HE Academic Update

September 2012

AgendaTime Topic Lead

10.30 Introduction and WelcomeRecruitment Finance and Staffing

Jeremy15 mins

10.45 Institutional Level Academic ReviewsTDAP/Institutional Review/QAA Audit

Martin10 mins

10.55 Student Surveys Action Planning Jeremy20 mins

11.15 Rules of AssessmentRule Changes UG/PGLate work PG PGT

Martin15 mins (plus handouts!)

11.30 KIS updatePDSR activity

Helen15 mins

11.45 Plagiarism/What is an Academic Offence? Isis25 mins

12.10 Learning and Teaching Prizes Presentation Jeremy

12.20 approx Finish Buffet U65 all

Recruitment and Finance

Jeremy

TDAP Current Position

Self-Evaluation Document - November 2012

QAA/HEFCE consultations on Low Risk QA• Academic Standards• Quality of Learning Opportunities• Quality Enhancement• Information• Thematic Element

Time interval 6 years

Intensity

Universal UK HE Quality Code

Maturity of institution

Core and module approach

Proposed ‘Triggers’ for a review from the QAA

Data used for intervention

• DLHE UG employment/study 86% (91) 2010/11

• HESA Non Continuation Rates 12.8% (8.6) 2009/10

• NSS Scores 76% (85) 2012

• HEA Accreditation of staff 46% 2012

Contextual data

QAA Institutional Review 2010/11: Current Status

Future action plan

QAA Mid cycle review? Desk based update? In 2012/13?

QAA Report

• Library access at University of Essex

• Graduate induction and training

• PGR student induction and training for supervisors

• Committee Minutes

Essex Institutional Review March 2012

Condition:

IT Infrastructure

Sector Studies (Generic Modules)

Retention Data

Annual Monitoring Reporting and Data

Employment After 1st Degree (Guild HE 2012/HESA 2010)

Guild HE Institution HESA Indicator %

Arts University Bournemouth 97.5

Royal Agricultural College 96.6

Bishop Grosseteste 95.5

Harper Adams University College 93.8

Leeds Trinity University 93.6

Newman University College 93.3

University College Falmouth 91.6

St Marys University College Twickenham 91.0

University College Plymouth St Mark St John 90.3

Norwich University College of Arts 89.5

Writtle College 82.6

Sector Average 90.3

2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/1175

80

85

90

95

100

93.1

97.8

91.692.6

88.9

90.9

87.3 87.1

82.6

92.593 93 93

93.8

91

89.990.4 90.3

Employment after Ist degree Writtle College compared with Sector Average 2002-2011

Writtle UK

2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/100

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Non Continuation (Retention) Rate (Percentage) HESA March 2012

writtle national H A RAC Essex

2010 2011 20120

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PTES 2010-2012 Participation and Satisfaction

ParticpationSatisfaction

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

NSS Score for Q22 and Participation (%) 2005-2012

Writtle Participation Writtle Q22 Nat Av Q 22

National Student Survey

Participation rateTarget 80% by 2013Actual 69% 2012 Satisfaction scores Q22 - 76% (85%) Key Action for 2012

Feedback on my work has been prompt lowest score - 57 (66%)

Course is well organised - 60% (75%)

Access to IT - 65% (85%)

Assessment fair - 66% (76%)

SU Q23 - 74% (63%)

Internal Student Satisfaction Score

Participation rate 61%Target 80% Satisfaction scores 75%Target 80% by 2012/14 Key Action for 2012

Improve participation rate

Feedback - prompt

Library access

Timetable changes communicated Equine scheme

PTES

Participation rate 62.6%Target 60% Satisfaction scores 92%Target 90% Key Action for 2012

Undergraduate Rules of Assessment

The University of Essex has approved changes to the Undergraduate rules of assessment for the classification of Honours degrees.

The existing “dominant quality” rule will be replaced with a “borderline zone” rule – please see hand-out.

In order to ensure that current students are not disadvantaged by this change, transitional arrangements will apply –

‘current students who would benefit from the application of the revised rules should be allowed to do so, but students who would receive a lower class of degree under the revised rules should continue to be governed by the old rules’.

Taught PG Rules of Assessment

Changes for 2012/13:

Volume of reassessment permitted -

4.1 Second attempts at the assessment for taught modules – students may have a second attempt for module(s) that have been failed up to a maximum of 60 credits (was 40)

‘Discretion’ has also been removed from the rules; Boards of Examiners do not have the power of discretion, except in the case of Extenuating Circumstances The rules regarding Late Work have now been aligned to those for Undergraduates, thus introducing the 10 working day deadline, and therefore NO LATE WORK EXTENSIONS can now be agreed The pass mark for all modules of the masters degree is 50% - credits are only awarded if the module is passed; in cases where failure with a mark of 40% is condoned the credits will not be awarded

Key Information Sets (KIS) Update

• Government drive to improve the level of HE course information provided to prospective students

• KIS Data collection and publication – a cross-College project led by CASTLe working together with Registry, IS&T and Marketing

• KIS ‘widgets’ will appear on all HEIs websites by 24th September 2012

• Student Satisfaction (NSS Results)• Employment and Salary Data (DLHE)• Accommodation Costs• Fee Information• Student Union • Course Information

• Comparison website: http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/

KIS - Course Level Information

• Undergraduate Assessment Review – THANK YOU TO ALL CONCERNED!

• University of Essex Approvals 19th July 2012 (with a couple of exceptions)

• Updated Module Specifications available on the Module Database

• Module Level Summary Sheets (blue copies)

• Course Scheme Level Summary Sheets (green copies)

Reminder!

KIS – Learning, Teaching and Assessment Information

A new look for Writtle’s Course Pages …

Wider Information Sets

From September 2012, QAA Institutional Review will include a published judgement based on ‘Wider Information Sets’ published by HEIs.

The QAA will examine the

• Completeness

• Currency

• Reliability and

• Accessibility of information

Details published as part of the new UK Quality Code for HE, Part C: Information about higher education provision

How HEFCE defines the Wider Information Set

Information on the institutional context:• mission statement,

corporate plan/strategic statement on HE provision

• statement of quality assurance policies and processes

• learning and teaching strategy

• Information on partnerships

• employability statements

Information about aspects of courses and awards:• prospectuses,

programme guides, module descriptors, programme specifications results of internal student surveys

• links with employers • partnership agreements,

links with awarding bodies/ delivery partners

Information on the quality and standards of programmes :• procedures and

outcomes for programme approval, monitoring and review

• external examination procedures

• policies for student complaints, appeals and representations

Policies, Procedures, Forms, Curriculum Information and Student Handbooks: http://castle.writtle.ac.uk/home

CASTLe Website updates for 2012:

• New Assessment Feedback Sheets (student self-evaluation)

• New Module Guide Template

• Revised Referencing Guidelines

• Updated Course Plans and Programme Specifications

• 2012 Course Handbooks – electronic copies please

• Assessment Framework Grids - electronic copies please

Periodic Degree Scheme Reviews 2012-13

MSc Horticulture

BA (Hons) Professional Floristry

BA (Hons) Interior Design and Architecture

BSc (Hons) Landscape and Garden Design

Review Panel Members

Isis’ bit

• PG CHEP Update - Congratulations to Saruhan on completing the CHEP!

• New hand in rules and new plagiarism guidance

• New year = good time to instil good habits in students (attendance, timekeeping, mobile phones)

Question for youNew guidance New protocol

Plagiarism

Is it plagiarism?

Student 1.

Student 2

Student 3.

http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/robotics/index.html

New submission of work rules

All 2nd, 3rd year and MA/MSc and at least 80% of 1st year work (in a relevant format) will be submitted via the integrated Turnitin on Moodle: • 2pm standard deadline• with a hard copy within 2 days if required by the marker

Submission of all work electronically via Turnitin will increase the number of plagiarism offences.

New GuidanceA new set of guidance notes to clarify the seriousness of a range of offences.

College wide understanding of what counts as plagiarism and parity of treatment.

New guidance helps to clarify when an offence has been committed and when that offence is serious enough to go to the academic offences panel and when it can be dealt with ‘in course’.

Seriousness MatrixIncludes• Quantity of copied material• Stage of student• Evidence of attempts to reference

Does not include• anything about student motives or the

intentional / unintentional distinction

Helps to determineWhether you are dealing with:

a case of poor scholarship that could be construed as plagiarism (PSTCCAP)

or

a case of suspected plagiarism that needs to go to the Academic Offences Panel.

If poor scholarship ….• Take into account in marking and explain why this is

poor work and the danger of plagiarism to the student. Keep a record of what the student has been told and send a copy of this record to the Course Leader.

• Course leader keeps a log of these in case the same student makes another mistake of a similar nature.

• If they do repeat the error a PSTCCAP will become a suspected plagiarism.

Additional help for students

• Plagiarism Badger• Referencing Ferret• Grammar Beagle

Epax Academic literacy online tutorial• Includes videos handouts and worksheets

If suspected plagiarism• Only the Academic Offences Panel can determine

whether plagiarism has been committed.

• If the matrix suggests that what you have is a case of suspected plagiarism. This goes to the Academic Offences Panel by sending it to Beverley Thaine along with any additional evidence such as the source material.

• If it is a 2nd or more PSTCCAP please send the record of previous information told or given to student.

Beware Turnitin percentages

• The new guidance notes explain why you can’t just use Turnitin percentages and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on Turnitin.

• Plagiarism detection requires intelligent interpretation, which, fortunately, is an academic skill so we should be able to do this well.

Workings of the Academic Offences Panel

• Chair – Jeremy Strong• Secretary – Beverley Thaine• Members - currently drawn from academics on

Academic Standards Committee • In future – academic staff members of the HE

community

More people involved = more dissemination of consistent interpretations.

Process• Tutor passes work to Beverley

• Beverley runs it past Jeremy or other member of AOP to check that it does need to go to a full panel (very occasionally things are sent back to deal with as a PSTCCAP).

• Student is informed of the suspected offence and the date and time of the panel and sent the Academic Offences Procedure.

On the day• The panel (chair, secretary and two members) look at the work

and discuss potential penalties based on the work and whether it is a first of second offence.

• The student, if they have opted to attend, is called in to present any reason or matters they want to bring to the attention of the panel.

• The panel then decide on the penalty in the light of all the evidence presented.

• The student is usually told this at the time but it is also set out in detail in a letter to the student outlining what needs to be done.

Potential penalties• a formal written warning only;• assignment to be referenced correctly and assessed for an uncapped

mark; or a capped pass mark; for credit purposes only, with a mark of zero to be retained for all calculations, including degree classification;

• a mark of zero be awarded for the entire module with no resubmission or second attempt permitted;

• a mark of zero be awarded for the module and the student be permitted to complete credits for a lower award;

• a mark of zero be awarded for the module and the Examination Board be instructed to consider the student only for a lower award on the basis of credits already achieved; or

• the student be required to withdraw without being awarded a degree (earned credits can be recorded).

Documents updated

• (QA116) PLAGIARISM AND OTHER ACADEMIC OFFENCES – A GUIDE FOR STAFF (was QA115 & QA116)

• (QA164) Institutional Policy and Procedure for Dealing with Plagiarism

• (QA154) Academic Offences Procedure

• Writtle College Referencing Policy and Guidance

All available on the CASTLe website

New guidance includes answers to • What counts (and does not count) as plagiarism?• Is there a distinction to be made between intentional and

unintentional plagiarism?• Why do students plagiarise?• Who is responsible for ensuring students understand about

plagiarism?• Do we have to use Turnitin?• What percentage on a Turnitin report constitutes plagiarism?• Does Turnitin pick up all cases of plagiarism?• How Can I Design out Plagiarism?• How proficient are students expected to be in their referencing?• How bad does the suspected plagiarism have to be to warrant

sending the work to the secretary of the academic offences panel?

A chance to set the standard of behaviour you expect

Areas to address Attendance

Time keepingMobile phones (legitimate use only)

Others?

New Year, New Students

Attendance

First point on the Student Charter:

“Attend and actively participate in induction, timetabled classes, and attend meetings with tutors”.

Expect attendanceCheck attendance – use sign in sheetsChase up non attendance – # of missed classes = a letter.

Timekeeping

• Be on time yourself and ready to start on the hour

• Begin teaching on the hour

• Do not let prompt attenders feel that latecomers are dictating the pace of the teaching event

• Do not recap unless absolutely essential

From the Code of ConductIn the list of what Writtle students must not do:“Must not use mobile phones at all in any form (including text and silent mode) during any sort of teaching and learning activity. Students are expected to turn mobile phones off and phones must remain off until teaching and learning has finished.”

Now dated, we need new guidanceUnless legitimate, e.g.

Instilling good study habits

http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/robotics/index.html