Generic PowerPoint Presentation Title Page

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Validation Panel Training
14 January 2005
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Programme

• General Session 1.30 2.45
• Coffee Break 2.45 3.00
• Parallel Sessions 3.00 4.00
• Plenary 4.00 4.15
• Close 4.15

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General Session

• Role of Validation 1.30
• Responsibilities of Panel Members 1.35
• Recent Procedural/Policy Changes 1.40
• Foundation Degree Validations 1.45
• Academic Frameworks (CAF and PGMS) 1.55
• Collaborative Validations 2.05
• Distance learning 2.15
• Professional Bodies 2.20
• Change of Approval Panels 2.25
• Periodic Subject Review 2.30
• Question and Answer Session 2.35-2.45

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Role of Validation

• Important Process
• To assess the quality and standards of the
  proposed programme and ensure consistency of
  standards
• To test whether the programme team is equipped
  and thoroughly prepared to deliver a high quality
  academic and educational experience for students
• Covers all taught provision for which UCN is
  responsible, including collaborative provision

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Responsibilities of Panel Members

• Panel Chair
• External Panel Members
• Internal Academic Panel Members
• Relevant Framework Director or nominee
• Officers

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Procedural/Policy Changes

• Implemented last year
• Two stage validation process
• Panel briefing notes
• Electronic copies of course documentation
• To be implemented this year
• Policy on Award Titles
• Limited length of approval up to a maximum of
  five years
• Agree subject grouping for periodic review
• New institutional APL policy
• New appendix to Programme Specification mapping
  of Los
• Area of Study Record Form

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Foundation Degrees
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Core and Distinctive Features of FD

• Accessibility and flexibility
• Employer involvement
• Integration of employment-related skills and
  academic content
• Application and assessment of skills in the
  workplace
• Credit accumulation and progression routes

9
QAA Academic Infrastructure

• FHEQ - intermediate level qualification
• FD Qualification Benchmark (Final Draft 2002,
  Final 2004)
• Overview Report on FD Reviews (2003)
• QAA Code of Practice Section 9 Placement
  Learning

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Employer Involvement

• Have employers been involved in development and
  design of programme?
• How will employers remain involved with the FD -
  in delivery, assessment and review?
• Is there employer 'buy-in', ie have employers
  committed to sending their employees on the
  course?

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Application and Assessment of Knowledge,
Understanding and Skills in the Workplace

• Does the programme provide the learner with
  opportunities to apply knowledge etc in/to
  workplace?
• Does assessment of work-based learning include
  employers?
• How will the work-based learning elements be
  monitored and evaluated?
• What are the arrangements for workplace mentoring
  and what training/support is provided for
  mentors?

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UCN Academic Frameworks
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General Issues

• Aim of UCN Strategic Plan to bring all programmes
  within CAF and PGMS
• Validation panels should no longer validate UCN
  awards outside CAF or PGMS
• Stipulated design requirements for types of
  awards, which express minimum requirement
• Considering new and existing modules
• Award Maps intake years?

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Awards

• Single Honours
• Joint and Combined Honours
• Postgraduate Awards
• Foundation Degrees
• Higher National Certificates/Diplomas
• Professional awards with externally set
  syllabus/assessment may be authorised to remain
  outside frameworks

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Detailed Scrutiny

• Programme Specification
• Award Map
• Module Specifications
• Assessment Map
• Skills Map
• Mapping of programme level learning outcomes
  against module level learning outcomes

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Whats not covered within the framework
regulations and therefore needs exploring

• Admissions
• Induction
• Personal Development Planning and Personal
  Academic Tutors
• Student consultation/evaluation
• Career planning
• Etc.

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Collaborative Validations
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Fundamentals

• QAA Code of Practice Section 2 Collaborative
  Provision (revised 2004)
• UCN Collaborative Provision Handbook
• Two stage process institutional approval and
  course approval
• Definitions Franchise, Validation, Joint
• What is being delivered, by whom, where
  (modules)?
• Who is responsible for what (recruitment,
  admissions, induction, delivery, assessment,
  programme management, QA, resources etc)?

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Quality and Standards of Collaborative Provision 1

• Institutional commitment (AP4 approved?)
• Resources (LR and ITS) and staffing
• Arrangements for communication and liaison,
  including role of Academic Contact
• Definitive course document for programme as it
  operates at partner organisation and student
  handbook.
• UCN and partner staff understanding of
  responsibilities for student experience and QA,
  including application of UCN policies and
  regulations

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Quality and Standards of CollaborativeProvision 2

• Arrangements for management and administration
• Board of Studies and annual review arrangements
• Assessment issues application of UCN
  policies/procedures and arrangements for
  examinations and for moderation
• Plans for joint staff development to support
  collaboration

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Distance Learning

• Distance Learning Approval Procedures
• Peer review of learning materials
• Operation of quality assurance processes,
  e.g. student evaluation and boards of study
• Student support mechanisms

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Professional Body Accreditation

• Remit of panel in relation to any professional
  body involvement will be set out in panel
  briefing note
• Differing requirements and processes for
  accreditation
• Balance of panel members
• Need to ensure UCN agenda is not overlooked and
  other academic criteria are met

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Change of Approval Panel Events

• Change of Approval panel events will be
  undertaken when there is significant change to an
  existing programme outside the normal periodic
  subject review cycle
• Focus on changes to be made and the rationale
• Coherence of new award and effect on LOs
• Panels will not review the operation of the
  programme
• Bulk of changes to be approved by PAC

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Periodic Subject Review

• PSR of all provision every five years
• Validation and CoA panels approve for finite
  period until the next PSR (so up to maximum of
  five years)
• Subject grouping for PSR to be determined when
  each new course is validated course added to
  rolling schedule by Academic Office
• PSR will review continued appropriateness of
  academic programmes, standards, etc. hence not
  duplicated by any intervening CoA event