Polytechnic Teaching

Associate Certificate Part-time Learning and Teaching Centre

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Overview

Our Associate Certificate in Polytechnic Teaching gives you a professional development pathway to build your skills as an instructor in an applied-skills learning environment.

This program is designed for those who are teaching, or wish to teach, in a polytechnic educational setting. It begins by building foundational teaching and learning skills, followed by more in-depth exploration of instructional and assessment strategies, teaching with technology, facilitating online learning, and professional reflective practice. The program uses active and applied learning strategies that reflect the experiential learning model valued in polytechnic programs.

The program is composed of 6 courses totalling 17 credits:

We recommend that participants begin with POLY 1005 Instructional Skills Workshop. POLY 1010, 1015, 1020, and 1025 can then be taken in any order. All courses in the first tier of the map are prerequisites for POLY 1030.

This POLY program is available in a flexible learning format (part-time studies) to meet the diverse needs of working professionals. The program takes 2–5 years to complete.

Laddering Opportunities

All courses in this program are transferrable to the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) at Vancouver Community College (VCC). This laddering opportunity is a great chance to continue building your skills as an educator. See the chart below for more information about credit transfer from BCIT to VCC. To begin the process of transferring credit, please reach out to the Transfer Credit department at VCC:

2-column table showing correspondence between POLY courses and VCC courses

Please see the Continue Your Education section under Program Details or the Transfer Credit section under Courses for more information. VCC has a 5-year limit to complete the PIDP, which includes all transfer credits and completion of the PIDP Capstone.

Program Goals

Upon completion of the POLY program, participants will be equipped to:

Develop suitable learning outcomes for polytechnic courses, ensuring that the goals are appropriate for the educational setting.
Apply learning theories to inform teaching methods and optimize learning experiences for students.
Design supportive and effective online, in-person, and blended learning environments to accommodate various learning preferences.
Implement teaching strategies using appropriate tools and technologies that are tailored to specific educational goals and objectives.
Create instructional strategies that address diverse learner needs and backgrounds, fostering an inclusive learning environment.
Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional strategies to continually improve and refine teaching methods.
Choose assessment strategies, techniques, and feedback mechanisms that align with the learning outcomes, facilitating effective student evaluation.
Formulate and maintain a professional development plan to stay current with trends and issues in field of practice and adult learning.
Cultivate habits of being a reflective practitioner, encouraging self-awareness and continuous improvement in teaching practices.

When you are ready to begin your pathway in the Polytechnic Teaching Associate Certificate, please see Courses for information about course offerings and to begin your registration process.

Entrance Requirements

Below are the entrance requirements to the program. You will also find information about program declaration, which is required for graduation. If you intend to embark on the educator pathway toward this associate certificate, declare now.

Application processing

This program is open to declarations beginning:

February 1st* for the January intake
May 1st* for the April intake
October 1st* for the September intake

*or next business day

Entrance requirements

Notice to applicants: As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure students are best prepared for their studies, Flexible Learning programs will be adopting English Language Proficiency standards (Categories 1, 2, and 3) as part of their declaration requirements effective April 2025.

Declarations submitted for program intakes beginning April 1, 2025 or later will be evaluated using the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement below.

English language proficiency: Category 2 – English Studies 12 (67%) or equivalent

Recommended for success

Before beginning this program, it is strongly recommended to have the following:

Graduation from Grade 12 or an equivalent qualification.
Time management skills and the ability to allocate time for classes, as well as an additional 2-4 hours per week for reading, assignments, and studying.

Additionally, meeting one of the following criteria is recommended:

Current or recent experience teaching in a post-secondary polytechnic environment or
The intention to teach in a polytechnic environment, along with a minimum of 3 years of post-secondary or trades training or experience working in a specific field.

International applicants

This program is not available to international students. View available programs

Program declaration

Declaring your Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) program ensures that BCIT is aware of your intent to complete a program as it is currently outlined and provides you the opportunity to apply for transfer credit.

To submit your declaration:

Answer all questions completely.
If required, convert transcripts and documents to PDF files.
Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.

Declare Now

Upon approval, a program plan letter will be sent to you confirming your program of study. Please allow approximately eight weeks for processing.

Learn more about program declaration

Scheduled Intakes

Ongoing Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) intakes: January, April, and September.

Costs & Supplies

Tuition fees

Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Flexible Learning Tuition & Fees page for more information.

For BCIT Faculty and Staff who are eligible for a fee waiver, please contact develop@bcit.ca. Only BCIT internal applicants are eligible for a fee waiver.

Books & supplies

Books and supplies are included.

Courses

Class hours

See individual course sections for class hours.

Program matrix

Check current availability of courses for this program.

Required Courses:			Credits
	POLY 1005	Instructional Skills Workshop NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca. The Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) takes a highly participatory approach as groups examine their values and practices related to teaching or training and learning. It may be conducted in a variety of formats (face to face, blended, or online). Usually participants (a group of about four to six) work with one or two facilitators, although several groups may be meeting concurrently and may interact periodically. During the workshop, participants are encouraged to review core ideas about teaching and learning, reflect on current practices, and try new instructional strategies, techniques, and approaches within a respectful and supportive environment. Using lesson planning models for learning outcomes and/or expressive outcomes, participants offer short lessons to each other in a small group setting (guided practice). Feedback on lessons is provided verbally, in writing, and by means of video recording. Workshop facilitators also offer sessions that explore topics related to teaching and learning. • The ISW uses a developmental peer-based approach. • The ISW encourages active, experiential learning and is based on principles of learning-centred instruction. • The ISW raises the awareness of, appreciation of, and sensitivity to the many individual differences— visible and invisible— learners bring to any learning environment. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	1.5
	POLY 1010	Instructional Strategies NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca. The Instructional Strategies course provides participants with the opportunity to experience a variety of instructional strategies and techniques, which they can apply to their own teaching practice. Participants will develop and adapt motivational strategies to better engage their students. Participants will use creative techniques and frameworks to help their students learn how to learn and how to think critically and creatively. Participants will discuss strategies for creating an inclusive classroom that is respectful of diversity and removes obstacles to student success, as well as strategies and techniques for building a sense of community amongst learners. They will also learn how to manage classrooms and handle difficult situations in a respectful, professional manner. Principles of universal design for learning will be explored. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	POLY 1015	Assessment for Learning NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca In this course, learners will examine the who, what, why, when, and how of learning assessment. The course starts with separating the ideas of evaluation and assessment. Learners then revisit and expand on concepts introduced in the ISW: writing learning outcomes, alignment in course design, backwards design, and course goals. Formative assessment is discussed including effective feedback and classroom assessment techniques that can result in motivation and metacognition. Students will then explore assessment design including different types of assessment and their alignment within the course. Design of grading tools will also be explored including rubrics and checklists. Other concepts foundational to good assessment design - validity, reliability, ethics and privacy, and authenticity are woven throughout the course. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	POLY 1020	Teaching with Educational Technology NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca In this course, participants will examine the use of educational technology. The course starts with a discussion of terminology relevant to educational technology. Participants then explore various types of educational media and current trends and learn how to select and use educational technology appropriate to the needs of a particular course. Emphasis is put on choosing educational technology and media to facilitate instruction and help achieve learning outcomes. Participants will also explore the copyright and other laws relevant to selecting and creating media or other educational technology as well as exploring the impact of how technology, media space and socialization work together. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	POLY 1025	Fostering Learning Online NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca Effective use of communication tools in online learning environments that support discourse leads to learner engagement and positive educational experiences. Using the Community of Inquiry Framework as a backbone, participants in this course will design discussion and collaborative activities that take advantage of the affordances of synchronous and asynchronous technologies. This fully online workshop is fully experiential with hands-on, authentic facilitating opportunities. Participants will lead discussion and collaborative activities with the cohort group twice, once with an asynchronous tool, and once with a synchronous tool, and they will give and receive feedback on facilitation practice. This course addresses fostering learning online for in-person, hyflex, blended and online delivery modes. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	POLY 1030	Reflective Professional Practice NOTE: All registrants must first contact develop@bcit.ca In this course, participants will examine their developing professional identity as “teacher". The course provides opportunities to reflect on personal values and beliefs about teaching and learning, and how these influence teaching practice. Participants will uncover their personal teaching perspectives through the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) and reflect on the connections between teaching beliefs, intentions, and actions. Participants will have opportunities to engage in reflection, discuss teaching goals, methods, and philosophy, write a teaching statement and develop a reflective teaching portfolio, intended to foster reflection on their professional growth. Participants will document, and reflect on, their professional development through the BCIT Teaching Credential through the development of a Teaching Portfolio. The Teaching Portfolio will include a summary of teaching roles and responsibilities, a teaching statement including a brief discussion of teaching goals, methods, and strategies, and finally evidence of effective teaching through the presentation of artefacts collected through the BCIT teaching credential. Prerequisite(s): S in POLY 1005 and 60% in POLY 1010 and 60% in POLY 1015 and 60% in POLY 1020 and S in POLY 1025 course outline	3.5

Total Credits:			17.0

Check current availability of courses for this program.

Transfer credit

Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.

Program Details

Program length

The program can be completed in five years.

Program delivery

This program is offered in the following delivery modes:

In person: This program is delivered on campus.
Blended: Blended: This program is delivered partly on campus and partly online.
Online: The entire program is delivered fully online.

Program location

Courses may be offered at the following locations:

Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC

Distance and online learning

Continue your education

Several courses from this program will be transferable to Vancouver Community College (VCC)'s Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP).

Graduating & Jobs

Apply for graduation

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.

All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.

Faculty, Advisors & Staff

Michele Bridge
Faculty Development Coordinator/Instructional Development Consultant – Learning and Teaching Centre
604-451-7004 | mbridge4@bcit.ca

Cheyenne Keith
Program Assistant – Learning and Teaching Centre
604-432-8408 | cheyenne_keith@bcit.ca

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