Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) - distance learning (MSc) January 2022 entry

[TEXT:] MSc TESOL via Distance Learning

[TEXT:] The University of St Andrews is consistently ranked among the Top 5 in the UK for student satisfaction and among the Top 100 universities worldwide. (National Student Survey 2019 and QS World University Ranking 2020)

[TEXT:] Students studying MSc TESOL via Distance Learning cover the same content as students on campus, and receive the same accreditation. This includes the choice of an optional specialism in:

• Assessment and Evaluation
• English for Academic Purposes
• English Medium instruction
• Teaching Young Learners
• Technology for Teaching.

[TEXT:] How did we optimise distance learning?

[TEXT:] Dr Lesley Thirkell, Deputy Director and Director of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies - International Education Institute, St Andrews

>> LESLEY: When we were planning the distance learning Masters programmes, there was various challenges to do with online learning that we had to consider. So first of all, the technology needs to be appealing but simple, because, for example, not all the students have access to the same quality of broadband that we are fortunate to have in St Andrews. And also, not all of the students are particularly skilled in technology, and that's not a requirement to study.

[TEXT:] No technological expertise required. Lessons are not delivered in real-time. Students learn via technology they already have, at the hours that best suit their routines. 

>> LESLEY: So we've gone with the technology that's supported by the University, which is used by all our students in St Andrews and is generally pretty user friendly.

[TEXT:] How is the course structured to help distance learners?

>> LESLEY: We made the modules, what we describe as short and fat, so the modules are all five weeks long, they are more intensive.

[TEXT:] Short and intensive modules each lasting 5 weeks long. 

>> LESLEY: Typically a module studied at the University of St Andrews is 10 or 11 weeks long. For a distance-learning student, in particular, keeping that momentum going over a 10 or 11-week period can be quite challenging when life gets in the way.

So all our modules, be it studied on campus or by distance learning are five weeks long. So that means you've got this short burst of energy and enthusiasm, and then you've got a week's break until you start the next five-week block.

[TEXT:] This structure allows for greater flexibility, as distance learners do not need to commit to ten weeks of study at a time. 

[TEXT:] How will I access support from teachers and classmates?

>> LESLEY: One of the most common challenges with studying by distance learning is that it's quite easy to feel a little bit isolated and lonely, and we were very keen to avoid that. So our on-campus students and our distance-learning students study the same module at the same time, and they have a shared online forum which both cohorts use with weekly tasks and chat rooms.

The intention is that the distance learning students then feel more of an integral part of what's going on in St Andrews.

[TEXT:] On-campus students and distance learners study the same module at the same time. Both have access to the same online forum. Distance learners are active participants in the programme at St Andrews. 

[TEXT:] "Studying via distancing learning allows me to fit my education in around my work. I manage to do reading while travelling to work on public transport, and then listen to lectures and complete course work in the evenings when I have finished work." - Peter, Scotland: TESOL MSc

[TEXT:] "For a university-based career, a TESOL Master's Degree is probably essential." - Kerry Tavakoli, Second Language Acquisition, Young Learning and English Medium Instruction. 

[TEXT:] Victoria Faken, librarian and Masters student at St Andrews, MSc TESOL via Distance Learning

>> VICTORIA: Comparing the St Andrews distance learning experience to the other experiences I've had, I've found it much more personalised. The support that you get from the institute is fantastic, and obviously, the academic side
of things is really excellent.

[TEXT:] "I always consider myself incredibly privileged to be allowed to teach and get to know students on the TESOL programme. I love to follow their careers when they leave us." - Ally Malcolm-Smith, English for Academic Purposes

>> VICTORIA: They teach you as a person rather than just somebody on that course with a registration number. You're much more than just a statistic, I think, when you come to St Andrews, and I've been benefitted from having that experience.

The services are there. We've got things like online chat. We've got asking questions by email that are answered really quickly. We've got access to inter-library loans on a digital level as well as the print side of things. And we've got access to articles.

[TEXT:] Remote access to academic resources:

• Chat to classmates and teaching staff.
• Digital copies of library resources.
• Article reach and inter-library loans. 

[TEXT:] Our MSc TESOL via Distance Learning programme equips graduates with the skills needed to succeed in the field of English language teaching, which offers job opportunities around the world at all levels of education.