1. This Report presents the findings of an assessment in January 1997 of the quality of education in electrical and electronic engineering, and general engineering provided by Southampton Institute.
2. Southampton Institute of Higher Education is a well-established institution. It has grown out of mergers of three Southampton colleges: Technology, Art and Nautical Studies, one of which was founded in the mid-nineteenth century. It has some 13,000 students following over 50 undergraduate and 20 taught postgraduate degree courses. It has a number of sites, most of which are in the centre of Southampton. The Institute operates several franchised arrangements both in the UK and overseas, and the Institute's degrees are accredited by Nottingham Trent University. There are nine faculties at the Institute. Electrical and electronic engineering, and general engineering courses, among others, are offered by the Systems Engineering Faculty.
3. The Systems Engineering Faculty has over 1,000 full-time students and 54 full-time academic staff supported by 22 technical staff, of whom five are technician instructors. Courses in electrical and electronic engineering, and general engineering are offered at foundation, BTEC HNC/HND, degree and postgraduate levels. There are 182 full-time and 147 part-time students on these courses. Some of the foundation and HNC/D work is franchised to five further education colleges.
4. The following provision forms the basis of the assessment:
General engineering:
Aims
3. The Systems Engineering Faculty aims to provide programmes of study in engineering which are of value to the region and satisfy a national demand. These programmes are vocational in nature and designed to meet the needs of new graduates/diplomates and those in work who are studying for career advancement.
4. To achieve these aims the Faculty will:
5. Within the context of a HNC/D or BEng programme, terminating at either Level 2 or Level 3 with different levels of achievement, students will be able to:
6. Students completing a MSc programme will be able to:
6. The graded profile in paragraph 7 indicates the
extent to which the student learning experience and
achievement demonstrate that the aims and objectives
set by the subject provider are being met. The tests
and the criteria applied by the reviewers are these:
Aspects of provision
1. Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation
2. Teaching, Learning and Assessment
3. Student Progression and Achievement
4. Student Support and Guidance
5. Learning Resources
6. Quality Management and Enhancement.
Tests to be applied
To what extent do the student learning experience and
student achievement, within this aspect of provision,
contribute to meeting the objectives set by the subject
provider?
Do the objectives set, and the level of attainment of
those objectives, allow the aims set by the subject
provider to be met?
Scale points
1 The aims and/or objectives set by the subject provider are not met; there are major shortcomings that must be rectified.
2 This aspect makes an acceptable contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives, but significant improvement could be made. The aims set by the subject provider are broadly met.
3 This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are substantially met.
4 This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
7. The grades awarded as a result of the assessment are:
8. The quality of education in electrical and electronic engineering, and general engineering at the Southampton Institute is approved.
10. The Faculty operates franchise arrangements for HNC/D courses with a group of four further education colleges: Southampton City College, Salisbury College, Wray Castle College and Chichester College. The colleges offer a variety of courses in manufacturing, design, electronic, and electrical engineering on a full-time or part-time basis.
11. The Faculty offers two MSc courses in Condition Monitoring, and Integrated Systems Engineering. These are conversion courses which have one 10-credit unit in common. The MSc in Integrated Systems Engineering is jointly validated and delivered by the Institute and Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble. The MSc courses provide opportunities for students of differing backgrounds to study in a specialised area. The postgraduate students understand and appreciate the coherence and the integrated nature of the subject content.
12. The curricula are flexibly designed to meet the Institute's mission to provide for equality of opportunity, differing entry profiles and a range of exit qualifications. The course documents clearly state the intended outcome of the curricula, the method and duration of delivery, and the assessment method. The Faculty has a positive approach to recognition by engineering institutions and most courses are either accredited, or seeking accreditation to satisfying the stage 1 educational requirements for either Incorporated Engineer (HNC/D) or Chartered Engineer (BEng) status.
13. There is a good match between the curricula offered and the expertise of the teaching staff. One feature of the courses, which is claimed in the self-assessment, is a design theme which is used as an integrating feature. The assessors recognise the importance of this in the broadly based curriculum; however, its presence is not fully clear in individual syllabus content and assignments. Course teams may wish to review individual module content to ensure the design theme receives adequate emphasis.
14. The programmes of study are highly valued by current and former students, as well as employers, especially those in the region. Many HNC students are sponsored by industry to study part-time. Some of the undergraduate teaching materials benefit from industrial case studies and postgraduate courses are well supported by company-based projects, industrial visits and specialist research seminars.
15. Although the Faculty has a number of arrangements, some formal and others informal, to ensure the curriculum is informed by industrial opinion, there is no single industrial forum where issues can be discussed widely. The Faculty may wish to consider the benefits of establishing a formal industrial advisory committee covering all areas of its provision.
16. The objective of providing students with an opportunity to acquire and demonstrate interpersonal skills, independent judgement and self-awareness is particularly successful at foundation level, where students who are more articulate in one area of study are encouraged to help tutor the less experienced. The group project encourages team work and independent learning. Students commented positively on the benefits of developing these transferable skills.
17. The MSc Condition Monitoring is supported by a team of staff who have national reputations in this specialised area. It is built on research expertise which has gained substantial recognition from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and also has industrial support.
18. This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation:
Grade 3.
20. The assessors observed 22 classes and 17 members of the teaching staff. Of the sessions observed, which included formal lectures, laboratory and practical classes and projects, 32 per cent were found to be of the highest quality, grade 4, 46 per cent were grade 3, 9 per cent grade 2 and 13 per cent grade 1. In most cases, the teaching reflected the stated syllabus content. However, some classes covered material not included in the syllabus and these received a low grade from the assessors. The best sessions were characterised by good planning and effective use of overhead transparencies, well-chosen examples to illustrate points and a high level of student involvement. In a number of classes, effective use of specialist equipment stimulated students' interest and developed their skills in its use. Students also used computer equipment effectively, demonstrating their skills in this important area. In addition to the formal classes, students are provided with well-developed faculty learning packs for most modules, and receive additional support from the institute-wide study assistance service.
21. Less successful classes showed poor preparation and planning, with loss of time, weak classroom technique, and students working in inappropriate rooms for the type of tasks being undertaken. An example of this was seminar work taking place in a laboratory with fixed benches and stools, rather than in a room with comfortable chairs and desks. The Faculty may wish to consider the way in which it uses manufacturing laboratory sessions to introduce students to the properties of engineering materials. The BEng course documentation states that each student keeps a logbook detailing engineering applications (EA1) activities undertaken and the level of skill attained. The laboratory record books which are used do not meet the detailed requirements claimed and the Faculty needs to clarify this matter. The assessors recommend that there is greater dissemination of best teaching practice.
22. Teaching on postgraduate courses was rated highly by the students. However, some of those who had progressed directly from an engineering programme at the Institute were concerned that much of the work they were currently studying had been encountered at undergraduate level. The Faculty states that this programme is a conversion degree, but it may wish to consider how these students may receive more challenging material, while at the same time not losing the breadth of approach of the courses.
23. A range of assessment methods is used, ranging from in-course assessment to formal examinations. Often, case studies are used in an attempt to make the assessment more industrially relevant. At the beginning of each semester, students are provided with a timetable showing all in-course assessments and the date that they must be submitted. Students found this helpful. In most cases, the assessments are an appropriate test of students' abilities and knowledge. However, the approach to marking varies, but is both internally and externally moderated. The assessors found that it was sometimes difficult to see how the marking scheme had been applied, and how elements of an individual question on an examination paper were marked and combined to produce the final mark. The Faculty may wish to review the current system for ensuring that marking guides are applied consistently to all assessments. Examination papers for the MSc Condition Monitoring showed a lack of challenge in some of the questions.
24. An important part of the BEng programme is the final-year projects, which are often based on real industrial problems. They also act as an integrating feature, drawing on several subjects, techniques and skills and thus demonstrate the students' ability to plan, design, analyse and solve complex engineering problems. The assessors were impressed by the Faculty's thorough management of these projects. Students are required to produce an assessed feasibility study, an assessed progress report and a final report. The range of topics covered is considerable and has drawn favourable comments from industry. The students are monitored closely during the project period and are supported in their work. The assessors found, however, that some final project reports appeared to be generously marked.
25. Students were extremely supportive of the academic staff. On the whole, they were pleased with the quality of teaching and believed that most of the staff that they encountered were knowledgeable about their subject. In most cases, students felt that assessments were understandable and fair. However, they considered that the quality of feedback varied in terms of timeliness and the amount of comment given. This is an issue that the Institute has identified and is currently addressing.
26. This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment:
Grade 3.
28. There are some 200 applications for full-time places on the BEng courses and 60 for the HNDs. A significant number of applicants come through the UCAS clearing system. The courses attract students from all parts of Britain and abroad. Current first-year enrolments are: 45 full-time and 32 part-time students for the BEng degrees, 19 students for the HND and 18 part-time students for the HNC. In 1996, for the 25 per cent who entered degree courses with GCE A-Levels, the average points score was six. In 1996-97, no HND student entered the courses with GCE A-Levels: 70 per cent had BTEC ONC/ONDs and the remainder were mature students. The MSc courses recruited 17 full-time and four part-time students.
29. On the full-time courses, student non-completion rates at foundation and Level 1 are high. There are a number of reasons for this, including students completing the level successfully, but going to other universities to continue their studies. While the assessors recognise that a broad admissions policy may be a factor, it was not clear whether the Faculty's information on the reasons for non-completion was sufficiently detailed to inform its planning and course development. Part-time courses with lower numbers of students suffer from the same problem of non-completion. Once through the initial levels, however, students rarely withdraw and most achieve a degree or diploma. Between 1994 and 1996, 14 full-time and part-time students completed the degree courses; 3 per cent achieved First class awards (all part-time students); 42 per cent achieved Upper Seconds; 30 per cent Lower Seconds; 16 per cent Thirds; and 9 per cent were unclassified (failing or being deferred).
30. All students on the MSc Integrated Systems Engineering course are French. The Institute is unable to recruit UK students with appropriate language skills who are prepared to study for one semester in France. The Faculty may need to consider whether it is providing sufficient induction and on-going support for these students, since they are not integrated into a cohort of UK students and tend to feel isolated.
31. The assessors evaluated a sample of students' work, including examination scripts, coursework, project reports and laboratory report-sheets. The work showed strengths in business aspects of engineering, and the presentation of reports demonstrated skills in information technology (IT). Final-year project reports showed a design-build-and-test approach, which demonstrated the application of knowledge and skills to new situations. However, weaknesses were apparent in mathematics and analytical subjects.
32. Students are encouraged to develop skills of independent learning and research and generally achieve good results. Comments from former students and employers indicated that successful students are marketable and well equipped for employment. All the employers the assessors met talked positively about the quality of education at the Institute.
33. First-destination data for those completing their courses in 1995 showed that of those graduating with BEng (Hons) Engineering with Business, 68.4 per cent obtained employment and 10.5 per cent continued their studies. Of those graduating with BEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering, 53.8 per cent obtained employment and 23.4 per cent continued their studies. Some 56 per cent of HND Engineering (Electronics and Communications) graduates obtained employment and 20 per cent continued their studies. The assessors are impressed by the success of students moving into employment and those progressing to more advanced studies.
34. This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Student Progression and Achievement:
Grade 3.
36. Effective academic support is provided through close contact with staff in a number of small-group classes and through the personal tutorial system. This has recently been enhanced to include the formal recording of meetings with students, and defined academic and pastoral roles for the tutor. Student attendance is monitored and continued absence is formally followed up in writing by the personal tutor in collaboration with the faculty office. Students are pleased with the open-door policy operated by personal tutors. Both tutors and students are aware of the comprehensive learning support offered by the study assistance service which provides, for example, support for mathematical and study skills, and special-needs support. The service forms part of the Institute's student services, which offers half-day seminars on its facilities; these are well attended by faculty staff. Study assistance records also indicate effective use of this service by the Faculty's students, and evening opening hours make the services available to assist part-time students. For students who are carrying out project work in industry, a contract between the Faculty and the business contains details of the obligations on both sides.
37. The Institute's student services also provides comprehensive pastoral, welfare and counselling support to which students are fully introduced during induction. The integration of these elements into a single support agency provides a seamless service to students. The Institute has recently reassessed its provision for students with disabilities; enhanced information is being provided for existing and prospective students and a disability awareness week has been held. The Institute's careers service liaises with the Faculty and provides introductory talks and workshops for students throughout their course. The engineering students and graduates were complimentary about the service offered, which includes assistance with drafting CVs and preparation for company selection and assessment schemes. For additional work experience and skills development, a job-shop provides some students with part-time work within the Institute.
38. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Student Support and Guidance:
Grade 4.
40. Teaching accommodation is generally good, and laboratories are reasonably well stocked. The assessors commend the provision in robotics, computer numerical control and metrology, which allows students to use a co-ordinated measuring machine and a scanning electron microscope.
41. The Mountbatten Library, opened in 1994, is the larger of the Institute's two libraries and houses the engineering collection. The library offers 1,000 study spaces, and a suite of computers gives access to electronic media and the Internet. Funding for library expenditure is based on a formula which has recently been changed to reflect more accurately undergraduate and postgraduate use and the cost of books and journals in the particular discipline. Engineering students have raised concerns about the inadequacies of book stocks and periodical provision. The Faculty acknowledges the deficiency of the latter in its self-assessment and the situation has been exacerbated by the expansion of postgraduate education. To address this issue in the short term, the Faculty has made formal arrangements for MSc students to use the library at the University of Southampton. In the longer term, the Mountbatten Library has made representation to the Institute that a percentage of all research income should be directed towards the enhancement of library provision. The assessors encourage the Faculty to review the library provision for engineering to ensure breadth and depth of coverage in support of the new range of courses it offers.
42. The library is conscious of customer care and contributes to both induction courses for new students and elements of undergraduate teaching. As part of the Institute's access policy, the library does not impose fines for late returns. Instead, it imposes a system of penalty points, the accumulation of which can lead to individuals being banned temporarily from borrowing books. There is good liaison between the library staff and the Faculty, with the library being represented on course boards.
43. Academic Information Systems integrate library, computing system services, multi-media delivery and development. Computing system services maintain three large facilities equipped with 420 modern machines. These are situated in open-access areas, as well as enclosed rooms which can be used for both student self-study and teaching sessions. Multi-media development is responsible for staff development in IT and is currently supporting the introduction of Ceilidh (computer-based learning and assessment system) and EDAC (electronic design) software. For engineering students, this general provision is complemented by the Faculty's local area network comprising 84 computers with specialist engineering software. Machines are situated in dual-purpose teaching/self-study suites, enabling staff to employ flexible approaches in their teaching. The assessors recognise the strength of the provision, but suggest that software provision might be enhanced through the deployment of the wide variety of computer-assisted learning (CAL) packages now available for use in higher education through such schemes as the HEFCE's Teaching and Learning Technology Programme.
44. The Faculty is well served by its 22 technical staff, who are all suitably qualified. They provide flexible assistance to the academic staff, offering direct advice to students on the practical aspects of laboratory activities, engineering applications and project development.
45. This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Learning Resources:
Grade 3.
47. Overall, the 'quality in courses' manual provides a comprehensive quality framework for the Faculty. The Faculty keeps well-organised course documents. Currently, formal inputs into the quality assurance system are largely generated by the external examiners, but student questionnaires, industrialists' and employers' comments, and the views of professional bodies all contribute. The Faculty is also subject to external scrutiny and accreditation visits by professional bodies, BTEC (for HNC/D courses) and Nottingham Trent University, which holds the degree-awarding powers. The assessors have found, however, that some requests from external examiners were not fully met, nor properly minuted. Comments and feedback to the external examiners are also rather brief and do not always indicate the action being taken or its timescale. The assessors also endorsed the suggestion made by HEQC to make better arrangements for taking external examiners' oral comments into consideration. The HEQC audit report of the Institute was published in May 1996 and at the time of the assessment the Institute had not approved its formal response.
48. The Systems Engineering Faculty states clearly in its self-assessment its aims, which reflect the Institute's mission. The assessors commend the Faculty for establishing realistic aims and objectives. The self-assessment clearly describes the activities of the Faculty and provides clear factual information and some self-criticism.
49. A system of staff appraisal and peer review is in place. Induction courses are available for new members of staff. The Faculty provides significant funding for staff development activities: over £38,000 was spent in 1995-96 to support staff's technical subject development. The Faculty encourages staff to pursue higher degrees; two completed their PhD research in 1995-96. There are also regular research seminars and other continuing professional development activities. The Faculty also supports staff development to enhance the quality of teaching and learning through: secondment of staff; funding teaching and learning projects; encouraging staff to attend the postgraduate teaching certificate course; and participating in the Institute's conferences on teaching and learning. Peer review of teaching is assisted by both formal and informal class observation.
50. From discussion and through evaluating formal planning documents, the link between the Faculty's academic vision, strategic curriculum development, staff development and research activity is clear to the assessors. The disciplines associated with condition monitoring offer the Faculty a niche area for future development, building on its strengths already established in this area.
51. This aspect makes a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives; however, there is scope for improvement. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Quality Assurance and Enhancement:
Grade 3.
53. The positive features of the education in electrical and electronic engineering, and general engineering in relation to the aspects of provision include the following: