DSE Forum26 February 2015

Leeds Curriculum updates and discussion

The Leeds Curriculum andInterdisciplinarity

• Welcome and introduction

• Leeds Curriculum strand developmentso Communications o RBL/CPT o Systems and Processeso Evaluation o Assessment o Broadening and Discovery Themes

• Q&A discussion Chair: Suzanne Hallam

• Interdisciplinarity open dialogue Led by Professor Paul Taylor, DSE in Chemistry

Communications

Karen Llewellyn

Leeds Curriculum - Communications

• Internal audiences – staff and students

• External audiences –

- prospective students - employers - alumni - HEIs

• Website(s) developments

• Conferences / events

• Your ideas?

RBL/CPTSystems and Processes

Evaluation

Mitch Waterman

Leeds Curriculum

• CPTs and RBL mapped through curricula; will need to be mindful about refreshing.

• FYPs in place now in all programmes: supervision support/training to be offered to schools.

• Systems and process responsibilities devolved to working groups (moving to BAU).

• Evaluation Group: tasked with setting evaluation objectives for other groups (project delivery) and framing the Objectives Evaluation for longer term.

Assessment

Fiona Becket

Assessment

• Assessment mapping has had a ‘refresh’ and is ongoing.

• Future guidance will be available.

• Are students happy about how they are assessed?

• Are staff happy about how they assess?

• The role of PAGs is central in getting the Programme view.

Broadening and Discovery Themes

Martin Purvis

Leeds Curriculum – Broadening

• Discovery Theme Leader opportunities

• Mind & Body• Ethics, Religion & Law• Exploring the Sciences

• Closing date 27 March• https

://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=SESSP1028

Leeds Curriculum – Broadening

• Highlighting progression

• Website enhancements

• Discovery Fair II – 5 May

• Communication with students and LfL tutors

Leeds Curriculum – Broadening

• Documenting discovery modules

• Module enrolment data

• Processes for introduction/withdrawal of discovery modules

• DTL presence at Faculty/School Student Education meetings

• Timetabling

• More flexible delivery of discovery modules

Leeds Curriculum

Q & A discussion

Chair: Suzanne Hallam

Interdisciplinarityopen dialogue

led byPaul Taylor, DSE Chemistry

Multi-, Inter- & Trans-disciplinarity

• Multidisciplinary: Relating to, or making use of several disciplines at once, acknowledging that there are differences between disciplines in “how the work is done”, but doesn’t have a way to bridge these differences.

• Interdisciplinary: The process of combining two or more disciplines, fields of study or professions. Also acknowledges disciplinary differences, but is also attempting to synthesise them into something new.

• Transdisciplinary: approaches that transcend, go beyond and over boundaries of conventional disciplines.

How is interdisciplinarity done?

• despite the curriculum; characterised by a lack of flexibility and a struggle on the part of students to make it happen

• to the side of the curriculum; characterised by a curriculum which makes room for some interdisciplinary options

• as a separate but embedded part of the curriculum

• as embedded within the curriculum; interdisciplinary approaches being drawn upon throughout the curriculum for a programme

• as institutionally embedded; engagement by all staff and students with an institutional vision that drives forward the interdisciplinarity agenda

What do students want?

• gain interdisciplinary experience and exposure rather than wanting radical change

• engage in a broadening of experience, as opposed to a narrowing of focus in on a particular area (as is often a characteristic of research communities)

• see greater networking between students in different disciplines, perhaps through problem-based working groups

(Kings Warwick Project 2010)

Warwick IATL

curriculum.leeds.ac.uk

In conclusion...

Thank you Any final comments or questions?

Contact for the Leeds Curriculum k.a.llewellyn@leeds.ac.uk