Annual Monitoring of Pathways Delivered in 2009/10

PROGRAMME REPORT

Content and Scope

Programme/Author details
Faculty
Programme Title
Programme Leader
(Author of Report)
E-mail address
Endorsement by Head of Department
I have read this report and its appendices and support its outcomes and conclusions, including the future SMART action plan
Head of Department’s signature / Date
Check list – to be completed by author prior to submission
The list of Pathways within the scope of the report has been completed / YES/NO
The previous year’s associated Reader’s Report is attached to this report (with a formal response from the AMR author, where applicable) / YES/NO
The previous year’s updated SMART action plan is attached to this report / YES/NO
The relevant External Examiners’ Reports are attached to this report / YES/NO
The relevant response letters from the Head of Department to External Examiners’ Reports are attached to this report / YES/NO
A future SMART action plan is attached to this report / YES/NO
Appendices – to be completed by Author prior to submission
Please list any additional appendices attached to this report for information (n.b. please cross-reference appropriate sections within the report to the relevant appendix).
Appendix Title / Appendix Number:
(or state ‘n/a’)
Pathways within the scope of this report
Pathway Title / Locations of Delivery / Delivered in 2009/10:
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO

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V1: 23 June 2010

Please answer all questions in all sections of the report

(text in red italics is for guidance only and should be deleted when completing the report)

SECTION A: Responses to previous year’s report

A1Reader’s report

What action was taken, where appropriate, in response to the Reader’s report on last year’s annual monitoring?

A2Last year’s action plan

Provide an update of last year’s action plan for the Programme, including a description of specific action taken and the impact on curriculum delivery.

How, and by whom, was the action plan monitored during the past year?

Are there any actions outstanding? If so, why has it not been possible to complete them?

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

(text in red italics is for guidance only and should be deleted when completing the report)

SECTION B: Statistical Analysis

Confirmed statistics will be available from the beginning of October 2010. Section C - The Academic Standards and Enhancement of the Quality of Education - can be completed prior to the confirmed statistics becoming available

B1Statistical data

[Pathway and Programme data should be sourced from the University Oracle Portal in:

Start menu/All Programs/Network Applications/University Statistics & Admin data [Please contact the Deputy Dean with responsibility for QA, for user name and password] and also in J:\Services\Academic Office\Public\Annual Monitoring - Autumn 2010\Statistical Reports

B1.1Data sources

What statistical data have you used (please note that data sourced from the Oracle Portal must be used wherever possible)

Oracle Portal dataYES/NO

OtherYES/NO

please specify and state the reason for not using data sourced from the Oracle Portal:

B1.2Module Performance

[please refer to the Oracle Portal statistics]

Are there any modules whose mean mark is lower than 50% (this should be considered within each location of delivery as well as for the module overall)?

If so, what were the reasons and what action has been taken, or is planned, to address the issue?

Are there any modules whose mean mark is higher than 65% (this should be considered within each location of delivery as well as for the module overall)?

If so, what were the reasons and is any action required as a result?

Are there any other modules whose mean mark differs from expectations, what were the reasons and is any action required as a result?

Has the review of module performance across different sites of delivery raised any items of note and any actions to be taken?

Programme Leaders may wish to consider whether an action is included within the Action Plan related to the implementation of ‘marking standardisation’ processes prior to the marking period where this does not currently occur.

B1.3Overall Student continuation

[please refer to the ‘Programme Statistics Report (Annual Monitoring format)’ available on the Oracle portal.]

For each pathway, at each location of delivery, consider the extent to which students starting at each level in September 2009 have succeeded with their intended pathway for 2009/10 and are eligible to continue/remain at Anglia Ruskin in the following academic year (ie: comment on continuation and retention rates).

Please comment on these statistics and provide details of the actions that have been taken, or are planned, to address certain issues in individual, or groups of, pathways.

B1.4Classification of Awards for Successful Students

[please refer to the ‘Programme Statistics Report (Annual Monitoring format)’ available on the Oracle portal.]

For each pathway, at each location of delivery, consider the performance of those students who have successfully completed the intended award.

Please comment on these statistics and provide details of the actions that have been taken, or are planned, to address certain issues that arise.

B1.5Other Statistical Observations & Comments

Programme Leaders are invited to make any other general comments, in addition to the specific questions above, which emerge from their consideration of statistical information (e.g. success in widening participation initiatives). [please also see C2.1 regarding any observations concerning statistical information and outcomes of student module evaluation questionnaires].

SECTION C: Academic Standards and the Enhancement of the Quality of Education

C1Academic Standards

C1.1The curriculum, aims and intended learning outcomes

To what extent have the aims and intended learning outcomes been achieved for each pathway within the Programme?

[appropriate reference points include: the External Examiners’ reports, the level of student achievement both in individual modules (eg the mean mark) and overall (eg degree classifications), feedback from former students or their employers (if available)]

Do the design and content of the curriculum (including the assessment methods) continue to support student achievement of the intended learning outcomes for each pathway? Are any amendments required and, if so, what are the amendments?

[appropriate reference points include the External Examiners’ reports, feedback from any recent PSRB visit or internal periodic review (if applicable)]

Has the curriculum maintained its currency and validity in the light of developing knowledge in the subject area? Have there been any national trends/developments that have influenced the curriculum during 2009/10 or may impact on future delivery (e.g. the Higher Education Academy, Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body Reports etc)?

[appropriate reference points include: the External Examiners’ reports, the relevant QAA subject benchmark statement(s), feedback from any recent PSRB visit or internal periodic review (if applicable)]

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C1.2Curriculum Efficiency and other streamlining activities

Please comment on the actions taken during the academic year 2009/10 to ensure/improve the efficiency of delivery and to rationalise the curriculum.

[appropriate reference points include: low enrolling modules, decisions made to archive modules and pathways]

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C1.3Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB)

Has any pathway been the subject of a PSRB visit/engagement in the past academic year? If so, give the name of the PSRB and the pathway concerned. What was the outcome and what action has been taken in response to the visit and/or report?

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C1.4Placements and Work-based Learning

(See Objective 10 of the Corporate Plan 2009-2011:

We are Champions of employer and community engagement).

Please comment on any placement/work-based learning included as part of the curriculum delivery in the past year. What evidence is there that students have achieved the intended learning outcomes of such activity?

[appropriate reference points include: the External Examiners’ reports, feedback from any recent PSRB visit and/or the placement coordinator/supervisor. PSRBs expect providers to undertake an annual evaluation of such activity]

Have External Examiners had the opportunity to meet with such students and/or visit placement/work-places?

Are there sufficient numbers of placement/work-based learning opportunities? Are there sufficient numbers of suitably qualified assessors/work-place mentors for the students including those required to meet PSRB requirements?

Are the placement/work-based learning areas audited or monitored? What are the outcomes of these processes, how is the information gathered disseminated and how have the outcomes impacted on the enhancement of the provision?

[AMR authors are reminded that different PSRBs have differing requirements and these may need to be addressed here]

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C1.5External Examiners’ reports

[attach a copy of the External Examiners’ reports and Head of Department letters in response to the annual monitoring report]

Summarise any strengths/weaknesses identified in the External Examiners’ report(s) and any actions that have been taken, or are planned, in response to the reports.

[ensure that the future action plan (see section C5 below) responds to any areas of concern raised by the External Examiner(s)]

Please list any External Examiners’ reports which have not been received:

C2Quality of Education – the Student Experience at all locations of delivery

C2.1Student feedback on the quality of learning opportunities

(See Objective 1 of the Corporate Plan 2009-2011:

9 out of 10 students would recommend us to a friend).

What mechanisms have been used during the year to obtain student feedback on the pathways (eg module evaluation; programme subcommittee meetings)? How, and by whom, has this feedback been analysed and what conclusions have been drawn about the quality of education provided to the students? (NB this must include comment on the feedback received through the National Student Survey and the International/Domestic Student Barometer Surveys. Data regarding recent ISB/DSB surveys can be located via J:\Services\Student Services\Public\Student Barometer Results.)

What responses have been made at Programme/pathway level to the student feedback received through these mechanisms?

How have any actions taken in response to these student feedback mechanisms been communicated to students?

Is there any correlation/observation between statistical observations (see B1.5) and outcomes of student module evaluation questionnaires? Please comment on the correlation of student satisfaction ratings obtained from module evaluation questionnaires and the mean marks of modules (e.g. modules with high satisfaction ratings and low mean marks and vice-versa).

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C2.2Student Retention

What actions have been taken at Programme/pathway level to promote student retention on pathways?

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C2.3Learning and Physical Resources

How, and by whom, have staffing levels and learning resources been monitored during the year to ensure high quality educational support to students? Have any issues concerning curriculum delivery or educational support arisen during the year? If so, what action has been taken to address them?

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C2.4Learning Management System (ARU’s new VLE)

(See Objective 5 of the Corporate Plan 2009-2011:

We educate an equal number of students off-site and on-site, through remote delivery partnerships at home and abroad, and distance learning).

Please comment on the Programme’s involvement in preparations for the implementation of our new Learning Management System.

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C2.5Employer/Stakeholder Feedback

What mechanisms have been used to obtain feedback from external stakeholders (eg: employers or service users)?

What action has been taken in response to the feedback provided?

Authors are reminded to ensure that any actions anticipated in response to the above are included in the future action plan, as appropriate.

C2.6Enhancement activity by staff

(See Objective 11 of the Corporate Plan 2009-2011:

We readily attract talented staff and prepare everyone to achieve goals through continuing staff development).

Please give details of any staff development/scholarly activity undertaken by colleagues in the past academic year designed to enhance the quality of learning, teaching or assessment of the programme?

Please comment on the level at which staff have engaged with the Higher Education Academy Subject Centres, INSPIRE initiated activities and the Faculty Learning and Teaching Strategy, and any subsequent impact on learning and teaching within the Programme.

Please comment on the impact of the above staff development on learning and teaching.

C3Sharing Good Practice and Achievements

C3.1Good or innovative practice in learning, teaching and assessment

Are there any examples of good or innovative practice (see definition below) within pathways which merit dissemination to a wider audience within Anglia Ruskin and its partner institutions? If so, give details.

[appropriate reference points include: External Examiners’ reports, feedback from any recent PSRB visit or internal periodic review, internal peer evaluations]

Have any of the examples of good practice, highlighted in the overview report on annual monitoring for the previous academic years been considered and/or adapted/adopted for use?

Please note the definition of good practice adopted by the Senate in April 2005:
Good practice is defined as "a method, strategy, system, procedure or process, which has, over an appropriate period of time, resulted in improved academic standards, an enhanced quality of education and/or an improved level of service to stakeholders (eg: students, staff, external examiners, collaborative partners, employers etc.) and which can, when appropriately adapted, be implemented in other areas of the institution."
Such good practice can be evidenced in a variety of ways. Examples include student performance, statistical information, feedback from stakeholders (ie: via questionnaires, Programme Committee meetings, Employer Liaison Panel meetings etc.).

C3.2Significant and/or Commendable Achievements

Are there any significant and/or commendable achievements and/or outcomes to be highlighted to a wider audience?

C4Edexcel (Higher National) Awards analysis and evaluation

[those Programme reports which include Edexcel (HN) delivery are considered by a senior member of Anglia Ruskin Staff in order to assist with the compilation of the Annual Institutional Review of Edexcel Licensed Centre BTEC programmes. This is submitted annually to Edexcel].

Please highlight any relevant information in respect of Higher National awards. Please cross-reference to the corresponding sections in this report.

C5Future action plan

Provide an action plan for the future, describing any changes or improvements already taken or planned to enhance delivery of the pathways. The action plan must use the form attached as Annex A to this report template, follow the SMART principles (Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Timebound) and respond to any issues or weaknesses identified in the External Examiners’ reports.

Enclosures:Annex A – Template for future action plan, delivery in 2010/11

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V1: 23 June 2010

Annual monitoring of the delivery of pathways in 2009/10 at Anglia Ruskin and UK/international partner institutions

Future Action Plan (delivery in 2010/11):

PROGRAMME TITLE: / Insert Programme Title here

Targets should be SMART:

Specific (ie what specifically are you trying to achieve)

Measurable (ie must be able to measure achievement of the target/goal)

Agreed

Relevant and Realistic

Time bound

No. / Target/Goal / Evidence of issue
(please cross-refer to issues raised in sections of the annual monitoring report and other sources, as appropriate) / Action plan to be followed
(use bulleted list if appropriate) / Action required by whom / Target date for achievement / Action monitored by / Date action completed
1 / Target/Goal:
(enter target/goal here)
Measurable Outcome:
(enter measurable outcome here)
2 / Target/Goal:
Measurable Outcome:
3 / Target/Goal:
Measurable Outcome:
4 / Target/Goal:
Measurable Outcome: