UCL Institute of Archaeology Annual Monitoring Report for 2007/8

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UCL Institute of Archaeology Annual Monitoring Report for 2007/8
Chair of IoA Teaching Committee Overview
Undergraduate Programmes
This report covers four undergraduate degree programmes: BA Archaeology, BSc
Archaeology, BA in Egyptian Archaeology, and BA in Archaeology, Classics, and Classical
Art (ACCA). The associated courses were also available to the six students taking the
Master’s Qualifying Year.
A. Student recruitment and performance, and difficulties experienced and actions
taken
A.1. Recruitment
i)
In 2007/8 the Institute of Archaeology (IoA) had a total intake of 47 students on
to a total of four undergraduate programmes as follows: BA Archaeology (53%),
BSc Archaeology (13%), BA Archaeology, Classics and Classical Art (21%) and
BA Egyptian Archaeology (13%). Once admitted, a significant number of
students transfer between IoA degrees – most commonly between the BA and
BSc. The degree ratio of students graduating in 2007/08 was as follows: BA
Archaeology (38%), BSc Archaeology (38%), BA Archaeology, Classics and
Classical Art (2%) and BA Egyptian Archaeology (22%).
ii)
The four undergraduate programmes were delivered through 66 individual
course units, comprising 64 taught courses, and one piece of sustained research
and writing (the Dissertation) and one course based on 40 days of field practice
and an accompanying Fieldwork Portfolio. The average number of students
enrolled on individual courses was 20. The six MA Qualifying Year students
followed a total of 20 selected undergraduate courses, which included Second
Year core courses
iii)
The Institute of Archaeology recruits a high proportion of its students from state
schools. The 2007/8 proportion of state school intake was was 10% lower than
the proportion of applicants; although the reason for this is uncertain, it is
possible that the lack of flexibility in offer levels is a contributory factor. The
Institute of Archaeology recruits a relatively low proportion of males and BME
students, but as reported to the UCL Widening Participation Sub-Committee,
this is related to pre-application factors that are well-documented within
archaeology as a profession. Nevertheless, the Institute of Archaeology is
actively engaged in widening participation work, which may already have
increased recruitment from SCE 4-8 groups and may feed through in respect of
other groups in the longer term.
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A.2. Student performance
i)
The undergraduate students performed very well and the completion rate was
very good. Out of the Third Year student cohort due to complete in 2007/8,
three students interrupted - due to health/personal reasons. Of the original 2005/6
intake due to graduate in 2007/8, seven withdrew earlier in the course of their
degree and two interrupted, but additionally two students transferred from other
universities into the Second Year of this cohort and three students who had
previously interrupted due to health/personal reasons returned and completed in
2007/8. Of the 49 students completing their studies in 2007/8, 35% obtained a
First Class degree, and 65% obtained a Second Class Upper Division degree, and
there were no Second Class Lower Division, Third Class or Fails awarded.
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 First in each programme and the number
of students completing each programme suggests that smaller enrolments may be
subject to greater sampling error. There is no reason to suspect inconsistency in
provision or assessment, although the issue is under review.
Table 1: Percentage of students obtaining particular results in 2007/8
1= First Class; 2:1 = Second Class Upper Division; 2:2 = Second Class Lower Division; 3 = Third
Class; F = Fail; n = number of students)
Degree programme
BA Archaeology (n = 19)
BSc Archaeology (n = 18)
2:1
26
74*
56
44
100
BA Archaeology, Classics and Classical Art(n = 1)
BA Egyptian Archaeology (n = 11)
2:2
18
82*
*One student in each of these groups, both of whom were classed under the Old Regulations because
they had interrupted for a year, received a BA in Archaeological Studies rather than the degree for
which they were enrolled because severe personal difficulties had meant that the student was unable to
complete the number of course units required for an IoA degree, but did satisfy the University’s
course-unit requirement.
i)
The mean grade for students on individual courses varied from 56.5% to 72.3%.
All of our undergraduate courses comprise core courses specific to each year,
and options with some constraints specific to the degree. In 27% of courses 40%
or more of students received First Class marks, which compares with 29% of
courses in 2006/7. Third class marks continued to be rare but 6% of courses had
5% or more of marks in the Third Class category – an improvement compared to
the 13.8% of courses in 2006/7.
ii)
The median marks for the core courses, according to degree route, are given in
Table 2. This indicates good achievement throughout the years with a slight rise
in the marks achieved in the Second and Third Years for the main degree routes.
There is a drop in the Second Year achievement for ACCA (also noted last year).
This degree has now been withdrawn due to low recruitment numbers (one
student graduated in 2007/8) and student difficulties in excelling in some of the
courses.
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Table 2: Core courses average mean and medium marks achieved by student by degree
route
Core courses
BA/BSc
Average
mean %
1st Year
BA ACCA*
BA Egyptian
Median %
Average
mean %
Median %
Average
mean %
Median %
66
66
70
69
65
66
nd
66
66
66 (50)
66 (53)
69
70
rd
3 Year
67
67
68 (61)
69 (68)
63
65
4th Year
N/A
N/A
69 (66)
69 (69)
N/A
N/A
2 Year
* ACCA is the only inter-departmental degree for which we are the parent department. Core options
for this degree taught in other departments are not included in our statistics but are indicated by the
figures in brackets. For the cohort graduating in 2007/8, the course is represented by a single student.
iii)
In 2007/8 we introduced the biennial running of several of our option
courses. In particular this allows specialist courses to recruit the minimum
number of students that College requires for their running and at the same
time enables students to have a maximum choice of courses through their
years of degree study. Concurrent with this we introduced detailed marking
criteria of the coursework expectations specific to each year of study. These
criteria are on the coversheets that the students submit with their work and
their work is marked according to these year criteria. Year specific core
courses (typically 3.5 units in the 1st Year, 3 units in the 2nd Year, 1.5 units
in the 3rd Year) maintain the separate development routes for students in
each year. Table 3 indicates a slight improvement in individual student
results profiles from the First Year options to the Second and Third Year
options.
Table 3. Options. Average mean marks achieved by student year
Options
Average mean %
1st Year
68
nd
rd
2 /3 Year
69
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 (very poor). In 2007/8 84% of overall scores were 4.0
(good) or better and written comments were frequently positive, often in
particular praising staff enthusiasm and specialist knowledge. 6% of
courses scored a maximum possible 5.0. No course was considered
unsatisfactory. The lowest scores were for two core courses - 3.2 (a course
taught primarily by another department with a stand-in member of staff for
one year) and 3.3 (Third Year core course on Field Archaeology, see A.4.1
i). The provision of practicals, museum visits, courses centred on Study
Tours, and the use of Moodle, were particularly praised. The late return of
coursework was highlighted for two courses (see A.4.1.ii)
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A.4. Difficulties experienced and action taken
A.4.1. Learning, teaching and examination
i)
No undergraduate course was considered unsatisfactory, but two courses
received a score of 3.2 and 3.3 respectively. Both are core courses.
Action: The first of these courses is taught by another department (see
A.3.i) with the IoA providing further tutorial support, and we will continue
to monitor the situation. The other course was the Third Year core course
Field Archaeology - this course has been reorganised for 2008/9. In 2007/8
it received a score of 3.9 and yet further improvement is envisaged.
ii)
The late return of coursework was noted on student evaluations on a very
small number of courses. However in the National Student Survey for
2007/08 the IoA scored 20% higher under this heading than the national
average
Action: This was considered at Departmental Teaching Committee, and the
Departmental Staff Student Consultative Committee and the Director has
raised the issue with the particular member of staff concerned and has
written to all staff reminding them of the importance of prompt return of
coursewor
A.4.2 Recruitment The 2007/8 intake figure of 47 students represent a further decrease in the
overall number of students on Undergraduate programmes (compared to an
increase in the number of students on our Masters programmes). Our
College provided target was for an intake of 70 students in 2007/8. This
shortfall reflects a nationwide decline in the number of students taking
Archaeology as a first degree in combination with College’s stringent
application of minimum entry grades of BBB. In particular the ACCA
degree programme has consistently recruited <10 students (6 in 2007/8)
each year and has now been withdrawn.
Action: We are in the process of introducing and recruiting for three new
undergraduate degrees, which we feel sure will attract more students. These
are a BA degree in Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation (with
effect from 2008/9), a BA in Archaeology with a Year Abroad (with effect
from 2009/10) and a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology (with effect
from 2009/10). These courses show every sign of being highly successful in
terms of recruitment. Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation
admitted six students in 2008/9 and we have already (January 09) had 100
applications for the BA in Archaeology and Anthropology, 52 applicants for
Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation, and 17 for Archaeology
with a Year Abroad.
B. Reports of External Examiners
The External Examiners comments on the conduct of examination and the
awards and standards were very favourable and praise was given for
teaching, assessment feedback and student achievement, dissertations, and
the use of Turnitin. Positive comment was given on the new, more detailed,
assessment criteria which were 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. In
addition, the great majority of the External Examiners’ supplementary
comments were satisfactory or complimentary.
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i)
The range of assessment methods was raised by two of the External
Examiners. One of the issues raised was in the context of the core Field
Archaeology course – where the Portfolio elements were considered to
be too numerous. The other issue raised was in the context of several
courses being examined by two essays alone and the possible need for a
greater variety of assessment methods.
Action: The core course Field Archaeology has been redesigned for
2008/9 to have two examination elements rather than five. Departmental
Teaching Committee Syllabus Review Subcommittee has created a
substantial list of diverse Assessment Methods and Course Coordinators have been encouraged to review their assessment methods.
This has led to an extended range of assessment methods now being
used for the undergraduate courses.
ii)
The External Examiners’ raised five additional points in their written
reports. One was a misunderstanding. The other four points related to
the bunching of marks and the higher marks achieved for essays versus
unseen examinations.
Action: The mark ranges will be monitored. Additionally, the new
detailed marking criteria (see Bi) above) should aid the more even
spread of assignment and examination marks.
C. Resource Issues
i)
No major resource issues were raised for the 2007/08 cohort, bar the
need for more power sockets to be available for laptop computers in the
Institute’s Departmental Library; the need for greater student access to
scanning facilities, and the need to recycle waste/rubbish as efficiently
as possible
Action: Additional power sockets have been placed in the Institute’s
Departmental Library. The need for increased access to scanning
facilities was forwarded to the Departmental Facilities Committee and
the students have been made aware of the full range of scanning
facilities available in the Department and given increased ease of access
to them. Recycling has been rationalised in the building, particularly
with respect to categorising office rubbish into precise recycling
categories.
D. Good practice and prizes
i)
ii)
iii)
Dr Mark Lake achieved the Provost’s Teaching Award for excellence
and innovative practice in teaching and student learning support and our
Academic Administrator Ms Judy Medrington achieved the Provost’s
Teaching Award for excellence and innovative practice in student
learning support. Dr Lake’s award in particular noted his organisation
of the introduction of Turnitin for all submitted undergraduate written
work and its formative use to widen students’ consideration of good
writing and the diverse range of issues involved in plagiarism.
The IoA came highest in the ranking of UK Archaeology departments
published in the 2008 The Guardian league table of UK Universities.
We have introduced a Standing Committee of Teaching Committee
which meets at least once a term to consider in detail issues relating to
and to be forwarded to our termly DTC (membership: Chair and Deputy
Chair of DTC, IoA Director, Academic Administrator, Chair of the
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iv)
v)
vi)
vii)
viii)
Deparmental Board of Examiners, and others are co-opted as is
appropriate).
We have introduced HEFCE equal opportunity guidelines into the
format and remit of the redesigned teaching and assessment of our core
course on Field Archaeology
The National Student Survey and our end of degree student
questionnaires have commented on our excellent pastoral support for
students
We have been congratulated on achieving one of the highest return rates
for the National Student Survey 2008 (79%, as opposed to the College
average of 55%) . In addition, the NSS scores were significantly (up
to 20%) higher than the average for UCL and Archaeology nationally
on all counts, most notably for ‘Organisation and Management’ and
Assessment and Feedback’.
The Institute has a well-established position of Disabilities Coordinator, who is responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities,
especially dyslexia, are referred to the UCL Disability Centre. So far as
we are aware, we are the only Department to have such a post. We
have been praised by the UCL Disability Co-ordinator and by students
for the support that Institute staff provide for students with disabilities.
The Institute currently has 26 students with disabilities enrolled for
undergraduate courses.
We have introduced greatly expanded, separate criteria for the
assessment of coursework submitted by each year group of students
(see above)
E. Major changes envisaged and forward-looking recommendations
E.1. Major changes for 2008/9
i)
One degree programme will no longer be offered from 2008/9: BA in
Archaeology, Classics and Classical Art (ACCA). This degree will be
replaced by the BA in Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation.
ii)
Two existing courses will be withdrawn and 2 new courses introduced
in 2008/09
iii)
We will pilot College’s PAL (Peer-Assisted Learning) scheme
E.2. Forward looking recommendations for the longer term
i)
Two new degree programmes will be offered from 2009/10: BA in
Archaeology with a Year Abroad and a BA in Archaeology and
Anthropology.
ii)
Two new courses will be introduced for the BA degrees in Classical
Archaeology and Classical Civilisation to increase its range of choices.
iii)
We will continue to review and add to our range of Assessment
Methods
F. Summary of Peer Observation of Teaching
i)
In 2007/8 some 50 out of our 51 HEFCE funded staff who were not on
sabbatical, that is 98%, completed Peer Observation of Teaching
according to College guidelines.
6th January 2009
Dr Sue Hamilton
Chair of Departmental Teaching Committee
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