Institute of Archaeology UCL Annual Monitoring Report for 2006/7
Chair of IoA Teaching Committee Overview
MA, MSc and Master’s Qualifying Year Programmes
This report covers the 21 Master’s degree programmes listed in table 1 below. It also covers enrolment on the
Master’s Qualifying Year (see the BA/BSc report for other aspects of this programme).
A. Student recruitment and performance, and difficulties experienced and actions taken
A.1. Recruitment
i) In 2006/7 the Institute of Archaeology (IoA) had a total enrolment of 240 (211.5 FTE) Master’s students
plus 7 (7 FTE) Qualifying Year students, representing a continuation of the year-on-year increase
witnessed over recent years. Some 209 of the 247 2006/7 enrolments were new recruits, the remainder
having returned for the second year of two year programmes (10), the second year of part time programmes
(21), or having proceeded from a Qualifying Year (7).
ii) The 21 Master’s programmes were delivered through 80 individual course units, comprising 74 taught
courses, 5 pieces of sustained writing (dissertations, portfolio, research proposal, piece of research writing)
and 1 internship. The average number of students enrolled on individual courses was 12.5. None of the
Master’s programmes utilise undergraduate courses, but Qualifying Year students do follow selected
undergraduate courses and those are discussed in the Annual Monitoring Review report on IoA
undergraduate degree programmes.
A.2. Student performance
i) Master’s students performed well and the completion rate was very good. Out of 199 students due to
complete in 2006/7, just 2 were recorded as absent while 9 deferred assessment in one or more
assignments. Of the 188 students completing their studies, 35.6% obtained a distinction, 63.8% passed and
0.5% (1 student) failed with exemptions.
ii) As can been seen in table 1, student performance varied between individual degree programmes. However,
an analysis of the relationship between the percentage of students who obtained a distinction in each
programme and the number of students who completed each programme produces a result which is broadly
compatible with the expectation that smaller enrolments will be subject to greater sampling error.
Consequently there is currently to reason to suspect inconsistency in provision or assessment, although it
will be prudent to keep the issue under review and assemble longitudinal data for individual programmes.
Table 1: Percentages of students obtaining particular results (excluding part 1 results)
Dist = distinction; Pass = pass; Def = deferred assessment; Fail = fail with exemptions, Abs = absent
Degree programme
Dist
Pass
Fail
Def
Abs
MA African Archaeology
75
25
0
0
0
MA Archaeology
38
62
0
0
0
MA Archaeology of London
20
60
0
20
0
MA Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
27
60
0
13
0
MA Artefact Studies
14
86
0
0
0
MA Comparative Art and Archaeology
33
67
0
0
0
MA Cultural Heritage Studies
33
67
0
0
0
MA Egyptian Archaeology
40
50
0
10
0
MA Field Archaeology
First year of 2 year programme
MA Managing Archaeological Sites
18
73
9
0
0
MA Maritime Archaeology
40
60
0
0
0
MA Museum Studies
26
67
0
7
0
MA Principles of Conservation
50
50
0
0
0
MA Public Archaeology
56
22
0
11
11
MA Research Methods for Archaeology
0
100
0
0
0
MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums
20
70
0
10
0
MSc Forensic Archaeological Science
42
58
0
0
0
MSc GIS and Spatial Analysis in Archaeology
50
33
0
17
0
MSc Palaeoecology of Human Societies
67
33
0
0
0
0
MSc Skeletal and Dental Bioarchaeology
31
69
0
0
0
MSc Technology and Analysis of Archaeological Materials
30
60
0
10
1
iii) The mean grade for students on individual courses varied from 56.0% to 77.2% and shows no correlation
with either course enrolment or the mean summary student feedback score.
A.3. Student feedback
i) Students complete evaluation forms for all taught courses and are asked to give each course an overall
score from 5 (very good) through 3 (satisfactory) to 1 (poor). In 2006/7 82.4% of overall scores were 4.0
(good) or better and written comments were frequently positive, often praising staff enthusiasm and
specialist knowledge. Eight courses scored a maximum possible 5.0. No course was considered
unsatisfactory, but see A.4.1.i.
A.4. Difficulties experienced and action taken
A.4.1. Learning, teaching and examination
i) No Master’s course was considered unsatisfactory, but 4 courses received a score between 3.3 and 3.0.
Action: One course was withdrawn and recommendations were made to improve the others, with the result
that in 2007/8 their scores improved to 3.9, 4.3 and 4.9.
ii) It was recognised that there was a growing problem of ensuring consistency among the increasingly
comprehensive student handbooks produced for 20+ degree programmes and c. 80 individual courses.
Action: As from 2007/8 information common to all student handbooks has been removed and students are
now directed to a central repository on the Institute Intranet (which also now contains exceptionally
detailed referencing guidelines) and, where appropriate, degree programme handbooks.
iii) Although there have been relatively few instances of examination irregularity involving plagiarism there
was a growing awareness that it would be prudent to increase scrutiny in light of national and international
trends, especially since the IoA makes very little use of unseen examination.
Action: See E.1.iv.
A.4.2. Recruitment
i) The 2006/7 enrolment figures represent a further increase in the overall number of students on Master’s
degree programmes, but some programmes perform more consistently than others with regard to the
College expectation that degree programmes should recruit 10 or more students every year.
Action: See E1.i, E2.i and E.2.ii.
ii) The mean enrolment on individual Master’s courses in 2006/7 was 16.0, although the mean for option
courses was 7.6. It follows that a number of option courses did not meet the College expectation that
courses should recruit 10 or more students every year.
Action: See E.1.ii and E.1.iii. Note also that some low recruiting specialist courses play an important role
in securing recruitment to IoA degree programmes.
B. Reports of External Examiners
i)
ii)
The external examiners found the conduct of examination and the awards and standards to be satisfactory
in all cases. In addition, the great majority of their supplementary comments were satisfactory or
complimentary. In particular, the following were all commended by more than one examiner: the
appropriateness of programme design; the high quality of course content and teaching; the detailed
feedback given to students; the development of more detailed assessment criteria to improve the
transparency of marking; the excellent administrative arrangements.
Some external examiners did, however, express concern about particular issues or make suggestions for
further improvement. These ranged from course- or programme-specific recommendations, such as minor
changes to the MA Principles of Conservation Object Assessment Exercise, through to more widely
applicable recommendations, such as the desirability of reducing the bunching of marks around class
boundaries.
Action: The May 2008 meeting of the IoA Teaching Committee received a list of the 26 (mostly minor)
issues raised by the 9 external examiners. It determined that 3 issues did not require action and a further 8
were already in hand, and approved the action to be taken in respect of the remaining 15 issues. See also
A.4.1.ii , A.4.1.iii and E.1.v.
C. Resource Issues
i)
The majority of computer workstations in the Archaeological GIS and Computing Laboratory were rapidly
approaching the end of their useful life and had been the subject of negative student feedback in 2005/6.
Action: The IoA successfully applied for a Supplementary Teaching Equipment Grant to assist with the
renewal of this facility, which was in large part completed in April 2007.
2
ii)
It was identified that some practical courses require more ‘laying out space’ for artefacts, environmental
samples, etc.
Action: The IoA has a rolling programme of room refurbishment and one teaching room has already been
refurbished with these issues in mind. In addition a student booking system has been implemented to
ensure more efficient use of the available space.
iii) It was recognised that there was a need to generate additional income to defray the costs of running and
maintaining laboratories and equipment/collections (including technical support), to cover the costs of field
trips/courses and museum visits, and to cover the costs of access to and maintenance of specialised
collections.
Action: See E.2.iii.
D. Good practice and prizes
The IoA underwent Internal Quality Review on 26th April 2007. The reviewers were impressed with the
provision and organisation of teaching, and the enthusiasm of staff and students.
ii) IoA Staff-Student Consultative Committee minutes and procedures have been cited within College as a
model of good practice.
iii) Professor Thilo Rehren achieved a Provost’s Teaching Award for excellence and innovative practice in
teaching.
iv) The IoA came second highest in the ranking of UK Archaeology departments published in the 2007 The
Guardian league table of UK Universities.
i)
E. Major changes envisaged and forward-looking recommendations
E.1. Major changes for 2007/8
i) Two degree programmes will no longer be offered from 2007/8: MA Archaeology of London and MSc
Palaeoecology of Human Societies.
ii) 11 existing courses will be withdrawn and 8 new courses introduced, representing a net decrease of the
equivalent of 4.5 whole unit courses in 2007/8.
iii) From 2007/8 all proposals for new courses will be subject to additional scrutiny from the newly established
Standing Committee of Teaching Committee, which will pay particular attention to recruitment.
iv) From the start of the academic year 2007/8 all undergraduate and Master’s coursework will be submitted to
Turnitin (where practicable). Use of Turnitin will be implemented in a way that enhances student learning
while at the same time increasing scrutiny for plagiarism.
v) New, more detailed, assessment criteria have been drawn up and will be deployed from the start of the
academic year 2007/8 in conjunction with redesigned coursework coversheets, the latter also providing an
opportunity for written comment from the second examiner. These developments will enhance
transparency of examination, and will also ensure that the work of Master’s Qualifying Year students is
assessed at the appropriate level.
E.2. Forward looking recommendations for the longer term
i) Two new degree programmes will be offered from 2008/9. The MSc Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic
Archaeology is a joint initiative of the IoA and the Department of Anthropology and will capitalise on the
considerable expertise distributed across the two departments. The MSc Environmental Archaeology will
replace the withdrawn MSc Palaeoecology of Human Societies, with a syllabus designed to increase
recruitment in the context of changes in staffing.
ii) The structure of the MA African Archaeology, MA Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean and the
Middle East, and MA Egyptian Archaeology will be revised (for 2008/9) to increase their attractiveness to
potential recruits and/or to accommodate staffing changes.
iii) From 2008/9 additional fee elements will be introduced for overseas high fee students enrolling on 4
degree programmes and for UK/EU fee students enrolling on 12 degree programmes.
F. Summary of peer observation of teaching
i)
In 2006/7 some 98% of our 61 staff members completed Peer Observation of Teaching according to
College guidelines.
30th May, 2008
Dr Mark Lake
Deputy Chair of Teaching Committee, Institute of Archaeology
3