15-30 Curriculum Change - Project Evaluation Focus Group discussion Marian Redding Head of Modular Programmes Derrik Ferney Associate Dean, Academic Development ALSS

Welcome Four key themes for discussion  The impact of curriculum and assessment changes  Learning, teaching and assessment  Faculties and Central Service Support Units  Communications, Links and Liaison Aim of today Background Main findings

Aim of today To have an interactive discussion on communications, links and liaison issues across the project to gain some further information and insight into practical issues that we can improve upon.

Background In November 2004, the Senate established a project to review the modular scheme. The Project aimed to: –Reduce complexity within the modular scheme –Produce fewer and larger credit modules –Standardise areas of curriculum –Enable academic staff to teach fewer modules

Ongoing work Calendar –Ensuring adequate marking time –Best practice for students Module numbers –Balancing lower enrolments with high –Balancing total credit offered with choice for students Curriculum website

15-30 early project evaluation Phase One – Online questionnaires The response rates to the questionnaires were: 16.2% for the all staff questionnaire 21.2% for the senior managers questionnaire Phase Two – focus groups

Free text responses (the bad)… ‘ANET needs to be more user friendly if you type in academic regs you get hundreds of committee minutes etc’ ‘I felt uncertain as to which were the most up-to-date and accurate sources as there were so many’ ‘Links to information sources further upfront on ANET rather than within a series of sub-sections in Departmental areas’

Free text responses (the good)… ‘Central briefings on regulations was fantastic. I expected to be bored but the first time I looked at my watch was after 1.5 hrs. Well done that's quite an achievement.’ ‘Generally information provided was clear and allowed proper development of pathways and modules.’

Small group exercise Considering the findings in the Interim Report, what do you wish to see happen from now to ensure the best possible outcomes for staff and students?

What happens next? This is the last focus group Continuation of calendar, etc projects Report to Senate Website information to all staff