Changing credit: changing curriculum Helen Gale SACWG Conference November 2012.

Changing credit: changing curriculum

Helen GaleSACWG Conference

November 2012

Credit and pedagogy

• Fewer modules / deeper approach tolearning

• Less choice / more core

• Techno- rationalist / socio-cultural

Credit and frameworks

• What ‘shape’ is 20 credits?

• ‘Long-thins’ (year long)

• ‘short fats’ (semester long)

• Combinations (40 credits)

• Divisions (5 credits)

• Model A

to

• Model F

1 4

2 5

3 6

123456

Credit and disciplinarity

• Whole university model / discipline models

• Skills based / content based

• Flexibility / stability

The model

One = 15 credits

Two = 15 credits

Three = 15 credits

Four = 15 credits

Five = 15 credits

Six = 15 credits

Seven = 15 credits

Eight = 15 credits

Two = 20 credits

One = 20 credits

Three = 20 credits

Four = 20 credits

8 x 15 = 120 credits per year 6 x 20 = 120 credits per year

Five = 20 credits

Six = 20 credits

R

Credit and whole course design

• What ‘shape’ is 360 credits?

• Modular choice / overall coherence

• Course learning outcomes

• Levelness• Module learning

outcomes

The new model

Three = 15 credits

Four = 15 credits

Seven = 15 credits

Eight = 15 credits

Two = 20 credits

One = 20 credits

Three = 20 credits

Four = 20 credits

6 x 20 = 120 credits per year

Five = 20 credits

Six = 20 credits

No change – total credits have to remain the same. This is a national requirement

A long thin module enables us to use this time for skills which need to be built up over a longer period, such as development of an e-portfolio or work-based learning

A long thin module enables us to

keep the winter break to a minimum, improving

student retention

2 different types of modules allow us to accommodate different learning and teaching styles

Having only six modules

overall means only 6 module guides, 6

assessment regimes – instead of 8 – improving

student focus

Short fat modules can be used for more concentrated learning

Credit and assessment

• Assessment overload• Assessment

equivalence• Assessment and

discipline• Assessment and

timing

Credit and assessment timing

Four = 15 credits

Two = 20 credits

One = 20 credits

Three = 20 credits

Four = 20 credits

Five = 20 credits

Six = 20 credits

A

A = summative assessment Maximum of 2 summative assessments per module

A

A

A

A

A

1st summative assessment of two modules takes place before Xmas. Students focus assessment efforts on 2 modules. Staff only have to mark 2 at this stage.

2nd smaller summative assessments take place soon after Xmas encouraging students to maintain their study

Holiday

Holiday

4th summative assessment of two modules takes place at end of year. Students focus assessment efforts on 2 modules.

Holiday

Holiday3rd

smaller summative

assessments take place

around Easter /

before break

A

A

Credit and socio-cultural context

• Students:• Credit / attendance /

modes of learning / measurement of learning

• Staff:• A whole institution

approach• Virtual validation

The Final Model

Four = 15 credits

Two = 20 credits

One = 20 credits

Three = 20 credits

Four = 20 credits

Five = 20 credits

Six = 20 credits

A

A = summative a = formative Maximum of 2 summative assessments per module

A

A

A

A

A

Holiday

Holiday

Holiday

HolidayA

A

a

a

a

a

a/A

a/A

a/A

a/A

Unforeseen outcomes

• Virtual validation(interest from QAA and the sector)

• Redesign of the PG Cert. (New module – ‘The Academic as Designer’)

Results

• A slimmed down, more coherent curriculum offer

• Improved student retention and achievement

• Complicated model

Conclusions

• Incredible feat• Exhaustion• No perfect answer• Current research: the

actual credit framework is less important than student / staff relationships

Questions• Is 20 credits = 200 learning hours a useful and meaningful

concept or just a convenience when designing curriculum?• Is it possible to produce ‘assessment equivalence’

frameworks? If not, how do we justify our diversity of assessments for the same credit award to our students?

• Are semesterisation, modularisation and classification more important than actual credits to our students?

• When validating a new course (programme) of 360 credits, what are the guiding principles?