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. 1 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. 2 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) 3 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. 4 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 5 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 6