learning and teaching school of earth and environment 20011/12 learning &teaching briefing. rob...

Learning and Teaching

School of Earth and Environment

20011/12 Learning &Teaching Briefing.

Rob Mortimer

Director of Student Education



1. Who’s who?2. What’s what?3. Reflections on last year4. NSS & programme survey results for last year5. Looking ahead

Presentation content.



Director of Student Education (DSE):Rob Mortimer

Director of Masters Education (DME):Anne Tallontire

Director of Undergraduate Education (DUE):Jon Mound

Academic Integrity Officer (AIO):Damian Howells

1. Who’s who?



Pastoral Support Advisor:Yim Ling Siu

International Student Team:tbc

School Fieldwork Committee Chair:Andrew Ross

Employability Team:Colin Pitts, Jared West, Rob Chapman, Louise Ellis, Katie

Livesey, Rachael Spraggs, Phil Murphy.



Student Support Office (level 10). School Student Education Manager: Esther Burton quality assurance and L&T procedures across all programmes

Student Support Manager: Katrina Firth student support, welfare and discipline

Taught Postgraduate Administrator: Shareen Kininmonth PGT student support; Exams & QA; programme admin; induction

Undergraduate Administrator: Luisa Nanovo UG Earth Science programmes; year abroad; exams; student support

Undergraduate Student Support Assistant: Lisa Beare UG Environment programmes; year in industry; projects; attendance monitoring

Taught Postgraduate Assistant: Matthew Watson-Walker PGT programmes; Exam papers; Exam marks; Module feedback.

Student Education Support Assistant: Bernice McBride Timetabling; Module and programme catalogue; Plagiarism; Exam marks; SLTC; Fieldwork Committee.

Student Support Clerk: Rebecca Sellers Reception; Hand-ins; Assessment deadlines; Module feedback; Fieldwork bookings.



Undergraduate Programme Leaders:

BA Environment and Business - Rodrigo LozanoBA Environmental Management - Yim Ling SiuBSc Environmental Science - Steve ArnoldBA Environmental Sustainability - Claire QuinnBSc Geological Sciences - Graham McLeod & Rob ChapmanBSc Geophysical Sciences - Jon MoundBSc Meteorology and Climate Science - Andrew Ross

+ M level and industrial year abroad variants.

From 2012 two BA programmes merged into:BSc Sustainability and Environmental Management – Claire Quinn



Taught Masters Programme Leaders:

MSc Engineering Geology - Bill MurphyMSc Environmental Geochemistry/Geochemistry - Rob NewtonMSc Exploration Geophysics - Roger ClarkMSc Hydrogeology - Noelle OdlingMRes Physics of the Earth & Atmosphere - Jim McQuaid & Greg HousemanMSc Structural Geology and Geophysics - Douglas Paton

MSc Sustainability (Business, Env., & Corporate Responsibility) - Anne TallontireMSc Sustainability (Climate Change) - Jouni PaavolaMSc Sustainability (Ecological Economics) - Julia SteinbergerMSc Sustainability (Env. Consultancy & Project Management) - Louise EllisMSc Sustainability (Environment & Development) - Susie SalluMSc Sustainability (Politics & Policy) - Jamie Van AlstineMRes Sustainability Research - John Barrett

MSc Hydrogeology/Geochemistry/Environmental Geochemistry withdrawn from 2012



L&T reps: to improve:

• staff engagement and consistency in L&T• communication and dissemination of information• links between research and teaching

ESSI IGTCris Little Locko NeubergGraham McLeod Jon MoundRob Chapman Dan Morgan

SRI ICASJohn Barrett Steven DobbieClaire Quinn Steve ArnoldSusie Sallu Jim McQuaid



New Faculty VLE Technical Support Officer:

Steven CloverEmail address: [email protected] extension: 38667; Room: G.08 Lifton Villas

https://vlebb.leeds.ac.uk/

Quick tip:making modules available:

Control Panel > Customisation > Properties > Set Availability.

mailto:[email protected]



Change to Technical Support Team: Phil Murphy is now School Admissions Officer, so Gary Keech has sole responsibility for day to day Vis Lab teaching support.

Gary is also the person to see if you want to use the Clickers or new audio/video recording equipment etc.



Internal webpage for Learning and Teaching:

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/

2. What’s what?

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/

Achieve international recognition for delivering frontier research of global impact & influence

Develop & train dynamic researchers & research leaders in a collegiate research environment

Grow and create research-led international strategic collaborations

…supported and enabled by ……


Mission: To lead internationally in research, to deliver a high quality and integrated programme of learning and teaching in Earth and Environmental Sciences and hence to beneficially impact society

Create learning opportunities for students to engage with earth and environmental research excellence

Provide an exceptional student experience by delivering distinctive high quality modules & building academic communities

Enhance student employability through building key skills & experience

Time for a balance of academic activities

Financial sustainability to enable resource investment to deliver strategic priorities

Efficient & strong support services and fair & transparent management systems

Development of all staff linked to individual training needs & School objectives

Enterprise and Knowledge TransferLearning and TeachingResearch

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5

6

Facilitate a culture of innovation by helping staff develop entrepreneurial values in research, teaching and EKT

Engage externally, informing public debate, aiding policy development and building new strategic partnerships

Contribute to the enrichment of society on local to global scales

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A B C D



Last year’s L&T Themes:

1. Assessment and feedback:- Clear set of aims and objectives for assessment- Marking criteria for assessment (to students)- Written comments &/or bespoke feedback sheet- Timely and useful feedback (inc. Feedforward)

big improvements in consistency of procedures, reflected by student feedback, including in surveys.

2. Teaching Quality:- Module feedback and deadline information collated and followed up on.-Teaching Star Awards (see good practice guide at : http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/)

better process, hopefully more supportive. surveys show big improvement in teaching quality.

3. Reflections on last year.



3. Course organisation, support and guidance:- Office Hours and better email communication to manage expectations- Consistent personal tutoring using Leeds for Life- Strategic use of absence monitoring

Excellent feedback from students on office hours/communication Improved consistency of personal tutoring Effective absence monitoring

BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS!



NSS matters because:- >70% response rate- Revealing indicator of professional standards- Public performance indicator- Our performance relative to our peers has implications

for recruitment, especially in new fees era.

NSS demands individual responsibility from all teaching/support staff

Disproportionate impact on student judgments of a single poor experience.

4. National Student Survey.



National Student Survey 2011: SEE.Category 2011 Change

since 20102010 2009 2008

Teaching 90% +8 82% 84% 79%

Assessment and feedback

68% +13 55% 62% 51%

Academic support 82% +5 77% 77% 73%

Organisation and management

85% +11 74% 84% 77%

Learning resources 89% +2 87% 90% 88%

Personal development 85% +8 77% 79% 78%

Overall satisfaction 90% +8 82% 91% 86%



National Student Survey 2011: SEE vs UoLCategory SEE

2011Change since 2010

UoL 2011

Change since 2010

Teaching 90% +8 88% +3

Assessment and feedback

68% +13 65% +4

Academic support 82% +5 77% +3

Organisation and management

85% +11 82% +3

Learning resources 89% +2 87% +2

Personal development 85% +8 78% +2

Overall satisfaction 90% +8 86% +4



SO, AGAIN, A BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS!



2011 % agree ('Definitely agree' or 'Mostly agree') Programme

Environment and Business

Environmental Management

Environmental Science

Environmental Sustainability

Geological Sciences

Number of responses23 19 28 10 48

Response rate 79% 90% 85% 59% 81%

Question category

Teaching (Q1 to Q4) 82 8492 90 91

Assessment & feedback (Q5 to Q9) 60 6681 68 65

Academic support (Q10 to Q12) 65 7492 90 87

Organisation & management (Q13 to Q15) 74 7988 97 87

Learning resources (Q16 to Q18) 79 9190 97 90

Personal support (Q19 to Q21) 81 8490 80 85

Overall satisfaction (Q22) 83 79 96 80 96

*Geophysical Sciences and Meterology & Climate Science: insufficient returns



2010 versus 2011 (change in % agree between 2010 and 2011 expressed as percentile points)

Programme

Environment and Business

Environmental Management

Environmental Science

Environmental Sustainability

Geological Sciences

Question category

Teaching (Q1 to Q4) +37 +14 -6 n/a +4Assessment & feedback (Q5 to Q9) +21 +23 +21 n/a +20Academic support (Q10 to Q12) +23 +11 -1 n/a +8Organisation & management (Q13 to Q15) +20 +2 +1 n/a +11Learning resources (Q16 to Q18) -5 +2 +2 n/a +5Personal support (Q19 to Q21) +16 +14 -8 n/a +17Overall satisfaction (Q22) +52 +4 +1 n/a +6



Comparison with other institutions:

Geology:

• We rank 6th out of 17, compared to 12th out of 19 last year.

Physical Geography and Environmental Science:

• We rank 28th out of 55, compared to 48th out of 52 last year.



Geology:

% agree ('Definitely agree' or 'Mostly agree')

Question categories

Teaching Assessment & Feedback

Academic support

Organisation &

Management

Learning resources

Personal support

Overall satisfaction

Score (%

agree)

Rank

Maximum 97 71 95 94 86 95 98 1

Minimum 83 56 71 70 88 75 73 17

Glasgow (University of) 97 71 95 94 86 95 98 1

Imperial College London 98 92 94 94 94 92 98 1

Leicester (University of) 98 84 95 92 94 95 96 3Open University 93 90 84 89 84 76 96 3

Plymouth (University of) 95 70 88 72 81 85 95 5

Birmingham (University of) 93 65 81 80 75 78 94 6

Leeds (University of) 92 67 87 87 93 86 94 6

Southampton (University of) 95 64 83 77 92 86 94 6Manchester (University of) 94 79 90 82 95 86 93 9

Liverpool (University of) 86 57 81 63 88 88 92 10

Durham (University of) 93 63 87 93 83 85 91 11

Royal Holloway, University of London 94 74 79 82 77 76 91 11Cardiff University 91 43 78 81 88 80 87 13

Edinburgh (University of) 89 43 86 70 88 85 86 14

Bristol (University of) 95 58 74 69 81 71 82 15Portsmouth (University of) 84 44 72 55 75 74 77 16

Aberdeen (University of) 83 56 71 70 88 75 73 17



Phys. Geog. & Env. Sci:

% agree ('Definitely agree' or 'Mostly agree')

Question categoriesTeaching Assessment

& FeedbackAcademic support

Organisation &

Management

Learning resources

Personal support

Overall satisfaction

Score (%

agree)

Rank

Maximum 93 79 85 89 90 88 100 1Minimum 66 50 61 67 90 68 59 55 Newcastle University 90 70 85 86 82 76 98 4Sheffield (University of) 94 74 89 91 95 85 98 4Lancaster University 95 79 89 96 83 85 96 12York (University of) 90 59 87 76 80 85 96 12East Anglia (University of) 91 54 82 84 73 87 94 18Durham (University of) 92 65 79 93 85 79 93 19Liverpool (University of) 89 63 85 71 97 74 92 22Glasgow (University of) 93 70 76 84 88 88 90 28Leeds (University of) 90 69 81 87 90 81 90 28Reading (University of) 92 67 87 85 83 88 90 28Edinburgh (University of) 92 63 83 85 92 85 89 31Birmingham (University of) 87 56 75 87 78 73 87 33Oxford (University of) 90 73 80 85 90 86 86 36Southampton (University of) 90 63 70 79 87 80 86 36Nottingham (University of) 89 63 75 83 87 81 85 41Bristol (University of) 94 67 89 94 93 87 83 43Manchester (University of) 90 72 78 75 91 88 82 45Queen's University Belfast 80 63 72 83 88 81 79 49



Detailed sub-category questions: biggest gains

2. Staff have made the subject interesting +10 87%4. The course is intellectually stimulating +10 88%5. The criteria used in marking have been clear in advance +10 80%6. Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair +13 78%7. Feedback on my work has been prompt +13 56%8. I have received detailed comments on my work +13 64%9. Feedback on my work has helped clarify things I didn’t understand +19 63%13. The timetable works efficiently as far as my activities are concerned +14 84%21. As a result of my course I feel confident tackling unfamiliar problems +10 86%

We’re up in every question except one:

17. I have been able to access general IT resources when I needed to 0 90%



Tally of Student comments

Positives vs 2010 Negatives vs 2010

34 Enthusiastic/friendly/helpful lecturers up 12 19 Poor/slow feedback same22 Range of modules/course content up 3 7 Poor teaching down 824 Fieldtrips up 10 6 Inconsistent marking/criteria down 429 Interesting, good quality teaching up 16 4 Course repetitive down 410 Learning environment and community up 1 4 Uneven/heavy workload down 212 Real-life scenarios and employability up 3 12 Module content/not interesting or relevant up 510 Skills training up 4 7 Assessment up 27 Practicals/demonstrators up 2 1 Timetabling down 49 Assessment/feedback up 5 5 Lack of books/journal access up 12 Builds confidence down 2 4 Organisation same3 Research led teaching down 1 0 Poor careers/employability advice down 4

15 Student support/personal tutor up 12 11 Poor module choice and/or lack of guidance up 71 Dissertation down 2 4 Too much group work same8 Facilities up 5 4 Building work/poor facilities/cluster access up 14 Staff-student interaction up 1 2 Dissertation supervison down 15 Organisation up 3 7 Personal tutor/student support up 21 Year abroad new 4 Deadlines up 21 Year in industry new 2 Fieldtrips same1 staff taught how to lecture new 2 Lectures on Weds afternoons same

1 Non-SEE modules down 10 Too research focussed down 22 Not enough skills training new2 Lack of teaching innovation new1 Bad weather new1 letting in students who didn't meet entry reqs new1 not enough contact time new1 no institute cage-fighting!! new



UG Programme Survey: Year 1

Year 1

Teaching Assessment & feedback

Academicsupport

Learningresources

Personal development

Overall

SEE 84% 59% 73% 77% 61% 87%

Change -2 +4 +4 -1 -8 -7

UoL 84% 58% 70% 79% 64% 86%

Change +1 -2 0 +1 +1 0



Year 2Teaching Assessment

& feedbackAcademicsupport

Organisation & management

Learningresources

Personal development

Overall

SEE 83% 46% 73% 64% 74% 66% 86%

Change +3 +4 +13 -9 -2 +6 +8

UoL 82% 54% 65% 71% 76% 65% 80%

Change -1 0 0 -2 +1 +1 -1

UG Programme Survey: Year 2



I. New student intakeII. School priorities and initiatives for the coming yearIII. University initiatives

5. Looking ahead.



226 new undergraduates

78 Geological Sciences 53 Environmental Science33 Environment and Business26 Geophysical Sciences22 Environmental Management8 Environmental Sustainability6 Meteorology and Climate Science

+ 1 resit student tbc (for Env Sci)+ 11 Geography-Geology students+ 44 Petroleum Engineering, and +4 into year 2.

I. New student intake:



Best guess at time of writing:36 Sustainability (Env. Consultancy)30 Exploration Geophysics18 Structural Geology with Geophysics16 Sustainability (Environment & Development)14 Engineering Geology14 Sustainability (Business, Env. & Corporate Responsibility)14 Sustainability (Climate Change)11 Hydrogeology9 Environmental Geochemistry/Geochemistry7 Physics of the Earth and Atmosphere (MRes)7 Sustainability (Environmental Politics & Policy)5 Sustainability (Ecological Economics)1 Sustainability Research (MRes)0 Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (2 year Aramco sponsored)

c. 182 taught postgraduates



a. Assessment and feedback.b. Academic community building.c. Employability.d. Resources for L&T.

II. School priorities and initiatives:



a. Assessment and Feedback.• Highly visual campaign on feedback still running.• For staff and students.• Key recommendations.

• If you do one thing this year to improve your L&T, read the leaflet/poster and make sure your assessments and feedback include:

Clear set of aims and objectives for assessment

Marking criteria for assessment (to students)

Written comments &/or bespoke feedback sheet.

Timely and useful feedback (inc. Feedforward)



Feedback and assessment: suggestions.• Teach less, assess less, feedback more

• Consider using one teaching session for feedback instead, and get the students involved... highly successful examples.

• Remind students about portfolios and the power of reflection.

• Manage student expectations... outline timing, style and format of feedback students can expect and remind them of their role in engaging with it.

• Explain the difference between ‘bagging marks’ and gaining skills’

• Be wary of ‘gold-plating’



Project is working:

Other depts that have used our resources see similar improvements.

But, the low overall scores and the NSS comments show there is more to do.

a. Assessment and Feedback.

Survey SEE Score and Change

UoL Score and Change

NSS 68%, +13 65%, +4

Prog Survey yr1 59%, +4 58%, -2

Prog Survey yr 2 46%, +4 54%, 0



Next phase of project:

“Return, not retain”




We will return all coursework where possible, with annotations/feedback plus any associated feedback sheets, to all UG and PGT students.

Students will compile their work into a portfolio to be handed in at the end of the year for the external examiners to look at. First year students will be asked to compile a portfolio but it will not be a requirement for them to submit this at the end of the year.

• Increases feedback received• Allows reflection and feedforward• Fosters a more professional approach to studies

• All SEE students plus Geog-Geol and Pet Eng on SOEE modules.

“Return, not retain” http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/returningcoursework/



Programme leaders: remind students in start of year meetings that we have a new procedure, and explain it (see http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/returningcoursework/).

Module Leaders/Teaching Staff:• Include a template (example on web) in the module handbook that lists the different assessment components for the module that students can include in their portfolio as a module cover sheet and tick list. • Remind your students to retain their returned coursework in their portfolios and return this to the School at the end of the year. • Return all coursework + feedback to the office so we can return it to students.• Make sure work is either annotated with feedback (exactly what students tell us they want) or at least initialled, to ensure that no ‘refinement or improvement’ is undertaken between marking and handing in portfolios at the end of year.

Personal Tutors: remind students that they must organise their portfolios according to the instructions given, and encourage reflective practice.

“Return, not retain”: what staff need to do

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/returningcoursework/

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/staff/learning-and-teaching/returningcoursework/



What staff need to do: Module Moderators• Prior to returning the work and feedback to the office, it must be checked by the module moderator, and any comments recorded on the module moderation form. This way, moderation will be done as the module progresses and will be finally signed off at the end. If the designated module moderator is not available to moderate, the module manager should ask an alternative member of staff to do this so as not to hold up the return of work to students. • As is the case now, the moderator should initial the 20% sample of work which has been reviewed. This should be a ‘light touch’ moderation, but comments are still required on the moderation form (to be amended).

NOTE: A piece of assessed coursework that counts for <20% of the final module assessment does not have to be moderated.

“Return, not retain”: what staff need to do



Other initiatives:

- More electronic (or dual) submission using Turnitin.

- Leeds Building Capacity project on rapid audio and video feedback.




b. Academic community building:

Recent work to engage the students in building a strong sense of community, and in fostering a strong partnership between staff and students in learning and teaching, has been highly successful (e.g. Countdown project; Step up to Masters; Student Engagement Project; Student Experience Project; Feedback Project). Katie Livesey is the Student Experience Project Officer on this work.

Next stage is to embed this activity rather than rely on project money won by individual staff:

- developing and implementing a student experience strategy, to better integrate students into the community, fostering a sense of belonging, and enhancing engagement.- support to the student societies and chapters of professional societies- student ambassadors- improved communication between School and students



• Always has been important.• KIS, new fees era, and economic climate make it even

more so.• New team• New strategy and action plan• Reporting into STSEC and Faculty Employability Committee• New employability officer• Annual regional careers event for UGs (February 29th).• Revamped UG careers modules, following TESS project.

• Individual modules: what can you add?• Useful contacts?

c. Employability:



1. Lots of examples of things to showcase, e.g….• Jacqui Houghton has >9000 hits on her YouTube videos on how to use

stereonets.• Graham McLeod has set up Rockbase for 24/7 access to our specimen

collection (need more sediments!)• Dan Morgan has worked with the OU to put Leeds rock thin sections on their

Virtual Microscope. • Rodrigo Lozano piloted use of the Chronos e-learning sustainable

development tool with second year Env and Bus students.

2. We have kit you can use: just ask Gary Keech.• Clickers, video and audio equipment.• Additional help: Georgina Orso (feedback intern); Steven Clover (VLE).

3. Collating a wish list of resources to support the student experience:• GPS; mapping tablets; sampling nets; software; pXRF; video microscope• Updating PCs in EVL

d. Resources for learning &teaching.



Handouts Policy:• Provide a concise handout with key information (e.g.

learning objectives, key diagrams and summary points), NOT copies of all your lecture slides.

• Put the slides (or your whole lecture with audio/video!) on the VLE if you want students to be able to review them.

New code of practice on fieldwork:• Coming soon

Other School reminders:



Hand-ins:• 2pm Monday to Thursday.

Clarification of resits and resit moderation: • Module leaders must include resit arrangements in module

handbooks• first attempts and borderlines must be moderated using the

much shorter form• Other resits just need the moderator to complete the tick list.http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/internal-users-from-old-site/learning-and-teaching/key-procedures-and-forms/

Other School reminders:

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/internal-users-from-old-site/learning-and-teaching/key-procedures-and-forms/

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/internal-users/internal-users-from-old-site/learning-and-teaching/key-procedures-and-forms/



Absence Monitoring. • specific modules/activities chosen to target all students.• very important that you do it if asked

• Lisa will email a class list to you. USE THIS ONE!• please record absences and return to Lisa QUICKLY• why not drop it off on the way back from your class?• Lisa will record on our attendance monitoring system and will also check student self-certification on the university system.



New module feedback procedure.• fully automated, online• Steven Clover will place questionnaire into each module VLE space, and will send an announcement to remind students to complete it• Staff may need to send an additional reminder• Questionnaire will be open from week 9 to week 11+1• On completion of a module form, a student will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad. More modules they do, more chance they have of winning.• Office will collate statistics and send as email to staff, with feedback comments appended.



Personal tutorials.• need to ensure consistent support• use Leeds for Life (training sessions available)• reinstated personal tutors as academic tutors for level 1 sem 1 • build relationship

welcome → support/advise → reference → alumnus• helps collegiality

• I ♥ my tutor.• HTeaching Star AwardsH

Leeds for Life what it is An entitlement for all students

which helps them integrate

their academic and wider

university experience

and prepare for their future.

‘

’

https://leedsforlife.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx

– Single log-in via the Portal– Interactive website with tailored information

for students on opportunities and skills– Web-based templates for personal tutorials

focusing on academic development, non-academic/well-being and professional development

– Leeds for Life Foundation awards

Phase 2 website

“Your tutees” tab- Photos- Transcript- Tutorial forms

“Guidance” tab- Leeds personal tutoring model

New functionality for personal tutors:

a. Online Personal Tutorial Booking System – personal tutors can make times available, students can book themselves into those slotsb. Tutors can quickly see which personal tutoring forms have not yet been submitted by their tuteesc. Academic Summary shows which semester each module was taken ind. Tutors can choose to send initial comments back to tutee when they submit a web form (i.e. before the meeting)e. Tutors can send an automatic email reminder to a tutee who does not attend their personal tutorial

“Student view”



1) Investment in student experience for new fees era.2) New student experience support structure, with

Faculty Student Education Managers.3) New partnership.4) Curriculum review with new ‘Threads’ and ‘Strands’.5) New academic year plans.6) Reviews: SAER for SEE; IRENI for University7) KIS8) PTES & PRES

Sector and University initiatives..... and what we’re doing (or not!):



• asked to invest 8% of our teaching turnover (~£500K per annum) in supporting and improving the student experience.

• we’re targetting:

• fieldwork and projects: enhance provision; funding for students (£650 mapping projects; £300 other projects; core plus short optional trips free; other optional trips subsidised; geology kit).

• building academic communities: project officer; student ambassadors; student societies/chapters; events.

• teaching innovation and excellence: TA/fixed term lectureship posts; annual School L&T innovation fund; Teaching Star Awards; equipment/facilities.

• employability: employability officer; regional careers fair

1) Investment in student experience for new fees era.



2) New student experience support structure, with Faculty Student Education Managers.

3) New partnership

http://partnership.leeds.ac.uk



Principles: • Integration of research with learning and teaching• Core threads will be incorporated and demonstrated in the context of

the discipline• Deeper learning and less ‘pocketed knowledge’• Opportunity to broaden within or beyond the discipline: strands• Opportunity for placement learning/study abroad

What does it mean for us?• An audit of modules and programmes to show where we have

research-led teaching (students undertaking research and/or staff research contributing to curriculum).

• An audit of modules and programmes to show where we have threads: employability; ethics and responsibility; global and cultural insight.

• Strands will be structured replacements for electives: we need to discuss the implications and our approach.

4) Curriculum Review



5) New Academic Year Structure.

Semester 1 will be an uninterrupted 11 week period for teaching, learning and school-based assessment before the Christmas break. There will not be a University-organised, assessment period after the Christmas break. This does not preclude programmes from arranging (school-based) assessment as needed and gives the opportunity and incentive to be more innovative and radical with the way that students are assessed.

Semester 2 will be an uninterrupted 11 week period for teaching, learning and school-based assessment between New Year and Easter; term dates will have to be arranged to enable this.

After the Easter break it is proposed that there will be a two week period when appropriate staff will be expected to be available towork with students prior to assessment. This period will be used for some form of organised activity, for example:

• formative feedback in essay / assignment surgeries• peer support• revision workshops• student-led conferences• group tutorials• organised reading / preparation for assessment• preparation for summer placements etc.

After this there will be a four-week, University-organised, formal assessment period(slide from Chris Butcher)



• School SAER (Student academic experience review) is in November.• Major review of UG, PGT and PGR.• You may be asked to attend meetings.

• University IRENI (Institutional Review for England and Northern Ireland) is in February.

6) Reviews



• Key Information Set (KIS) must be provided for all programmes. • University has a working group to try to ensure the right data are

collected, and automatically.

7) KIS



• Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) and Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) are PG equivalents of NSS.

• Details: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/pteshttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/pres

• PRES has run for 4 years and PTES for 2 years. Sector level reports available on the website.

• Expect institutional and school level surveys to come.

8) PTES and PRES

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ptes

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/pres



2011/12 Term Dates

Semester 1: Mon 26th Sept to Fri 9th Dec 2011

Reading week: Mon 31st Oct to Fri 4th Nov 2011

Exams: 9th-20th Jan 2012

Semester 2: Mon 23rd Jan to Fri 4th May 2012 (8 weeks before Easter, 3 after)

Exams: 14th to 30th May 2012



Summary:

• Good improvement in NSS, so let’s sustain it.• Key themes for 2011-12:

a. Assessment and feedback.

b. Academic community building.

c. Employability.

d. Resources for L&T.• Key new procedures for 2011-12:

– Return, not retain– Automated module feedback

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