FAQ

Important information about the SHOOC. This page will grow as we receive queries and you are advise to bookmark this page or subscribe to the blog to receive updates.

What is a SHOOC?
A SHOOC is an open online course organised and run by the Sheffield Institute of Education, at Sheffield Hallam University. It works on the principle of open educational resources (OERs) provided free to interested parties with open content (free to use but copyrighted to SHU) with ‘badges’ for successful tasks, a certificate for completed participation, with an option to go on to take a masters module in Coaching and Mentoring*.

Why do I need to register?
To register you on the Enhance your Mentoring Skills SHOOC we need your name and email address so that we can provide you with with a unique account in Pebblepad that will be owned by you. The information we ask for about your place of work, qualifications and mentoring experience will help the course team meet your needs – it will not be shared with anyone else. You can withdraw at any time and we will delete your details. This data is covered by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Helen Williamson is the University Data Protection Officer (DPO@shu.ac.uk) and you should contact her if:

  • you have a query about how your data is used by the University
  • you would like to report a data security breach (e.g. if you think your personal data has been lost or disclosed inappropriately)
  • you would like to complain about how the University has used your personal data

Who is the course for?
The course is aimed specifically at mentors of trainee and newly-qualified teachers (NQTs) but is also for anyone who mentors in an educational context (i.e. school, college, university etc. and informal settings). The curriculum is mapped to the UK National Standards for School-based Initial Teacher Training Mentors and many of the examples and scenarios are focussed on schools and teacher trainees. However, the generic aspects of the mentoring process and the mentor / mentee relationship are covered. See Curriculum for the aims and objectives of the course.

What does the course involve?
If you register for the course you will receive an account for Pebblepad and the materials for each workbook are released to you in your resources. We estimate that reading any materials and taking part in the activities will take about 5 hours per workbook. See the E-Learning page for details of each workbook and what is involved.

What am I signing up for?
You are registering on the course and you are agreeing to participate in the activities of the SHOOC for the duration of the course. We understand that people are busy so if you are unable to complete any of the tasks there is no penalty and you can catch up later, or not complete them as you wish. You will receive access to the materials even if you are inactive and the SHOOC will remain open after the course ends. If you decide to submit the workbooks (optional) a one-off charge of £65 is made for assessment and certification (this charge is waived for Partners in Learning and Yorkshire Three Counties Alliance mentors).

What are digital badges and how does this work?
If you successfully complete the activities for each workbook and submit the workbook (this is optional)  you will receive a digital badge – an electronic icon that you can add to your LinkedIn page or include in your professional profile or portfolio. If you complete all five workbooks you will receive a digital certificate of participation (see Achievement). We estimate that each workbook takes about 5 hours to complete fully. At the end of the course we will explain the options for going on to take masters credits in Mentoring and Coaching. The masters work is completely optional and there is a cost for this route if you decide to choose it. We will send you details of cost and what is involved.

Have we answered your question? If not please email mentorshooc@shu.ac.uk or Tweet us @mentor_shooc

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