Aims

The broad aim of this module is to overview key components in the academic infrastructure for UK HE. Participants will normally take this module alongside the ILT module, which will begin the overview. Specifically, the module is aimed at providing opportunities for participants to understand and critically analyse the theoretical and practical issues involved in curriculum design and development; developing effective assessment strategies; monitoring and evaluating courses and/or programmes; establishing new/revising existing programmes; and other aspects of quality assurance.


Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1 with reference to appropriate pedagogical concepts, produce critical evaluative rationales for their own choices of assessment strategies and the ways in which student progress might be monitored; |

2 with reference to appropriate pedagogical concepts, articulate a curriculum rationale which demonstrates a critical appreciation of competing curriculum models or ideologies;

3 suggest ways in which their own teaching programmes might be effectively enhanced during a cycle of programme monitoring and evaluation, or (re) validation.


Indicative Module Content

This is a core practice module, and would normally be taken concurrently with the ILT module. It is not compulsory for associate tutors if they have no assessing and examining responsibilities. It assumes no prior knowledge of HE pedagogy and completes the overview of the academic infrastructure for HE. Each week will look at a key issue in the design and monitoring of the HE curriculum. 

Theme 1 -  Curriculum ideologies and models:
which will look at underpinning aims for HE programmes, and contrast classical humanist, progressivist, and reconstructivist ideologies.

Theme 2 - Assessment principles:
which will look critically at questions of validity, reliability, and fairness in assessment. 

Theme 3 - Assessment practice:
which will look at issues relating to enhancing learning through assessment and the ethical issues involved in monitoring learning.

Theme 4 - Evaluation and QA frameworks:
which will look critically at the internal and external agents of quality and the issues which surround QA – e.g. accountability versus surveillance; compliance versus enhancement, etc. 

Theme 5 - Academic frameworks:
the undergraduate and postgraduate academic frameworks, and how these underpin curriculum development at CCCU.

Throughout the themes a critical orientation will be maintained, and participants will be invited to articulate their own understandings of the uses and limitations of the concepts, and apply them to their own rationales for, and evaluations of, their planning and delivery of taught sessions. The module will provide explicit opportunities for participants to provide evidence of engagement with UK PSF area of activity 3, core knowledge 6, and PSF,  SEDA PDF core development outcomes and values 4 and 5. In addition the ILOs, content, and assessment are designed to meet the criteria for the SEDA PDF award `Learning, Teaching, and Assessing', where award recipients will be able to:

Inform their professional role with relevant strategy, policy and quality considerations;

Extend their use of learning, teaching and assessment approaches;

Contribute to the processes of module or programme design, implementation and evaluation;

Provide support to students on academic or pastoral issues.

Successful completion of the module will also grant University `assessor and examining' status, and be able to identify any immediate CPD needs with relation to assessing and examining.


Learning and Teaching Strategies

This is an introductory module and will assume no prior knowledge of HE pedagogy and related conceptual and value frameworks. Each session will begin with a teacher-led overview of the nature of the relevant concepts. This will be followed by small group exercises and whole group discussion, which will invite participants to explore how the concepts relate to their own professional practice. Each session will end with an overview of the key issues which have emerged from academic debate, with suggestions for further reading, and individual exercises to consolidate knowledge and understanding.


Assessment

A Teaching Study, in the order of 2,000 words for each 'core practice', to comprise:

1 a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) which outlines one's current CPD context, and includes a related critical discussion of the role of reflective practice in one's own professional learning context (for ILT module);

2 four written teaching observation reports undertaken by a mentor (at least two), a member of the PGCLT teaching team, and a `buddy' from one's PGCLT cohort. Followed, in each case, by a personal reflective commentary on those sessions (for the ILT module). (N.B. for associate tutors the number of teaching observations will be two – to be expanded to 4 if the participant subsequently joins the PGCLT (HE) programme);

3 a reflective commentary on the way that an existing or new programme currently meets the requirement to produce an inclusive educational environment, and in the light of critical discussion of relevant pedagogical concepts, suggestions for how this might be enhanced (for the ILT module);

4 a series (around 3-4) of HE session outlines (with an appropriate template), followed by an evaluative discussion of choice of learning and teaching strategies and related LOs (for the ILT module) and to include assessment and feedback strategies (for the CAQ module), and which refers to appropriate pedagogic concepts and critical discussion of relevant scholarly work;

5 a combination of any of the following (to include at least two for the ILT and two more for the CAQ module): a reflective commentary from an observation of an experienced practitioner; a discussion of a critical incident from one's own practice with an outline of how this might be addressed; a critical review of a relevant scholarly article which addresses an aspect of professional practice; a reflective log which includes critical discussion of aspects of student learning and student progress;

6 a curriculum rationale for an existing or new programme which critically appreciates its role in meeting a range of broad underpinning aims for HE study (e.g. content, process, and outcome-led models of the curriculum) (for the CAQ module);

7 a reflective commentary on the role of the internal and external agencies of quality assurance, and at least one suggestion for an enhancement to current quality practice, and which is informed by the current academic infrastructure for HE in the UK (for the CAQ module).

The teaching study should be viewed as a coherent and whole document, and evidence to meet the specific ILO's for each of the two 'core practice' modules, or relevant SEDA outcomes for the two awards 'Supporting Learning' and 'Learning, Teaching and Assessment', might be made evident at any point. Formative feedback will be provided on how well this aspect is being managed as the Study is compiled.  For those only undertaking the ILT module the above list differentiates the key assessment components for the two modules in brackets.


Illustrative Bibliography

Armitage, A. (et al) (2007) Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education and Training 3^rd edn. Buckingham: OpenUP.

Barnett, R. and Coate, K. (2004) Engaging the curriculum in higher education. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Black P. (et al) (2003) Assessment for Learning. Maidenhead: OpenUP.

Bryan, C. and Clegg, K. (eds) (2006) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education. London: Routledge.

Morley, M. (2003) Quality And Power In Higher Education. Buckingham: OpenUP.

Neary, M. (2002) Curriculum Studies in Post-Compulsory and Adult Education. Cheltenham: Nelson-Thornes.


Websites

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/ |


Journals

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Quality in Higher Education

Higher Education Quarterly