This is a discussion document
and does not represent
University
policy at this stage.
We are the Senate representatives on the Semesterisation Review Committee and
considered that the subject of semesterisation should be fully discussed by the
wide body of the university prior to the Senate meeting of 27th November 1996.
As members of the Semesterisation Review Committee we are party to agreed
recommendations from that group to Senate. However, those recommendations
arise from much debate and it is a matter of record that very divergent views
had to be accommodated to achieve some form of consensus to put to Senate. We
feel it would aid Senate debate if the substance of those divergent views were
rehearsed openly and were subject to due consideration by the wider
constituency.
This Senate meeting will need to take the decision for changes if they are to
take place for the academic year 1997/1998. All four Senate members elected
from General Assembly support the calling of the meeting. To this end a
meeting of General Assembly was called by means of a signed petition, which
requested that the following motion be put to the General Assembly for placing
on the agenda of the Senate meeting of 27th November 1996: "General Assembly
requests that Senate should initiate the implementation of a system of
semesterisation encompassing two twelve week semesters (Semester one before
Christmas and Semester two between Christmas and Easter) and a six week exam
period after Easter."
Three generalised systems have been under debate. The exact details would have
to be derived by considerable further work and discussion in committee,
faculties and departments.
- 1.
- '12/12/6 System': Two twelve week semesters followed by a six week exam
period. Semester 1 would be before Christmas followed by a Christmas break,
semester 2 would be between Christmas and Easter, and the exam period would be
after an Easter break.
- 2.
- '14/16 System': Semester 1 (14/15 weeks) before Christmas followed by a
Christmas break, semester 2 (16/15 weeks) would be after Christmas and
including an Easter break. There would be exams in the last 2(3) weeks of each
semester.
- 3.
- The present system at LU.
This paper argues the case for the first
system, i.e. the 12/12/6 week semester system. We believe that this
system would have the most advantages with minimum disadvantages. Issues are
separated into pedagogic (academic) and structural issues. We believe that
both need to be thoroughly considered and we provide comment in the paper to
support the first system. We stress that there is no definition of
semesterisation other than separating the academic year into two periods of
learning - there is no requirement that examinations must take place at the end
of each - that is a decision for LU.
Our arguments are based on two assumptions which are not part of this debate at
this time.
- 1.
- The undergraduate year will continue to be of 30 weeks' duration.
- 2.
- Undergraduate programmes will continue to be modular, with teaching in
blocks of 12 weeks' duration.
The original driving force for the introduction of semesterisation was from the
Flowers Report to fit three semesters (sic!) into the academic year. This
conclusion was discarded and is now irrelevant because there is not the funding
to fill three semesters. The original reason was wrong and no longer exists.
The reason most quoted locally and in many other universities was that we had
to do it because everyone else was doing it - a reasonable argument possibly,
if the fact was correct - but it wasn't. We were also told that when all
universities had semesterised the timing of A-levels results would be moved
much earlier in the summer to allow student admissions. With ca. half the old
universities not semesterising this will not happen, therefore admissions
problems will remain with an early start. No further universities have
semesterised since the process started, i.e. no other university has
been so impressed with the system that they have wished to follow it. LU
should have the courage to take whatever decision is considered best.
Beyond the administrative pressures which arise from the current semester
structure and would also arise in a '14/16 week' semester system are a number
of issues relating to teaching and research. In particular there is
considerable evidence of pedagogic difficulties arising from this structure
which will steadily change and imperil the culture of teaching and learning if
not addressed. We believe that the 12/12/6 model of semesterisation would best
facilitate overcoming these difficulties. Broadly these pedagogic difficulties
are as follow;
- 1.
- The recurrence of examining three times a year has cast a diffuse
'exam-mindedness' across the teaching year which produces a more intensely
pragmatic approach to coursework, a narrowing of reading, and a diminished
range of teaching and learning. The focus on imminent examination curtails the
overall adventurousness of students and colours the whole process of learning
throughout the year.
- 2.
- The frequency of examination procedures extends the administrative load on
all staff, which curtails the opportunity for both developmental teaching work
and for research. The holding of examinations twice within the teaching year
does not half the work on each occasion - there is an irreducible minimum each
time which ensures that the total examination related workload is substantially
higher than previously.
- 3.
- Research effort is inevitably curtailed in the inter-semester period, which
is now dominated by examination related activities. What was previously a
period in which research proposals could be developed for submission in the new
year, research work moved forward, publications prepared and submitted, or
conference papers delivered, is now almost wholly enveloped in assessment and
examination procedures.
- 4.
- For final year students the loss of continuity and time on project work has
been deeply resented. The projects represent an investment of time and
commitment which students value highly. This is true across the disciplines.
Mid year examinations severely disrupt project work with a direct depressing
effect on quality and achievement.
- 5.
- Any advantage of examining close to the point of teaching is limited. The
need to provide student feedback and guidance on progress is not best achieved
by examinations, and can continue to be met by the submission and marking of
various forms of coursework. There is no evidence that performance improves
with the proximity of examinations to teaching.
- 6.
- Most subject disciplines are programme based at LU and are best taught by
building directly on previously taught material. In some cases programme
coherence and linearity is mandatory to meet the requirements of external
accreditation. In others it is simply intellectual and pedagogically logical.
Certainly it continues to reflect the majority of student demand. The
continuous teaching and learning process is best facilitated by not having
exams in the middle of the year and possibly by use of longer modules
stretching over both semesters.
If semesterisation is to be retained at all
there must be some attempt to reduce the time and energy devoted to excessive
and over-frequent examination in order to reduce the impact on the quality of
teaching and learning.
- The UK will continue to have Christmas and Easter holiday periods and it
is traditional and logical to fit teaching and examining around these times.
500 years or more of three university terms can't be all that wrong!
Continuous periods are obviously helpful and a '12/12/6 system' will easily fit
with Semester 1 before Christmas, Semester 2 between Christmas and Easter with
the exam period after Easter. The '14/16 system', but not the '12/12/6
system', will necessarily be split by an Easter break.
- The student Christmas break should be reserved for students to earn money,
visit family, continue with project work where appropriate, and have some
holiday, and not revise for exams.
- The Easter break could be shorter than present, [BUT] should be at least
as long as the Leicestershire school holidays for staff with children of school
age.
- An inter-semester break for both staff and students to recover is
essential, i.e. favouring '14/16 or 12/12/6 systems'.
- Reports from other universities operating 14 or 15 week semesters show
severe exhaustion to both students and staff at the end of semesters and are
not advisable. 15 Week semesters appear to be too long and performance tails
off dramatically and affects student [ACHIEVEMENT] performance in exams. Staff
and student illness increases considerably and hence poorer quality
teaching/learning and performance.
- The '12/12/6 system' would allow a generous revision time for students
over the Easter break whereas the '14/16 system' would only allow minimal time
for revision at the end of each semester. Revision over the Christmas break
has not been successful.
- Many staff feel that [AT]present they are continually setting,
supervising, marking and adjudicating exams. One period of exam setting and
one period of exam marking would obviously ease the already huge workloads of
all staff.
- The two module boards and the programme board meetings could recombined
into one meeting saving a huge amount of staff time (and paper!). Obviously
combined studies and modules run by other departments would have to be catered
for. We managed fine with modules and exam boards prior to the introduction of
semesterisation!
- The present system puts extreme strain and stress on staff to get marking
done after each semester and does not allow students to know the results of
exams and get feedback before starting the next semester.
- Examinations after semester 1 creates a major problem of 'dead time' and
what to do with students who are already finished, e.g. hanging around possibly
disrupting those still studying. If examinations are at the end of the
academic year these students tend to go home causing less disruption.
LU will unfortunately need to continue with clearing in many disciplines.
Clearing and overseas students both put severe pressure on an early start to
the academic year and could lead to lost students or unsatisfactory late
starts. Some quarter of our overseas students are only able to come late. The
14/16 system requires a very early September start. The two later weeks
allowed by the 12/12/6 system is almost enough reason by itself.
Almost everyone supports the continuing use of vivas for final year students.
The '12/12/6 system' would best facilitate these being carried out during the
30 week academic year.
One period of considering set exam papers and adjudicating the exam boards will
drastically cut down the time required by external examiners and also improve
the examining process. In a '12/12/6 system' they will be able to be present
when all marks are considered, i.e. at the one exam board considering the
marks. Two sets of exam process is putting heavy strain on external examiners
and due to workload [THEY] often can't pay as much attention as required to the
first set of exams and module boards.
One of LU's strengths is the excellent hall system with all three years of
students and academic disciplines mixed within each hall. Starting first years
late would entail considerable loss of revenue to halls which LU cannot afford.
An early September start would probably block the important pre-sessional
courses. September is one of the best months for conferences and hence income
to LU - the '14/16 system' would involve considerable loss of income to LU.
Library, computing, counselling and other support services: The '12/12/6
system' would create one period of high pressure as opposed to two. Two
periods of pressure does nor appear to lower the pressure in each. The present
system is severely disrupting the 'milk round' which is crucial for graduates
in finding best employment. There has been a huge drop in student applications
between 1995 and 1996 to the 'milk round'.
- The ever increasing and over-high workload of all staff, including
academic and related staff, is a severe problem. The '12/12/6 system' would
lower the workload of staff, greatly simplify the exam sitting process and
cause much less disruption to facilities used for sitting exams, e.g. PE
centres.
- The saving of staff time has important knock-on consequences. We believe
the '12/12/6 system' will save LU a considerable amount of money and also allow
staff to spend more time on increasing research productivity and on teaching
the students. Improved research productivity again improves the standing of
LU, both academically and financially. Any change which threatens the quality
of time teaching and working with the students should be looked at carefully
and a shift to once a year examining might thus have the incidental benefit of
improving our TQAs.
We believe that the '12/12/6 (exams) semester system' would best suit LU for
pedagogic and financial reasons and would also allow lower staff workload and
higher research productivity and output. All the structural problems raised in
departments and faculties could be solved by the '12/12/6 system'. The main
point of debate is the pedagogic pros and cons of the 12/12/6 and 14/16 systems
- we believe that pedagogic arguments are also in favour of the 'once a year'
examining process.
We urge colleagues to support this '12/12/6 system' of semesterisation at the
General Assembly and Senate meetings later this month. We also urge special
effort to attend the general assembly meeting. The weight of argument to
Senate from General Assembly will not only be determined by the majority view
but on the number present to support it.
Semesterised: 31 54%
Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brunel, East Anglia, Hull, Keele,
Leicester, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Goldsmiths, King's College London, QMW),
Loughborough, Manchester, UMIST, Newcastle, Nottingham, St Andrews, Salford,
Sheffield, Southampton, Strathclyde, Stirling, Surrey, Ulster, University of
Wales (Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea).
UCL has a 12/12/6(exams) semesterisation system.
Not semesterised: 26 46%
Aston, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, City, Dundee, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex,
Exeter, Glasgow, Herriott Watt, Imperial College, London (Institute of
Education, LSE, Royal Holloway, Wye College, LSE), Kent, Lancaster, Open
University, Oxford, Reading, Sussex, Warwick, York.
Unknown:
Cranfield, Lampeter, Birkbeck, SOAS, School of Pharmacy.
The Russell Group:
The Russell group is a self selected group of the leading universities,
largely by research assessment. It is instructive to compare LU with the
Russell group. The Russell group includes: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Imperial, LSE, UCL, Manchester,
Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Warwick.
Semesterised 50%:
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield,
Southampton.
Not semesterised 50%:
Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial, LSE, Oxford, Warwick.
UCL has a 12/12/6(exams) semesterisation system
We believe that consultation and discussion with the Student's Union and
student representatives is most important. However, most students have only
experience of the present system because of the short time they are up at
university and their views are naturally influenced by their experience at LU.
There is no evidence to indicate that students preferentially select
universities on the basis that they are, or are not, semesterised. Therefore,
LU should choose the system they believe is academically superior.
The only questionnaire at LU was carried out in the summer by Loughborough AUT
as part of their professional role of representing academic, related and
research staff. The AUT represents some 75% of staff at LU and the
questionnaire had a high reply of ca. 40%. The results have been widely
circulated and showed 53% (64% of those expressing a view) in favour of the
'12/12/6(exams)' system as opposed to 21% in favour of a 14(15)/16(15) system,
with only 9% opting for the present system. 78% believed that the educational
changes brought about by semesterisation were not justified by the extra
workload. 25% thought they were having to work much harder (53% harder) under
the present semesterisation system and only 1% thought it was easier. The
replies were evenly spread across the three faculties. 78%, as opposed to 12%
for, replied that they did not like the present system of semesterisation. We
believe that this questionnaire indicates a clear desire to move to the
'12/12/6' semester system.
[Agenda]
Author - Dr W R Bowman and Professor P Golding
Date - 13 November 1996.
Copyright (c) Loughborough University. All rights reserved.