First and foremost, Congratulations on gaining a place on our Practitioner Diploma Online course – it’s going to be such an exciting adventure, full of learning and inspiration and we can’t wait to get you started!
Before we get into the good stuff we just wanted to take a moment to give you a little overview and some more detail about the nuts and bolts of how the course works in practice, to ensure that the coming months flow easily for you.
Structure and Communication
First of all, just a reminder that it is an online course, so, as far as possible, all of your learning and interaction with tutors will be conducted via this Online Learning Platform or through emails with the main office, however, if you need a quick chat or a more detailed tutorial then one-to-one time with a member of the team can be arranged upon request. It is also possible for you to attend any of the Diploma Course lectures that may be happening around the country throughout the year so do contact the office for details of possible dates and venues – we would love to meet you in person!
The course is comprised of 12 modules which can be completed at your own pace. Each of the 12 Modules will have a series of ‘topics’ which you must work through, covering subjects such as ‘Anatomy and Physiology’, ‘The Science of Nutrition’ or ‘Case Work’. There will also be coursework which must be completed and uploaded for marking and although you will be able to move between all topics within a Module you will not be allowed to continue through to the next Module until all coursework relating to that Module has been submitted for assessment. We will endeavour to assess your work within 3 weeks of receiving it and to return it to you via the online platform, with a grade and feedback from the marking tutor. This will continue until all 12 modules are completed.
Personal Tutor
Although a number of tutors will be involved with your learning, you will have a designated ‘personal’ tutor to help guide and support you through the course. You have probably already enjoyed an initial call with your tutor so they could introduce themselves and personally welcome you to The Foundation but if not then they will be in touch imminently. It will be their responsibility to arrange reviews with you, to discuss your progress and deal with any difficulties you may be experiencing and they will be contacting you for follow up review within the first month of starting your course.
Questions and Queries
If you have any technical questions about the topics you are studying then you should write those down on the homework return slips so that the marking tutor can deal with any areas of confusion or misunderstanding. If a query arises that is preventing you from progressing with your study, then please call the office and we will put you in touch with a tutor who can handle your enquiry immediately, however, we would ask you to use this facility only when absolutely necessary – remember – this is an online course.
Background Research
The lectures, reading and references we supply as part of the course are only the basis of your learning – it is important to read widely to broaden your understanding and you should try to reflect this in your written work. Your recommended reading list is a brilliant source of information and the internet is a veritable sweet shop when it comes to finding interesting ideas and concepts to expand your learning horizons! A word of warning though – be discerning when it comes to your reading – for every well researched, well evidenced, thought provoking article you read there will be one which is no more than an opinion piece – so try to ‘critique’ things that you read before you assimilate them into your beliefs and/or your coursework. Asking questions, searching for references to back up (and criticise) articles you find, and looking at any information in the context of what you are learning on the course can all help you assess the usefulness of any internet research.
Personal Learning Journal
Within each module you will find activities which relate to your ‘Personal Learning Journal’. This part of the course has been designed to help you to experience your learning and as such it is not assessed – any work that you do on this is for your eyes only!
Clinical days
As part of our Clinical Practice course there will be the opportunity for you, as students and your friends and family to participate in our supervised clinical days. Throughout the academic year we invite people to The Foundation to take the role of ‘patient’ for our second year students. This service is free of charge to anyone who wishes to use it but please remember that these practitioners are in training. This is a great opportunity for anyone who would like some help and advice on their health so please feel free to pass our number on to anyone whom you think may benefit from this service.
Finances
By now, your your regular monthly payment plan should be in place. If you have any question, queries or problems regarding payment then please do contact us at the office for a chat – we are here to help!
Well, that’s the end of the introduction. Please don’t try and take in all this information at once – refer to it when you a query pops up, and of course, if the answer is not here then please do not hesitate call us at the office on 01749 671555 (9.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Thursday) or drop us an email to Team@Nutrihealfoundation.com
We hope that you enjoy your studies and wish you the very best of luck – you are about to embark upon a remarkable journey!
Ali, Lesley, Elaine, Jo and the team at Nutriheal
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