Learning and Teaching Committee
Curriculum Sub-Committee
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Minutes of the Meeting of the
Sub-Committee held on Thursday 12 January 2006
Membership: Professor
Simon Austin (Chair), Professor Morag Bell, Ms Becky Dicks (ab),
Dr Anne Goulding, Dr Jane Horner, Mr Phil Sawdon
By invitation: Dr Paul Byrne, Mr John Dickens, Dr Martin Harrison, Professor Roger Haslam (for Minute 06/5), Professor Eef Hogervorst (for Minute 06/5), Professor Andrew Price (for Minute 06/4)
In attendance: Dr Jennie Elliott
06/1 Minutes
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The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October
2005 were confirmed.
06/2 Matters Arising from the Minutes
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06/2.1 It was noted that, with two exceptions (see minutes 06/4 and 06/5),
all recommendations to Learning and Teaching Committee, and subsequently to
Senate where appropriate, had been approved. The relevant minutes of Senate
were noted.
06/2.2 Minute 05/38.3 – BSc/MComp (DPS) Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence: New Programme Proposals
It
was noted that Computer Science had decided not to proceed with the proposal to
suffix ‘with Industrial Experience’ to the above programme title
and that of other sandwich programmes in the Department. There had been
insufficient evidence that changes of title would have a positive impact on
application numbers.
06/2.3 Minute 05/41 – Completion of Consultation Forms for New
Programme Proposals
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(a) The revised consultation form was noted.
(b) It was noted that the Autumn 2006
meeting of the committee would be scheduled a week later than the Autumn 2005
meeting.
06/2.4 Minute 05/46 – MRes Proposals
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It was noted that Senate had approved criteria
for the award of Master of Research as recommended by Learning and Teaching
Committee and that Council had approved the addition of the award to Ordinance
IV.
06/3 Placement Modules
Further to
Minute 05/40 of the previous meeting:
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06/3.1 The Sub-Committee received samples of transcripts for students who
had/had not successfully completed their placement. It was commented that the
transcript could make clearer to an employer the relationship between the
placement Diploma award and the Part I section, and proposed that the following
changes be made to the transcript template:
(a) Under Part I there should be listed
‘Examiners’ Decision’, which would either be ‘Diploma
in ……. awarded’ or left blank.
(b) Credit for Part I should appear as
‘N/A’ rather than ‘0’.
(c) The award at the end of the
transcript should read ‘Diploma in …..(placement year
award)’.
ACTION:
JEME
06/3.2 The Sub-Committee AGREED a proposal to make clear in the title of
placement modules, as appropriate, that no credit would be awarded e.g.
‘Industrial Training Placement (DIS award, non-credit bearing)’.
ACTION: JEME
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06/3.3 The Sub-Committee received examples of placement modules. The
AD(T)s reported that though in some cases the assessment on placement modules
tested Intended Learning Outcomes, in many cases it did not. The Sub-Committee
acknowledged the special nature of the placement module and the lack of a
structured way of assessing the ILOs. Students’ experience on placement
could be highly variable and it could not be expected that every student would
have the opportunity to achieve every ILO. The University was, however, at risk
of criticism from accreditation bodies and the QAA if the assessment of ILOs
was not clear. It was AGREED that departments be asked to review their
placement modules and revise either or both the ILO and assessment fields to
ensure that these were aligned (e.g. assuring that an ILO involving teamwork
was assessed by the employer). In some cases ILOs might currently be too
ambitious. Major restructuring of the module specification was not intended.
The review would be undertaken separately from the Annual Update. Revised
modules should be submitted to the AD(T)s for approval.
ACTION: JEME, AD(T)s
06/4 MSc Construction Project Management (Work-based DL): New Programme Proposals
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06/4.1 Further to Minute 05/43 of the previous meeting, the Sub-Committee
noted the minute of Learning and Teaching Committee’s discussion on the
proposal.
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06/4.2 (a) The Sub-Committee considered revised
proposals from Civil and Building Engineering for a new part-time programme
with effect from the earliest possible date in 2006. In response to a query,
the proposer, Professor Andrew Price, confirmed that the title of the programme
would be Construction Project Management (Work Based Distance Learning),
thereby distinguishing it from the existing MSc in Construction Project
Management. It was intended that the degree certificate would include a
statement that the programme was joint with Heriot-Watt University (HWU). It
was noted that there would be separate sets of Programme Regulations for each institution.
HWU did not offer a distinction for a Postgraduate Certificate, but this should
not be an issue for Loughborough as the early modules on which a PGCert was
likely to be based were primarily from HWU.
(b) It
was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee,
subject to the resolution of issues raised by Robert Bowyer on the
collaborative arrangement, and the following matters being resolved to the
satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:
Programme
Regulations
(i)
Module Specifications
(ii)
HWU
module specifications should align with the information in the Assessment
Matrix
(iii)
CVP106/107:
the MTLA field should mirror the assessment detailed in the Assessment Matrix.
(iv)
Module
specifications should be presented as CIS versions.
Consultation Forms
(v)
2
or 3 signed letters of support should be provided.
(vi)
Concerns
raised by Computing Services and the Library relating to students registering
at both institutions should be addressed before the programme commenced.
Memorandum of Agreement
(vii)
As
awards would not be made jointly by the institutions, but by one institution
only, a Joint Board of Examiners was not advisable, for reasons previously
raised by Robert Bowyer. There should be separate Boards of Examiners but
consideration should be given to having a common External Examiner and to a
member of one institution (possibly the Programme Director) attending the other
institution’s Board meeting.
(viii)
Principles
on the requirements for awards should be set down in the Memorandum of
Agreement in the form of a statement on key issues, how these had been resolved
and where the details could be found. More detailed information, likely to be
subject to change, should be included in Programme Regulations.
ACTION: JEME, JGD
(c) The
Sub-Committee was advised that the concerns raised by Computing Services and
the Library in relation to distance learning students were generic ones.
Professional Development would be producing a report on support for DL students
which would in due course be presented to the Sub-Committee for information/debate.
ACTION: JEME
06/5 MRes
Human Biology/MRes Ergonomics/MRes Psychology: New Programme Proposals
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06/5.1 Further to Minute 05/46 of the previous meeting, the Sub-Committee
noted that the proposals had not gone forward to Senate in November 2005, and
considered revised proposals from Human Sciences for new full-time/part-time
programmes with effect from October 2006. Two of the proposers, Professors
Haslam and Hogervorst, attended for this item and were congratulated on the
quality of the revised documentation, which fully aligned with the
University’s concept of an MRes. It was noted that the proposed Programme
Regulations made no mention of the award of PGDip\PGCert, in line with the
Sub-Committee’s recommendation to Learning and Teaching Committee at its
last meeting that such awards should not be available as alternative\exit
awards for an MRes. That recommendation had not been carried forward to Senate,
however, and its status was unclear. It was AGREED that this matter be
clarified and the outcome reported to the proposers, and to those recently
submitting other MRes proposals.
ACTION: JEME
06/5.2 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) Amendments to the documentation as
annotated by the AD(T).
Programme Regulations
(b)
Module Specifications
(c) HUP450: Clarification was needed on
whether the dissertation and written report were the same, whether the viva was
assessed, whether the report in a journal article format was a separate
requirement and how this would be assessed. Senate had agreed that departments
should be encouraged to include the preparation of a paper in journal format
within an MRes programme.
ACTION: JEME, MCH
06/6 MRes Sustainability Management (in
Engineering): New Programme Proposals
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06/6.1 Further to Minute 05/47 of the previous
meeting, the
Sub-Committee considered revised proposals from WEDC for a
full-time programme with effect from October 2006. The Sub-Committee was
concerned that Sustainability Management was potentially a vast subject area
and if the proposers wished to focus on developing countries, as was suggested
in the module specifications, this should be made clear in the title and aims
of the programme. The Sub-Committee was also unconvinced that the Management
and Professional Development modules should be classified as research skills,
and as such considered that the programme was light on research skills modules
for an MRes award. The greater emphasis appeared to be on Sustainability
Management subject matter rather than research skills.
06/6.2 The Sub-Committee felt unable to recommend the
proposal in its current form. It was AGREED that the proposers be asked to
rework the proposals for resubmission to the Sub-Committee only once the AD(T)
was happy with them. It should be borne in mind that strategic approval for the
programme was obtained in May 2005 and would need to be sought again if
operational approval was not received by May 2006. A copy of the proposals
already considered for the MRes in Human Biology/Ergonomics/Psychology would be
provided to the proposers for guidance as an example of a satisfactory MRes
submission. The proposers were requested to take the following other matters
into account:
(a)
The title of the programme should be reviewed in view
of the above comments, and should be consistent across all the documentation.
This title would appear on students’ transcripts and degree certificates,
and should align with programme aims.
Programme
Specifications
(b)
A clearer set of aims was required which the ILOs
would underpin. ‘Advanced training’ was not appropriate as an aim.
(c)
Benchmarks could be improved. The proposers should be
guided by the MRes Human Biology proposals.
(d)
ILOs listed under Knowledge and Understanding were
more related to teaching, learning and assessment. Teaching/learning methods
and strategies should describe how ILOs were met. The range of assessment
methods was currently too vague.
(e)
More than one subject-specific practical skill would
be expected.
(f)
The reassessment details should be in the Module
Specification rather than the Programme Specification.
(g)
The reference to 3 journal style papers in para 1.2.1
would appear to be incorrect
Module Specifications
(h)
CVP213: ILOs should incorporate research design,
methodology, and critical appraisal of published work. Explanation was required
of the mini-project and its function.
(i)
CVP227: This was the primary research skills module
but appeared to focus on subject-specific content.
(j)
CVP240/241: The skills were almost identical to those
of the main project
(k)
CVP228: There were many elements of assessment.
Greater individual assessment should be explored.
(l)
CVP240/241: These appeared to run over a period of
three weeks. Clarification was required on the timing of the modules to
reassure the Sub-Committee that students would not be overloaded with work at
certain periods.
(m) CVP034/035:
These Management and Professional Development modules had identical ILOs. The
Sub-Committee was unclear as to their relevance to an MRes.
(n)
Use of existing generic modules on research skills
should be considered.
ACTION: JEME, JGD
06/6.3 It was AGREED that it would be useful to
programme proposers generally for the proposal form to have a web link to a
list of identified Programme Specification exemplars.
ACTION: JEME, AD(T)s
06/6.4 It was AGREED that in the future the AD(T)s
should decline to submit proposals to the Sub-Committee if there were
unresolved matters with which they were unhappy. The Chair would provide any
necessary support to the AD(T)s in such action.
ACTION:
AD(T)s, SAA
06/7 BSc
Business Studies with Human Resource Management (
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06/7.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the
06/7.2 The proposed programme would run concurrently in
06/7.3 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) Provision of information on the
intended changes to the existing programme and an explicit statement of the
differentiation between the programmes. Learning and Teaching Committee should
be alerted should there be no differentiation between the programmes.
Programme Specification
(b) The generic section required
updating.
(c) The proposers should reflect on the
difference in ILOs between the new and existing programmes.
Assessment Matrix
(d) The column entitled ‘%
Individual Assessment’ appeared to have been misinterpreted and should be
revised to reflect the percentage of continuous assessment that would be
individually marked.
ACTION:
JEME, PLB
06/8 BA Fine Art: New Programme Proposals
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06/8.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from LUSAD for a full/part-time
programme with effect from October 2006. The proposal included the
discontinuation of three existing Fine Art undergraduate programmes in
Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture, with final recruitment to these programmes
in October 2005. The Sub-Committee congratulated the proposers on a
well-presented submission and had found the feedback from students on the
proposals particularly helpful. It was commented that it was pleasing to see a
move towards a broader degree in contrast to the recent trend of moving to more
specialised titles.
06/8.2 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:
Programme Regulations
(a)
Programme Specification
(b) ‘Etc’ to be expanded
under subject benchmark statements.
(c) Under Teaching, Learning and
Assessment strategies in para 3, ‘sections 1-6’ should refer to
‘outcomes 1-6’.
(d) Para 6: Reference to the restriction
on using the SAP for reassessment to students achieving a minimum of 60 credits
was now unnecessary as the requirement had been incorporated into Regulation
XX.
Module Specifications
(e) MTLA fields should not refer to
grades.
(f) SAB522: Requirement to pass an
element of coursework was only permissible on grounds of health and safety
(g) SAB502: The proposers should reflect
on the possibility of increasing the contact time. The contents section was
unclear; was there a missing line? ‘Mandatory attendance at MA
talks’ under Contents was not appropriate.
ACTION: JEME, PLB
06/9 MSc Advanced Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering: New Programme Proposals
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06/9.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering for a new full-time programme with effect from October 2006. The programme was based on existing Part D MEng modules and was intended to fill a gap in the overseas market for more traditional engineering titles. The proposers were advised that, in the experience of another department which had already taken this approach, such a programme could also prove attractive to home students wishing to top-up their BEng degree. Master’s students would be studying alongside Part D MEng students and the proposers were advised that the different types of students would have very different support needs. For this reason the Sub-Committee would expect the Programme Director for the MSc programme and the MEng programme(s) to be different.
06/9.2 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:
Programme Specification
(a) The aims were more about the ambition of the department and required rewording from the student point of view.
(b)
(c)
Module Specifications
(d) For practical purposes in terms of timetabling, Programme Boards, transcripts etc, separate ‘P’ modules should be set up for the programme, despite being identical to the ‘D’ modules.
Consultation Forms
(e) These should be provided in view of the possible resource implications of additional students.
ACTION: JEME, JGD
06/10 MSc Healthcare Governance: New Programme Proposals
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06/10.1The Sub-Committee considered
proposals from the
06/10.2 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) There should be 3 Internal Examiners covering the modules for the programme.
Programme Regulations
(b)
(c)
Programme Specification
(d) The programme title in the header was incorrect.
(e)
(f)
Module Specifications
(g) If more than one in-class test was intended across the taught modules these should be given individual weightings.
(h) BSP671: Do the study days represent contact time?
(i) BSP673: ILOs included presentation skills but these do not appear to be assessed.
(j) BSP677: Confirmation required that an 18,000-20,000 word assignment for a 60-credit module was in line with other such modules in the SSH faculty.
Assessment Matrix
(k) The proposers should reflect on the lack of variation in assessment methods.
ACTION: JEME, PLB
06/11 MSc Psychology of Sport and Exercise: New Programme Proposals
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The
Sub-Committee considered proposals from SSES for a new full/part-time programme
with effect from October 2005 (by transfer from existing programme). It was
noted that the programme was identical to the existing MSc in Sport and
Exercise Psychology, except for the Research Project module, and would provide
a programme accredited by the British Psychological Society for suitably
qualified entrants. The existing programme would continue for those entrants
without the specific entry qualifications required for accreditation. 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) The proposals should be drawn to the
attention of the Department of Human Sciences, in view of their particular
interest in Psychology.
Module Specification
(b) PEP315, MTLA field: The coursework
element should be further defined, as presented in the Assessment Matrix. There
should be a word limit on the research report, and use of the word
‘submitted’ was misleading.
ACTION:
JEME, PLB
06/12 MSc
Economics & Finance/Financial Economics/International Finance &
Economics/ Monetary Economics/Banking & Finance/International Banking:
Major Programme Changes
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The
Sub-Committee received proposals from Economics for major programme changes
from 2006/07, and endorsed the decision of the Chair that these be approved.
06/13 Changes to Programme Titles or Awards
06/13.1 It was agreed to recommend
to Learning and Teaching Committee the following changes to programme titles or
awards:
(a) MSc Environmental Dynamics: Monitoring,
Evaluation and Management to MSc
Environmental Monitoring for Management
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With effect from October 2007 entry.
(b) BA
European and International Studies to
BA European Studies
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With effect from October 2006 entry.
(c) BSc Mathematics and Sports Science to BSc/BSc, DPS Mathematics and Sports
Science
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With effect from October 2007 entry.
(d) MSc Manufacturing Management to MSc Advanced Manufacturing
Engineering and Management
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With effect from October 2006 entry.
06/13.2 MSc Business and Management Research to MRes Business and Management
Further to Minute 05/48 of the previous
meeting, it was noted that the Chair had recommended to the Chair of Learning
and Teaching Committee the changes of award and title with effect from October
2006 entry.
06/14 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):
BA/BSc Industrial Design and
Technology with Education (October 2005)
BSc Industrial Design and Packaging
Technology (October 2005)
MEng Computer Network and Internet Engineering
(October 2005)
06/15 Any Other Business
06/15.1 It was AGREED that as the Assessment Matrix
had proved most useful to the Sub-Committee, was now incorporated in the documentation
for Periodic Programme Review and would prove useful to students, it should in
future be included in the Programme Handbook provided to students.
ACTION: JEME
06/15.2 It was noted that the Department of
Mathematical Sciences should now be referred to as the
06/16 Dates of Future Meetings in 2005/2006
Thursday 4 May 2006 (am)
Wednesday 24 May 2006 (am) (if required)
Author: Jennie Elliott
Date: January 2006
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