Academic review of UK higher education
Introduction
A Subject provision and overall aims
B Academic standards Intended learning outcomes
Intended learning outcomes
Curricula
Assessment
Student achievementC Quality of learning opportunities
Teaching and learning
Student progression
Learning resourcesD Maintenance and enhancement of quality and standards
Summary of the main review outcomes
Subject provision and the overall aims
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (the QAA) helps to provide public assurance that the quality and standards of higher education are being safeguarded and enhanced by conducting academic reviews of higher education provision.
In developing its method for academic review, the QAA has published a wide range of materials designed to provide a background against which the reviews can take place. These are:
The QAA carries out reviews of individual subjects through service level agreements with the main higher education funding bodies. It also carries out institutional reviews of higher education institutions. The judgements made by the subject reviewers can contribute substantially to institutional review.
Subject review is a peer review process. It starts when institutions evaluate their provision in a subject in a self-evaluation document. This document is submitted to the QAA for use by a team of reviewers who gather evidence to enable them to report their judgements on the academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities. Review activities include meeting staff and students, scrutinising students' assessed work, reading relevant documents, and examining learning resources. Full details of the process of subject review can be found in the Handbook for academic review, QAA, 2000.
The range of judgements that reviewers may utilise when they have completed a subject review are summarised below.
To reach this judgement, reviewers look at:
Reviewers make one of the following judgements for each of three aspects of
learning opportunities:
The three aspects of quality of learning opportunities are:
Reviewers also report the degree of confidence they have in the institution's ability to maintain and enhance quality and standards in the subject under review.
1. This report presents the findings of a review of the academic standards achieved, and the quality of the learning opportunities provided, in English programmes at London South Bank University. The review was completed in the academic year 2002-03.
2. The programmes covered in this review are as follows:
3. The Division of English is one of five divisions in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, which was established in 1998. In 2003, the Division has four full-time and one part-time (0.6) members of staff. A number of well-qualified hourly-paid (part-time) lecturers also teach on these programmes. There are 76 full-time equivalent students on the programmes.
4. In accordance with the distinctive mission of the University and the aims of the Faculty, the Division of English strives to provide high-quality education and research for the local, national and international communities. The English programme aims to allow students to develop a level of linguistic and critical awareness that will provide them with sound careers in areas such as teaching, the media, administration, general research and publishing. The specific aims of the English programmes are to:
Additionally, the MA programme aims to:
5. The programmes have been designed with reference to the Subject benchmark statement for English and the level descriptors of the The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Programme outcomes are clearly stated in the programme handbooks. The provision is congruent with the Subject benchmark statement, and the opportunities for study of post-1800 literature are refreshingly multicultural and international. Pre-1800 literature in English is studied in a wide range of year one units and is featured in a number of units in years two and three. Following an internal review in 2001, all unit outcomes have been rewritten in the light of the Subject benchmark statement's threshold level descriptor, and external examiners report a good fit between learning outcomes and assessment. Induction sessions are used to introduce students to the programme outcomes; current and former students commented that they felt that these have been effective.
6. Assessment tasks are designed to test unit outcomes. While the recently written programme specifications detail the relationship between unit outcomes and programme outcomes, this relationship could be made clearer for the benefit of students.
7. The self-evaluation document (SED) claims that progression through the curriculum is evaluated through the process of validation and revalidation. It is clear that the 2001 internal review was effective in providing the Division with helpful feedback on the congruence of its provision with the Subject benchmark statement for English. The curriculum is progressive in terms of the complexity of material studied and the challenge of unit outcomes. Levels 2 and 3 are differentiated by the increased requirements for independent study at level 3 and the related reduction in formal class contact time. All English single honours students and those majoring in English in combined honours must complete a double-weighted dissertation unit.
8. The programmes require options if they are to meet the range of learning outcomes and, faced by falling student numbers, the programme team has revised unit content and provision. The programmes contain a designated number of compulsory core and option units to ensure attainment of programme outcomes. Recent academic staff losses, coupled with the falling student numbers, have had an impact on the breadth of the curriculum. While hourly-paid academic staff ensured that the Division was able to run all but four of its level 2 units, seven of those advertised as available in the 2002-03 BA (Hons) English course guide did not run.
9. Subject and transferable skills are largely taught within subject units, and the programme specifications detail the ways in which these skills are acquired and developed during the programme. The design of the curriculum encourages achievement of the intended learning outcomes in terms of subject knowledge and skills, transferable skills and cognitive skills. From evidence supplied on graduates' destinations and through meetings with former students, it is clear that the programmes provide participants with personal development and a basis for progression to employment and further study.
10. The current staff are able to draw on their research in their teaching, and this clearly ensures that aspects of the provision are informed by the most recent developments. For example, in the subject units on Australasian Writing, City as Landscape, Detective Fiction and Caribbean Writing, well-developed staff expertise is especially evident. In a range of units, students are offered learning opportunities based on approaches that are at the forefront of the defined aspect of the discipline. The Division, in line with the Faculty's learning and teaching strategy, is beginning to use electronic resources such as Blackboard in the units Hypertext, Contemporary Scene and Verbal to Visual Narratives.
11. The programme for the MA in Reading Postmodernity was designed from a secure base of staff research expertise. Owing to recent staff changes, the Division has sensibly decided to suspend recruitment for 2003-04 and will bring forward a revised programme in due course.
12. Assessment is generally appropriate in measuring the intended outcomes, and is conducted fairly and reliably. The criteria for assessment are clearly set out in the guides provided for each individual unit, although the relationship of formative to summative assessment is not so clear in these documents. Although assessment is largely through essay-writing, there are also some innovative approaches. These include internet site construction, production of style-sheets and journal articles, and the writing of poems, although students did not appear persuaded of the merits of this last approach. Current and former students were generally impressed with the marking and particularly with the feedback they received, which was described as 'brilliant'. The feedback sampled by the reviewers varied in quality and quantity, but was generally good and some was excellent.
13. The assessment workload weighting has been carefully standardised across units. Appropriate arrangements have been made for external examiners to be able to assess oral presentations, with all handouts and reports available from archives. There is also good support for the final-year project, where supervisory meetings are carefully logged, with a clear record of targets set for future meetings between supervisors and students. In general, assessment is carefully considered by the University, and two research fellows in assessment have recently been appointed. It was disturbing that one recent external examiner was not satisfied that the standards of marking were accurate and reliable. However, this isolated incident was dealt with effectively, and measures have been taken within the University to adequately prepare staff for any recurrence of such an event.
14. The high reliance on assessment by essay rather than by examination might have led to increased problems of plagiarism. However, there is no evidence that there is an unusually high rate of plagiarism and where cases have occurred these have been dealt with effectively. The University has invested in the Joint Information Systems Committee-based plagiarism detector system, and students are sensitised to appropriate protocols for use of the internet in the first-year unit, Introduction to Study Skills. Former students were also confident that assessment primarily by essay rather than by examination led to deep learning.
15. A student can be awarded an honours degree with one and possibly two unit failures, providing that the performance in the failed unit(s) meets the criteria laid down in a protocol approved by the relevant examination board. However, students are always required to pass the honours project. The examination board normally considers borderline students whose final mark is 1 per cent below a classification borderline and may exceptionally consider a student whose final mark is 2 per cent below a classification borderline for promotion to the higher classification, provided that the profile of marks meets criteria laid down in approved protocol. A student's final-year performance involves generating a weighted average mark, contributing 80 per cent from the six highest level 3 marks. The remaining level 3 units and the eight best level 2 marks are used to generate a weighted average mark that constitutes the remaining 20 per cent. The assessment regulations have in the past been somewhat harsher than those found elsewhere in similar institutions. The introduction of this revised method of calculation in 2002-03 anticipates that it will have some effect on the profile of future degree classifications.
16. The reviewers scrutinised a wide range of students' work from across all the programmes, including examination scripts, coursework assignments and project work. The work generally contained an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding, and the better students' work demonstrated a good understanding of theories. In general, the successful students fully achieve the learning outcomes. Students make good use of the University's location, including external resources in London. This helps them to engage intellectually, which is essential to successful study. Student work generally demonstrates the full range of achievement in respect of common and specialist skills. The external examiners and the reviewers confirm that standards are comparable to those achieved elsewhere in the sector. However, the reviewers note that a number of second and third-year students are making basic errors in referencing and essay writing.
17. The degree classifications awarded to students in 2000, 2001 and 2002 show the majority of students in both the single and combined honours English programmes performing modestly. Approximately 55 per cent of students achieve an honours degree after three years full-time study. In part, this figure reflects the characteristics of the students studying on these programmes. This percentage increases because many students complete their programmes in more than three years, so that the eventual expected completion rate for the 1999 entry (single honours) rises to 74 per cent. Also, a small number of students not completing at degree-level achieve a Certificate in Higher Education after one year, or a Diploma in Higher Education after two years of full-time study.
18. On both the single and combined honours, the majority of degrees awarded are Lower Second class or below. Students on the single honours programme, however, have a slightly better chance of obtaining a First or Upper Second class degree than students taking combined honours. This is more in line with expectations elsewhere in other institutions. The relationship between entry and exit qualifications follows no discernible pattern or trend, and it is therefore difficult to make consistent judgements about added-value. Nor is it clear why about 25 per cent of students withdraw or fail the programme each year, although this is partially a reflection of the student profile. The data indicate that fewer mature students are now entering the programmes since the introduction of tuition fees, with the fear of incurring debt.
19. Students' work on the MA programme is of an equally good standard, but completions have been small from a small cohort of students. There is an appropriate emphasis in the students' work on both theoretical and contextual analysis. The external examiner has made comments about the quality and level of the students' work as being very good. This judgement is confirmed by the reviewers.
20. With respect to academic standards, the reviewers conclude that:
Overall, the reviewers have confidence in the academic standards achieved by the programmes in English at London South Bank University.
21. A variety of teaching and learning methods is used, including lectures, seminars, virtual-learning environments, research-based tasks and project work. The relationship between division-level teaching and learning strategies and the Faculty's written strategy for learning and teaching is articulated in validation documents. However, staff are able to express the rationale for their approaches to teaching. Teaching and assessment place an appropriate emphasis on reading, speaking, writing and critical thinking. A year-one study-skills unit provides a grounding in key aspects of academic literacy - current and former students spoke highly of its contribution to their development as learners. Staff research and scholarly activity inform the teaching on a range of units. Handouts and other unit materials ensure that students are able to benefit from staff expertise.
22. All units are supported by unit guides, which include aims and outcomes along with detailed weekly schedules, guidance on further reading and assignments. The guides are clear and carefully detail the unit requirements. When innovative forms of assessment are used, supplementary information is provided to detail the assessment criteria for the task.
23. The quality of teaching is evidenced by the high level of satisfaction expressed in student feedback in unit evaluations, and also in the discussions between the reviewers and current and former students. A good variety of teaching methods is used, and students participate effectively in this process. Students' comments were very positive about teaching delivery, in terms of the clarity, knowledge and enthusiasm shown by lecturers. They also commented favourably on the accessibility of the lecturing staff, and identified good support through formal and informal tutorials. Students were positive about the workloads required of them, and felt that the balance of work is appropriate. External examiners' reports make positive comments about the quality of learning and teaching evidenced by samples of coursework. The reviewers confirm that the subject knowledge identified in the Subject benchmark statement is being delivered effectively, with the teaching of skills successfully integrated within units.
24. Staff development is drawn upon to update programme content, and staff benefit from a regular and effective peer review process. While the actual details of this remain confidential, the Division uses staff meetings and staff development away days to share good practice and discuss areas for improvement.
25. The provision contributes substantially to the achievement of the intended outcomes, with most elements demonstrating good practice.
The quality of teaching and learning is commendable.
26. The Division is successful in fulfilling the University's mission statement to give breadth of opportunity and provide a supportive environment for students from a wide range of backgrounds. Entry requirements for students for the single and combined honours English and for postgraduate study are clearly stated in the relevant prospectuses. Entry to the undergraduate programmes is normally with two C grades at GCE A-Level. Non-traditional entry students, who may have few formal qualifications, are able to attend open evenings and taster sessions. The integrity of the recruitment procedures is maintained by subsequent interview, and by the setting of special written tests.
27. At induction, students are guided to identify the various tutoring roles fulfilled by staff members. All students are assigned a personal tutor and a year tutor. The former has special responsibilities for pastoral care and liaison with other agencies, which provide counselling and support at the University. The latter provides academic support and advice, for example about assessment regulations, during each stage of the programme. The year tutor holds year meetings each semester to help to inform the course monitoring and quality assurance process. A course director is responsible for day-to-day management of the single-honours programme and for ensuring that it operates in accordance with university guidelines. A field coordinator has similar responsibilities for combined honours students. The roles and functions of personal tutor, year tutor, course director and field coordinator are clearly designated and advertised in the English Studies field guide and in the BA (Hons) English course guide. These guides also provide lucid, user-friendly information on the programmes and their delivery, study requirements, student responsibilities and university regulations. A well-stocked learning and development centre also offers a wide range of services, including general learning support, disability support, dyslexia support and careers advice.
28. Students confirmed the value of the induction procedures. They were enthusiastic about their teachers, impressed by their record as researchers, and praised lecturers' punctuality for classes, the excellent quality and promptness of written and oral feedback, and staff's ready availability for consultation. Students were clear about the incremental nature of their degree and about what constituted higher-level skills and requirements. They revealed concern that the November date for submission of their first assignment might be too late, and that the range of advertised units is not always available. Combined-honours students appeared to feel isolated from the decision-making processes. There is also a sense that the students are not served as well by the University's administration as they are by the departmental administration.
29. The provision contributes substantially to the achievement of the intended outcomes, with most elements demonstrating good practice.
The quality of student progression is commendable.
30. Students greatly value the staff, describing them as enthusiastic and knowledgeable. It is an unusual and impressive feature of the provision that students explicitly stated that they think the staff are good at research, and that they value that. However, the dramatic recent reduction in staff has left the surviving academic staff concentrated in the modern period, with no subject specialist for the pre-1800 period or indeed the nineteenth century. The teaching in these periods is not underpinned by research, except in so far as suitably qualified hourly-paid lecturers can be appointed. During the past academic year, 50 per cent of teaching has been delivered by hourly-paid lecturers, which significantly exceeds the University's policy of 20 per cent. There is evidence that this led to some problems affecting the student experience, particularly with regard to hourly-paid lecturers making late changes to reading lists, which inconvenienced students. The delivery of such a high proportion of the teaching in 2002-03 by hourly-paid lecturers was unprecedented. The reviewers are encouraged by the prospect of a new professorial post for English to be appointed in the near future; this will reduce the heavy reliance on hourly-paid lecturers.
31. Academic staff and students agreed that the subject librarian in the Perry Library is very helpful, but students also felt that the library is in need of further investment in English resources. There are a reasonable number of books to support the early-modern period, although the reading list for Tragedy specifically notes that one key recommended text is not in the library. Other areas of provision, most notably modern and particularly American literature, are not well supported, and the number of journals taken is extremely small. The exceptionally high degree of staff turnover has also led to few of the originally validated units surviving and a shift occurring in the curriculum, with the consequent knock-on effect that library provision is no longer always concentrated in areas that are currently taught. However, there are many excellent libraries in London that students actively use. Students are also allocated an unlimited number of interlibrary loans, although they have to pay a small charge for each. Some former students clearly made considerable use of this facility. Students also have borrowing rights at the libraries of all new universities within the M25 conurbation.
32. The library web site, LISA, which all students are expected to use, is well organised and provides access to a number of other full text journals and bibliographical databases. It is available through the well-stocked learning resources centre, and the greater part of what it offers can also be accessed by students off-campus. This is an important consideration, given the nature of the student intake. There is growing use of Blackboard, and two of the academic staff have taken staff-development courses to be trained to use it. Students sharply criticised the facilities for showing films, an important element in the Verbal to Visual unit.
33. The provision enables the intended outcomes to be achieved, but improvement is needed to overcome weaknesses.
The quality of learning resources is approved, but
34. In general, the provision is well managed and procedures are in place for ensuring its enhancement. The University has a quality handbook and procedures are explicit. Best practice in teaching and learning is regularly discussed in meetings and at staff development days; peer observation of teaching takes place and is effective. Good practice is also noted in the cluster monitoring reports, which log the tracking of unit quality by the Faculty Academic Standards Committee and are presented to student representatives at course meetings so that they can close the feedback loop by reporting back to their year groups in year meetings. It is clear from successive years' action plans that issues raised at the Course Board are duly addressed. The reviewers' meetings with current and former students also provided clear evidence of students' complaints which have been satisfactorily addressed. The course guides contain clear instructions on unit evaluation and on the work of the Course Board, which non-voting observers may attend. The guides also assure students that their views are welcome. It is good practice that unit evaluations are completed by tutors as well as by students, although the degree of detail is variable. Except for one isolated case, it is clear that external examiners' comments are acknowledged and addressed. The reviewers have confidence in the Department's ability to maintain and enhance the quality of its provision and the standards of its awards.
35. The SED could demonstrate more analysis and evaluation. It does not do justice to the provision.
36. Staff development courses receive positive mention in the SED, and all except one recently-appointed member of staff have attended several events. Some funding is available for conferences, and although the sabbatical system was suspended during the previous year, it is to be reinstated. Matching funding is available for bids to the Arts and Humanities Research Board research-leave scheme.
English programmes at London South Bank University were reviewed in the academic year 2002-03. Judgements were made about the academic standards achieved and the quality of the learning opportunities provided.
The review covered the following programmes:
Overall, the reviewers have confidence in the academic standards achieved by the programmes in English at London South Bank University.
Strengths include:
Issues include:
The quality of teaching and learning is commendable:
The quality of student progression is commendable:
The quality of learning resources is approved, but:
In general, the provision is well managed and procedures are in place for ensuring its enhancement. The University has a quality handbook and procedures are explicit. Best practice in teaching and learning is regularly discussed in meetings and at staff development days; peer observation of teaching takes place and is effective. Good practice is also noted in the cluster monitoring reports, which log the tracking of unit quality by the Faculty Academic Standards Committee and are presented to student representatives at course meetings so that they can close the feedback loop by reporting back to their year groups in year meetings. The reviewers have confidence in the Department's ability to maintain and enhance the quality of its provision and the standards of its awards.