Learning and Teaching Committee

Curriculum Sub-Committee

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Minutes of the Meeting of the Sub-Committee held on Thursday 19 October 2006

Membership: Professor Simon Austin (Chair), Professor Morag Bell, Professor Roy Faulkner,
Dr Jane Horner, Karen Roxborough, Phil Sawdon (ab)

By invitation: Dr Paul Byrne, Professor John Dickens, Jane Ellis ( for Minute 06/49),
Dr Martin Harrison, Kerry Walton

In attendance: Dr Jennie Elliott

Apologies for absence were received from Phil Sawdon.

06/44 Minutes

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The minutes of the meetings held on 4 and 24 May 2006 were confirmed.

04/45 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 minute of Senate was noted.

.2 Minute 06/20.2 –BSc Publishing with E-Business: New Programme Proposals

The revised Assessment Matrix included under item 6.3 on the agenda was noted.

.3 Minute 06/21.2 – MSc Strategic Automotive Dealership Management (Malaysia):
New Programme Proposals

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The response from the Librarian was noted.

.4 Minute 06/27.1 – PGCE/PGDip/MSc in Education with Qualified Teacher Status in Design & Technology/Science/Physical Education: New Programme Proposals

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The response from the Student Office was noted.

.5 Minute 06/28.3 – New Route PhD in Computer Science (PGDip Integrated Research Studies): New Programme Proposals

It was noted that the Director of the Graduate School intended to undertake a review of the New Route PhD.

.6 Minute 06/29.2 – PGCert Healthcare Fire Safety Management: New Programme Proposals

It was noted that the proposal form for new programmes had been revised in accordance with Minute 06/29.2.

.7 Minute 06/30 – BA 3D Design: New Practice: New Programme Proposals

(a) It was noted that the module approval form had been revised in accordance with

Minute 30.2

(b) It was noted that Student Recruitment and Admissions Services had reconvened a

group to look at design provision.

.8 Minute 06/42 – EngD Systems Engineering: New Programme Proposals

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(a) The Minute of Learning and Teaching Committee was noted. The Committee’s request for a document to be produced for the programme of study as a whole was being met with an Annex to the Programme Specification. The Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research had been revised accordingly.

(b) It was noted that the proposal form for new programmes had been revised in accordance with Minute 06/42.7.

06/46 Terms of Reference and Membership

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.1 Members AGREED that the Terms of Reference of Curriculum Sub-Committee remained fit for purpose.

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.2 The Sub-Committee’s membership for 2006-07 was noted. It was commented that the Associate Deans (Teaching) should be full members rather than attend by invitation. It was AGREED that the AD(T)s reflect on this prior to further discussion at the next meeting, and that the Secretary explore whether there was good reason for maintaining the status quo.

It was AGREED that:

· Should the status quo be maintained, the quorum for the Sub-Committee should be 4. In the event that AD(T)s became full members, the quorum should be 5.

· All members, including ex-officio and alternate members, should have voting rights.

ACTION: AD(T)s, JEME

06/47 Module Specifications

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Draft University Policy Statement on Group Working: Minimum Requirements

.1 The Sub-Committee considered a draft University Policy Statement on Group Working: Minimum Requirements for implementation in 2007/08, and the comments of the Programme Development and Quality Team thereon.

In regard to paragraph 4:

“Where the assessment of group or team work counts towards the degree classification and comprises 50% or more of the overall module mark, it must include an element of either individual or peer assessment or both”

it was queried whether the proposed threshold of 50% should be revised to ‘more than 50%’, but considered that in order to reassure students that the majority of module assessment was individual the threshold should remain at 50%.

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Module Specification

.2 With reference to Minute 20.2 of the meeting on 4 May 2006, the Sub-Committee considered a draft Module Specification for LUSI. During discussions members were informed of students’ requests for feedback on examination performance. Feedback in the form of an email summarising overall student performance in an examination, together with a performance profile of the exam group and an indication of common problems and what students were getting right in order to get good marks, was proposed as a sensible approach. Whether this should be for all modules with an examination component required debate. As the feedback was intended to be formative, final-year modules could possibly be excluded. It was AGREED to forward the Sub-Committee’s comments to the Programme Development and Quality Team and request that it reflect on whether current policy that examination feedback was not a requirement should be reconsidered, particularly as students may now demand feedback on A-level papers.

ACTION: JEME

.3 In view of the importance to students of feedback on assessment performance, and the considered value in identifying other ways in which feedback was provided to students (e.g.tutorials), it was AGREED that a new free-text section entitled ‘Method of Feedback’ should be included in the LUSI module specification in between the ‘Method of Learning and Teaching’ and ‘Method of Assessment’ sections.

ACTION: JEME

.4 It was AGREED that the requirement within the module specification for a deadline date for coursework assignments should be removed, as those dates were not normally known at the time specifications were updated and might be subject to change. In accordance with the Policy on Groupwork discussed in Minute 06/47.1, it was AGREED that the field for ‘Individual Assessment of groupwork (%)’ be deleted and replaced with a prompt under each coursework assignment to identify group/teamwork, coupled with a question as to whether there was individual/peer assessment of that work.

Note: (See also Minute 06/47.6 below)

.5 It was commented that the current module code, which was not planned to change under the LUSI system, did not include a level indicator, and queried whether there should be text within the module specification that identified level, particularly in relation to D modules being at level 5. It was AGREED that this matter be forwarded to the Programme Development and Quality Team for further deliberation.

ACTION: JEME

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Assessment Matrix

.6 The Sub-Committee received the current Assessment Matrix and considered any further revision required to this in the light of the previous discussions.

The following revisions were AGREED:

(a) ‘% individual assessment of coursework’ and ‘Exam Length’ columns to be deleted

(b) As a matter of principle, all proportions of assessment types to be expressed as a percentage of total assessment on the module, rather than a percentage of the examination/coursework components. This would impact on the LUSI module specification which would require revision accordingly.

(c) New column ‘% module assessment that is group/teamwork’ to be placed so as to be disassociated from and not interrupt the run of percentages covering the module assessment (which should now total 100%). A footnote for the new column would require departments to confirm that there was an element of individual/peer assessment where required under the new Policy on Groupwork. A breakdown of group and individual assessment under each coursework type would no longer be required.

(d) For each programme part, compulsory modules should be listed before optional modules.

ACTION: JEME

06/48 Programme Specifications

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With reference to Minute 06/21.3 of the meeting on 4 May 2006, the Sub-Committee considered proposals from the Programme Development and Quality Team for revisions to the Programme Specification template. Members were supportive of the proposals and offered the following comments to the PDQ Team:

.1 There should be reference in Programme Specifications to periods of study/placement abroad where these were a possibility, and to ERASMUS agreements where these existed. This could be included in the proposed new section on ‘what makes the programme distinctive’.

.2 Section 4 – Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards: Guidance was required on producing more user-friendly summary text rather than repeating regulatory text, possibly in diagrammatic form (example available from the Secretary). Exemplars should be provided.

.3 Section 5 – Criteria for admission to the programme:
A summary of the programme’s prospectus entry was likely to be appropriate.

ACTION: JEME

06/49 PGCert Mathematics Support for Students with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia in HE/FE: New Programme Proposals

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The Sub-Committee considered proposals from ELSU and the School of Mathematics for a part-time programme with effect from April 2007. It was noted that the programme would be run by ELSU but students would be registered in the School of Mathematics. Members were supportive of the proposals and assured that such a programme was not under consideration at any other institution. 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:

.1 Amendments to the documentation as annotated by the AD(T).

Programme Regulations

.2 Identification of DL modules.

Programme Specification

.3 ILOs from modules to be combined to provide higher level programme ILOs.

Module Specifications

.4 (a) Module Specifications to be input on the CIS system, together with DL flag as appropriate. Module titles might require shortening to meet the 70-character restriction on CIS.

(b) Only one Internal Examiner to be included in Module Specifications.

(d) MAP703: deletion of duplicate reference to seminars.

Consultation

.5 Professional Development to be consulted concerning the DL provision.

ACTION: MCH,JEME

06/50 BEng/MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Control and Power/Digital Communications/ Microelectronics)/
MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Renewable Energy)/ MEng Systems Engineering (Aeronautical/ Control and Power/ Human Factors/Renewable Energy):
New Programme Proposals

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.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Electronic and Electrical Engineering, with DIS option, for introduction in 2006-07 for existing and new students. The proposals represented a restructuring of existing undergraduate programmes, intended to raise the profile of the Department’s portfolio on the UCAS database and arrest a decline in applications. Proposals for the discontinuation of some existing programme titles could be expected in due course. It was commented that the UCAS system, whereby potential students searched on programme titles, was driving the proliferation of programme titles in institutions, and if the UCAS system allowed for searchable key words such pressure might be reduced. It was AGREED that these comments be forwarded to Student Recruitment and Admissions for discussion with UCAS.

ACTION: JEME

.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 ADT prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

Programme Regulations

(a) MEng Systems Engineering (Aeronautical): Resolution of the non-compliance of para 2.6.1 with the requirement in paras 2.3.2 and 2.4.2 that optional choice be restricted to a modular weight of 20 at Part B and C levels in Parts C and D respectively.

(b) MEng/BEng Electronic & Electrical Engineering: Resolution of the anomaly that BEng students required an average mark of 60% in Part B in order to transfer to Part C of the MEng programme, whereas MEng students required an average mark of 55% to progress from Part B to Part C on the MEng programme.

(d) Reference to capping of numbers on modules should be deleted, as students aiming for a programme title should not be prevented from doing so by a cap on numbers for a required module. The Sub-Committee required assurance that the matters raised by Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering had been satisfactorily resolved, and a clear statement that students registering on the MEng Systems Engineering (Aeronautical) programme would be able to undertake Parts C and D of the programme.

Programme Specifications

(e) Section 4 on Programme structure and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards, in each of the Programme Specifications, was too regulatory. Diagramatic presentation of the information was suggested as an alternative format (example available from the Secretary). However, as proposals were likely to come forward from Learning and Teaching Committee that would include further guidance on the presentation of this section, the proposers might wish to defer revision of the section until this became available.

ACTION: JGD, JEME

06/51 Changes to Programme Titles/Awards

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee the following programme title changes (effective date shown in brackets):

MSc Physical Education to
MSc Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (September 2007 entry)

MSc/PGDip/PGCert Social Research (Social Science) to

MRes Social Sciences Research

PGDip/PGCert Advanced Studies in Social Sciences Research (September 2006 entry)

PGCert Management (Sports Industries Federation) to

PGCert Management (Federation of Sports and Play Associates) (September 2006 entry)

06/52 Major Changes to Programmes

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee changes to the following programmes (effective date shown in brackets):

MA Art & Design (Studio Practice) (possibility of project module being undertaken in Loughborough or Singapore, from October 2006)

BA Fine Art (introduction of DIntS from 2007-08)

06/53 Discontinuation of Programmes

.1 It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee discontinuation of the following programmes (proposed date of last intake shown in brackets):

PGDip Integrated Research Studies (IPTME) (no recruitment)

MSc/PGDip/PGCert Security Management (Singapore) (2001/02)

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.2 It was noted that Operations Sub-Committee had requested that consideration of the following proposal be deferred pending discussions between IPTME and ESRI:

Discontinuation of the following programme (proposed date of last intake shown in brackets):

MSc Vehicle Safety Engineering (no recruitment)

06/54 Dates of Future Meetings in 2006/2007

Thursday 18 January 2007 (am)

Thursday 10 May 2007 (am)

Thursday 24 May 2007 (am) (if necessary)

Author: Jennie Elliott

Date: October 2006