Plymouth University Curriculum Enrichment Project 2013 – 2015

T&L Forum July 2013

Pauline Kneale

Study With Plymouth is a conversation – it’s much more than a lecture

Aim

• Provide an ‘excellent learning and stimulating student experience’ • Strengthen the reputation of the University• Support all our students consistently with curricula and co-curricular

opportunities across a 30 week, semester-based, learning year• 40 credits achieved before Christmas in year 1• Provide opportunities for all students for in-term placements,

performance and field visits• Minimise our use of assessments that require MAP (modified

assessment provision) so that all our students are treated as equally as possible in all aspects of their programme

• Increase action research and professional practice research in all years. Students doing …

• Summer resits without travelling to Plymouth• Credit for best 4 modules at Level 4, in degree classification

Plymouth University Curriculum Enrichment Project 2013 - 2015

Consultation Phase

• 23 consultation meetings to date, 8 further meetings in the diary

• Written feedback from most Schools and individuals, over 60 items. Project Office is collating the material

• Suite of support workshops arranged by ED and ASTI

• ED and ASTI staff contributing to School T&L events particularly on assessment matters.

Drivers for Change

• Academic Review• More consistent student experience (everything

proposed is already happening in Plymouth)• Delivering a stronger student experience• 30-week value • NSS and SPQ feedback (student voice)• Pressure on the time table – increase block

teaching• Assessment issues

Why Semesters?

• International student opportunities• Opportunities for co-curricular development

in specific weeks (0, 14, 15 29,30)and current evenings and weekends

• Half-year placements are more possible• Evidentially closer to ‘30 weeks of student

activity’

Timetable• Moving teaching sessions consistently to 2-hrs or longer

blocks:– Adds 10-15 minutes activity time to each session (9.55-10.05 start

and stop time)– Allows more ‘activity time’, (eg: 20 minute lecture; discussion;

activity; mini lecture; reflection)– Students more engaged - enthused– Staff prep and attend one session rather than two (saves set up,

travel etc time)– Fits a flipped classroom, active learning, students ‘doing’ approach

• ‘having a lecture at 10 and nothing until 12 is a real waste of my time’

• ‘Travelling in for two lectures on one day and one on the next with gaps between that are not long enough to get other stuff done, ’ (SPQ comments 2013 : All Faculties)

Assessment issues

• NSS, SPQ shows a lack of consistent support and student dissatisfaction

• Running multiple assessments for different types of students, in some parts of the University.

• Effectively no MAP issues in one Faculty• Huge dependence on hand written examinations

(19th century business skill)• 10 credit modules taught in the autumn and

assessed the following June• In class tests without MAP provision

Programme result is greater than or equal to the subject averageProgramme result is less than the sector subject average but above 10%Programme result is less than the sector subject average plus 10%

Assessment and feedback NSS results 2012

Q5 the criteria used in marking have been clear in advanceQ6 Assessment arrangements and marking have been fairQ7 Feedback on my work has been promptQ8 I have received detailed comments on my workQ9 feedback on my work has helped me clarify things I did not understand

Q5 65 50 71 62 95 86Q6 73 90 75 65 86 86Q7 62 20 63 46 86 86Q8 85 50 63 54 73 90Q9 54 50 53 46 59 81

Science and Technology

Q5 79 68 58 61 97 85

Q6 69 80 65 58 84 83Q7 67 84 39 82 77 75Q8 88 86 55 76 90 100Q9 67 64 61 64 84 88

Q5 74 73 83 95 88 75Q6 74 67 76 86 69 67Q7 58 42 32 77 94 67Q8 61 58 66 64 94 75Q9 48 58 66 50 69 75

Arts and Humanities

PBS

Q5 76 54 91 65 89 80Q6 82 50 100 65 84 60Q7 76 61 82 67 68 20Q8 70 70 91 69 63 60Q9 55 61 64 43 58 40

HESS

Major Minor Level 1

Modules

1 intensive intro 20cr

2 3

4 Plymouth Plus

5 6

Modules

1 intensive intro 20cr

2

3

4 Plymouth Plus

5

6

Teaching in Years 2 and 3 Modules

1 2 3

4 5 6

Modules

1

2 3

4

5 6

Modules

1 2

3

4 5

6

Organisation

Enthusiasm

Engagement

Excellent Learning ?

Organisation

Enthusiasm

Engagement

Difficulty Challenge

Excellent Learning ?

‘A radically unknowable world’ Barnett 2004

EnquiringEngaged

EthicalEnterprising

SupercomplexityRiskSpeedUncertaintyContestability

What are we trying to achieve in our teaching?

• Activity based learning• Practitioner based learning• Interaction• Group presentations• Continual formative

assessment with feedback• Individualised assessment• Variety in learning activities• Enquiry based learning• Flexible learning spaces

• Working in small groups• Enquiry based learning• Opportunities to apply

knowledge• Learning through managing

others• Directed study activities to be

recognised in formative assessment

• Relevance to career opportunities

(Blackwood and Brown 2011)

What students like

What students need

• Hands on learning• Technology enhanced learning• Multimedia learning• Collaboration• Blended learning• Networking to facilitate learning• Interactive classroom sessions• Variety of tasks• Simulation• Personalised learning

Schonfield and Honore (2009)

Threshold Concepts

Generic Skills

Productive, enterprising and creative global citizens

Self-efficacy

Self-esteem

Self-confidence

Reflection and Evaluation

Career Development

Learning

Experience (Work and

Life)Degree subject

Knowledge, Skills and

Understanding

Emotional Intelligence

Intercultural Awareness

After Dacre Pool and Sewell, 2007

Plymouth Students

Generation Y strengths and weaknesses, from Schofield and Honore (2009)

Home School University Work

+• Questioning established

processes• Approachability and

friendliness to all ages• Work-life balance

• Networking outside organisation

• Trust• Flexibility• Lack of prejudice

• Flexibility• Energy

±• Loyalty• Respect• Focus / concentration /

attention span

• IT skills• Communication skills• Motivation• Creativity• Global outlook• Teamwork

• Communication skills• Global outlook• Teamwork• Managing others• Expectation of quality

Remedial learning

C• Budgeting / financial

management• Risk assessment / Risk

taking• Taking criticism

• Written English• Risk assessment / risk

taking• Analysis / deeper

thinking

• Analysis • Deeper thinking• Self–management

Generation Y strengths - green; weaknesses – pink; mixture of strengths and weaknesses varying within the generation Y population- orange. The critical times for skill development are indicated on the top row.

Research-tutored Curriculum emphasises

learning focused on students writing and discussing essays

and papers

Research-basedcurriculum emphasises students undertaking inquiry-based learning

Research-ledCurriculum is structured around teaching current

subject content

Research-orientedCurriculum emphasises teaching processes of knowledge construction in the subject

STUDENT-FOCUSEDSTUDENTS AS PARTICIPANTS

EMPHASIS ON

RESEARCH CONTENT

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH PROCESSES AND PROBLEMS

TEACHER-FOCUSED STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE

Research - Scholarship Informed Teaching

Griffiths, 2004; Healey and Jenkins 2006

Students likely to feel Interested and apprehensive about learning successful students

Anxiety Flow

Apathy Boredom

Students likely to feel Work may appear to be apathetic towards learning of little relevance and boring

Low

CH

ALLE

NG

E

H

igh

Low SKILLS High

After Csikszentmihalyi, 2009

Plymouth Pedagogic EthosResearch and scholarship informed teaching and learning

(PedRIO)

Research and scholarship informed teaching and learning (PedRIO)

Students in the ‘flow’, action learners; students as research partners

Authentic curricula and assessments

Excited students tackling real research and practice problems in partnership with

academic staff

How do we inculcate excellence?

• I have paid £9,000 + living costs … you teach me

• I want you to enjoy research and learn And that means doing your own thinking

The lecturer brings knowledge but that is arguably not the most valuable element. The job of the lecturer is to understand how knowledge is developed in this discipline, and to give people time to practice small elements of it. Give students the opportunity to try stuff, try difficult stuff, fail and then succeed. The trick is to know how to animate large classes, not just to transmit.

Passionate Arriving on time Being up-to-date

Breathing life into the ideas Putting notes on TULIP

People who give you the tools to learn Being relaxed involved in doing stuff

with us rather than watching usLots of opportunities to ask questions

Being consistent

Weeks 2014-2015 Credits

0 Sept 22-26 Induction to Level 4, Year 1. Co-curricular programme

1-4 Sept 29-24 Oct Module 1 (4 weeks) 20

5-9 27 Oct-28 Nov Module 2 (5 weeks) 20

10-11 1 Dec-12 Dec Module 3 (4 weeks plus 4 week vac)

20 15 Dec-9 Jan Christmas Vac (4 weeks)

12-13 12 Jan -23 Jan Module 3 (cont.)

14-17 26 Jan-20 Feb Module 4 Plymouth Plus (4 weeks) 20

18 23 Feb-27 Feb Module 1-3 resits deadline, Personal Tutor discussions, Feedback – Induction - Co-curricular programme

19-21 2 Mar- 20 Mar Module 5 (5 weeks +3 weeks vac)20 23 Mar-10 Apr Easter Vac (Good Friday 3 April) (3 weeks)

22-23 13 Apr-24 Apr Module 5 (cont.)

24-28 27 Apr-29 May Module 6 (5 weeks inc 2 bank holidays) 20

29 1 5 June Module 6 assessment deadline, module 1-5 resits deadline, feedback, Co-curricular programme

30 8-12 June Induction to Level 5, Year 2 modules. Co-curricular programme

Year 1, Level 4 Sequential, immersive modules

Weeks 2014-15 Credits 0 Sept 22-26 Induction to Level 5, Year 2; Co-curricular programme 1-11 Sept 29

12 Dec Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

60

15 Dec-9 Jan Christmas Vac (4 weeks) 12-13 12 - 23 Jan Module 1 (cont.) Module 2(cont.) Module 3(cont.) 14 26-30 Jan Assessment submission 15 2 - 6 Feb Personal Tutor discussions, Feedback – Induction - Co-curricular

programme

16-21 9 Feb-20 Mar Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 60

23 Mar-10 Apr Easter Vac (Good Friday 3 April) (3 weeks) 22-28 13 Apr- 29

May Module 4 (cont.) Module 5 (cont.) Module 6 (cont.)

29 1-5 June Module 5&6 assessment submission, Exams, module 1-4 resits deadline Co-curricular programme

30 8-12 June Induction to Level 6, Year 3, Co-curricular programme

Year 2 , Level 5 parallel modules in two semesters

Weeks 2014-15 Credits 0 Sept 22-26 Induction to Level 6, Year 3; Co-curricular programme 1-11 Sept 29 - 12

Dec Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

60 15 Dec-9 Jan Christmas Vac (4 weeks) 12-13 12 Jan – 23

Jan Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

14 26-30 Jan Co-curricular programme 15 2 - 6 Feb Assessment submission, Personal Tutor discussions. Co-

curricular programme

16-21 9 Feb - 20 Mar

Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 60

23 Mar - 10 Apr

Easter Vac (Good Friday 3 April) (3 weeks)

22-28 13 Apr - 29 May

Module 4 (cont.) Module 5 (cont.) Module 6 (cont.)

29 1 - 5 Jun May Module 3&4 assessment submission, Exams, module 1 -3 resit deadline Co-curricular programme

30 8 - 12 June Enduction, End of Programme Party Co-curricular programme

Year 3, Level 6 parallel modules in two semesters

Assessment – everyone working to the same agenda and challenges

Improved Performance

Assessment for Learning 2013 – 2015 Project

Authentic learning and assessment in Plymouth programmesEveryone working to the same agenda and challenges

Ambition is ‘enhancement for every student through assignments that fairly evaluate the students ability to meet module and programme learning outcomes’• Programme design should give students

every opportunity to work with and demonstrate their ability to perform discipline contextualised tasks, and tasks they will encounter when they graduate

• Activities and assignments should be characterised by meaningful tasks that replicate real world challenges.

• Create a level and equal assignment playing field so that all students have a comparable, supported experience

• 12% of students are registered with a disability.

• We have some students with worryingly inequitable MAP experiences

• We already set hundreds of alternative MAP assessments, which could be available to everyone.

Traditional assessment Authentic assessment

Selecting a response Performing a task

Artificial assignment / test structures Real life test structure

Recall of knowledge Application of knowledge

Lecturer constructed Student / employer / lecturer co-constructed

Indirect evidence of ability to perform as ..( biologist /psychologist /…)

Direct evidence of performance as .. ( historian / mathematician / ..)

Win-Win• No MAPs• Or give students assessment choice in modules MAP and MAP-free• Create assessments that can be taken at any time, anywhere (ODL friendly)• Make 2013 the last year with Plymouth-based summer resit examinations• Broaden use of instant resits

Introducing Plymouth Plus Modules Stepping outside your discipline

• The opportunity to step outside your programme

• Cross-disciplinary student groups explore issues that matter in the 21st century, matters of current concern, exciting issues in other disciplines, develop a current skill or start a new language.

• Modules taught by academics from different schools and faculties to let students understand topics from different perspectives.

• Assessed through in-module activities.

• Interdisciplinarity the critical workplace skill? We know that good teams have people with lots of different skills and expertise. One trick is to help students to know how to lead interdisciplinary teams.

• HEAR recognition, and should be an employability ‘bonus’.

Co-curricular activities for all students

Sessions timetabled in specific weeks and evening and weekend slots through the year. Arranging mid-year co-curricular activities in separate weeks for levels 4, 5 and 6 should help to manage demand, reduce class sizes, and allow finalists to attend focused career sessions

• Level 4 will have ‘light touch’, introductory sessions in week 0, and in weeks 18, 29 and 30.

• Level 5 will have sessions in weeks 0, 15, 29 and 30. • Level 6 will have sessions in weeks 0, 14, 15 (shared with level 5), 29 and 30. • Activities already in progress include:

Leadership Business start-up Career and employability support activities, including competitions IT support initiatives, to include independent online training Library research activities UPSU student rep training and leadership development programs Language options

PSMD

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Curriculum Enrichment Project Implementation GroupPauline Kneale, Steph Driscoll, ADTLs, Debby Cotton, School Reps, UPSU reps and others

Regulations Revision GroupMel Joyner, Pat Wilde, Claire Oldfield, Pauline Kneale, Sue

Gregory, FR

Health and Human

Sciences

Curriculum Design and Approval SEEDPOD

Neil Witt, Simon Payne, Pat Wilde, Pauline Kneale, Anne McDermott

BusinessArts and Humanities

Co Curricular ProgrammeMaureen Powers

Student Experience Group, R&I reps, Business Rep, Careers

Reps, ASTI reps

Digital Learning Environment

Pauline Kneale, Neil Witt, ASTI team, School Reps, Student

Reps,

Plymouth PlusAcademic Lead

School Reps, Student reps TIS rep

Timetable

Jim Griffiths, Annette DevineTIS rep, Julie Lakey, FBMs, FRs

Science and Environment

Curriculum Enrichment Project Steering GroupDavid Coslett, Pauline Kneale, Steph Driscoll, Richard Stephenson, ADTLs, Neil Witt, Pat Wilde

and ?

Support and Development Workshops

Debby Cotton, ED reps, ASTI reps, John Hilsdon

Induction End-duction Group

Academic Lead ED rep, School Reps, Student Reps,

ASTI rep, Annette Devine, HEAR ImplementationAcademic Lead, TIS Lead

School RepsAssessment for Learning ProjectPauline Kneale, Jane Collings, ED team

Challenges and OpportunitiesStudents Staff

• ‘30 week’ value for money learning experience• Two first year modules ‘passed’ before

Christmas, increased confidence and encouragement

• Credit for best 4 modules at Level 4, in degree classification

• Instant resits and summer resits without travel to Plymouth

• Regular and early feedback• Space for co-curricular activity in term time• Opportunities for ‘breadth’ through Plymouth

Plus• Opportunities from level 4 for all students for

in-term placements, performance and field visits

• Equal opportunities in assessment so that all our students are treated as equally as possible in all aspects of their programme

• Increase in action research and professional practice research in all years. Students doing …

• Engaged students• Focused teaching periods• Spread of assessment across the year• Reduce – eliminate need for MAPS,

inclusive assignments will reduce marking complexity

• Accredited modules involving field work, field class, performance and other off campus activities can be timetabled in the 30 week year

• Opportunity for cross faculty research- teaching in Plymouth Plus

• Research activity at level 4 supporting levels 5 and 6 research

• Increased retention• International half year placements and

exchanges facilitated

ReferencesBarnett, R. 2004 Learning for an unknown future, Higher Education Research & Development, 23, 3, 247-260CBI (2011) Working towards your future: making the most of your time in higher education. London: CBI

http://aces.shu.ac.uk/employability/resources/CBI_NUS_Employability%20report_May%202011.pdf Cousin, G. 2010 Neither teacher-centred nor student-centred: threshold concepts and research partnerships, Journal

of Learning Development in Higher Education , 2, http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ojs/index.php?journal=jldhe&page=article&op=viewFile&path%5B%5D=64&path%5B%5D=41

Dacre Pool, L. and Sewell, P. (2007) The Key to Employability. Developing a practical model of graduate employability. Education and Training. 49 (4), pp277- 289 http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/uclan/employability/careeredge.php

Golding, C. 2011 Educating for critical thinking: thought encouraging questions in a community of enquiry, Higher Education Research and Development, 30, 3, 357- 370

Griffiths, R. 2004, Knowledge production and the research-teaching nexus: the case of the built environment disciplines, Studies in Higher Education 29 (6): 709-26

Healey, M. and Jenkins, A. 2006, ‘Strengthening the teaching-research linkage in undergraduate courses and programmes' in C. Kreber (ed.), Exploring research-based teaching, San Francisco: 45-55

Media Awareness Network (2010) Digital Literacy in Canada: From Inclusion to Transformation. http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/publication-report/full/digitalliteracypaper.pdf

Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (eds.) (2006) Overcoming barriers to student understanding: threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge. Abingdon: Routledge.

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 195-206). Oxford: Oxford University Press

Pegg, A., Waldock, J., Hendy-Isaac, S. and Lawton, R. 2012 Pedagogy for employability, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/employability/pedagogy_for_employability_update_2012.pdf

Shulman, L. 2005 Signature pedagogies in the professions, Daedalus, 134, 3, 52-59a

Teaching in Years 2 and 3 Modules

1 2 3

4 5 6

Modules

1

2 3

4

5 6

Modules

1 2

3

4 5

6

Would it be possible to have short, intensive modules in Level 5 and 6?

YES

Teaching in Years 2 and 3

• Attracting sufficient number to small modules • Can we teach less popular modules every 2

years to double the class size and increase choice to students? YES

Modules

1

2 3

4

5 6

Taught to year 2 and 3 together in alternate years.

Two Subject Degrees Year 1 Level 4• Joint delivery of early modules? Ideally to make discipline

pairings real.• Languages – no. These need to match many programmes

Discipline X

1

2

3

PPlus

5

6

Discipline Y

1

2

3

PPlus

5

6

X & Y

1

2

3

PPlus

5

6

X & Y

1

2

3

PPlus

5

6

Taught by staff from X

and Y

Integrative project

Optional modules

• Do we have too many options ? • Can you reduce the options and increase your research time?

Year 1

1

2a 2b

3

PPlus

5a 5b

6

Year 2 and 3

1a 1b 2 3

4 5a 5b 6

40 credit Dissertation in Level 6?• In these patterns dissertations

are submitted in April /early May.

• • Parallel pattern leads to week

29 hand in. Ok, but pushes exam meetings back

Modules

1 Dissertation

3

4Dissertation

6

Modules

Dissertation 2 3

Dissertation 5 6

Modules

1 2Dissertati

on

Dissertation

5 6

Rules for Classification

Year 2 30% Year 3 70%

10% 30% 60%10% 40% 50%

Pass 100cr to progress

Pass module overall (ie not every sub-element).

Postgrads

• 6 hrs a week for Research Council students, averaged across the year. We generally apply the rule to all.

• Total hours for demo shouldn’t change but will get concentrated

Assessment for Learning

Disabled students working towards different assessments miss opportunities for group support and are treated as ‘other’. The same learning, support and inclusive assessment opportunities (MAP-free assignments) would provide a common, collegiate, level playing field for all our students, would streamline many processes and be transparently fair.

Examples of 1 year inclusive assessment -20 credits MAP-free

• 3 ( 1 per week ) x 300 word piece of critical writing 1 group presentation of a poster and individual reflection

• ‘Multiple Choice Questions’ – open time frame or 40 questions in a maximum of 3 hours over a 48 hour period and Practical Lab: work and report

• Group video/ podcast and 500- 1000 word reflective commentary (what I know now as a result of the module)

Examples of 1st term assessment -20 credits MAP-free

• 4 x Problem Based Learning activities – 4 x 500 words with a reflective commentary / e-commentary (what I know now as a result of the module)

• Field work, field work notebook or report with a reflective commentary (what I know now as a result of the module)

• Mini project ‘product’ / performance and commentary .

Instant Resits

Level 4• Giving students the opportunity to get work up to standard

(meet LOs)• Re-submitting to meet the LOs • No resubmission of work that has passed

Level 4: first three modules can resubmit more than once.

Revise and resubmit

Support workshops: Curriculum Enrichment and Assessment for Learning

• Assessment for Learning• Designing great first modules• PBL – action learning – case study learning• Flipped classroom• New e-assessment possibilities• Plymouth Plus• Group work• Getting students reflecting (PebblePad updates and other approaches) • Programme LOs and module Los• Induction – end-duction • ???????

• Programme / Module team support

Transition

• Our current Level 6 is largely composed of optional modules. This will need to be altered to have two suites of option modules (Sem 1 & Sem 2), altering the choice of the students?

YES: For 2014-5 level 6 - a suite of semester 1 modules and suite of Sem 2 modules. We will need to start talking to current second year about this in SSL and other meetings from September. Use the reps and Steph to get the message across