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QE Strategy
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ModulesModules are the main components which make up any academic programme of study. The Quality Office has responsibility for setting out the University's procedures relating to the quality assurance and enhancement of modules, including their initial approval and development. Section 7 of the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Handbook fully outlines the process for the development, approval, quality assurance and enhancement of modules. Module approval University policy for module approval is intended to promote the efficient development of new modules which addresses both standards and quality, and considers the appropriateness of the proposed module with reference to its component taught programme(s) and as defined in the respective Programme Specification(s). Modules may be approved in three ways:
Module Descriptor Module descriptors define the syllabus, learning outcomes and learning and teaching strategies to be employed and are subject to both external and internal peer review by subject experts to ensure comparable standards across the University and with other Universities. Please refer to Appendix 7(e) of the QAE Handbook for guidance on completing module descriptor forms. Monitoring and enhancement of existing modules The monitoring of modules is an inherent part of module delivery and thus all modules must be formally monitored every year. Module Leaders are responsible for monitoring modules using completion rates, student achievement, student feedback and comments from external assessors as performance indicators. All students on all modules should complete the University Module Feedback Questionnaire (MFQ). It is the responsibility of Module Leaders to actively encourage all students registered on their respective module(s) to complete the MFQ. Schools must ensure that module monitoring has taken place and that an improvement plan is in place. Improvement Plan The improvement plan should clearly state the locus of responsibility for the actions contained within the plan. Progress will be monitored by the School Board via the Head of Department within which the module is located and reported upon through the Annual Report on Monitoring, Quality Assurance and Enhancement of Programmes. Suspension and withdrawal of existing modules Schools are responsible for making decisions to suspend or withdraw existing modules. Suspension Modules can either be suspended (no longer running and will be removed after three years to allow all currently attached students to complete) or temporarily suspended (not running this current session but still a current module). Schools will inform the Quality Office of modules required to be suspended or temporarily suspended. Withdrawal If a School wishes to withdraw a module completely from the Module Catalogue such decisions must be documented so as to confirm that all interested parties, particularly Programme Boards, have been consulted, and that any concerns have been dealt with sensitively. Assurances must have been received that the achievement of the academic objectives of affected programmes is not threatened by the proposed changes. Schools shall advise the Quality Office when the process above has been completed and will inform the Quality Office on 30 June and 30 September of each year of the list of modules which can either be deleted or suspended. Last updated: 19-Feb-2010 |
Useful links Full details of the process and procedures for the development, approval, quality assurance and enhancement of modules can be found in Section 7 of the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Handbook. This section also includes the following key documents: Flowchart of the module approval process Module Approval Pro-forma Guidance on the preparation and circulation of Module Handbooks Guide to completing a Module Descriptor Flowchart of the Module Monitoring Process Module Monitoring Report |