Curriculum Sub-Committee at its meeting on 17 January 2008 recommended to Learning and Teaching Committee and Senate that approval be given to the following proposals. Details are available from the Secretary.
1. BSc
Sport and Exercise Science (Gymnastics): New Programme Proposals
.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
(b)
Programme Specification
Section 7 to be revised to remove outdated
information and comply with the revised section in the Programme Specification
template.
(c)
Module Specifications
(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.
.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.
2. BSc, DIS/DIntS Physics with Cosmology:
New Programme Proposals
.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.
.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)
(c) Programme Regulations
(i)
(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.
3. MA/MSc 2D and 3D Visualisation: New
Programme Proposals
.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:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(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)
(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
.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.
4. MSc/PGDip/PGCert Management and Leadership (Professional)
(Aggregate Industries): New Programme Proposals
.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the
.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:
Paras 4.4 to 4.7 were a repeat of the requirements
in Regulation XXI and should be deleted
(i)
(ii)
(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
5. Changes to Programme Titles or Awards
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)
6. Discontinuation of Programmes
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)
Author
– Jennie Elliott
Date
– January 2008
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