Digital Education (MSc, PGDip, PGCert) September 2026

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

• Compulsory

  • Action Research and Reflection for Education Practitioners: provides a learning experience in which students can reflect on concepts and theories they have studied in the past and connect them with individual educational contexts, and explores the combined value of reflection and action research, providing a means for educational practitioners to understand their educational contexts and to plan responses to challenges in these contexts.
  • Contemporary Issues in Digital Education: is aimed at teaching and professional staff who support learning and wish to further their understanding of and engagement with the use of digital technologies. The module is designed to allow participants to step back from the delivery of digital education and develop an understanding of the contexts, philosophy and ethics of teaching online through examination of a variety of different stakeholder perspectives. The module will also provide participants with the skills they need to critically evaluate technologies and integrate them appropriately into their practice.
  • Education and Researching: explores different research methodologies and critically evaluates quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches. It will help students understand the features of a rigorous research question in education, as well as consider how to design, pilot and reflect on the effectiveness of different data collection instruments. Students will be taught, and given the opportunity to practise, different approaches to data analysis. The module will also include guidance and discussion on the different ethical considerations when conducting educational research, as well as the important stages in writing up the dissertation.
  • Online Programme Design: presents the key theories of learning and teaching as well as the principles that underpin online programme design. In addition to this you will learn about digital content creation, how to build a sense of community in online teaching and learning contexts, and about assessment and evaluation in the online world. You will be given the opportunity to identify and conceptualise these aspects of online teaching and learning within your own professional contexts.
  • Technology for Teaching: introduces students to the principal theories, concepts and practices of technology in education. The key focus is on the application of technology, and students will examine various classroom and online uses. Participants will critically consider the role and purpose of various modes of technology in education in a wide range of settings, be encouraged to identify and conceptualise problems within their own professional contexts, and develop creative and informed responses which utilise technology. Students will also develop project management and communication skills.

• Optional

  Those on the MSc and the PGDip programmes will choose three modules from the following list. If you are studying on the PGCert, you can choose four modules from this list or from the compulsory module list, subject to timetabling and course requirement restrictions.

  • Assessment and Evaluation in Education: provides students with a detailed understanding of the key concepts and theories behind different methods of assessment and evaluation in education. It will help you to examine the rationale for different types of assessments and assessment designs. You will make links to learning on other modules and examine the theory underpinning test construction and marking, in particular test validity and the role of criteria in assessment.
  • English for Academic Purposes: provides an understanding of the higher education context, the key principles underpinning learning in a university, text and discourse in the communities of the different disciplines, theories and practice of assessment, and the most effective methods and materials to motivate students and help them into a discourse community so that, as an EAP teacher, you will be able to prepare and support students who come to study for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees through the medium of English.
  • English Medium Instruction (EMI): With the rapid development of the internationalisation of education, English is being used as the medium of instruction in an increasing number of educational institutions, from university down to primary school and even kindergarten. This is a complex situation, and it is having a significant impact on teaching and learning worldwide, affecting both students and educators. EMI has therefore become a significant component of the study of postgraduate education as the roles of stakeholders are constantly evolving. This module will provide students with an understanding of the controversies of English as an international language for academic study and the complexity involved in speakers of any language teaching and learning in a second language.
  • Leadership and Management in International Education: asks students to think critically about the purpose, importance and understanding of key concepts and theories of educational leadership in higher education. To this end, the module will begin by exploring what is educational leadership and the qualities of an effective leader in educational settings in the 21st century. It will then introduce and consider relevant theories and principles underlying practice in educational leadership. In order to demonstrate an awareness of the contextual nature of leadership, the module will examine the contributions from international leadership perspectives in a number of different global contexts. Students will be encouraged to analyse and discuss questions and issues arising from the study in line with their own practice and experience in both written and verbal communications.
  • Linguistics for Language Teachers: equips you with the skills required to describe and analyse language. It does not assume prior knowledge of linguistics and seeks to introduce you to selected fundamental concepts relevant to English language teaching. You will acquire appropriate terminology and techniques in the analysis and description of grammatical terms and structures.
  • Organisational Development in International Education: you will learn about key theories of organisational development as well as their practical application to an educational setting. Students will explore organisation diagnosis, leading change and organisation culture, and will be given the opportunity to reflect and critically apply the organisation development interventions to international settings.
  • Teaching Young Learners: explores theories of child development and learning which are fundamental to the understanding of child second language acquisition, namely children aged 4 to 7, 8 to 11, and 12 to 18. Child psychology has to be taken into account in the development of teaching materials, teaching styles and classroom management. There is also a practical element to the module, in the form of tasks requiring you to create lesson plans and materials to share with your peers, to apply theory to practice.
  • Trends and Policies in International Education: aims to raise awareness and enable reflection of the key trends and policies in international education. It provides students with the opportunity to examine the impact that these trends and policies have on standing pedagogical structures and the dialogues they create within the field of intercultural pedagogy. Against this backdrop, the module will encourage students to assess the impact that the decisions they make as leaders, or may go on to make as potential leaders within the field of international education, have on the stakeholders within their context of work.

• Dissertation (MSc only)

  Only those on the MSc programme are required to submit a 15,000-word dissertation.  

  For the dissertation, you will choose a topic of interest to you and to your future career. You will read related literature and conduct independent research on your topic.

  Student dissertations will be supervised by IELLI staff members. Supervisors will provide guidance throughout the research process, helping you to formulate a suitable research hypothesis. They will offer advice on relevant literature and how to plan your time effectively.

• Teaching and assessment

  You will take a variety of taught modules over the first two semesters of the programme, which are delivered through a mixture of:

  • live lectures
  • face-to-face seminars
  • office hours
  • out-of-class activities

  Assessment

  In each five-week module, you will integrate theory and practice by discussing and critiquing theoretical concepts and frameworks, and then applying them through a range of practical assessments.

  Assessments will include:

  • a variety of different types of written assignments
  • presentations
  • development of teaching plans
  • material development

  Read more on curriculum development at the University.

  To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.