1. This Report presents the findings of a reassessment in April 1998 of the quality of education in theatre studies and film and television studies provided by Bolton Institute of Higher Education.
2. Bolton Institute was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of Bolton Institute of Technology (Bolton College of Art was incorporated in 1994) and Bolton College of Education (Technical). The Institute is situated on two major sites and in one annex close to the centre of the town. There are three faculties: Arts, Science and Education; Business; and Technology. In 1997-98, there are some 8,548 full and part-time students (7,396 full-time equivalents (FTEs)). Of these, 3,210 are in the Faculty of Arts, Science and Education, the faculty responsible for the provision of theatre studies and film and television studies. These subjects are delivered within the humanities scheme, which is part of an institute-wide modular degree framework.
3. Students in theatre studies can take their modules as a major, joint or minor pathway, and those in film and television studies as a minor pathway, or as a joint pathway if they entered before 1997. There are 21 students following the major pathway in theatre studies, 53 on the joint pathway and 10 on the minor pathway. The figures for film and television studies are 43 on the joint pathway and four on the minor pathway. These figures equate to 42.52 FTE students in theatre studies and 22.22 FTE students in film and television studies. There are 6.25 FTE theatre studies and film and television studies staff. In addition, other humanities staff and a number of part-time and visiting lecturers contribute to the courses and increase the total staffing to 6.5 FTEs, giving a student-staff ratio of 10.4:1.
4. The following provision forms the basis of the reassessment:
* BA/BSc Honours Modular Degree: the pathways in
- Theatre Studies
- Film and Television Studies.
5. The statistical data in this Introduction are provided by the institution itself. The aims and the objectives are presented overleaf. These also are provided by the institution.
* provide stimulating and intellectually challenging programmes of study, underpinned by staff research and/or professional practice, that encourage students to reflect critically on their understanding of theatre, film and related media;
* provide, within a modular framework, an academic experience of high quality that facilitates the educational development of all students and that, while providing space for individual choice, ensures overall programme coherence and progression;
* support the Institute's mission in widening access to higher education, particularly for mature entry students and others who can demonstrate they are able to benefit from it, subject to the strategic control of numbers and the maintenance of quality;
* provide a supportive environment for study and to engender an enthusiasm for lifelong learning;
* produce graduates with the intellectual aptitude, transferable skills and self-sufficiency to take up a wide range of employment opportunities or to go on to post-graduate study.
Pathway specific aims:
In Theatre Studies, to deliver a programme that:
* fosters a critical and creative awareness of drama and theatre arts by means of collaborative working practices and independent study;
* enables students to demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between dramatic form and meaning, of theatre as a live performance event, and of the ways in which modern theatre theories and practices articulate and illuminate the nature of theatre.
In Film and Television Studies, to deliver a programme that:
* focuses on key theoretical and critical issues in the study of filmic (and, where appropriate, televisual) texts;
* enables students to demonstrate their understanding of the specificity and significance of film language and style, of major developments in the field of film studies as a critical practice and of the ways in which film theory and criticism illuminate aspects of film culture.
Objectives
By the end of their programmes students will be able to:
* undertake close, critical readings of a variety of texts appropriate to the curriculum;
* communicate effectively their learning in the variety of forms appropriate to their pathway;
* demonstrate a high level of attainment in general skills, including research, problem-solving, oral and written communication and IT;
* take increasing responsibility for their own learning, especially in relation to time-management and organisation of their programme of studies and of the research and presentation of essays, projects and dissertations.
Theatre Studies students will also be able to:
* explore and realise play texts in workshop and production environments;
* apply theoretical knowledge to the practice of playmaking and make independent critical evaluations of the experience of performance.
Film and Television Studies students will also be able to:
* give accurate textual readings of film and related audio-visual material;
* demonstrate a clear sense of the major critical debates in the field of film studies;
* apply suitable theoretical and critical approaches to the exploration of aspects of film culture and draw soundly-based conclusions from it.
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 communication and media studies, and drama, dance and cinematics at Bolton Institute of Higher Education is approved.
10. Provision matches the current student profile and enables students with traditional or non-traditional entry qualifications to approach academic study at a pace suited to their needs and commitments. A compulsory, but non-assessed, communication skills course in the first semester of Level 1 ensures that new students acquire essential information technology (IT), assignment and seminar skills.
11. There is a clear recognition of the need to ensure that those students new to study will be suitably prepared to work alongside those who have completed GCE A-Level theatre studies and media studies courses. This is reflected in programmes which enable students to work individually and collectively, and where the emphasis on personal discovery allows all perspectives and views to be valued.
12. Within theatre studies, there is an impressive breadth and depth of study which enables students to gain a further understanding of drama and theatre through stimulating and challenging practical tasks. The film and television studies curriculum is narrower in scope, but the content of each module is challenging in depth and detail and is firmly based on the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and critical skills. Course coherence is ensured by prerequisites which reinforce the understanding and insight acquired earlier in the programmes. The optional modules, though free-standing and distinctive, can be seen to develop naturally from the core. This gives those students who are following a majority of theatre or film and television studies modules an additional sense of historical and generic influence and development.
13. The degree programme offers considerable flexibility, and the addition of co-credited modules (particularly across the two pathways, but also from related subject areas such as literature) provides an increased and valuable academic opportunity.
14. The specialisms and research interests of academic staff directly inform curricular planning and delivery; the assessors note particularly that the high-quality, original and creative work of members of staff in the fields of playwriting, directing and theatre-in-education contributes significantly to specific areas of the curriculum. The appointment of additional teaching staff to both pathways has enriched the quality of the students' learning experience considerably.
15. The pathways are identified as non-vocational. Nonetheless, former students talked positively about the ways in which the programmes prepared them both for employment and for further study. Those now running successful theatre or film-related companies of their own, and who offer work placement or case-study opportunities to current students, confirmed the importance of the relationship between the Faculty and employers in related fields. The assessors are reassured to learn that the pathway staff see these relationships as an area for further development.
16. This aspect makes a full contribution to the attainment of the stated objectives. The aims set by the subject provider are met.
Curriculum Design, Content and Organisation:
Grade 4.
18. In a small number of sessions, tutors provided limited opportunity for students to contribute to the seminar discussions. In some groups, there was some mismatch in the management of students' varying abilities, backgrounds and experiences. Poorer sessions provided few opportunities for students to extend their expertise within the specialist fields.
19. In most sessions, students were provided with a range of material to support their self-directed learning. In a few cases, the provision of extensive learning materials, particularly at Level 3, may mitigate against the objective of developing independent learning skills, although students are encouraged to extend their reading beyond this core. Evidence of more extended reading was seen in the contributions made in seminars.
20. Students commented positively on the level of learning support they receive from the pathway staff. Teaching booklets outline clear learning outcomes which, in the main, were very closely adhered to. The booklets provide well-focused material relating to particular topics. Teaching on the theatre studies pathway is beginning to reap the benefit of contacts recently established with appropriate professional bodies in the locality.
21. Students can develop critical skills through whole-class and small-group discussion, with and without tutor support. In most sessions, students are encouraged to reflect on their learning and to report back, as well as to accept critique from others. The process which informs practical work is developed through the assessed journals of the first year to the journals used as support material in the third year.
22. Students speak highly of the processes by which they are assessed and the amount of oral feedback given by tutors. While the grades given are largely appropriate to the levels of achievement, there is some inconsistency in levels of marking across the range of written work seen, and the assessors found it difficult to find evidence that moderation is as extensive as is claimed. External examiners express some concern about over-marking at the First and Upper Second class grade and at the fail/Third class boundaries. The assessors consider that further attention should be given to this aspect.
23. Approaches to assessment are understood by the students and are appropriate to the student profile. The methods of assessment and content of feedback are closely matched to the intended learning outcomes. Written feedback is given for both essays and practical and production work. Practical assessment meetings are recorded in assessors' reports, but the nature of the discussion is not minuted. Students' preparation for practical work is adequately marked through classroom observation, supported by group and individual tutorials, as well as by reference to their journals. Students receive oral as well as written feedback, individually and in groups.
24. 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.
26. The average GCE A-Level points score was 14 for theatre studies in 1997 and 12.8 for film and television studies in 1996. The number of entrants with no formal qualifications has steadily declined since 1994. The Institute's data on student progression show that there have been high levels of deferments on some modules in 1997-98. These do not correlate with mature entrants or those with non-standard qualifications, and those entering from access courses have performed well. Of the three cohorts who have graduated, 60 per cent obtained a First or Upper Second class honours degree, 29 per cent a Lower Second and 11 per cent a Pass degree. Mature students formed 55 per cent of graduates across all three cohorts between 1994 and 1997 and 64 per cent of those with First or Upper Second class degrees. In the same three cohorts, 47 per cent of the graduates had non-standard qualifications at entry and they gained 50 per cent of the First or Upper Second class degrees.
27. Completion rates in theatre studies have averaged 63 per cent in the cohorts between 1992 and 1995. Some 14 per cent of students have transferred to other pathways and a further 20 per cent have withdrawn from the course. Pressure on time, because of performance and production schedules, led many students to transfer to other pathways. Greater care in interviewing and advising applicants is providing a fuller understanding of the time constraints of the modules. Continuing efforts should be made to reduce further the number of students leaving the pathway. Film and television studies modules have a lower non-completion rate.
28. Evidence from students' work, classroom observation and meetings with former and current students indicates a high level of added value, both in subject-specific knowledge and in transferable skills. The best work showed that the most able students have an impressive grasp of dramatic theory, while the less able have a more superficial understanding. External examiners' reports for both theatre studies and film and television studies are largely positive and in film studies they indicated that the pathway's emphasis on critical analysis and theory is being tackled well by students.
29. Both current and former students spoke enthusiastically about ways in which personal autonomy, authority, self-respect and self-esteem have grown as a result of their experiences on the programmes. The development of such transferable skills reflects most favourably upon the commitment and professionalism of the pathway academic staff and support teams.
30. Three-quarters of those graduating from the theatre studies pathway in 1997 were in employment or further study within six months of graduation. Graduates enter a wide range of employment, chiefly in the arts and leisure sectors, and a significant proportion set up their own enterprises.
31. 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.
33. Pathway leaders are responsible for the academic welfare of students; they handle decisions about module choices and provide advice and support on academic progress. A wide range of counselling and advisory services is provided at all levels - subject, faculty, institute and Students' Union. The rapport between staff and students is good, and students have ready access to staff, some of whom are available on campus each evening until at least 2130. Staff are clear about the boundary between academic and welfare counselling and about the appropriate routes of referral for different kinds of personal problems.
34. Communication between the subject, faculty and institutional levels of service is good and well maintained, and the Humanities Office plays a key role in making appointments with other services, filing and circulating documentation and, where necessary, ensuring complete confidentiality. The Institute's central counselling service provides training for subject staff in counselling skills. Prompt access and professional, independent and confidential counselling is provided in the humanities block on the Chadwick campus.
35. A job-share special needs post is working to develop tutors' awareness of special needs and first-line diagnostic skills. The needs of dyslexic students are currently the primary focus of special needs concern in the Humanities Subject Group and these are handled well in the assessment of students' work. Access for students with mobility problems is well developed on the Chadwick campus, and there are induction loops in all lecture theatres and viewing spaces.
36. The careers service on the Deane campus provides a good basic service, including a job shop for part-time and temporary work. Requests for specialist advice on careers in media and theatre are referred back to subject staff. A wider range of contacts with professionals and companies in the cultural industries could be cultivated by pathway staff, extending their current reliance on the Octagon Theatre and the In Focus community video company.
37. 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.
39. There has been a considerable increase in the library stock, particularly in film studies. However, a proportion of this stock, which is held in off-air recordings, is not appropriate for large-scale projection. The book stock for contemporary theatre studies is good and contains an adequate number of multiple copies of key texts. However, there is a need to invest further in extra copies of traditional texts to support the modules in drama theory.
40. The specialist accommodation for both film and theatre studies has recently been significantly upgraded. The newly refurbished drama studio and improvements in the technical equipment have enhanced the accommodation to a satisfactory level for the delivery of the courses and allow for the required level of practical work. It would be useful to consider further investment in a wider variety of lighting control. Provision of additional bookable rehearsal spaces is adequate and suitable for the needs of the subject. The film viewing space and teaching room have been significantly upgraded and now represent good-quality spaces appropriate to the learning objectives of the pathway. The video-editing suites are at present adequate. Staff accommodation is adequate and part-time staff have a base room. All staff rooms are equipped with networked computers.
41. The theatre studies technical staff have clearly defined responsibilities and provide appropriate support. The film and television studies pathway is given part-time support from theatre studies and the Faculty, but there is a need to enhance dedicated technical support in this area. Health and safety provision in the practical areas is good.
42. 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.
44. Students' views are sought on all issues relating to academic quality, and their responses to the teaching/learning experience are central to the quality assessment and enhancement process. There are formal procedures, including student feedback questionnaires and staff student committees, to ensure that the response to student feedback is relevant and effective.
45. Formal consideration of external examiners' reports at faculty and institutional level influences future teaching, learning and assessment strategies. The assessors are, however, concerned that formal response to external examiners' reports and evidence of consequent action at pathway level do not yet appear to be part of established procedure.
46. There are formal procedures to ensure the enhancement of teaching and the development of expertise within subject areas. A staff appraisal programme is compulsory within the Faculty for full-time members of staff and is confidential to the appraisee, appraiser and Dean; it focuses on personal and professional aims, objectives and targets, and informs staff development. There is an increasing emphasis on staff research and publication, and the assessors are pleased to note that the original, high-quality creative work of individual members of staff, for example play writing and direction, receives formal, high-status research recognition.
47. Members of the academic staff, many of whom are successful professionals in their respective fields, are responsive, often pro-active and alive to teaching and learning developments. There is clear evidence of informal and focused professional interchange between tutors, with a coherent programme of academic development implemented by committed and talented staff.
48. Peer review of teaching is a newly established procedure within the Faculty. It is based on pair work to a standard pro forma and enables some staff members to work with education tutors who act as external advisers, reviewing the range of outcomes and feeding back key issues for attention. Although this programme is in its infancy, members of staff spoke enthusiastically of its value and effectiveness. The induction programme for new members of staff is clearly linked to appraisal and peer review, and includes team teaching and participation in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme.
49. Although there has traditionally been contact with outside bodies (other universities and research organisations) as part of the Institute's policy, this has increased recently and will soon impact more fully on the students' learning experience. The assessors are pleased to note that the Humanities Subject Group has identified the further development of these academic links as a priority.
50. The self-assessment provides an accurate and informative account of current provision within both pathways. It is well supported by the detailed management response document provided for the reassessment. The documentation provided in the base room was suitably organised and reflected the changes introduced by the Faculty.
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 theatre studies and film and television studies in relation to the aspects of provision include the following: