessions.

The Peer Discussion Board is not moderated by UCD Professional Academy staff. As a participant, you play an essential role in maintaining a welcoming and professional environment. To support this, please avoid discussing potentially divisive topics that are outside the scope of your current Skill Sprint. We thank you for your cooperation and assistance.