Transcript Document

ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
• Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
• Subject Benchmark Statements
• Programme Specifications
• Code of Practice
(for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher
education)
• Personal Development Planning
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMPONENTS OF THE
ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Code of Practice
Setting Standards
Framework for HE qualifications
(national agreement)
Programme Specification
(institutional staff)
Subject benchmark statement
(subject community)
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
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http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ
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One element of the QAA Academic Infrastructure
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The framework describes outcomes of the five levels of HE qualifications:
Certificate, Intermediate, Honours, Masters, Doctoral. It consists of
descriptors of expected achievement, not credits accumulated.
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
FHEQ levels
HE levels EWNI* levels
Qualification
Doctoral
D
8
Doctorate
Masters
M
7
Masters degree, Postgraduate
Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
Honours
3
6
Bachelors degree with Honours,
Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
Intermediate
2
5
Foundation degree, Ordinary Bachelors
degree, Diploma of Higher Education
Certificate
1
4
Certificate of Higher Education
* England, Wales and Northern Ireland levels system
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
Qualification descriptors are in two parts:
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a statement of generic outcomes which students who achieve the
award should be able to demonstrate.
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a statement of the wider abilities that the typical student could be
expected to have developed.
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
For example, the Certificate level descriptor states:
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Certificates of Higher Education are awarded to students who
have demonstrated:
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i knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated
with their area(s) of study, and an ability to evaluate and interpret
these within the context of that area of study;
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ii an ability to present, evaluate, and interpret qualitative and
quantitative data, to develop lines of argument and make sound
judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts of
their subject(s) of study.
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:
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a evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving
problems related to their area(s) of study and/or work;
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b communicate the results of their study/work accurately and
reliably, and with structured and coherent arguments;
c undertake further training and develop new skills within a
structured and managed environment;
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
and will have:
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d qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment
requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility.
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
The FHEQ at Portsmouth
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Simple tool for institutional management of academic standards –
it is a framework not a regulatory tool
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Informs all course approvals and reviews of named awards at
Portsmouth
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Integral part of our QA procedures:
- Programme teams and approval/review panels refer to the FHEQ
so that they can be satisfied that, for any programme, the
curriculum and assessments provide all students with the
opportunity to achieve, and to demonstrate achievement of, the
outcomes.
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
Future QAA plans:
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Include more guidance
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Be more explicit about how the FHEQ links with programme
specifications and subject benchmark statements
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Alignment of FHEQ qualification level descriptors with European
descriptors
SUBJECT BENCHMARK STATEMENTS
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are statements of what the relevant academic communities
consider to be valid subject frameworks within which an honours
degree in a discipline should be offered;
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are not definitive regulatory criteria for individual programmes or
awards;
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do, however, provide authoritative reference points, which
students and other interested parties will expect both to be taken
into account when programmes are designed and reviewed and to
be reflected, as appropriate, in programme specifications.
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATIONS
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QAA:
“A programme specification is a concise description of the
intended outcomes of learning from a higher education
programme”
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University of Portsmouth:
A programme specification provides essential information on the
curriculum and teaching & learning strategies for a course. The
use and consideration of many external reference points are also
communicated through them, for example, employability
strategies were recently added.
CODE OF PRACTICE
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Identifies a comprehensive series of principles (precepts)
covering matters related to academic quality and standards in
higher education management
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an authoritative reference point for institutions as they assure the
quality and standards of their awards
CODE OF PRACTICE
10 Sections:
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Postgraduate research programmes
Collaborative provision and flexible and distributed learning
Students with disabilities
External Examining
Academic appeals and student complaints
Assessment of students
Programme design, approval, monitoring and review
Career education, information and guidance
Placement learning
Admissions to higher education
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Part of the QAA requirement for a Progress File consisting
of
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a structured and supported process to enable students to reflect
on their learning, and plan for personal, educational and career
development (PDP)
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a transcript, providing a record of learning and achievement
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the University believes that an effective PDP process supports
students from diverse backgrounds through an individual and
reflective approach.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Helps students take responsibility for their own learning by
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helping them reflect on their progress,
identify ways of improving their performance and
plan how they can achieve their goals
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through a framework of activities that will help students and tutors
to work together to identify areas for development.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
At Portsmouth there are 3 main strands of PDP:
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Developing skills to support learning, personal development and
employability
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Reflecting on current skills, areas for development, planning how
to develop any necessary skills and assessing achievement
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Recording mechanisms (paper-based or online) to help develop a
portfolio of evidence
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
PDP activities and documents are in place for all levels,
including those for postgraduate students.
Level 1:
Individual Learning Profile [ILP],
Action Plan and
Review
All other levels:
Action Plan and
Review
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Looking in more detail at Level 1: (handout)
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Induction week: ILP questionnaire completed by students
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Mid-October: In personal tutorial session ILP used to identify any
actions, Action Plan completed and retained by student
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Mid-February: In personal tutorial session Semester 2 Review
Form completed and retained by student.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
The QAA minimum outcomes are that
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students will have participated in PDP in a range of learning
contexts at each stage or level of their programme;
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demonstrated that they can access and use the aids and tools
provided by the institution to help them reflect upon their own
learning and achievements and to plan for their own personal,
educational and career development;
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with support, created their own learning records containing
information on the qualities and skills they can evidence which
can be drawn upon when applying for a job or further study.
ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIT/REVIEW
• The Academic Infrastructure is key:
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In Course Approval
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In External and Internal Audit and Review