AQD summer special newsletter (september 2015)

LEARNING & TEACHING

Summer Special 2015

NEWSLETTER

QA and Regulations Update Coursework Turnaround Deadline Learning Technologies Update LTA Strategy Targets Validation Workshops DSA Changes Academic Professional Development Workshops

Academic Quality & Development

Cover image: Yorick - https://flic.kr/p/8DM5gK

Summer Special. 3rd AQD Newsletter. Š September 2015. All Rights Reserved

Jess Robinson (AQD Head of Service)

W

Welcome to the Summer Edition of our AQD Newsletter

elcome to this ‘mini’ edition of the Learning and Teaching Newsletter.

With the start of a new academic year, it is a timely point to highlight key priorities and a small number of changes for 2015/16.

With HEFCE consulting on the future of quality assurance and the government’s commitment to the development of a Teaching Excellence Framework, our internal quality assurance and enhancement processes are more important than ever.

The Quality Assurance Team has sought to minimise changes to our core quality assurance procedures and processes but some changes have been necessary, as highlighted in this edition.

There have been a number of changes to the University’s Academic Regulations, Procedures and Processes, a summary of which are available here.

Student engagement continues to be critical ly important to us, as set out in the University’s Student Voice Strategy.

The increasing role of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) makes it more important than ever for us to ever for us to publish accurate information about our offer and for us to consult students about changes to their programme.

A short guide to implications of CMA on higher education providers is available here.

The University’s Student Evaluative Feedback Policy is largely unchanged, as are arrangements for Staff Student Fora.

All of these documents can be accessed here.

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Welcome and Introduction

The Academic Enhancement and Innovation Team set out in this edition key changes to Blackboard and PebblePad and highlight some key projects for this next year.

The team will be working closely with Academic Departments over the next year to support the delivery of the University’s Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy, to continue to improve the online learning environment, to support staff in their applications for Fellowship and Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and to continue to build on the good practice that we saw at the 2015 Learning and Teaching Fest earlier this year.

The event proved a huge success, being attended by well over 100 members of staff.

Thank you to all of you who attended and contributed.

Jess Robinson (AQD Head of Service)

Welcome to Our Newsletter

4

Quality Assurance and Regulations Update

8

Team’s Approach to Meeting the New University Policy

10

Brief Update on our Learning Technologies Provision

12

Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy Targets

14

AQD Validation Training, Development & Workshops

16

Supporting Inclusive Learning, Teaching and Assessment

18

Academic & Professional Development

Academic Quality & Development

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Alice Helm-Alabaster & Caron Jackson

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Quality Assurance and Regulations Update

olleagues are advised that the Quality Handbook has undergone minor amendments to reflect recent changes and is located here.

Programme Validation

The Quality Handbook summarises the ways in which quality and standards are managed at the

Engagement with students in the development of your programme is key and further detail about how to actively engage students can be found in the Guide to Validation Process.

University of Cumbria matters to the University’s reputation, to our students and stakeholders. This handbook is intended to provide you with a one-stop reference point to the University’s quality framework.

Colleagues should be familiar with the Processes for the Approval of Credit Bearing Academic Provision. Further operating detail is provided in the Guide to Validation Process.

The key change for 2015/16 is the PreValidation Scrutiny which has replaced Peer Review:Pre-Validation Scrutiny (PVS) is a Departmental-level check of the readiness of the proposal to come to the formal Validation Meeting.

The timing of PVS is agreed between the Validation Officer and Head of Department and must be before 30th November 2015.

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Quality Assurance & Regulations Update

The Head of Department is responsible for ensuring that the PVS process takes place. The PVS itself is led by either the Head of Department or Principal Lecturer.

The PVS may take the form of a formal meeting OR may be managed by correspondence. There is no prescribed manner in which PVS takes place but it is expected that the following will happen: The Validation Officer (and other key service contacts as detailed in the Guide to Validation) will receive a set of documents from the programme team before the PVS to feed any comments back to the proposing team as part of the PVS process (this also enables the completion of initial course set up information on SITS).

The Head of Department must sign off the proposal as being ready to come forward for the Validation Meeting.

Through PVS, the proposing team may be required to make changes to the validation document set.

These changes must be signed off to the satisfaction of the Head of Department before submission to the Validation Officer in preparation for the Validation Meeting.

Department

QA Administrator

BLPSS

Carol Williamson

Education

Vacant post, with the intention that the role holder will be in place by mid-Sept.

HPSS

Debbie Speight

IoA

Pauline Huston

MSS

Pauline Huston

NHPP

Helen Harling

SNROS

Jo Littlewood

Academic Quality & Development

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Alice Helm-Alabaster & Caron Jackson

Quality Assurance and Regulations Update Changes to Academic Regulations (with effect from 2015-16) A summary of changes to Academic Regulations can be found on AQD Staffnet here

Reg C6.3.3 [NEW]

Integrated Level 3 Honours awards : APL is not permitted in the preliminary year (Year 0) of th programme.

G2.5

For 4 year degree programmes where entry is via foundat progressing to Level 4. The Level 3 module to be reassess

F8.3

An Assessment Contract is now only needed where stude

F11.9

Amended to state Principal Lecturers should also be pres

J2.5

External Examiner appointments are now approved by th

Appx 3b, 1.6.1

[In line with the updated LTA strategy, recently approved should be disclosed to students within 20 working days.

Appx 3d, 7.6.2v

The Programme Leader (or their representative), may hav issues).

Appx 3f, 3.7

Heads of Department are now able to chair UABs (in add

Appx 4a, 5.3(xii)

Heads of Department are responsible for providing mid-y Examiner reports.

Appx 4a, 5.3(xiv)

Heads of Department are responsible for ensuring the an

Appx 4b, 3.3.1

Where circumstances arise which meet the criteria for te

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Quality Assurance & Regulations Update

Academic Regulations Drop in Sessions Carlisle (Fusehill Street) Contact Caron Jackson between 10 am & 3pm Room SKG 11a, ext: 6325 Skype for Business (OCS) or caron.jackson@cumbria.ac.uk 20th Oct 2015 18th Dec 2015

22nd Jan 2016

Lancaster (Bowerham Road) Contact Justine Bigland between 10 am & 3pm Gateway 205, ext: 5485 Skype for Business (OCS) or justine.bigland@cumbria.ac.uk

21st Oct 2015 18th Dec 2015

22nd Jan 2016

he Integrated Level 3 Honours Award. However APL may be considered for up to two thirds of the remaining

ation study at Level 3, students must successfully complete 100 credits (previously 120 credits) at Level 3 before sed or retaken must be completed successfully before commencing any study at Level 5.

ents have more than 40 credits in reassessment.

sent at the UAB in cases where they had chaired the MAB.

he External Examiner Panel (as opposed to AQSC).

by Academic Board] internally agreed feedback and provisional marks, for both examinations and coursework,

ve right of attendance at a Malpractice Panel if this is deemed necessary (eg where there are Fitness to Practise

dition to the Deputy Deans, Associate Deans and Director of Institute of Education).

year reports to AQSC responding to actions identified through the University’s annual summary of External

nnual monitoring process takes account of the views of External Examiners as expressed in their reports.

ermination of an External Examiner’s appointment, the Programme Leader must report details to AQD.

Academic Quality & Development

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Team’s Approach to Meeting the New University Policy

Dr. Esther Jubb

I

Professional Practice.

n 2015/16 the University is committed to providing students with feedback on their assessments within 20 working days of submission This is in response to feedback from students (who tell us that information which helps them improve their performance in future assessments needs to be delivered in a timely manner) and to bring the University into line with sector norms of between 10 and 20 days turnaround time for coursework.

One team within the University who already deliver 100% of their feedback on written coursework within 20 days is the Nursing Team based within the Department of Nursing, Health and

Over the summer I met with Linda Kenward (Principal Lecturer in Nursing) to discuss how the team, who are dispersed over 3 sites (Barrow, Carlisle & Lancaster), teach on a complex programme with multiple pathways (Adult, Children’s, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities nursing), have large student numbers on their programme, meet stringent professional body requirements and manage a large amount of placement learning, have managed to deliver against the 20 day target.

She was able to identify 4 aspects of their assessment management and practice which have enabled the team to work so effectively.

1

Online submission of all appropriate pieces of assessment.

All text based coursework is submitted online through Blackboard. The only exceptions to this are Poster presentations, oral presentations, formal examinations and practice portfolios.

Online submission allows the team to

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Coursework Turnaround in 20 days

mark the work as it is submitted rather than waiting to collect a large number of scripts after the due date. It enables staff in different locations to easily access the coursework for moderation and double marking.

Online submission allows a variety of feedback types to be used including general written feedback, personalised feedback and audio feedback.

Work submitted online is also available for students to access immediately after the feedback deadline date ensuring that it is delivered in a timely manner to the students.

2

Careful diary planning by staff to clearly identify marking days and periods.

The team are proactive in planning their marking time, identifying days close to the deadline dates which can be used to mark assessments and make provision for moderation.

pathways) act as internal moderators by marking across and within the broader curriculum.

4

Communication about workload within the team ...

... and a flexible approach to the various academic activities enables the team to smooth out the peaks and troughs of the workload.

As programme teams are considering what steps they need to take in order to meet the new University deadline, the approach of the Nursing team provides some examples of strategies that have been shown to work.

Dr Esther Jubb (Principal Lecturer in Academic Development - AQD)

3

The marking load is spread across the team.

Marking is not just the responsibility of the module leader all contributors to the module take on the marking load, within the smaller fields it is also not determined by location; rather all members of the team take equal responsibility.

Field Teams (those providing the specialist

Academic Quality & Development

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Andy White & Dr Esther Jubb

B

A Brief Update on our Learning Technologies Provision

lackboard was successfully upgraded to the newest available version between the 2nd and 4th of August this year.

The Pebblepad login page has been upgraded. This is a change that we have been lobbying Pebblepad about for some time; login options allow users to manage their accessibility options prior to login.

This was primarily a maintenance upgrade and no new functionality has been introduced.

As a result of the upgrade we have made avatars available to all users. This allows users to upload an image which will be associated with their profile and appear throughout the system. Further information can be found here.

The default template for all new Blackboard courses has been updated; exemplar Blackboard template sites have been developed to provide staff with guidance on best practice. You can selfenrol to “New Module Template 2015” and “New Programme Template 2015” via the ‘Courses’ tab in Blackboard.

We will be withdrawing the availability of Campus Pack (wikis, blogs, discussion boards and podcasts) from 31st December 2015. As comparable functionality

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Learning Technologies Update

now exists within Blackboard we are consolidating our learning technologies.

Content within Campus Pack should be removed by 1st March 2016. There is further information about this change and guides for exporting/copying content from Campus Pack within the ‘Staff’ tab, on Blackboard.

In response to feedback received at the Learning and Teaching Fest, a range of workshops, webinars and drop-in surgeries have been scheduled around core areas of the learning technology use.

The full schedule can be found in the AQD Development Brochure.

Click here for AQD Developments

Reminder of Departmental Learning Technologist support Department

Learning Technologist

Business, Law, Policing & Social Science

Ralph Lowerson (Lancaster)

Institute of Art

Andy Robb (Carlisle)

Institute of Education

Phillip Smith (Lancaster)

Health, Psychology & Social Studies

Andrea Charters (Carlisle)

Medical & Sports Science

Sarah Ruston (Lancaster)

Nursing, Health & Professional Practice Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies

Academic Quality & Development

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Jess Robinson (AQD Head of Service)

S

Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy Targets We now have agreed institutional targets which will be used to monitor our progress against the strategy (see below).

ince the approval of the new Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy in December 2014 a lot of work has been undertaken to increase awareness of the strategy and to ensure that we are in the best place to capitalise on the opportunities that this represents for Departments.

On page 8 of this newsletter you can read how one programme (Nursing Team based within the Department of Nursing, Health and Professional Practice) is already meeting the new 20 day coursework turnaround target.

The University provide a number of guides and support information on assessment and feedback, which will support colleagues in designing and implementing assessment approaches that make the best use of technology.

2015/16

2016/17

Reduction of coursework turnaround time from 25 to 20 days

All suitable coursework to be sub

All feedback on summative assessment to be provided electronically (from September 2015)

Academic Departments to increas meeting UKPSF Descriptor 3 (by S

University to increase (by at least UKPSF Descriptor 4 (by Sep 2016) 75% of active module lists on Rebus (by September 2015)

100% of active module lists on Re

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Learning, Teaching & Assessment

We also have an extensive range of staff development opportunities; face to face workshops, drop-in surgeries and webinars to support colleagues in their academic development needs.

Guidelines for Online Submission and Feedback

Rebus List

HEA Professional Recognition

AQD Developments Brochure

2017/18

bmitted online (from Sep 2016)

se (by at least 1) staff numbers Sep 2016)

Academic Departments to increase (by at least 1) staff numbers meeting UKPSF Descriptor 3 (by Sep 2017)

t 2) the number of staff meeting )

University to increase (by at least 2) the number of staff meeting UKPSF Descriptor 4 (by Sep 2017)

ebus (by September 2016)

Academic Quality & Development

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AQD Validation Training, Development & Workshops

V

alidation Surgeries are held by Nicky Meer in Hornby F10 at 10am until 3pm.

Pre-book a timeslot or just dropin, email, skype or telephone for help and advice on any aspect of validations paperwork, process or design.

No question too big or too small.

2016/17

Nicky Meer

Dates are:

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September 17th (2015)

March 17th

October 22nd

April 21st

November 19th

May 12th

December 17th

June 16th

January 14th (2016)

July 14th

February 11th

August 25th

S

tanding Validation Panel (SVP) Member and Chair Development Days are facilitated

by AQD.

Attendance at one of these sessions is compulsory for all SVP members and validation chairs.

These development days are also available to all staff thinking of becoming an active member of the validation process and are thinking of becoming a panel member in the future. New validation developments and changes will be explored, plus skills development and review.

Dates are: 15th December 2015. 11 - 3pm Carlisle FH (Room TBA) 16th December 2015. 10 - 2pm Lancaster (Room TBA) 13th January 2016. 10 - 2pm Lancaster (Room TBA)

Validation Training, Development and Workshops 2015/16

P

lanning for Validation Events is facilitated by Nicky Meer and attendance at one of these sessions is compulsory for all staff that lead or have a key involvement in a validation on the 2016/17 validation schedule.

Careers, SaMIS, SITS and others will be there to help you and offer you support through the process.

The dates are shown at the bottom of the page.

These events are also available to anyone looking to further understand the validation process and documentation.

In the morning you will gain a useful overview of the process and documentation and key FAQs will be addressed.

The afternoon session is designed to be your initial stakeholder meeting and representatives from many internal stakeholders such as LiSS, Student Union,

The AQD Summer Special Newsletter 2015

To browse and book workshops you can use this link Go to page 18 for more information and other useful links

21st October 2015. 10 - 12.30 London EIDR (to be confirmed)

15th March 2016. 11 - 4pm Carlisle FH (Room TBA)

16th March 2016. 10 - 3pm Lancaster (Room TBA)

19th April 2016. 10 - 3pm Lancaster (Room TBA)

11th May 2016. 11 - 4pm Carlisle FH (Room TBA)

Academic Quality & Development

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Jo Smith (Disability/SpLD Manager)

Supporting Inclusive Learning, Teaching and Assessment

16

T

he University has a legal and moral duty to ensure disabled students are fully supported and that reasonable adjustments are made to enable their full participation and to promote their success in their academic programme.

The duties are covered by the Equality Act 2010 , Corporate Mission Statement, Quality Assurance Agency and professional bodies.

These promote inclusion and accessibility in planning and delivery of teaching and learning, and service provisions through a range of anticipatory reasonable adjustments and on request, additional individual reasonable adjustments.

The Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), who fund Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), announced its decision to review the current deployment

of DSA in 2014, which changes taking effect over the next two years.

What is DSA? DSAs are provided by most student funding bodies and made to individual students. Eligibility is medically tested and support needs determined by quality assured external assessment centres.

Adjustments vary by student, but they typically include: The provision of IT equipment such as computers/laptops/digital recorders to a range of specifications, assistive software and assistive technology training.

Non Medial Help and support which includes a range of support types based on a banded system including: note taking, practical support in labs, studios, examination support and specialist study skills and mentoring support.

Currently at UoC, disabled students are supported by LiSS staff who then encourage DSA recipients to commission internally provided non-medical help (NMH) services.

Changes from 2015/16 Disabled students will be required to

Changes to Funding and Provision for Disabled Students

contribute £200 towards the purchase of computer equipment, where this is recommended within the DSA process.

At UoC funding will be available through the Access to Learning Fund on a means tested basis, to assist students with meeting with these costs. In addition DSA will no longer support or recommend the purchase of Apple Macintosh computers.

Changes form 2016/17 All HEI’s will need to increase their baseline level of anticipatory reasonable adjustments in the design and delivery of all teaching, learning and assessment, irrespective of there being students with declared disabilities on the course. Institutions will be expected to set out clearly what they will provide in terms of anticipatory reasonable adjustments which will inform the external assessment process. The current consultation documents suggest that the main impact will be removal of all funding for: Note taking, practical support in labs, studios or other similar settings.

Examination support.

Provision of materials in alternative formats.

The University will be expected to provide and fund these types of adjustments. It is unlikely to be acceptable under the Equality Act duties to lower the level of current support, although it is recognised that delivery could be changed to be a more

efficient and cost effective model. BIS is currently working with other funding bodies such as the NHS to achieve commonality in changes.

What is the University doing?

Various papers on the likely impact of these changes have been discussed at key committees such as the Teaching and Learning Committee. A task and finish group has been established to examine these impacts in further detail and to develop a university base line for anticipatory reasonable adjustments. This group will start work in September and include universitywide representation.

What this means for Teaching and Learning and Academic Staff.

The University already has a commitment within the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy (2014-17) that ‘Programmes are designed to be accessible and inclusive through flexible delivery and appropriate uses of learning technology to support a high quality student experience’. Key good practices focusing on equality and diversity have already been embedded in curriculum contents and in assessment practice methodology.

Further discussions within the steering group are likely to focus on: Developing a base line of anticipatory reasonable adjustments across key disability groupings.

as an underpinning principle and ethos for all teaching and learning to improve accessibility.

Reviewing support for formal examinations/timed class based assessments.

Ensuring that all teaching and learning resources are on Blackboard at least 48 hours before the session, using common templates to improve the accessibility to teaching and learning resources and inclusion of summary notes.

Developing a set standard of provision of technology within a classroom that effectively supports disabled students (recording facilities, additional plugs for student use, wireless provision and speeds, size of teaching screens/white boards).

Clear parameters and guidance on roles and responsibilities for academic staff.

Further details and information on the work of the steering group and the results of the government consultation will be released through updates via the Deanery and global emails.

Any questions and comments on this article, should be addresses to Jo Smith (Disability/SpLD Manager).

Joanna.Smith3@cumbria.ac.uk

Use of Universal Design For Learning

Academic Quality & Development

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Academic & Professional Development Opportunities UKPSF

(UK Professional Standards Framework) Achieving Professional Recognition: HEA Fellowship & Senior Fellowship For staff with at least 3 years experience of teaching & supporting learning we offer a CPD route to professional recognition at HEA Fellow (D2) & Senior Fellow (D3).

Dr. Esther Jubb

These interactive workshops will provide you with an introduction to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) & how to collate evidence to demonstrate the appropriate recognition standard.

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Key Dates: Submission Dates (via Pebblepad) 10th October 2015 1st February 2016 20th June 2016

Workshops for HEA descriptors 2 and 3 21st October 2015. 10 - 12.30 London EIDR (to be confirmed) 15th March 2016. 11 - 4pm Carlisle FH (Room TBA) 16th March 2016. 10 - 3pm Lancaster (Room TBA) 19th April 2016. 10 - 3pm Lancaster (Room TBA) 11th May 2016. 11 - 4pm Carlisle FH (Room TBA)

PGCert - Learning & teaching for Higher Education For staff new to teaching in higher education we provide a ‘taught route’ to professional recognition through the PGCert.

This flexible programme provides the opportunity for you to to develop your knowledge and understanding of the practice of teaching and the support of

Professional Development Information & Courses

student learning in higher education, and to advance your professional skills within your own working context.

Further information is available here.

The AQD Summer Special Newsletter 2015 If you have any comments or queries regarding the content this newsletter, please contact AQD aqd@cumbria.ac.uk Thank you The AQD team

Browse and book workshops using this link (opens in a new window)

Blackboard Essentials Book a Session Online

22 September 2015 (Lancaster) 24 September 2015 (Carlisle, FS) 5 October 2015 (Ambleside)

Achieving Professional Recognition: HEA Fellowship & Senior Fellowship

Introduction to Mobile Learning Book a session online 12 November 2015 (Lancaster) 16 November 2015 (Ambleside)

Introduction to Collaborative Provision Partnerships, approval & management processes Book a session online 2 October 2015 (Lancaster) 9 October (London EIDR)

Book a session online 10 October 2015 (Lancaster) 21 October (London EIDR) 20 November 2015 (Carlisle FS)

Regulatory & Procedural Update - Collaborations & Partnerships Book a session online 6 October 2015 (Carlisle, FS)

Academic Quality & Development

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