The
Report of the
Executive Summary
Background
1. A full
account of the background to
2. In
October 2006, an ‘Agreement for Validation Services to be provided to the
Stage 1: Institutional validation
Stage 2: Subject validations
Stage 3: Annual monitoring and
maintenance of records
3. The institutional
validation panel visited BUE on 15 and
(i)
the
validation process continue to its next stage (subject validations in April
2007), and
(ii)
the conclusion of a formal agreement beyond the next
stage, to proceed with the validation of BUE programmes, be contingent on BUE
responding positively to the information requests and other recommendations
contained in the report, and on the satisfactory resolution of whatever issues
may arise from the subject validations.
4. The subject validation panels visited BUE on 15 and 16
April 2007 (Business Studies, Economics, Political Science, Informatics and
Computer Science), and 18 and 19 April 2007 (Engineering). The panels were
provided with a wide range of documentation including programme and module
specifications, samples of marked work, and minutes of departmental meetings.
The panels held meetings with staff and students, and toured BUE’s
facilities.
5. The membership of the subject validation panel for Business
Studies, Economics, Political Science, Informatics and Computer Science was as
follows:
Dr Paul Byrne, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Department of
Politics, International Relations and European Studies, Associate Dean
(Teaching) of Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities – Chair
Dr John Calvert, Undergraduate Admissions Tutor, Resources
and Systems Director,
Dr Jonathan Seaton, Reader in Business Economics,
Dr Ruth Kinna, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Department of
Politics, International Relations and European Studies
Dr Philip Lawson, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer
Science
Chris Dunbobbin, Assistant Registrar - Secretary
6. The following programmes were offered for validation:
BSc Economics
BSc Computer Science
BSc Information Systems
BSc Software Engineering
BSc Computer Networks
BSc Business Studies
BSc Business Studies, specialising
in Accounting and Finance
BSc Business Studies, specialising
in Management Information Systems
BSc Business Studies, specialising
in Marketing
BSc
Business Studies, specialising in Human Resource Management
BSc Political Science
7. The following areas were covered by the panel in relation
to each programme, and are discussed in detail in the full report:
Student
recruitment, experience and retention
Staffing
Curriculum
Learning
resources
Methods of
learning, teaching and assessment.
Outcomes of the Business Studies,
Economics, Political Science, and Informatics and Computer Science Subject
Validation
8. The panel wished to record its gratitude for the
excellent hospitality afforded to it by BUE’s staff and students. All of
the discussion sessions were open, honest and helpful in clarifying and
expounding on the information contained in the documentation, and the
panel’s requests for additional information had been met positively.
9. The panel remarked on the high levels of motivation,
energy and ambition it had encountered in staff. BUE had been successful in
recruiting individuals of a high calibre to date, and the panel hoped that it
would be able to continue in this vein.
10. The panel offered its congratulations to BUE for putting
together an impressive set of programmes, within challenging time and staffing
constraints.
11. The panel had been very impressed with the quality,
maturity and enthusiasm of the students it had met, and noted that they provided
an indication that BUE’s student recruitment policy appeared to be
appropriately targeted and working well.
12. The panel was impressed with the evidence it had seen of
the continuing development of the physical resources on campus and with the
plans for future expansion.
13. The panel had
been pleased to see evidence of regular departmental meetings, and welcomed
these as the first steps towards the adoption of a team-teaching culture, and a
sense of ownership and collegiality at subject level.
14. The panel had been pleased to note BUE’s
commitment to providing a means for students to obtain industrial experience,
through the development of an internship programme.
15. The panel is able, therefore, to make a positive
recommendation to
Recommendations
16. As a result of its enquiries, the Business Studies,
Economics, Political Science, Informatics and Computer Science Subject
Validation Panel recommends to the Learning and Teaching Committee (LTC) and
Senate of Loughborough University to proceed with the validation of BUE
programmes, subject to BUE responding positively to the information requests
and recommendations contained in this report, which are summarised below.
Essential Actions
17. The panel considers it essential for BUE to address the
following issues before the end of August 2007 (paragraph numbers in brackets refer to the full report):
(i)
Build
on existing efforts to recruit additional high calibre academic staff
(preferably with
(ii)
Act
as a matter of urgency to provide further training for staff to ensure a
consistent approach to marking across the institution (para 82).
(iii)
Establish
as a matter of urgency, a systematic approach to double-marking on a
sample-basis across the full range of marks (para 78).
(iv)
Provide
LU with samples of student work on an ongoing basis, to allow a full assessment
of the extent to which ILOs and programme objectives are met.
(v)
Establish
a more robust and transparent system for recording and processing student marks
from mark sheet to Module Board, and for the delivery of developmental feedback
on all formal coursework, through the consistent use of submission/feedback
sheets (paras 21, 54).
(vi)
Build
on existing progress towards instilling an ethos of collegiality and ownership
at subject and departmental level, including the development of a team-teaching
culture (paras 28, 46, 63).
(vii)
Provide
clarification as to whether the Semester 2 intake to the preparatory year in
2006-07 will be a one-off arrangement, and if not, as to the actions that will
be taken to minimise its impact on staff time for curriculum development and
research during the Summer period, and on the preparedness of students entering
Year 1 through this route (para 48).
(viii)
Build
on the progress already made in developing the physical and electronic
resources of the library, and establish, as quickly as possible, robust
procedures to facilitate liaison between the librarian and academic staff in
relation to the expansion of the library’s physical stock of books and digital
library facilities (para 84).
(ix)
Establish
an institutional policy on managing non-attendance (para 35).
(x)
Give
urgent consideration to the establishment of procedures for the provision of
academic advice to students on module options, and for the management of student
choices (paras 14, 49).
(xi)
Conduct
a review of module specifications, having produced ILO and assessment matrices
for each programme, with a view to achieving:
(a) a more appropriate balance in
relation to the meeting of ILOs at modular level (para 55).
(b) the correct categorisation of ILOs
against the categories knowledge and understanding, cognitive, practical and
transferable skills (para 36).
(c) the assessment of practical ILO
skills by ‘practical’ work, and not by test or examination (para
37),
(d) descriptions of ILOs that are
sufficiently precise, so that the way in which they will be assessed is clear
(para 68).
(e) a consistent approach to assessment overall,
and relative to modular weighting (para 71).
(f) a reduction in the assessment burden
where possible (paras 18, 73)
(g) a consistent approach to the
determination of modular exam weightings (para 72).
(h) a greater emphasis in Years 2 and 3
on a mixture of formal examinations and project work (and less on coursework)
(para 19).
(xii)
Ensure
that all staff responsible for module specifications understand the four
primary ILO areas, and the differences between them (para 36).
(xiii)
Provide
evidence of procedures for the assessment and moderation of oral work (para
81).
(xiv)
Reassure
Year 1 Computer Science students that all four programme streams will remain
open for their cohort (para 31).
(xv)
Ensure
that all module specifications identify the required length (in words) of
coursework assignments (para 70).
(xvi)
Establish
a schedule of coursework submission dates, and arrange for this to be posted on
the e-learning system (para 74).
(xvii)
Establish
an office hours system to manage staff availability (para 91).
(xviii)
Formalise
the provision of Personal Tutors, creating relationships which students can
turn to for the duration of their programme (para 91).
(xix)
Ensure
students are provided with clear guidance as to the derivation of assessment
marks based on participation (para 69).
(xx)
Ensure
adequate space is provided for small group teaching and group self-study.
18. The panel considers it essential for BUE to address the
following issues before the end of August 2008, and to provide an update on its
progress in doing so before the end of the 2007 calendar year (paragraph numbers in brackets refer to the
full report):
(i)
Develop
a detailed e-learning strategy, including provisions to enforce a minimum
compulsory presence for all modules, and to encourage the development of active
resources (para 89).
(ii)
Provide
appropriate practical and pedagogical advice and support to academic staff in
relation to the provision of e-learning materials (para 89).
(iii)
Ensure
arrangements are in place to allow students to access key e-learning resources
remotely from home (para 85).
(iv)
Incorporate
into ongoing staff development activity training for lecturers on motivating
students and minimising non-attendance (para 35).
(v)
Build
on existing progress in providing a means for students to obtain industrial
experience through the development of an internship programme, and consider
certification or the award of credit for internships if possible. (paras 34,
52).
(vi)
Investigate
the possibility of establishing sandwich programmes in the future (para 52).
(vii)
Consider
how to manage pre-requisite modules in the context of the institutional
progression rules (para 75).
(viii)
Develop
systems of administrative support for large departments (para 44).
Advisable Actions
19. The panel considers it advisable for BUE also to (paragraph numbers in brackets refer to the
full report):
(i)
Reconsider
the design of the economics programme, in terms of whether it achieves a
balance of progression, with increasing levels of difficulty based on the
trajectory of students through the programme (para 12).
(ii)
Reconsider
the design of the economics programme, in terms of the extent to which it caters
for the full range of student abilities (para 13).
(iii)
Consider
(as part of the first APR) restructuring programmes, where appropriate, to
include fewer, more heavily weighted modules in order to minimise difficulties
associated with integrating a large number of smaller modules, and to ease the
burden of assessment (para 64).
(iv)
Take
steps to establish subject-specific study skills modules as a means of
addressing the difficulties associated with helping students develop into
independent learners.
(v)
Provide
generic feedback to students on exam performance, via the e-learning system.
(vi)
Begin
making preparations for the establishment of a system to allocate final year
project topics, ensuring that student expectations are managed, and academic
staff are not overloaded (paras 15, 50).
(vii)
Reconsider
the naming of some final year optional modules in Computer Science, with
potential BCS accreditation in mind (para 32).
(viii)
Incorporate
the assessment of teamwork in Computer Science programmes (para 33).
(ix)
Build
on existing arrangements aimed at involving industrial/real world practitioners
in the delivery of programme content (paras 30, 45, 62).
(x)
Reconsider
the balance of the final year of the Political Science programme in relation to
its economics content (para 65).
(xi)
Include
on the Political Science programme, a further research skills module (in
addition to that in the Preparatory Year) as preparation for the final year
project (para 66).
20.
Progress in addressing the issues in paragraph 19 above will be subject to
review by LU as the collaboration develops. Mechanisms and timescales will be
subject to agreement between the institutions.