Educationalist

*The application page will give you a single 'Upload your CV' option. Please use this CV upload option to upload a single document that includes both a Cover letter and a CV within a single document. Please use the Cover letter to outline how your skills, experience and knowledge meets the essential criteria of the role. No more than 2 A4 pages* 

Background

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is the regulatory body for the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions in the UK. It sets, upholds and advances veterinary standards for the benefit of animal health and welfare, and public health.

The Education Department covers a wide range of functions relating to both undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary education, as well as examinations. Several of these areas consider complex data and wider information relating to education quality, which requires review, such as veterinary programme (undergraduate and postgraduate) teaching, learning and student experience reports/descriptions, and post-examination analysis data e.g. psychometric or statistical data on validity, reliability and defensibility. Furthermore, areas across the department require educational content to be generated to a high standard and would benefit from support from an educationalist with technical knowledge and expertise, e.g. written and performance examination content and training for stakeholders.

To provide expert educationalist knowledge, advice and support to the department and external stakeholders, a new role has arisen for an RCVS Educationalist.

Key Responsibilities

1. Build and maintain excellent working relationships with RCVS Education team members, internal and external stakeholders and support areas across the department which require specialist educationalist knowledge and advice.
2. Supporting the review and critical analysis of a broad range of data / information relating to the educational quality of undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary programmes being accredited or developed by RCVS, including (but not limited to):

• Curriculum analysis, structural integrity/ constructive alignment and syllabus scope.
• Effectiveness and fairness of university processes e.g. admissions, QI
• Competence / performance assessment validity and reliability.
• Feedback mechanisms and student / staff support processes.

Specifically, to:

1. Support the undergraduate team in the review and reporting on the repository of educational evidence relating to undergraduate veterinary programmes.
2. Support the postgraduate team in the review and evaluation of veterinary postgraduate certificate programme information; both for the RCVS Certificate of Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) and external qualifications submitted for approval towards eligibility for Advanced Practitioner status. This will include (but not be limited to) evaluation of submissions relating to Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) level 7 credits, learning & teaching methodology, assessment design and evaluation.
3. Support the postgraduate team in the review and evaluation of veterinary specialty training programme / awards information, including overseas programmes. This will include (but not be limited to) evaluation of submissions relating to FHEQ level 8 credits / requirements, learning & teaching methodology, assessment design and evaluation.
4. Supporting the department to review and/or develop assessment content for RCVS examinations, for example (but not limited to) written paper content for the Statutory Membership Exam (SME), holistic OSCE scenarios, workplace-based assessments and synoptic exam content.
5. Contribute to the design / delivery of projects to develop or improve RCVS educational processes.
6. Present technical educationalist content to a range of audiences as required, including effective reports / presentations to other international educational experts as well as clear explanations of technical educational issues in layman’s terms to non-educational colleagues or lay members of Council to support their decision-making.
7. Produce high quality reports, proposals and committee papers as required.
8. Attend and contribute to external events and meetings in relation to education as required.

Essential Qualifications

1. Minimum of an honour’s degree in a related subject (education / health / social sciences), alongside evidence of specific educationalist knowledge and expertise in a professional context (e.g. health professions education, or other regulated profession).

Essential skills, knowledge & experience

1. Demonstrable experience working within health (or other) professions education and having contributed to educational design, delivery and evaluation at level 7+ qualifications and / or postgraduate workplace-based training programmes, ideally having contributed to the development / delivery of a wide range of educational processes and interventions.
2. An understanding of evaluation quality criteria, evidence and research methods and approaches, and appropriate analytical techniques for quantitative and qualitative data
3. Strong written and verbal communications skills, especially the ability to listen, and explain technical education knowledge to a range of audiences.
4. Effective development of high-quality education interventions, including training content, implementation advice and assessment design, delivery and evaluation proposals.
5. Effective project management skills, with the ability to adapt and be flexible whilst keeping to deadlines.
6. Experience of working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
7. Excellent writing ability, including attention to detail and proof-reading skills.
8. Effective presentation skills, to a range of stakeholders and experts on committees and wider audiences.
9. To be self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take initiative, manage multiple projects concurrently, to required deadlines.

Desired skills & experience

1. Leadership within a relevant professional educational context.
2. An understanding of the veterinary profession and / or health professions
3. An understanding of the professional regulatory world

*The application page will give you a single 'Upload your CV' option. Please use this CV upload option to upload a single document that includes both a Cover letter and a CV within a single document. Please use the Cover letter to outline how your skills, experience and knowledge meets the essential criteria of the role. No more than 2 A4 pages*