Transcript Document
Broadening: basic principles • Broadening to be achieved in different ways/at different points in specific degrees – within and beyond core disciplinary content • A choice not a requirement for students • Aim to reinforce appeal/coherence of existing elective system by presenting modules as themed strands • Students will not be locked into strands • Some change will be evolutionary not revolutionary Types/functions of Broadening Strands • A structured exploration of key aspects of an academic subject • Modules which develop additional skills and competences – with academic and/or vocational relevance • Modules which enhance understanding of external commercial/institutional environments and/or enterprise • A co-ordinated exploration of an important issue or debate from a complementary range of disciplinary perspectives Consultation Consultation document asked you to … • review existing elective provision in the light of strand model – may entail more selectivity about which modules offered as electives • consider scope for innovative strands – taught within School/Faculty or through new interdisciplinary partnerships • consider strands that you and your students would like to see developed to generate new broadening opportunities Broadening: initial consultation outcomes • 20+ responses from across UoL – further thoughts welcome • Imaginative presentation of existing ‘disciplinary’ elective provision as strands • Foundation for ‘applied’ strands: careers/ professional development; enterprise; leadership; communications & languages; computing; digital literacy; numeracy etc. • Emerging nuclei for issue-led strands Broadening: starting to imagine issue-led strands Proposals included: • Sustainability/development/global challenges NB several proposals in this broad area • Conflict & security in the contemporary world • Nutrition/health/wellbeing • Art and society • Knowledge, communication and technology • Key global regions: history/politics/culture/ language • Tolerance and intolerance - ethics Broadening: key stages • • • • Clearer (more selective) presentation of existing electives as coherent strands across 2+ levels Improved information – highlight value of elective strands defined in ‘conventional’ disciplinary/skills development terms Explore imaginative (cross-disciplinary) combinations of existing modules to create new strands Funded piloting of selective new/‘purposebuilt’ and issue-led strands Broadening: practical facilitation • • • • • Information provision – communicating the appeal of broadening and clarifying choices in practice Degree structures/assessment – studying at different levels Timetabling issues – ensuring genuine choice and meeting expectations Funding – clarifying implications for RAM Matching supply and demand – delivering types of broadening/enhancement students want – without compromising core teaching Broadening: information as an immediate priority • Provision of information for staff/students about rationale of broadening and range of available opportunities • A web-based facility for guiding student choice: i) by initial area of interest ii) then choice of relevant strands iii) then module combinations/pathways through specific strands iv) ideally with automatic capacity to show module choices that fit around an individual’s core timetable