Online Resource for Staff new to teaching in HE

Higher Education Qualifications, Programmes and

Modules at GCU

GCU Qualifications Framework

The GCU Qualifications Framework can be found on the Governance and

Quality Enhancement website under Regulations and Policies. It outlines

all the degrees that can be awarded at GCU, the role of modules, credit

weighting1, levels of study and how they align with Scotland’s national

qualifications framework, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications

Framework(SCQF)2. The SCQF helps employers, learners and the

general public to understand the full range of Scottish qualifications.

1credit weighting defines how many credits there are for one academic year of full-time undergraduate study (120 credits)

or postgraduate study (180 credits). Please note that one credit equals ten hours of notional student effort (NSE). 2 see: www.scqf.org.uk

Higher Education (HE) Qualifications at GCU

Undergraduate Awards include:

• Certificate of Higher Education (with or without a subject identifier) =

120 credits

• Diploma of Higher Education (with or without a subject identifier) = 240

credits

• Degree = 360 credits

• Degree with Honours = 480 credits

Higher Education (HE) Qualifications at GCU

Postgraduate Awards include:

• Postgraduate Certificate (named or un-named)

• Postgraduate Diploma (named)

• Post Experience Certificate (named)

• Masters Degree (named)

• Professional Masters/Doctorates (Prof M/Prof D),

• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA),

• Doctor of Management (DMan),

• Doctor of Psychology (DPsych) and

• Doctor of Applied Psychology (DAppsy)

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil),

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Programmes

Programmes consist of a number of modules that students have to pass

in order to progress onto the next level of study (students can carry 20

credits between levels).

Modules are normally based on a standard unit of 20 credits for

undergraduate programmes including a 40 credit SHEH* (= SCQF levels

9/10) dissertation/project module, and 15 credits for postgraduate

programmes including a 60 credit SHEM* (= SCQF level 11)

dissertation/project module.

Information on Roles and Responsibilities can be found in the annexe of

the Quality Enhancement and Assurance Handbook.

*SHEH (Scottish Higher Education Honours)/SHEM (Scottish Higher Education Masters). Until the GCU

Qualifications Framework has been reviewed, the SCQF levels should be used, although it still refers to

Scottish Higher Education levels (SHE).

Programme Board (PB)

The Programme Board is responsible to the School which hosts the

programme for all aspects of quality assurance and enhancement related

to the programmes or suite of programmes under its jurisdiction. It is

normally chaired by the Assistant Head of Department (AHoD) or the

departmental Learning and Teaching Quality Lead (LTQL).

It consists of:

• programme officers;

• nominated representatives, normally from each subject area contributing to the

programme;

• student representatives from the programme;

• and where appropriate representatives from industry, commerce, or the

appropriate professions.

Programme Board

The specific responsibilities of Programme Boards, in liaison with

appropriate Schools, are:-

• the monitoring and maintenance of academic standards and the quality of the

student experience;

• the academic coherence and development of their programme;

• the creation and maintenance of Programme Specifications;

• External Assessor reports and communication of the associated responses to

the Externals;

• the establishment of Student Staff Consultative Groups (SSCG);

• where appropriate, the maintenance of effective relationships with professional,

statutory and regulatory bodies within their programme area to ensure that

quality assurance and academic standards activities at the programme level are

informed by the requirements of these bodies;

• the annual programme monitoring process.

Annual (in year) Programme Monitoring

The Programme Monitoring Process ensures that programmes remain fit for

purpose and to assure and enhance their quality.

Programme monitoring and review takes place in a planned annual cycle to

ensure that all provision is monitored adequately, how it is experienced by

students and whether alternative forms of delivery can be offered.

The process starts with an evaluation of the past session via the Programme

Enhancement Plan (PEP) and is then continued throughout the academic year

via the Annual Programme Analysis (APA). The APA document can be found on

the School Portal Programme Sites.

More detailed information on Programme Monitoring and Review can be found in

Section 5 of GCU’s Quality Assurance and Enhancement Handbook (QAEH).

Annual (in year)

Programme

Monitoring*

*Flowchart taken from QAEH, Section 5: Programme Monitoring

Programme teams

Programme teams consist of programme leaders, module leaders,

academics/lecturers, and programme administrator(s).

The programme team is responsible for:

• Developing the programme and preparing it for programme approval;

• Making any changes to the programme and preparing it for programme re-

approval;

• Liaising with professional and statutory bodies for external accreditation where

appropriate;

• The organisation and the delivery of the programme Contributing to the annual

programme analysis;

• Contributing to the programme handbook;

• Assessing student work;

• Academic advising for students.

Programme Leaders (PLs)

Programme Leaders are responsible for coordinating the delivery of the

programme. This includes responsibility for:

• Programme quality assurance, incl. Annual Programme Analysis (APA);

• Contribution to programme re-approval process;

• Annual monitoring report;

• Supervising the review and/or development of programme and module information

(handbooks, descriptors etc.);

• Reporting to the Assessment Board;

• Encouraging a student representative to chair the Student Staff Consultative Groups

(SSCG) and chairing the SSCG when necessary.

Student Staff Consultative Group (SSCG)

The Student Staff Consultative Group (SSCG) offers students an

opportunity to feedback on the programme and/or raise any concerns or

issues with regards to the programme in relation to content, teaching and

the development of the programme.

The group forms part of the University’s Quality Assurance and

Enhancement process and more information on the purpose, operation

and membership of the SSCG can be found in Section 8 of GCU’s Quality

Assurance and Enhancement Handbook (QAEH).

Programme Handbook

A Programme handbook contains a complete set of all necessary

programme information, including:-

• Programme structure;

• Assessment;

• Regulations;

• Attendance monitoring;

• Information about mitigating circumstances;

• General information for students;

• Student support and academic advising.

The Programme Handbook is made available to students via GCU Learn.

Programme Specification

The Programme Specification or ‘Programme Spec’ contains key

information for students and is updated annually.

It also forms part of the programme information that is published in the

University Prospectus.

It would normally include:-

• Admissions criteria;

• Programme Aims and Learning outcomes;

• Programme Structure;

• Assessment Scheme.

Programme Approval/Re-approval

Programme Approval describes the procedures underpinning the

development of new programmes.

The Programme Re-approval process takes place every five years, either

as part of the Enhancement-Led Internal Subject Review (ELISR) or as a

stand alone process.

The different stages of both processes are detailed in the Quality

Enhancement Assurance Handbook on the Quality Assurance and

Enhancement website.

ELISR (Enhancement Led Internal Subject Review)

• Every five years an ELISR (enhancement Led Internal Subject

Review) will take place at department level.

• The review process is organised and facilitated by the Department of

Governance and Academic Quality.

• It will include programme approval/re-approval as far as possible.

• For more information and to download a copy of the Quality Assurance

and Enhancement Handbook, please visit the Governance and Quality

Assurance Website.

ELISR (Enhancement Led Internal Subject Review)

The purpose of the ELISR is to support quality assurance and

enhancement across departmental programmes.

Reviews will:

• Promote dialogue in order to enhance quality and identify good practice;

• Reflect critically on practice;

• Take full account of student feedback;

• Review programmes against benchmarks and the QAA Quality Code and where

appropriate, professional and statutory bodies;

• Take account of the Scottish credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF);

• Consider the effectiveness of annual monitoring arrangements;

• Consider the impact of central and school-based student support activities in

enhancing the student experience.

Modules

Academic programmes consist of a series of credited modules, or in other

words, special programme components that are assessed.

There is a module handbook and a module descriptor for each module

that includes the learning outcomes and the assessment methods.

Students must achieve a minimum number of credits in order to progress

to the next level of study.

The GCU Qualifications Framework provides details on the University’s

Credit Accumulation and Modular Scheme.

Module Teams

Module Teams normally comprises module leaders, module tutors, and

an administrator.

However, some modules are run by the module leader only.

Module Leaders (MLs)

Module Leaders are responsible for:-

• the planning, delivery, review, monitoring, standards and academic

development of module(s) and day-to-day administration of the module;

• preparing a Module Handbook;

• developing appropriate learning, teaching, and assessment strategies for each

module, consistent with the learning objectives of the programme;

• monitoring student progress and liaising with the Programme Leaders or other

appropriate individuals with regard to the needs of the students, including

students with disabilities;

• providing academic advice including feedback on assessment

• reporting to Programme Boards on matters concerning the delivery of the

module;

• the quality assurance and enhancement of the module,

• the assessment of the module.

Module Handbooks

Module Handbooks provide students with essential information about:-

• Module structure and content;

• Timetables;

• Material, notes and reading list;

• Delivery;

• Module team;

• Student support;

• Module descriptor;

• Assessment and feedback.

Module Descriptor

The module descriptor outlines the structure, content and assessment of

the module. It follows a standard GCU template and includes:

• Module title, code, level and credit points;

• Pre-requisite knowledge;

• Activity types and hours per activity;

• Summary of content;

• Learning outcomes;

• Reference to the Strategy for Learning;

• Syllabus, indicative reading lists;

• Transferrable skills.

Frameworks

The University also offers frameworks, normally at Masters level (SCQF Level

11), which comprise a series of programmes. There is a framework coordinator

and each programme within the framework has its own programme leader.

Frameworks offer postgraduate and post-qualification programmes of study and

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities. They focus on

applied knowledge and research and can also provide inter-professional learning

opportunities.

Frameworks are designed taking account of relevant statutory, political and

professional standards, benchmarks and drivers and are being mapped against

the SCQF and other relevant professional frameworks.

Frameworks

A framework consists of core modules that run across all programmes.

For instance:

A framework could consist of 30 credits advanced research and 60 credits for the

dissertation. The remaining 90 credits would normally comprise programme

specific credits, such as nursing, physiotherapy or similar practice-based

programmes.

Thank you!