· web viewinformation about the campus in london can be found in various documents including,...

LTC14-P36 February 2014

Loughborough University in London (LUiL): Defining the Postgraduate Curriculum for Master’s Programmes (MA and MSc)

Professor Zoe Radnor, Associate Dean (Teaching), LUiLProfessor Mike Caine, Dean, LUiL

November, 2013

“What an incredible experience. I was able to continue my studies with Loughborough University in a great location, with the buzz of London on the doorstep. Olympic Park even reminded me of my time at the Loughborough campus - it was home from home. I loved the mix of subjects in my Master’s and being able to engage with dynamic businesses. It was also exciting to be part of a vibrant community doing something new and distinctive. I’ve already been offered a great job and made lots of new friends and contacts. Two of my Malaysian friends are coming to Lufbra in London next year…I can’t wait to see them.”

Nisha, LU undergraduate (2012-15), LUiL postgraduate (2016)

1.0 Introduction

In September 2015 Loughborough University will welcome its first cohort of postgraduate students and learners to the Olympic Park campus. The purpose of this report is to present an outline of the vision, landscape and proposed structure and content of the curriculum for postgraduate teaching (PGT) and executive education at Loughborough University in London (LUiL). This report is informed by quantitative data and qualitative insights from a variety of sources, including published reports, LU commissioned reports, surveys and focus groups and HESA datasets. PGT portfolio planning has been on-going for many months, including some initial analysis before the appointment of the LUiL SMT in June 2013, with LU staff (academic and professional services) meeting regularly to share ideas and discuss options. Additionally, outputs from two portfolio planning workshops held in October 2013, attended by 30 colleagues from across the University, underpin this current proposal.

Information about the campus in London can be found in various documents including, LUiL: The Implementation Plan [1] and will not be reproduced here.

This report focuses on the curriculum i.e. the content and structure of the learning and teaching offering at LUiL for Master’s Programmes (MSc and MA)1. Three related reports will be produced subsequently:

A proposal relating specifically to the development of MBA programmes

A document detailing the integration of teaching and enterprise (curricular and extra-curricular) including the relationship between LUiL and the Glendonbrook Centre

An updated implementation plan including aspects such as staffing, professional services, marketing and recruitment

1 Due to accreditation purposes, fee structures and profile of students the outline and development of Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) programmes will be considered in a separate report.

V2 (26/01/14)


2.0 Vision

A distinctive portfolio of postgraduate study options will be devised and delivered from an inspirational location. The London campus will provide an outstanding ‘Loughborough student experience’ combined with the dynamism and employment opportunities afforded by the capital. The London base will position the University to utilise fully its excellent research and innovation capacity to attract new business partnerships and to expand its global reach. Enterprise, innovation and entrepreneurship, within and beyond the curriculum, will be a defining characteristic of studying at LUiL.

The primary current objective is to determine the phase one portfolio of taught programmes. This portfolio needs to attract 250+ FTE PGT students in 2015, and provide a solid platform to enable subsequent rapid growth in PGT recruitment.

Considerations when contemplating potential programmes:

Is there evidence of substantial current and future market demand?

Is LUiL capable of developing a market leading position in the subject area?

Will our market positioning enable us to charge a fee premium (upper quartile relative to benchmark institutions)?

Is it likely that the proposed programme can be introduced without the unintended displacement of prospective students from the main campus?

Is the proposed programme able to leverage and benefit from aligning itself to the iCITY / London location?

Does the programme lend itself, at least in part, to partnership-based; practice-based (by adjunct faculty) or distance-based delivery?

Are the programmes, as a collective, coherent, with common elements, thus ensuring efficient delivery as a consequence of economies of scale?

Do the proposed programmes complement our strengths and aspirations regarding being research-informed and engaged with business and the professions?

Senate and Council have determined that LUiL will be a multi-disciplinary activity, encompassing research, teaching and enterprise. This multi-disciplinary offer is one of the features of LUiL that makes it distinctive thereby differentiating LUiL from other ‘satellite campus’ offerings in London. A complementary mix of broad subject areas has already been identified for provision in London. Specific programmes titles will be determined from within and between these subject domains. These broad subject areas or discipline themes align with six of the ten Loughborough University Schools, below:

Business and Economics (SBE)

Social, Political and Geographical Sciences (SSPGS)

Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS)

Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering (EESE)

V2 (26/01/14)


Loughborough Design School (LDS)

Wolfson School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering (MM)

The vision for the learning and teaching provision at LUiL is to create a stimulating research informed learning environment based around flexibility, enterprise and employability. Students on the LUiL programmes will benefit from being able to take and combine a number of modules across pathways of programmes. They will also be able to select, increasingly over time, different modes of delivery and assessment. All of the programmes offered will be underpinned by engagement with enterprise activities (some compulsory, most discretionary) and the development of key transferable skills leading to enhanced employability prospects. The teaching spaces will be contemporary, comfortable and adaptable with a variety of learning environments and support services providing a blend of formal and informal space for students to study and reflect, both individually and in groups.

3.0 Outputs from the PGT Portfolio Development Workshops

Two workshops were held in October to accelerate the process of PGT portfolio planning for LUiL. The workshops were attended by 30 participants from all six stakeholder Schools and key professional services. Small group activities created significant output [2]. Key deliverables (SWOT analysis and ‘student profile’) are summarised and presented below.

3.1 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis

The first exercise was for the groups to answer “What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of PGT provision at LUiL?”

Table 1 presents a summary of the analysis. It is apparent that there are many strengths and opportunities which can be harnessed, built upon or pursued. Many of the weaknesses and threats can be mitigated through improvement and risk management plans and will certainly be considered when refining the implementation plan.

Specifically it should be possible to:

Develop programme models that encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration

Uplift significantly the brand development and marketing of PGT programmes – a Marketing Manager for LUiL, Sharmila Brown, is now in post

Create a flexible teaching environment with opportunity to utilise modern technology

Build links and visibility through an integrated enterprise and teaching approach

Develop a staffing mix which uses permanent staff in both London and from the Loughborough campus together with a combination of visiting staff and bought-in teachers/ adjunct faculty

Uplift significantly international student recruitment – four new International Office posts have been approved to add capability and capacity

Table 1 – LUiL PGT provision: a SWOT analysis

V2 (26/01/14)


Strengths

LU is already enterprise informed

LU already adopts research informed teaching

UK and international reputation is sound - built on previous and current LU successes

Existing collaborations in London exist

History of outstanding student experience

Processes are sound and in place

Market knowledge based on current demographic is good

Desire to be pioneering

Weaknesses

Current lack of cross – school collaboration

Lack of visibility for PGT provision (need for improved marketing)

Limits of the building - space needs to be very flexible

Innovative delivery i.e. blended learning is not currently embedded in LU teaching delivery

No laboratory space at LUiL to complement class room provision

It will be difficult to deliver an outstanding Loughborough student experience from single-building satellite

Staffing mix probably needs to be different than current LU – no experience of this

Opportunities

Many LU graduates go to London

Location – London a world city

Good recognition of the Olympic Park site

Able to attract and recruit more diverse students

Single compact site “campus” due to locality

Local and International collaboration and connections – established and new

Opportunities for Industrial Placements and Community Engagement are excellent

Multi-disciplinary offering should be achievable given single building offer

Trailing new timings e.g. a 2 year Master’s? would be possible (more difficult on current campus due to disruption)

Culture with staff can be shaped as new & contained – able to develop new models without inertia of change

East London – digital & social trends, heart of the creative sector

Threats

Potential over-reliance on one country (China) for overseas students

Established competitors in London are strong (Imperial, Kings, LSE, UCL)

Try to cater for too many Master’s – dilution of the offering

Challenging recruitment targets – are these achievable / realistic

LU versus LUiL (competition for resources)

LU is not established or recognised in East London (no visibility)

UK companies not always interested in employing international students. Relations with employers may thus be difficult to forge

Funding model is uncertain and likely to change for PGT students

Internal competition i.e. displacement of students from Loughborough to London site

3.2 Student Profile

The workshop groups were asked to ‘describe a student / graduate of LUiL (not what but who)’ in order to develop a mental picture of the student body. Some key characteristics

V2 (26/01/14)


emerged and are summarised below. A detailed piece of work in partnership with the Students’ Union is underway to characterise comprehensively the LUiL target demographic. This will inform the marketing strategy and marketing activities which are due to start in earnest early in 2014.

It was felt that LUiL students would be:

Cosmopolitan; adventurous; affluent; ambitious; entrepreneurial and demanding

And there was a strong sense that students would be:

Permanently connected to technology

Employability focused

Interestingly the discussion revealed a sense that two types of students would probably be at LUiL. One type was based around the concept of a full time overseas student or an LU graduate moving to LUiL. It was felt they would be:

Concerned about being vulnerable and isolated

Have English as second language

Aspire for cultural diversity whilst also seeking familiar lifestyle choices

Whereas the other type, based on the concept of a part time student would be:

Busy / ‘juggling’ home and work life

Professional (i.e. employed either full or part time)

Lacking a first degree, but have significant work and life experience

These characteristics and types need to be taken into account not only when recruiting prospective students but also in the curriculum design in terms of programme structure, content and mode of delivery. Whilst more work needs to be done to better profile the prospective student cohort, the simple characterisation (as summarised above) has been taken into account in the development of the programme models to allow for:

Flexibility of delivery encouraging part time students

Group work enabling multi-cultural / multi-disciplinary activity

An emphasis on enterprise and employability skills

Provision of support services in terms of English language skills

4.0 Target Student Populations

The aim is to admit in September 2015 with 250+ students rising to 1000+. Given the current PGT intake (2013/4) to the Loughborough campus (excluding Engineering continuation students) this means in 2015 an increase of circa 20% for PGT for Loughborough University.

V2 (26/01/14)


This gives an opportunity to review and refine our PGT provision both academically and in terms of support services. LUiL allows new structures and concepts to be pioneered, refined and optimised which may subsequently enhance our PGT provision across both campuses.

It is envisaged that approximately two thirds of the students recruited to LUiL will be overseas international. Whilst this proportion is notional (based on prevailing institutional norms) we can be certain that a substantial number of the students recruited will be required to meet the regulations and standards determined by the UK Border Agency. Some of the Border Agency’s requirements impact on course structure and delivery. For example, overseas international students are required to undertake an average of 15 hours of classroom study per week.

To achieve the recruitment targets set it is important that the learning and teaching structure and delivery mode empowers LUiL to attract a wide student demographic (Home / EU & Overseas International) - from recent graduate registering on to full time programmes, to mature and experienced professionals progressing via part time pathways. Recent, and soon to be, Loughborough graduates and other alumni will be an important target group as will those already studying at undergraduate level in London.

5.0 The Importance of Market Demand

The market for PGT students in London is highly competitive. This has been well documented in a number of reports including the series produced by The Knowledge Partnership [3]. Market reports and HESA data suggest large PGT programmes (N>50 FTE) are scarce. More typically, successful and enduring PGT programmes usually recruit between 15 and 45 students. It will be challenging to recruit to any programme in volume unless the programme aligns closely with market demand. The notion of ‘anchor’ programmes, coupled with derivatives, is attractive; whereby the anchor programmes are generic and market driven and the derivatives are more niche and distinctive. When determining the PGT portfolio multiple factors (often in tension) need to be considered. Our aspiration is to match demand related variables (e.g. size of market, competitor landscape etc.) with supply-led factors (e.g. fit with LU research strengths and aspirations; current staff expertise; fit with existing PGT provision). The Knowledge Partnership report [3] also reminds us that the programme title is important, especially so with overseas international students. Generic programme titles, whereby the allied industry sector is clear, tend to be favoured by prospective students.

PGT Master’s programmes at LUiL will comprise of a mixture of what will be defined as2:

Conversion programmes (no subject-specific knowledge or qualification required)

Specialist programmes (subject-specific knowledge and/or qualification required)

Applied/ Professional programmes (related to and in collaboration with a profession)

Conversion and Specialist Master’s will refer to MA/ MSc type programmes. Applied/ Professional will be the MBA programmes.

2 QAA presents a typology of Master’s Programmes which are indicative rather than definitive. These have been considered in developing the appropriate distinctions for LUiL [5].

V2 (26/01/14)


6.0 Competition

As well as the ‘direct’ competition afforded by the established incumbent London universities such as City (including Cass); Imperial, Kings; QMUL; Ravensbourne; UCL and UEL there are also the other universities with satellite campuses in London. These include Coventry; Glasgow Caledonian, Sunderland, Liverpool; UEA; Ulster and Warwick (proposed). Between all of these universities a wide range of programmes are offered from Business and Finance to Innovation and Healthcare Studies to Design and Engineering Management, Media and Creative Industries. In short, few, if any, of our proposed programmes will enjoy a lack of competition.

In a report which solicited the views of HE leaders and managers a clear articulation was made that online provision of content, assessment and feedback could provide an ‘enhanced’ learning experience; whilst engagement with practitioners was seen as a powerful way to engender innovative thinking in the student/ learner [6]. A final thought, emerging from a number of reports reviewed, was a sense that universities would thrive by creating a distinctive or ‘niche’ offer within the sector. Universities with homogenous programme offers were seen as a thing of the past.

7.0 The LUiL Postgraduate Teaching (PGT)

7.1 The Framework

Figure 1 outlines the framework proposed (the LUiL PGT wheel). This aims to reflect an offering where students create their Master’s from a pathway approach across a range of subject based modular offerings. Whereby, within all programmes, students pick at least one module from another ‘subject’ other than their core subject. Therefore, a student will have their ‘core’ subject or degree choice e.g. Media and Creative Industries and will then choose a set of other modules from complementary ‘anchor’ disciplines or specialist ‘niche’ modules.

Figure 1: The PGT Wheel for LUiL

V2 (26/01/14)


Core and Anchor subjects are required to create full degree programmes. Niche and Executive Education modules cannot be combined in the absence of Core or Anchor subjects to create a full degree programme, they are thus supplementary modules.

All programmes will be validated at PG Certificate (60 credits), PG Diploma (120 credits) and PG Master’s (180 credits) all at level 7 thus giving flexibility and choice for students. Therefore, it may be possible for participants of Executive Education modules to accumulate credits towards a certificate and/ or then use some of them to complete the certificate or move into a diploma or full degree. This again allows for flexibility and long term relationships with a range of students beyond the one year, full time participants. All modules will be 15 credits to allow for interchangeability, consistency and management of the modules.

7.2 The Programme Structure

Full Master’s programmes will be offered in one of the following formats:

A single subject Master’s (modules elected predominantly from single subject)

A ‘with subject’ Master’s (modules from two subjects – one major, one minor)

An ‘and subject’ Master’s (modules from two subjects in notionally equal proportion)

Figure 2, overleaf, outlines the various models for the Master’s programmes at LUiL. All Programme Leaders either with LUiL or from within the current ‘stakeholder’ Schools (SBE, SSPGS, SSEHS, EESE, LDS, MM) will need to define the various pathways and combinations of modules. They will also need to specify entry criteria and accredited prior learning (APL) and the ‘type’ of Master’s – conversion or specialist. Support and guidance will be provided by, for example, Academic Registry and the Teaching Centre.

The aim is for LUiL to offer a mix but mainly ‘specialist’ Master’s in order to benefit from the industry and community access as well as the research within the campus. Applied/Professional Master’s will be addressed by the MBA programmes. However, due to the highly defined structures of MBA and the substantial higher fee structure it is proposed that a separate report is produced for their development at LUiL. Fee structures will be set by the University but some guidance will be given in the LUiL learning and teaching implementation report. It is anticipated that they will higher than the current Master’s programmes which are set circ. £5,000 - £8,000 for UK students and circ. £12,250 - £16,000 for overseas [7]. Further detail on this will be developed.

V2 (26/01/14)


Figure 2: LUiL PGT Programme Structures

7.2.1 Modules

All students will take at least one module in an anchor/ second subject. All students will be involved in a ‘live’ group project and an individual project. Modules will be 15 credit bearing and also aim to have some link with enterprise/ industry. Modules will be taught in a ‘short, fat’ format (rather than ‘long and thin’) meaning they will be taught in blocks of days. For a 15 credit module that will equate to 150 study hours of which approximately 15-25 will be contact hours. This means that the module could be taught in one week, across two or three weeks with ‘gap’ weeks if needed for reading or project work or even in the evenings. The minimum session will be half a day (or 3.5 hours). This format will allow for utilisation of the space, ease of timetabling, meeting Border Control contact hours obligations and time for students to work on their projects, pre module reading and assignments. The structure of the modules both in terms of credit and delivery will also allow for full and part time students.

7.2.2 Projects

V2 (26/01/14)


Students will undertake a group project (15 credits) and an individual project (60 credits). The group project will be an integrated project with students involved across all programmes – so ‘cross disciplinary’. This will allow for breath and depth of learning and provide experiences relevant to employers. Development of transferable skills such as interdisciplinary working leadership, team working, verbal communication, will be promoted. Where possible the group project will be linked to an external organisation (business, professional body or community group). All students will complete a compulsory short project management course as part of the ‘group project’ module. This short course will give an introduction to project management and group / team working as well as set a simple ‘mini’ project which will be focused on finding out about LUiL, London, the environment, culture and context e.g. how to set up a ‘pop up’ retail or community information stall in the Westfield shopping centre. Students will be assigned a group project during the first two ‘terms’ depending on the mix of discipline, context and length of project – some may be across both terms and others only a couple of months. It is envisaged that an academic project co-ordinator will be appointed to manage the group project process with support from the Careers and Employability Centre, the Glendonbrook Centre and other student support colleagues for the delivery of some of the ‘skills’ development that will be required.

The individual project will be worth 60 credits. A proportion will be linked to the development of a proposal based on a compulsory research methodology course that will be delivered in the spring/ summer term. The individual project could consist of a research or desk-based dissertation, a business plan or applied piece for an organisation tackling a key issue or subject, or based on a reflective applied account of a placement or internship which could occur in the summer or during the programme. If the student is studying a single subject Master’s then the project can be highly focused on that e.g. digital technology communication but if they are studying for a ‘with’ or ‘and’ joint Master’s degree then the project should be relevant to both aspects e.g. digital technology communication with media. A common project descriptor will be created for all LUiL based Master’s projects to ensure consistency.

7.2.4 Executive Teaching and Niche Modules

Executive teaching and niche modules allow for Schools and individuals to develop and ‘test’ new Master’s material taking advantage of the positioning and profile of LUiL. Executive Education modules could be considered as Continuing Professional Development (CPD). However, the title of Executive Education will hopefully allow greater link with enterprise as modules and short courses/ programmes could be developed in partnership with organisations and industry. Some of these would be solely for the attendance of designated industry / organisation participants and would demand high fees and clear terms of engagement. Modules could be accredited or non-accredited depending on if the participant chooses to complete the appropriate assessment. Accredited modules could build into a Certificate or Diploma although guidance would be needed to ensure coherence amongst the modules to achieve a recognised award. All Certificate or Diploma awards would have to include some completed modules from the core/ anchor subjects. No award will be given in the short term based on niche/ Executive Education modules alone. It is suggested that an Executive Education business development manager is appointed to work with the AD(T) and AD(E) to create and build the Executive Education portfolio and offering.

V2 (26/01/14)


Niche modules would be ‘Master’s’ (level 7) modules and it is envisaged that these will be ‘offered’ by LU Schools in consultation with LUiL SMT and / or core school programme leads. These may be modules from Schools who do not have aspirations to offer a core/anchor programme or who wish to ‘test the market'. Coherence is important so it will be necessary to show a link to the core/anchor programmes being offered.

7.3 Integrated teaching and enterprise

Critical to the distinctive offering of LUiL is the integration of teaching and enterprise where enterprise encompasses engagement with industry and community, employability, entrepreneurship and, skills training and development. In other words everything ‘non-teaching’ but linked to learning and skills development. This could include lectures by non-academics, , skill based programmes or, the projects outlined.

A workshop was recently held for individuals from across enterprise, careers and employability and academic schools to discuss and outline what the integrated teaching and enterprise offering would consist off for LUiL. The outcome of this and further discussion will lead to a separate report to be produced before the final operational approval in March 2014. It is an importance and critical element of the Master’s offering to take full advantage of LUiL’s physical location within the market place.

8.0 Curriculum / Portfolio of Programmes at LUiL

A major activity at both workshops was to develop a list of possible programmes for September 2015 and September 2017. This was carried out through participants drawing on the work and discussion in the workshop, marketing knowledge and material as well as, experience and knowledge in learning and teaching. An initial list was created by the groups in the first workshop [2]. These were then reflected upon and refined in the second workshop where groups were also asked to:

Estimate perceived market demand (1 - low; 2 - medium; 3 - high)

Estimate level of maturity in thinking and content formulation for the programme (1 - low to 5 - high).

This resulted in a list of possible programmes from each group [2]. Drawing on that emergent process, together with evidence presented throughout this report the following table lists the programmes recommended for launch in September 2015. They are based around the six Institutes which have been set up which are:

1. Institute for Design Innovation, TBC, Director, LDS

2. Institute for Digital Technologies, Professor Ahmet Kondoz, Director, SEESE

3. Glendonbrook Institute for Enterprise Development, TBC, Director, SBE

4. Institute for Sport Business, Professor James Skinner, Director, SSEHS

5. Institute for Media and Creative Industries, Professor David Buckingham, Director, SSPGS

V2 (26/01/14)


6. Institute for Virtual Engineering, Professor Andy West, Director, SMME

It should be noted and remembered that even a ‘single’ subject Master’s will need to have at least one module from another subject and, all Master’s will be underpinned by a group multi-disciplinary projects which will have strong links to practice/ enterprise.

Table 2 – LUiL PGT provision: proposed phase one programmes

Theme/Title3 Stakeholder School

Secondary School(s)

Estimated No of students

(FTE) in 20154

Programme Director

Model 1: Single Subject

MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

SBE 40 Dr. Amanda Berry & Dr Julie

HollandMA Media and Creative Industries

SSPGS 40 Dr. Emily Keightley

MSc in Digital Media Systems

EESE 40 Prof Ahmet Kondoz

MA Design Management LDS 20 Dr. Erik Bohemia

MSc in Mobile Internet EESE 20 Prof Ahmet Kondoz

MSc in Internet and Media Clouds

EESE 20 Prof Ahmet Kondoz

MBA International Sports Management5

SBE SSEHS 20 Donna Champion

Model 2: ‘With’ Programmes

MSc Internet Technologies with Business

EESE SBE 15 Prof Ahmet Kondoz

MSc in Internet Media Clouds with Business

EESE SBE 15 Prof Ahmet Kondoz

MA Design with Media LDS SSPGS 15 Dr. Erik Bohemia

MSc Managing Creative Organisations

SBE LDS 15 Dr. Amanda Berry & Dr Julie

Holland

Model 3: ‘And’ Programmes

3 We will return to Operations Committee with the final title at later stage4 This is based on the numbers presented by market reports and the perceive demand by workshop participants.5 The MBA is shown for completion but will discussed in a separate report

V2 (26/01/14)


MSc Sports Management SSEHS SBE 15 Dr. Joe Piggin

MSc Sports leadership SSEHS SBE 15 Prof James Skinner

MA Design Management Innovation

LDS SBE 15 Dr. Erik Bohemia

MA Entrepreneurial Design Management

LDS SBE 15 Dr. Erik Bohemia

MSc Digital Manufacturing6

MM EESE / LDS 15 Prof Paul Conway & Prof Andrew West

MSc Virtual Engineering MM EESE / LDS 15 Prof Paul Conway & Prof Andrew West

Total number of students

Approx. 350

6 Due to the nature of these Industry driven Manufacturing programmes further information will be supplied in a separate report

V2 (26/01/14)


10.0 Relevant Reports, Documents and Links

1. Loughborough University in London: An Implementation Plan for consideration by Senate and Council (March 2013).

2. Photographs from the workshop days: \\ws7.lboro.ac.uk\PGT-Programme-for-LUiL-Workshop.

3. Olympic Park Campus: Market Based Evaluation of Student Number Projections, The Knowledge Partnership (David Roberts, Feb 6th 2013).

4. HE Briefing: Taught Postgraduate Courses, 1994 Group, Number 8: June 2013.5. Review of taught postgraduate programmes – working group report, July 2013,

Loughborough University (paper to ATL November 2013).6. Creating a winning course: How student experiences will shape the future of higher

education, PA knowledge, 2013.7. Olympic Park Campus Market Based Evaluation of Student Number Projections, David

Roberts, The Knowledge Partnership, 6th February 2013.

V2 (26/01/14)