Quality Assessment Report by the HEFCE for

Goldsmiths College, University of London

History

December 1993

Contents

Introduction

Aims and Objectives

Student Learning Experience

Student Achievement

Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

1. This Report presents the findings of an assessment in December 1993 of the quality of education provided in history by Goldsmiths College.
2. History is offered within a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. History components of the following awards were included in the assessment:

   BA Historical Studies

   BA English and History

   BA History and Sociology

   MA Local and Regional History

   MA Contemporary Caribbean Cultural History.

   Postgraduate research degrees were also included in the assessment. There are 269.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate students, 12.5 taught postgraduate FTE students, and six research students. The nine full-time, and six part-time, staff in history are located in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts.
   
   

   Aims and Objectives

3. The aim of the history programmes within the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies `is to enable students to think historically and ... to engage in the wide intellectual debate on the nature and development of society.' Courses in history are intended to develop students' critical and analytical skills, together with a secure knowledge base, which can be applied in a wide variety of academic and non-academic contexts. The Department is committed to providing quality education to students from a broad range of educational and social backgrounds. All of these objectives are consonant with the College's mission statement.
4. The intellectual focus of the Department lies in the provision of an historical dimension to a form of cultural analysis that concerns itself both with how `human societies ... operate, and with the fabric of their culture.' This approach gives direction and coherence to the Department's work, and has been an important influence on the development of interdisciplinary courses with other departments.
5. The assessors note with approval the wide chronological and geographical range of history courses. However, there is only limited choice in modern history, and as yet there is no integration of information technology (IT) training into the history curriculum. Programmes linking history and the social sciences could be developed further, to realise the full curricular potential of expertise in social, cultural and historical studies at Goldsmiths.
   
   

   Student Learning Experience

6. The merger of art history, religious studies and history to form the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies has produced a cohesive group of staff who are highly research active, and have a strong commitment to their teaching activities. The diversity of staff specialisms is a considerable asset to the student learning experience, as it exposes students to a wide range of approaches and methodologies. The nine full-time and six part-time (0.56 FTE) staff who teach history are specialists in both history and religious studies. Teaching is much strengthened by staff research. Staffing resources are fully-stretched, however, at a student-to-staff ratio of 29.6:1. Two additional appointments are to be made shortly.
7. The arrangements for teaching and assessment include several strengths. The assessors were impressed by the close and deliberate co-ordination of the lecture and seminar programmes. This helps students to get the most out of the lecture, giving them opportunities to think more deeply about issues and to ask the lecturer to clarify points. First-year tutorial groups are taught by personal tutors, which enables students to discuss any problems that they are having with their studies in general. Regular essay work develops writing skills, and critical and analytical faculties, in accordance with the course aims and objectives. The final degree classification is based upon a combination of three-hour papers, up to two dissertations, and a portfolio of essays. This permits an element of continuous assessment but, by allowing students to select which essays they submit, avoids the potentially damaging effects of occasional poor performances, and preserves the use of the essay as a learning tool. The assessors saw evidence of some very interesting and original work in student dissertations.
8. All of the classes observed were at least satisfactory, and a significant proportion was excellent. Lectures were generally pitched at an appropriate level. Lecturers communicated concepts as well as detail, and placed the topic within the context of the course. In the seminars and other classes, there was in general a good rapport between tutor and students. In the most effective seminars, there was a close focus on particular topics and an effort to involve all of the students in discussion. A simulation-style exercise worked particularly well. The use of photocopied texts was prominent, and generally effective in providing everyone with a common base to focus attention. In some of the seminars observed, however, students were not well prepared. More thought should be given to facilitating student-led discussions, and to the development of skills in oral presentation, perhaps through collaborative seminar papers. Some seminar groups are large, and inhibit student participation.
9. A few problems were noted with regard to essay writing. Although written comments from tutors were usually full and helpful, occasionally they were rather perfunctory. Some students, particularly mature students, expressed a need for further guidance on essay-writing and examination technique in the first year. Provision of a first-year course in study skills is recommended, which might also include basic IT skills.
10. The Department of Historical and Cultural Studies has an excellent reputation within Goldsmiths for the pastoral care of students. The Department's clear and attractively-produced handbook, which all students receive, gives details of both academic structures and sources of help for personal problems. All students are assigned on entry to a personal tutor, who continues to act in that capacity throughout the student's course. Notices showing the availability of tutors are posted on their office doors. There is close liaison between personal tutors and the Faculty's Senior Tutor, to whom students with financial and other problems are referred. The Student Union's Welfare Officer also liaises closely with the Senior Tutor and personal tutors. Specialist counselling services are available in the College, but waiting lists for these are lengthening.
11. Students, graduates and postgraduate students expressed appreciation of the teaching and personal guidance they receive. Several stressed the lecturers' accessibility, and said how much help they had received in developing and achieving their personal potential.
12. Library resources were described as `barely adequate' in the self-assessment. Goldsmiths' College's library is accommodated in a modern, purpose-built building which was opened in 1988. There are 425 reader places, and during the visit no evidence was seen of pressure on these, or on the library computer terminals. The library catalogue is part of the University of London's LIBERTAS Consortium, which provides on-line access to the catalogues of all member libraries. On-line access to the catalogues of other libraries is also possible from some of the library terminals over the Joint Academic Network (JANET). The library has CD-ROM facilities, but the current disc collection does not include information relevant to history. There are microfiche readers and a microfilm reader/printer in the library, which are used by history students and staff.
13. All students at Goldsmiths have borrowing rights at the University of London Library at Senate House, which has a history collection of around 70,000 volumes. Take up of this provision is far from universal however, with only 142 history students from Goldsmiths acquiring a ticket for the University of London Library in 1992-3. It is not possible to reserve books at Senate House from terminals in Goldsmiths, and no mini-bus or frequent van service is provided to transfer readers or stock between the two libraries. Some students described the distance involved in travelling to Senate House as off-putting in terms of cost and time.
14. In Goldsmiths College library there are approximately 14,000 history books, of which 12,000 are accessible on the open shelves. Sixty serial publications relevant to history are available, but not all of these are currently subscribed to. The annual bookfund for 1993-94 is a relatively low per capita allocation of £25.65, including serial subscriptions.
15. Training in IT skills is provided by computer services, but is not compulsory for history students. About 30 PCs are available on open-access for student use, and this is adequate to meet current demand.
16. Teaching accommodation was described as `barely adequate' in the self-assessment. The standard of teaching accommodation varies. Some rooms are well furnished, and adequately equipped with audio-visual aids. Others are less well maintained, and would benefit from refurbishing. Some of the rooms used for seminar teaching are too large for the group size. In addition, several of the classes observed were disturbed by noise from maintenance work, music practice, and traffic.
17. Staff development courses for new lecturers are provided on a college basis. Some thought might be given to the provision of refresher courses for current staff, particularly with regard to audio-visual and computer-based methods, and diversification of seminar techniques. Generally, however, this is an active, caring and academically well-led group of teachers, fully capable of self development.
18. Programme Monitors play a pivotal role in quality assurance and are responsible for monitoring use of regular student feedback and annual student course evaluations, and for bringing staff comments and issues raised in external examiners reports to the attention of the relevant Programme Monitoring Committee. However, there appears to be no formal requirement to draw the evidence together in a single consolidated document as part of annual monitoring and evaluation. Issues arising from programme monitoring are referred to the Head of Department, who reports on action taken to the Dean. Inter-departmental issues are referred to the Faculty Programme Monitoring Committee. However, there is no requirement for programme monitoring reports to be routinely received by the Faculty Board. It is questionable whether these arrangements provide a secure mechanism to ensure that quality concerns raised at departmental level, for example in relation to the adequacy of resourcing, are addressed.
19. Student opinion is monitored by course evaluation questionnaires and by consultation with student representatives on Programme Monitoring Committees. Annual evaluations suggest that students are generally satisfied with the provision in history. However, the Department may wish to consider including student representatives in Departmental Meetings, as a means of encouraging more direct communication with student concerns.
20. Communication with students on library resource issues could also be enhanced. There is a student representative on the College's Library Policy Advisory Committee. However, student course evaluation questionnaires for history do not include questions about library provision. The Library distributes user evaluation questionnaires, but these are spot checks on an occasional basis, which provide a profile of user satisfaction on particular days, rather than in relation to whole subjects or courses.
    
    

    Student Achievement

21. The average GCE A-Level offer for applicants to Goldsmiths is BCC. Mature and other non-standard entrants are welcomed and currently comprise about 25 per cent of the intake with the gender division being roughly equal.
22. Withdrawal rates from the federal degree were low. This has continued to be the case on the new degrees, and is a tribute to the support provided to students, as well as to the intellectual excitement of the new programmes.
23. Results for the federal degree showed Goldsmiths students achieving lower proportions of First and Upper Second class degrees than the average for the University of London, and a higher than average percentage of Lower Second class degrees. However, results are affected by the relatively high proportion of non-standard entrants, and those with fewer points at GCE A-Level, as compared to the intake of some other London colleges. The BA Historical Studies produced its first cohort of graduates in June 1993. 58 per cent of these achieved an Upper Second class degree or better. The two Firsts achieved were awarded to mature students with modest GCE A-Level results.
    
    

    Conclusions and Recommendations

24. The assessors came to the overall conclusion, based upon the assessment visit and an analysis of the self-assessment together with statistical indicators, that the quality of history at Goldsmiths College, University of London is satisfactory.
25. There are strengths in aspects of the provision, which the assessors find very encouraging. The positive features identified by the assessors include:
    • The integration of historical and religious studies with art history is a potentially exciting development. The curriculum in history includes a wide chronological and geographical range of courses.
    • The student intake includes a significant proportion of mature students, some of whom achieve good degree results. The assessors share the external examiners' satisfaction with the standard of students' written work and degree performance. The Department is making a notable contribution in terms of added value in this respect.
    • There are highly supportive relationships between history staff and students, and departmental arrangements for student welfare are working well.
    • The historians are well qualified and are teaching to a highly satisfactory standard. A significant proportion of the classes observed was excellent. Staff research interests strongly underpin their teaching. Impressive publication records have been maintained in theology and history.
26. Goldsmiths College can build upon these positive qualities by considering the following recommendations:
    • As the Department and College recognise, the curriculum in history could be enhanced by the addition of more courses in the modern period. The Department should consider developing Level Two or Level Three courses involving the application of IT to the analysis of historical data.
    • Some aspects of teaching could be improved. The Department should consider disseminating examples of best practice in the presentation and content of course materials. Consideration should be given to the provision of a study skills course at Level One, which might include basic IT skills, guidance on assessment techniques, and oral presentational skills.
    • Staff development activity related to teaching and learning could be enhanced, for example, in relation to the development of techniques to maximise student participation in seminars.
    • The allocation of rooms for history teaching should be reviewed.
    • The College should investigate student opinion of library resources in history, and student usage of the wider resources available in the University of London, with a view to considering ways in which access to, and usage of, existing resources might be enhanced.
    • The Department should consider including student representatives in departmental meetings, as a means of encouraging more direct communication with student concerns.
    • The effectiveness of current procedures for programme monitoring and evaluation should continue to be kept under review, particularly in view of the resource problems which have confronted the history subject area.

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