Learning and Teaching Committee

Curriculum Sub-Committee

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Minutes of the Meeting of the Sub-Committee held on Thursday 17 January 2008

Membership: Professor Simon Austin (Chair), Professor Morag Bell, Dr Paul Byrne,
Professor John Dickens, Sophie Driscoll, Professor Roy Faulkner, Dr Martin Harrison,
Dr Jane Horner, Phil Sawdon, Jan Tennant

In attendance: Dr Jennie Elliott

08/01 Minutes

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The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2007 were confirmed.

08/02 Matters Arising from the Minutes

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.1 It was noted that all recommendations to Learning and Teaching Committee, and subsequently to Senate where appropriate, had been approved. The relevant minutes of Senate were noted.

.2 Minute 07/25 – FdEng Foundation Degree programme in Fundamentals of Powertrain Engineering: New Programme Proposals

It was noted that discussions with HEFCE were ongoing and the programme would therefore not be ready to start in January 2008.

.3 Minute 07/26 – Conversion of MSc Management (Professional) to MBA

It was noted that the Business School had decided not to proceed with the proposal.

08/03 BSc Sport and Exercise Science (Gymnastics): New Programme Proposals

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.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences for a new full-time pathway within/alongside the existing BSc Sport and Exercise Science programme, with effect from October 2008. It was understood that students would apply initially to the Sport and Exercise Science programme and transfer subsequently to the new programme title.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Programme Regulations

Para 3 to be revised to conform with the terminology of para 26 of Regulation XX (i.e avoiding reference to accumulation)

(b) Programme Specification

Section 7 to be revised to remove outdated information and comply with the revised section in the Programme Specification template.

(i) Module Specifications should be entered onto the LUSI system

(ii) PEC004: MTLA field required expansion on form of delivery, frequency and interim targets

(iii) PEC050: should be 10 credits with 100 hours of student effort. ‘Preparation for examination’ in the MTLA field did not appear to apply. Assessment on ‘contribution to discussions’ required expansion in the text.

ACTION: PLB, JEME

.3 It was observed that the Curriculum Map for the programme was relatively sparsely populated for Parts A and B, but more densely populated for Part C, indicating that the ILOs were developed and assessed through most modules in Part C. This led to a general discussion about the Curriculum Map and whether or not there was a particular population density that should be expected. It was not uncommon for Curriculum Maps from SSH departments to be heavily populated. This could be a function of the nature of the ILOs, with more generic ILOs resulting in a more densely populated map; a function of discipline, or possibly a function of how many staff were involved in compiling the map or whether the Programme Director provided an overview of the programme. In the case of the programme under consideration, it could be that the map represented a position that has evolved from a long-established programme, and were the programme to be developed ab initio the resultant map might be different. The Curriculum Map provided a useful tool to students, staff, External Examiners and CSC to show where ILOs were delivered and assessed, and could be used to identify over-assessment. The Assessment Matrix was a complementary tool, through which the validity of assessment methods in assessing the ILOs could be determined. The definition of ILOs was itself a fine balance: too general and the result would be a highly populated Curriculum Map; too specific and it would become difficult to demonstrate that each had been assessed. After much discussion it was suggested that the way forward was to make clearer that ILOs on the Curriculum Map should only be ticked for modules where they have been assessed. It was AGREED that the Curriculum Map be revised accordingly, and guidance provided on the completion of the Curriculum Map and Assessment Matrix and the relationship of these to each other, and the draft tracked changes of the document circulated to members of the Sub-Committee for their approval and reflective views. At the same time the AD(T) of SSH would seek views from his Faculty on whether this approach might solve some of the difficulties being experienced in completing the Map. The proposers of the programme under discussion would be asked to revisit the Curriculum Map for this and other programmes to bring them in line with any new requirements in time for their next Periodic Programme Review.

ACTION: PLB, JEME

08/04 BSc, DIS/DIntS Physics with Cosmology: New Programme Proposals

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.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Physics for a new full-time programme with effect from October 2009. It was noted that the Department intended to review the structure of its programmes in the course of the year. The structure of the new programme was based on current provision and might therefore require some revision for approval via normal channels before its commencement in 2009. It was commented that some external evidence of demand for the programme might have been expected, but acknowledged that it was sometimes difficult to approach competitor institutions in this way. In this case, and often in other cases for UG programmes, the market need for a programme has been identified by Howard Jones in Student Recruitment and Admissions. It was AGREED that for such cases in the future a note of support from Howard on market potential should be provided for the Sub-Committee. The PVC(T) agreed to explore whether similar marketing support could also be provided as appropriate from the International Office.

ACTION: PVC(T)

.2 It was noted that Part C of the programme included level 7 (D) modules up to a maximum of 50 credits. This was questioned in terms of the likelihood that this might not conform with the University’s credit framework for awards currently under development, the impact on Part D students also studying these modules and the difficulty of justifying these as Master’s level modules if routinely taken in Part C. Compliance with the University’s new framework, once approved, would be tested when the Department’s paperwork for restructuring its programmes came forward. No Curriculum Map had been provided for the Sub-Committee as the Department had started work on the proposal prior to this being a requirement. It was expected that the map would be submitted as part of the restructuring proposals. Also as part of those proposals the Department would be expected to consider redressing the imbalance in assessment methods which were dominated by examinations.

.3 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Confirmation that all resource issues concerning the proposed observatory, which appeared to be integral to the programme, had been resolved, including that for the siting and housing of the equipment. Confirmation also that the Department had taken into account the presumed need for students to use the facility at night.

(b) Amendments to the documents as annotated by the AD(T)

(i) Para 1.3: DIS and DIntS awards should be reversed so that they applied to the correct year-out structure

(ii) Paras 3.2 & 3.3: references to GRUA should be revised to read Regulation XX

(d) Programme Specification

(i) Aims should be more strongly expressed: about 6 aims would normally be expected (para 7 of the Specification could provide some useful input)

(ii) ILOs should make mention of Cosmology

(iii) The level of transferable skills should be raised (Jan Tennant could provide advice)

(iv) The first cognitive skill should be more specific in relation to the areas

(v) TLA strategies needed strengthening

(vi) There should be some mention of use of the new observatory

(e) Module Specifications

(i) Module specifications should be entered onto the LUSI system

(ii) ILOs needed strengthening

(iii) Consideration of whether there should be an appropriately titled project module specifically for this programme, to ensure subject coverage, or whether the existing generic project module was sufficient

(iv) PHC201,ILO 3: ‘and should be able to…..logical manner’ to be deleted as unnecessary.

ACTION: MCH, JEME

08/05 MA/MSc 2D and 3D Visualisation: New Programme Proposals

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.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from LUSAD, in collaboration with Design and Technology, for a full-time/part-time programme with effect from October 2008.

The Sub-Committee saw this as an exciting development and recognised the genuine attempt of two departments to design a new programme which was not simply a union of existing provision. Attention was drawn to the external advisor’s concern that the opportunity appeared to have been missed of integrating 2D and 3D representations in investigative and creative work. The Sub-Committee was assured that the integration would be covered in the curriculum, though this had not been clear from the documentation. In response to the Careers Centre’s comment that the inclusion of employability and enterprise modules would be a valuable addition to the programme, the Sub-Committee was advised that the proposers were incorporating this within the curriculum but did not wish to have discrete modules. The Sub-Committee was assured that existing equipment was adequate for the proposed programme.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Programme Regulations

(i) Para 2.2 to be presented in a more user-friendly format

(ii) Para 2.3 to be deleted

(iii) Para 3.2: ‘and at least…..module(s)’ to be deleted

(b) Programme Specification

(i) Make reference to the integration of 2D and 3D representations

(ii) Address the apparent overlap of ILOs in the Knowledge & Understanding and Skills categories (advice was available from Jan Tennant in Professional Development)

(c) Module Specifications

(i) Consider whether the integration of 2D and 3D representations could be made clearer in the titles and specifications for DTP702 and SAP102.

(ii) SAP103: MTLA field required revision to delete erroneous text on assessment

ACTION: PLB, JEME

.3 The difficulty of differentiating Knowledge and Understanding ILOs from Skills ILOs was raised as a general problem. It was AGREED that some clarification was required within the Programme Specification template and that the proposed wording should be circulated to the Sub-Committee for approval. The AD(T)s were asked to inform the Secretary of any exemplary Programme Specifications for inclusion on the exemplar website.

ACTION: JEME, AD(T)s

08/06 MSc/PGDip/PGCert Management and Leadership (Professional) (Aggregate Industries): New Programme Proposals

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.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the Business School for a new part-time programme with effect from March 2008. The programme was a variant on an existing suite of programmes tailored for specific employers. It was noted that there were 35 ILOs for the programme, which was a relatively large number, but, with reference to the discussion in minute 08/03.3 above, the Curriculum Map was nevertheless densely populated. It was possible that the proposal in minute 08/03.3 to clarify that population of the Curriculum Map should only occur where ILOs were assessed might make a difference in this case and should be followed through at the next Business School PPR.

(a) Programme Regulations

Paras 4.4 to 4.7 were a repeat of the requirements in Regulation XXI and should be deleted

(b) Programme Specification

(i) Para 2: Reference to The National Qualifications Framework should be revised to The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

(ii) Para 7: Outdated information and section to be replaced by the new para 7 in the Programme Specification template

(c) Module Specifications

(i) Header information in modules (e.g. Responsible Examiner) required completion and typos required amendment

(ii) BSP904/905: The appropriateness that 50% of the assessment was based on less than a quarter of the student hours of effort should be considered, in relation to the assessment of module ILOs.

(iii) BSP906: ‘Assessment is by coursework (50%)’ to be deleted as this was confusing

(iv) BSP907: Clarification of Assessment section in MTLA field

(d) Curriculum Map

(i) The Curriculum Map did not always align with Assessment Matrix (e.g. modules with group/teamwork as shown on the matrix did not fully align with the population of the D6 column in the map). Revision of the map/matrix or both was required.

(ii) Confirmation that the D7 skill was only assessed by one module, as more would be expected

ACTION: PLB, JEME

08/07 Workload of Departmental Administrators

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.1 Further to Minute 07/23.5 of the previous meeting, the Sub-Committee considered a paper from the Secretary. The Sub-Committee was advised that a number of factors, many not within the Sub-Committee’s remit, had been identified as being responsible for the high workload on Departmental Administrators particularly during summer 2007. The Sub-Committee’s requirement to revise the programme structure section in Programme Specifications had provided an additional burden to Departmental Administrators at this busy time, as this had required the presentation of programme structure in a format not used elsewhere. The value of this task had been questioned by some departments and in some cases had not been carried out. The Sub-Committee was therefore being asked to reconsider the requirements regarding section 4 of the Programme Specification.

.2 It was commented that whilst the new structure for section 4 had proved useful, it would be a time-consuming task for this to be maintained year on year as programme changes were made. In view of the approach being explored for producing Programme Regulations and Specifications from LUSI in the future, such that sub-sets of information (i.e. structure, content, assessment) would be held separately and brought together as necessary for multiple purposes such as Programme Specifications, it was AGREED that as an interim measure a hyperlink should be provided from section 4 of a Programme Specification to the relevant set of Programme Regulations on the internet. This task would need to be completed centrally. Departments would have the option of adding an overview to the section. Programme Specifications would therefore not be required

to be submitted for approval during the Annual Update process if there were changes to programme structure that were being approved via Programme Regulations and which did not impinge on other sections of the Specification.

ACTION: JEME

08/08 Changes to Programme Titles or Awards

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It was AGREED to recommend to Learning and Teaching Committee the following changes:

MSc Occupational Health to

MSc Workplace Health (with effect from October 2008 intake)

08/09 Discontinuation of Programmes

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It was AGREED to recommend to Learning and Teaching Committee discontinuation of the following programmes (proposed date of last intake shown in brackets):

BSc Information Networks and Physics (no intake)

BSc Information Technology and Physics (Oct 2008)

BSc Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying (3 year version only) (Oct 2008)

MSc Citizenship, Identity and Globalization (no recruitment)

MSc Financial Globalization (2004/05)

08/10 LUSI Module Specification for 2008/09

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The proposed LUSI module specification for 2008/09 was noted.

08/11 Dates of Future Meetings in 2007/2008

Thursday 8 May 2008 (am)

Thursday 22 May 2008 (am) (if required)

Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – October 2007