Reviewing the Quality of Education
The Aims and Objectives for Politics
Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Student Progression and Achievement
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) was established in 1997. It has responsibility for assessing the quality of higher education (HE) in England and Northern Ireland from 1 October 1997 under the terms of a contract with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The purposes of subject review are: to ensure that the public funding provided is supporting education of an acceptable quality, to provide public information on that education through the publication of reports such as this one, and to provide information and insights to encourage improvements in education. The main features of the subject review method are:
The HE sector in England and Northern Ireland is diverse. The HEFCE funds education in over 140 institutions of HE and 75 further education (FE) colleges. These institutions vary greatly in size, subject provision, history and statement of purpose. Each has autonomy to determine its institutional mission, and its specific aims and objectives at subject level. Subject review is carried out in relation to the subject aims and objectives set by each provider. It measures the extent to which each subject provider is successful in achieving its aims and objectives. Readers should be cautious in making comparisons of subject providers solely on the basis of subject review outcomes. Comparisons between providers with substantively different aims and objectives would have little validity.
Subject review examines the wide range of influences that shape the learning experiences and achievements of students. It covers the full breadth of teaching and learning activities, including: direct observation of classroom/seminar/workshop/ laboratory situations, the methods of reviewing students' work, students' work and achievements, the curriculum, staff and staff development, the application of resources (library, information technology, equipment), and student support and guidance. This range of activities is captured within a core set of six aspects of provision, each of which is graded on a four-point scale (1 to 4), in ascending order of merit. The aspects of provision are:
Reviewers are academic and professional peers in the subject. Most are members of the academic staff of UK HE institutions. Others are drawn from industry, commerce, private practice and the professions.
The review method has two main processes:
In addition to individual review reports, the QAA will publish subject overview reports at the conclusion of reviews in a subject. The subject overview reports are distributed widely to schools and FE colleges, public libraries and careers services. Both the review reports and the subject overview reports are available in hard copy and are also on the world-wide web.
1. This Report presents the findings of a review in February 2001 of the quality of education in politics provided by the University of Central Lancashire.
2. The origins of the University of Central Lancashire can be traced back to 1828. Since then the Institution has grown through various mergers, becoming first a Polytechnic in 1973 and later a University in 1992. Although the University of Central Lancashire's regional partnerships with FE colleges in the region date back to 1984, the relationships began to be formalised from 1992 onwards, with the incorporation of the Lancashire College of Midwives, the Lancashire College of Nursing and the merger with Newton Rigg College (Penrith, Cumbria). The University is principally located on a compact campus near to the centre of Preston, and currently has 15,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, of which 13,000 are full-time and 9,700 part-time.
3. The subject of politics is located in the Department of Education and Social Science, which was formed in March 2000. The single honours degree in politics began in 1992, and politics as a subject on the University-wide combined honours programme has been taught since the 1970s. As a result of the decline in student applications, recruitment to the single honours BA Politics and Government was suspended in 2000-01. The existing cohort of single honours students will complete their degrees in 2001 and 2002 respectively. In 1999-2000 there were 45 full-time students on the single honours degree and 70 combined honours students, taught by 5.4 FTE academic staff, and serviced by three support staff.
4. The following provision forms the basis of the review:
5. The statistical data in this Introduction are provided by the institution itself. The aims and objectives are presented overleaf. These also are provided by the institution.
The aims of the politics provision are to:
A1 offer a broad introduction to the main sub-disciplines of the subject of politics;
A2 provide opportunities for the critical evaluation of political ideas, institutions and processes;
A3 provide an intellectually challenging academic curriculum that is informed by the scholarly activity of members of the teaching staff;
A4 create a supportive environment to assist the academic development of students;
A5 provide access to students from a range of educational backgrounds to develop their academic potential.
At the end of Stage One, students will be able to:
O1 demonstrate a basic knowledge of all three sub-disciplines of politics (government, international relations and political theory) in the case of single honours students, and two or three of these sub-disciplines in the case of combined honours students;
O2 locate, organise and present relevant material on political ideas, institutions and processes;
O3 recognise a range of different political ideologies and have a basic understanding of the working of the British Constitution (and, in the case of single honours students, have an introductory knowledge of international relations).
At the end of Stage Two, students will be able to:
O4 demonstrate a substantial knowledge of at least two of the sub-disciplines of politics (government, international relations and political theory);
O5 demonstrate the capacity to analyse, assess and critically evaluate material relevant to politics;
O6 demonstrate critical evaluation of a range of political concepts, theories and key texts; an understanding of at least one other constitutional system of government outside that of Britain, and an awareness of the key issues facing global politics, in the case of single honours students, and at least two of the above in the case of combined honours students;
O7 conduct a research project involving independent study, the location of appropriate sources and the analysis of relevant material;
O8 demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, locate and use appropriate electronic and print-based materials.
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:
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?
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 review are:
|
Aspects of provision
|
Grade
|
|---|---|
| Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation |
3
|
| Teaching, Learning and Assessment |
3
|
| Student Progression and Achievement |
4
|
| Student Support and Guidance |
4
|
| Learning Resources |
4
|
| Quality Management and Enhancement |
4
|
8. The quality of education in politics at the University of Central Lancashire is approved.
9. In general, politics provision is well matched to the curriculum aims and objectives. It is offered as part of a modular scheme, allowing full or part-time study. The combined honours route enables students to take politics in major, joint or minor combinations. The single honours programme in politics and government, introduced in 1992, was suspended in 2000-01 owing to a decline in student numbers. An increase in demand for the subject area may lead to further recruitment, but staff see the combined honours route as an apposite mechanism for the delivery of politics. It offers students greater flexibility and the opportunity to study modules which complement their other studies.
10. Curriculum design facilitates the aim of providing access to students from a range of educational backgrounds. Access is provided through the University's year-zero full-time programme and a part-time foundation programme. There are also links with two colleges of FE in the region for the provision of Stage One Politics, but these have not recruited for the last two years.
11. The curriculum for politics was revalidated in May 2000. It is designed around what staff consider the three major sub-disciplines of politics: political ideas, government and international relations. It is evident from teaching observation and student work that this is supplemented in classes by broader political studies approaches. The curriculum design is clearly influenced by the research and scholarly activities of staff, and its currency is well reflected in the political ideas and international relations strands. Within these, there are some interesting recent modules dealing with race and feminist political theory. The international relations syllabus has also been updated over the past year to reflect the changing global order.
12. Curriculum design allows students to pursue the three strands in various combinations, depending on choice of route. In both single and combined honours programmes, the curriculum is structured effectively to ensure that students progress from a grounding in the major sub-disciplines, to specialise increasingly in subjects of their choice. There is also the opportunity for students to take two elective modules outside politics. Modules are provided at three levels, corresponding to the three years of study for full-time students. Programme objectives are designed by stage, with Stage One corresponding to Level 1, and Stage Two corresponding to Levels 2 and 3. Nevertheless, there is evidence that module design gives students deepening subject knowledge and understanding through increasing levels of challenge and specialisation at each level, and the delivery shifts increasingly at each level from lecturer-centred to student-centred learning. At Stage Two, students follow their interests through options, but there is no specific opportunity to integrate material from the sub-disciplines. The Level 3 dissertation enables students to engage with specialist academic literature and demonstrate independent critical study.
13. The aquisition of transferable skills is an objective of the programmes. These include oral and written communication, presentation and the ability to locate and use appropriate electronic and print-based materials. However, there is a commitment to extend skills to also include numeracy skills for combined honours students. Single honours students take a methodologies/ information technology (IT) module at Stage One, aimed at developing information, communication and numeracy skills. For combined honours students, and generally for single honours students, transferable skills acquisition is embedded in the curriculum. However, curriculum design does not incorporate explicit development and assessment of these skills in a way that could demonstrate clear progression from Level 1 to Level 3. Staff may wish to consider ways of designing the curriculum to this end. This would better enable them to meet their stated commitment to developing the academic potential of students from a range of educational backgrounds.
14. 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
Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation:
Grade 3.
15. Learning is based mainly on relatively traditional methods of lectures and seminars. At Stage One, lectures are used to introduce new material, followed by seminar discussion. At Stage Two, seminars are used for student oral presentations, some of which are assessed, and small-group discussion, including case study analysis and student activities. All modules have clearly specified learning outcomes.
16. The reviewers observed five lectures and three seminars covering the three levels. The current research and scholarly interests of staff were successfully incorporated into the teaching sessions, which were of a high quality. Lectures were stimulating and delivered by enthusiastic, dedicated staff; were well structured and related to module learning objectives. Good use was made of overhead projectors and video. There was active student engagement in some lectures, but rather more passive learning in others. Students came well prepared for discussion to seminars, which developed points made in the lectures. Seminar methods included formal and informal presentations by students, tutor-led discussions, and small-group work, although staff could introduce a wider range of student-based activity with advantage.
17. Overall, teaching and learning activities fulfil the objectives of progressively raising the level of knowledge, analysis and independent learning skills. However, it would be advantageous to be more explicit about the ways in which teaching and learning activities progressively enable joint honours students, in particular, to acquire and demonstrate independent learning skills. The present structure of courses, in which modules taken at Levels 2 and 3 are determined by guided student choice, makes it difficult to assure progression for this group, some of whom may choose to write a dissertation in their other subject area.
18. Assessment criteria are defined by level and provide an excellent basis for assessment. Student handbooks set out the criteria required to achieve the different levels of grading. All assessment is based on a 5,000 word unit, which may take the form of open and closed examination questions (usually 1,000 words for each question), coursework and oral presentations. Students confirmed that assessment requirements were clear and comprehensible, and the workload was manageable. However, the rationale for the different combinations of assessment requirements in relation to a module's learning objectives was not always clear to the reviewers.
19. Feedback is provided for students on their coursework, oral presentations and first-year diagnostic essays. All written assignments at all stages are handed back in person to students, who appreciated this practice. Assessment forms are used for written feedback. Nevertheless, the quality of the written feedback is variable: on occasions comments were insufficiently diagnostic or analytical in helping students to understand how to improve their work.
20. Examinations are marked anonymously, and second-marking is normally exercised with respect to all First and Fail marks, as well as a sample of other work at Stage Two. Grading of work was fair, consistent and equitable in all the sampled work. External examiner reports confirm this view.
21. 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.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment:
Grade 3.
22. There has been a decline in student applications over the past three years, in line with the national trend for politics. This decline has led to the suspension of the single honours degree pathway in 2000-01. The subject team has addressed the problem of falling numbers by strengthening its recruitment campaigns for both its direct entry and access routes. It is too early to say whether this will prove effective, notwithstanding better recruitment on combined honours in the current year.
23. The intake to combined honours has risen from 28 students in 1999-2000 to 50 in 2000-01. In line with course aims, students are recruited from a wide range of educational backgrounds. Of the combined studies intake of 50 students, 44 per cent have GCE A-Levels with an average score of 14.9 points. A further 44 per cent are recruited through Access courses. Approximately 55 per cent of the current intake are male. The percentage of mature students has risen in the last intake and the proportion aged 21 or over now stands at 56 per cent. Over the three-year period 1997 to 2000, 63 per cent of students entered single and combined honours with GCE A-Levels. For those without GCE A-Levels, Access routes, the University's Foundation Studies course and the Lancashire Integrated Colleges Scheme, were the main points of entry.
24. Over the three-year period under review, 34 per cent of single honours students were awarded First or Upper Second class degrees. At the same time, of the 97 combined honours degrees awarded during these years, 37 per cent were awarded First or Upper Second class degrees.
25. Student progression rates for single and combined honours, taking the 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 cohorts as a whole, demonstrate that 74 per cent of entrants passed at Stage One and proceeded to Stage Two of their degree courses. There were 12 per cent who transferred into the subject at Stage Two, and 33 per cent transferred out; some 11 per cent withdrew, mainly for personal reasons. The number of transfers out should be put in the context of the combined honours programme, in which students drop one of their subjects after the first year, suggesting that combined honours politics is seen as a third subject for some first-year students. The percentage of entrants from these cohorts completing degree programmes in politics was 76 per cent.
26. First-destination data show excellent results. Of students graduating in 1998-99 and responding to requests for employment information (about 84 per cent of the cohort), only 4 per cent were still seeking employment, 56 per cent were employed and 20 per cent were engaged in further study. The remaining 20 per cent were not available for work or had gone overseas. Comparable figures exist for 1997-98.
27. External examiner reports confirm that the quality of student work is comparable with that found elsewhere in the sector. The reviewers inspected a wide range of student work and concluded that the overall quality of the work meets the course objectives and is sometimes of a very high quality indeed. Examination questions were well devised to test students' understanding of key debates in the subject area. Most of the essays and dissertations were tightly constructed, and many demonstrated an impressive capacity for critical analysis and independent thought. Much of the work demonstrated wide reading, fluent written style and high levels of academic presentation. The modest entry profile of students in conjunction with the high proportion of good honours degree classifications indicates significant levels of added-value in the degree programmes.
28. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Student Progression and Achievement:
Grade 4.
29. Student support and guidance is well matched to meeting the needs of students from varied educational backgrounds. There is effective academic and pastoral support in the form of academic advisers, and course and year tutors. There is also a tutor responsible for the oversight of dissertations. Students are required to meet their academic advisers at regular intervals, and receive helpful guidance on study skills, progress and module choices. Students confirmed the high level of commitment of the academic staff to their welfare and support. There are excellent guides to the various aspects of university life, and other effective forms of communication used are the departmental notice board and emails. An administrative office dedicated to students' needs provides help on a daily basis and is open for long hours. Students commented on the friendliness and helpfulness of the administrative staff.
30. Admission of students is handled by a central admissions unit working in close liaison with subject staff. Following the decline in student applications, politics staff have developed a pro-active marketing strategy, including compiling a database of schools and colleges teaching GCE A-Level Politics, followed by visits and mail shots to these institutions. Prospective students have been invited to open days and events at the University. Current enrolment figures demonstrate the success of this strategy.
31. There is a comprehensive induction programme for new students with events that familiarise them with departmental and university facilities. High-quality handbooks introduce students to the politics programmes, giving clear outlines for each module, teaching schedules, assessment requirements and indicative book lists. All first-year students are given helpful study-skills guides and a key-skills checklist to provide a basis for preliminary meetings between students and their academic advisers. They are required to write a diagnostic essay early in the first semester and are appropriately advised on any further action they should take to improve study skills.
32. The University's student services department, located in an attractive building, provides an excellent integrated service for counselling, careers and the support of students with special needs. A medical centre and a crèche for the children of staff and students are located nearby. Student services work in close and successful liaison with the politics staff and, for example, provide vocationally-linked advice for politics students. There are particularly well-developed services for deaf and partially-sighted students. Deaf students are allocated someone to communicate the lecture through sign language. This caring approach should enable the politics group to increase recruitment of such students.
33. The ERASMUS and SOCRATES schemes operate in the University, but in recent years student participation in them has declined. However, other short visits to foreign universities have been organised by the politics staff.
34. Current and former students confirm that the subject area has an excellent reputation for friendly, supportive and approachable staff, who have a strong commitment to student welfare.
35. 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.
36. The Department of Education and Social Science, in which politics is located, is housed in the Livesey Building. This has light, airy, warm and well-appointed classrooms, staff rooms and social accommodation, all of which provide a good-quality learning environment. It also offers a focus for politics students and staff.
37. In pursuing their programmes of study, students are supported by the library and learning resources services. The library has an effective induction programme for students and is open daily for long periods. The library houses a substantial book collection, with an estimated 10,500 politics volumes, relevant journals, access to mainland European newspapers, and 200 computer stations. The core of this provision is housed in a spacious building, which offers a pleasant working environment. The top floor has been converted to form the hub of an IT network where students can use email, access the internet, use word-processing packages and many other software programmes. Alternative access points are situated around the University. The Livesey Building contains one such point with 19 stations. The University has recently installed a Windows NT system, with students and staff using a single network. The IT training from central and subject staff is effectively geared to student learning needs.
38. There is an excellent specialised learning resources unit on the ground floor of the building that provides Braille and audiotape transcription services, and generally offers appropriate assistance to users with disabilities. The University is to be commended on the comprehensive provision offered to students with special needs by the combined support from the Department, student services and the library and learning resources services.
39. The book and journal collection is dating, and in part reflects module provision which the politics programmes no longer offer. However, there is effective and efficient liaison between politics and library staff, who make up for any short fall of books by the use of alternative sources of material, and through interlibrary loans which are free for students. Shortage of journals is supplemented through the use of electronic sources. Students are also able to use the library computer network to access the internet for academic journals, databases and information. The provision meets fully the needs of the current student numbers and politics curriculum. However, the University might wish to consider reviewing its politics stock, and delete or purchase stock as appropriate for the developing range of modules in this subject.
40. The one area that may give concern in the future is the size of the academic staff group. Staff changes have brought the group near to its critical mass as regards its ability to meet the variety of activity which comprises HE in political studies. In order to ensure that students receive support at the appropriate academic level, the University has recruited staff from other areas into politics provision. This team of staff works well together and provides stimulating and dedicated teaching. The reviewers were convinced that the current staffing provides a good-quality student learning experience. Nevertheless, the University needs to monitor staffing levels to ensure that quality is maintained.
41. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Learning Resources:
Grade 4.
42. The subject is integrated into a clearly defined system of quality management, which involves processes of annual monitoring, periodic review and validation at university, faculty and departmental level. The subject team plays a pro-active role in these procedures for monitoring and enhancing the provision, although formal systems of monitoring were slow to react in one instance to problems concerning external examiner written reports.
43. At subject level, changes are introduced in response to feedback from students, external examiners, and critical evaluation by course and subject leaders and their teaching teams. The decision to suspend the single honours degree programme was a significant outcome of extensive consultation and staff evaluation of the consequences of falling student numbers and reduction in staffing. The reviewers confirm that the decision has enabled staff to provide good quality delivery of the revalidated combined honours programme, and Stage Two of the single honours programme.
44. Effective mechanisms exist for the representation of students and gathering of student opinion. Students are formally represented on a staff-student liaison committee which meets regularly. Student opinion is formally consulted in various ways, including module evaluation questionnaires and student satisfaction surveys. In response to review, actions are formulated and are undertaken at local level. For example, additional training sessions were held, at the request of students, following the change to the Windows NT system.
45. Effective systems of annual appraisal are in place, and peer observation of teaching has recently been formalised to take place twice annually. The team has devised a set form to guide the reviewer. The emphasis is on the sharing of good practice and constructive criticism where appropriate. Good provision is made for staff development which is appropriately defined to include research-related activities, as well as those directly concerned with teaching, learning and student support and guidance. The Department places particular emphasis on ensuring that teaching is informed by current research or scholarship, and this is supported by appropriate arrangements for study leave.
46. The system provides good opportunities for the dissemination of best practice, and there is evidence that these opportunities are taken. A strength of the provision is the existence of a departmental teaching, learning and assessment group which oversees the peer review of teaching, and generally encourages the sharing of good practice across the different subject groups.
47. There is a university-wide system of induction and probation for new staff, which includes a mentoring system and compulsory training for those new to teaching. Part-time staff are also required to undergo teacher training, and participate in the systems of annual appraisal and peer review.
48. The self-assessment document gives a clear account of overall aims and objectives, but was descriptive rather than evaluative of the provision.
49. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims of the subject provider are met.
Quality Management and Enhancement:
Grade 4.
50. The quality of education in politics at the University of Central Lancashire is approved. All aspects make at least a substantial contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives and the aims are at least substantially met. The reviewers come to this conclusion, based upon the review visit together with an analysis of the self-assessment and additional data provided.
51. The positive features of the education in politics in relation to the aspects of provision include the following:
a. Generally, the curriculum is well matched to the aims and objectives for politics and allows a progressive acquisition of subject knowledge (paragraphs 9; 12).
b. Curriculum design is clearly informed by the scholarly activities of staff and some modules effectively utilise staff research (paragraph 11).
c. A collaborative team of enthusiastic and dedicated staff provide stimulating teaching which is informed by their own research and scholarly activity (paragraph 16).
d. School-leaver and mature students are recruited from a wide range of educational backgrounds (paragraph 23).
e. The high proportion of good honours classifications in the context of the modest entry profile of students indicates significant levels of added-value in the degree programmes (paragraph 27).
f. The subject area has an excellent reputation for its friendly, supportive and approachable staff who provide students with effective advice on progress and choice of degree pathways (paragraph 29).
g. There are excellent integrated facilities for student counselling, careers advice and for the support of students with special needs, particularly deaf and partially-sighted students. There is a crèche for the children of staff and students (paragraph 32).
h. The Department is housed in a single building, with light, airy and well-appointed classroom, staff room and social accommodation, ensuring a good-quality learning environment (paragraph 36).
i. The University is to be commended for the comprehensive provision offered to students with special needs by the combined support from the Department, student services and the library and learning resources services (paragraph 38).
j. The systems for staff appraisal and also the effectiveness of student input to the quality process are commendable (paragraphs 44; 45).
k. The commitment to compulsory teacher training of new staff and twice-yearly peer observation of teaching is a strength (paragraph 47).
52. The quality of education in politics could be improved by addressing the following issues:
a. The staff need to consider ways of designing the curriculum to include explicit teaching and assessment of the progressive development of transferable skills (paragraph 13).
b. The staff need to consider ways of consistently relating assessment to learning objectives, and to supplementing oral feedback by more systematic and detailed written feedback (paragraphs 18; 19)