Digital Teaching and Learning

Develop the skills to teach, design and engage learners in digital and hybrid environments

Build practical expertise in online teaching, inclusive digital learning and curriculum design through a flexible, fully online postgraduate qualification.

Whether you are an experienced educator looking to enhance your digital practice, or new to teaching and seeking to enter the field of digital and hybrid education, this programme will support you to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to design effective and engaging learning experiences.

Why choose this course

The Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Teaching and Learning is designed to help you develop the core capabilities needed for contemporary digital education settings.

The programme combines research-informed study with applied learning, enabling you to explore how digital technologies are reshaping teaching and learning while developing approaches that can be directly applied in your professional context.

You will:

• Develop expertise in digital and hybrid pedagogy, inclusive teaching and curriculum design
• Learn how to create accessible and engaging learning experiences for diverse learners
• Engage with emerging developments in educational technology, including generative AI
• Complete authentic assessments based on real-world teaching and learning practice
• Learn alongside a global community of educators and aspiring digital learning professionals

Build confidence in digital and hybrid teaching

Digital and hybrid learning is now a core part of education across schools, colleges, universities and wider learning contexts. As organisations continue to expand online and blended provision, there is increasing demand for educators who can design and deliver high-quality digital learning experiences.

The Postgraduate Certificate has been designed to help you build the knowledge and practical expertise needed to meet this demand. It combines established educational theory with contemporary digital practice, helping you understand not only how digital tools are used in education, but how and why they support effective learning.

Whether you are new to teaching or looking to enhance existing practice, you will develop the skills needed to create effective learning experiences that respond to the needs of diverse learners in digital and hybrid environments.

Learn from contemporary practice and emerging innovation

Throughout the programme, you will explore how digital education is reshaping teaching, learning and curriculum design across a range of educational settings.

You will critically engage with current research, policy and professional practice while developing your understanding of key themes including:

• digital pedagogy and online learning design
• inclusive and accessible teaching approaches
• curriculum design for digital and hybrid learning environments
• learner engagement and participation online
• emerging technologies including generative AI in education

By connecting theory with practice, you will develop the confidence to make informed decisions about teaching, learning and curriculum design within your own professional context.

Join a global community of digital educators

As a fully online programme, you will study alongside learners from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds.

This creates a collaborative learning environment where you can share experience, exchange ideas and develop your understanding of digital education across different contexts and perspectives.

You will benefit from a global learning community that supports professional discussion, reflection and development throughout your studies.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Teaching and Learning comprises three 20-credit Level 7 modules, studied over three trimesters.

We will advise you of your study plan - the running order and availability of the modules - when you are invited to enrol.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

The programme delivers an immersive and interactive online learning experience that combines flexibility with meaningful engagement.

You will study fully online through a flexible combination of independent study, collaborative activities, discussion-based learning and live online sessions.

This approach is designed to support working professionals while maintaining a high level of engagement and academic support throughout the programme.

The programme is designed to reflect the very practices you will be developing as a digital educator, enabling you to experience effective online teaching and learning as a student while critically reflecting on it as a practitioner.

You will be supported by experienced tutors who bring current research and professional expertise into your learning, along with insights from contemporary digital education practice.

Teaching and learning

A distinctive feature of the Postgraduate Certificate is that you learn about effective online teaching by experiencing it directly.

The programme models best practice in digital and hybrid education, enabling you to engage with high-quality online learning as a student while critically reflecting on it as a future educator. Every aspect of the programme - from learning design and communication to assessment and interaction - has been intentionally designed to demonstrate effective digital pedagogy in action.

Through this approach, you will not only study digital and hybrid teaching, but experience the principles that underpin it. This “learning by design” model enables you to develop both the practical skills and critical insight needed to create effective, inclusive and engaging online learning experiences.

You will receive ongoing feedback to support your development as a reflective and confident digital educator.

Pace of study

The academic year is made up of three 10-week terms, known as trimesters.

You will study one 20-credit module per trimester and we recommend approximately 20 hours of study per week to successfully complete each module.

This structure enables you to balance postgraduate study alongside professional and personal commitments while progressing steadily through the qualification over one year.

Assessment method

Assessment is designed to reflect authentic professional practice in digital and hybrid education.

You will complete applied assessment tasks such as:

• digital teaching portfolios
• curriculum design projects
• reflective and critical analysis
• professional practice-based activities
• digital learning resources and learning designs

Each assessment is designed to be relevant to professional practice, and support the development of a portfolio of work that demonstrates your capabilities as a digital educator.

Student support and guidance

Whilst we encourage our students to become independent, life-long learners, we also recognise that offering the right support and guidance will help you to achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to you at the University, from your dedicated Personal Tutor and Online Learner Advisor, through to our:

• Library
• Health and Wellbeing Centre
• Careers and Employability Service
• IT Support
• Union of Students
• Develop@Derby for study, personal and employability skills

All these services, and more, are available to you as an online student at the University of Derby.

Digital, online and hybrid learning continues to expand across schools, colleges, universities, workplace learning and community education settings. As organisations invest in flexible and technology-enhanced approaches to learning, demand is growing for professionals who can design, deliver and evaluate high-quality digital learning experiences.

This qualification can support progression into roles such as:

• Online or hybrid educator
• Digital learning practitioner
• Digital curriculum developer
• Learning designer
• Learning technologist
• Education and training specialist
• Online tutor or independent education provider

The programme also develops highly transferable skills in digital capability, communication, curriculum design, collaboration, critical thinking and reflective practice. These skills are increasingly valued across education, training, learning and development, educational technology and other sectors undergoing digital transformation.

For those with entrepreneurial ambitions, the programme also provides a foundation for creating online learning content, developing educational resources, delivering independent tuition or establishing digital learning ventures.

Utilise our Careers and Employment Service​

Whilst you are a student at the University of Derby, and for three years after you graduate, our Careers and Employment Service can assist you with job search advice, CV creation, workshops and events, as well as one-to-one appointments with employment advisers to help with career planning and interview preparation.

Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent qualification in line with University of Derby admissions criteria.

You will be asked to provide a CV outlining your academic and professional experience. In some cases, applicants may be invited to interview.

Applicants with substantial relevant professional experience may also be considered where they can demonstrate readiness for postgraduate Level 7 study.

For entry at Postgraduate Certificate level, equivalent experience and achievement may be considered for applicants with non-standard qualifications. Evidence of equivalence of knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to a first degree are required.

English language qualifications

If English is not your first language, or you have not successfully completed your highest level of qualification in English, you will need an English language qualification equivalent to a minimum IELTS (International English Language Testing System) average score of 6.5 or equivalent. 

If you enrol with this minimum score, you will be encouraged to engage with additional study to develop your knowledge and application of academic English.

View English language requirements

Note: International qualifications will be assessed for equivalency according to UK ENIC (formerly NARIC) guidelines and the university's international admissions policy.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Have you already studied at another institution, completed a training course, or does your work experience appear equivalent to one or more modules of your chosen course? If so, you may be able to translate this prior learning into credits towards your course modules, so you don’t have to study them again.

Further information about applying for credits for prior learning can be found in our recognition of prior learning section.

^‡2026/27 for new entrants

Starting between September 2026 and August 2027.

About your fees

This figure would be the total cost of this course based on the fee in the current academic year. However, please note that fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase if your course lasts longer than one year.

If you are required to undertake any associate study or additional study as a condition of your offer for the programme, please be aware that the cost for this may be in addition to the programme cost stated above.

Flexible payment plans available

Choose from two payment plan options:

• Pay monthly and only for the modules you are studying

• Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases

Contact us

Contact the University of Derby Online Learning: