An Coiste Feabhais Acaduil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2003 –2004
REVIEW OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF GERMAN
Final Report
3 June 2004
Department of German: Review Report, 2003–04
This report arises from a visit by a review group to the Department of German on the
26th and 27th February 2004. The Department had already prepared and submitted a
“Self-Assessment Report” that, with other documentation, was made available to the
Review Group in advance of the visit.
The Review Group consisted of:
Emeritus Professor John Sandford, Department of German Studies, University
of Reading (Chair),
Dr. Gisela Holfter, Department of Languages and Cultural Studies, University
of Limerick;
Professor Diarmuid Bradley, Department of Spanish, NUI Galway; and
Dr. Iain Mac Labhrainn, of the CFA acting as rapporteur.
The report is structured to cover the following main topics:
1. Aims and Objectives
2. Organisation and Management
3. Programmes and Instruction
4. Scholarship and Research
5. Community Service
6. The Wider Context
7. Summary of Main Recommendations
1. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives as stated in the Self-Assessment Report were felt to be
appropriate and comprehensive and to reflect the activities of the Department. The
Review Group felt that they could also stress more strongly aspects regarding the
employability of language graduates.
The Review Group also feels that the set of aims and objectives (as stated in
the Report) should be made available to all students, possibly through a
course/Departmental handbook and certainly on the Department Web-site.
2. Organisation and Management
The organisational responsibilities were listed in the documentation provided by the
Department, and the Review Group was pleased to note the listing of staff
responsibilities, but recognises that this is a first stage and a number of the functions
have still to be implemented (for example, duties of the Head of Year).
The Group noted the minimal nature of the minutes of Departmental meetings
and recommends that a full record of discussion and conclusions reached be kept and
circulated to all members of the Department. The minutes should clearly state the
actions to be taken and who has responsibility for each item. An agenda should be
provided and a formal review of minutes of previous meetings be the first substantive
item on this agenda.
As far as possible, all members of staff of the Department should be invited to
Departmental Meetings, and encouraged to attend and participate in them. To achieve
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that aim, the traditional time for meetings should, if necessary be changed. The
Department should also work towards a close and transparent working relationship
between all the different categories of staff (Lecturers, Applied Language Teachers
[ALTs], part-time, temporary staff, etc).
Communication and coordination with the Arts Faculty were felt to be
effective and efficient and the Department feels that it is recognised within the
Faculty. There was, however, considerable variability in the effectiveness of lines of
communication with other Faculties, and the perception of the priority placed on
languages in them. The very smooth functioning of the links with Commerce were
commented on favourably by both staff and students and identified as a potential role
model for relationships with other Faculties.
It was felt that the relationship with Engineering, by contrast, was not as
strong as may be desired. There is no direct representation of language Departments
in the Engineering Faculty structures and practical issues such as last-minute
timetable changes can often cause considerable difficulty.
3. Programmes and Instruction
3.1 Generic Issues
(1) The Review Group was very impressed by students’ frequent mention of the
approachability of the staff. Both Arts students and those from other faculties
stressed the friendly and supportive atmosphere which characterises the
Department, a point also stressed by the Dean. The staff’s strong commitment to
supporting a varied range of extra-curricular activities was also very much in
evidence. Both of these commendable attributes could usefully be emphasised in
promotional literature regarding the benefits of studying German in Galway.
(2) The Group was very impressed by the budget allocated to the Department by the
Library and the excellent resourcing in terms of books and journals, which
compare very favourably indeed with those elsewhere, both within Ireland and
overseas.
There was concern, however, that An Teanglann and its associated
potential are under-exploited. For example, satellite TV access is extremely
restricted (it is not possible for students to change channels or record specific
programmes), DVDs are not provided (despite a large and increasing quantity of
such material being available), and it is not possible for students to borrow video
or audio materials. The viewing room is very small with only a limited number of
“stations” present. Access by individual students to computer facilities and the
multimedia laboratory (outside scheduled classes) are also very restricted.
The Review Group recommends that the issue of the availability of audiovideo materials to students should be reconsidered and also that discussions take
place with the Library to establish a procedure for such access and borrowing
rights.
It was also noted that there is nowhere in the Library or anywhere else for
students to have easy access to German newspapers and magazines. In terms of
the book ordering process, internally within the Department, this should be
clarified and responsibilities for the budget agreed, with the process being the
responsibility of a single permanent member of staff.
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(3) The Review Group were surprised to see marked variation in the formatting of
examination papers produced by staff in the Department and would recommend a
single Departmental style in terms of font, layout, etc. Where quotations or texts
are used in examination questions, the full reference to the original source should
be given.
(4) In terms of the overall portfolio of modules and courses on offer, the Review
Group feels that there may be further scope for sharing classes between two or
more programmes and other possible means of rationalising, particularly given the
relatively low enrolment numbers in some programmes.
(5) The presence of enthusiastic, young Lektors from Germany and Austria is
welcomed and recognised both by the Department and the Review Group.
(6) The approach to gathering feedback from students on the B.A. programme seemed
inconsistent and also suffered from a low response rate. The Review Group
recommends that a standard form (provided by CELT) be used and that the issuing
and analysis of these forms should become part of routine practice in the courses
offered. These and other items can provide useful inputs to a course review
process and a meeting to consider review of modules should take place each
January or February to plan for the following Academic Year.
3.2 BA & BA (International)
The Review Group was satisfied with the range and amount of courses/topics offered
in the programme and noted that there had been improvement since the previous
review period. Student comments reflected a general satisfaction with the quality and
range of teaching provided by the Department.
A number of specific issues arose from discussion with the students and staff,
and from the documentation provided. Areas in which improvements could be made
include: the availability of information regarding course overview and assessment
details; consistency in the application of deadlines and penalties for late submission of
coursework; organisation, preparation for, and support during the year abroad; the
amount of spoken German throughout the course.
(1) The first-year course was felt by students to provide a good bridge between school
and university level German language. The staff recognise, nonetheless, that there
is considerable scope for revisiting the content of the course in the light of
changing student interests and abilities.
(2) The creative topics in the final year (German-language gazette, creative writing
workshop, video film, media studies) were also very favourably received by the
students. The film component was very popular amongst the students and the
Group welcomes the growing presence of film in second- and final-year levels.
(3) Whilst some students commented extremely favourably on support for their year
abroad, the pattern was not consistent, providing evidence that this was dependent
on the individual approach of each staff member. In some cases, there were
apparent difficulties with a perceived lack of support from the host institution
abroad. There was also inconsistency in the level of contact maintained with the
Department during this period and no apparent requirement to report back
regularly. Students also felt that they could have benefited from more information
and spoken language practice in preparation for the year abroad. This could
perhaps be addressed by the provision of a standard information sheet to all
students, specifying the supports available and opportunities for language practice.
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(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
In addition, those students preparing for the year abroad who had had an
opportunity to hear from returning students about their experience felt that this
was reassuring and beneficial.
As regards deadlines and flexibility in dealing with late submission of
coursework, students commented that there were differences in practice amongst
the staff and that they would prefer a consistent application of such deadlines and
associated penalties. The potential difficulties presented to Academic Staff when
deadlines were changed by colleagues with little or no consultation, were also
noted.
The final year extended essay was a source of some dissatisfaction for students
who expressed a preference for an earlier submission date at the start of the final
year.
The use of continuous assessment was very much welcomed and appreciated by
students, although there did seem to be a lack of written, detailed information on
the weighting of marks across the various items of assessment and their overall
distribution across each module.
The benefits of providing a single, comprehensive handbook covering the BA
courses were apparent to the students and the Review Group. This could
incorporate the overall aims and objectives of the Department (and its
programmes), details of the range of assessment types and criteria, mark
distributions, information on the year abroad, extended essay submission deadline,
etc, and could be made available in printed form and/or on the Web.
In discussion with students it emerged that they felt that they had inadequate
exposure to the spoken language, particularly with regards to preparation for the
year abroad and in terms of building on their higher level of fluency and
confidence on their return from abroad. Whilst there is some exposure in the
second semester in second year, it was felt that there should be more spoken
classes embedded throughout the programme. There was no apparent use of
language laboratories in the second year and perhaps this could assist. The Review
Group felt that to the fullest possible degree the students should be exposed to
spoken German in the final year.
The Review Group welcomes the progress towards establishing the BA
(International), with its year of study in a German-speaking country, as the
automatic choice of students.
Applied Language Courses
The Review Group was impressed by the considerable efforts of the Applied
Language Teachers to ensure the success of the range of programmes delivered to
students in the various faculties. The feedback from the students on these courses was
also extremely positive and expressed a strong appreciation for the commitment and
dedication of the teaching staff, with personal attention, quick and helpful feedback
on coursework, and approachability highlighted as particular strengths.
(1) The Review Group noted that the Applied Language Teachers carry a heavy
burden in terms not only of teaching these courses, but also in terms of
organisation of timetables, arranging classrooms, helping with placements and
other administrative issues. An area of concern is the fact that each of these
programmes depends exclusively on a single individual ALT. Issues such as
coverage in case of ill-health or other legitimate absence highlight the risks
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(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
inherent in such dependency, and this is a potential source of stress for the
individual teachers concerned.
The Review Group met with student representatives from each of these
programmes and was impressed with the strength of their support for the ALTs
and their evident sense of attachment to the German Department. A number of
course-specific issues were raised in these discussions and in written submissions
prepared by the students.
The overall message from these was a desire to strengthen the standing of
the language component of their courses and for all Departments to recognise the
value in this component. Students in Commerce were very satisfied with the
arrangements with their Faculty and the strong, overt recognition of the language
dimension. Students in IT also appreciated the fact that their efforts were reflected
in the overall degree title, whereas this was not the case for those, for example, in
Biotechnology or Engineering.
In Biotechnology, there was frustration that German was only available for
the first three years and, further, that there was no relationship between language
taken and the location of the overseas placement. In Engineering, there was
disappointment at the lack of opportunity in all Engineering programmes, except
Management Engineering, to pursue the language in all years and a feeling that
more flexibility in the structure of the courses could open up this potential to a
wider range of students.
Again, the issue of obtaining appropriate placements had raised difficulties
which could be resolved for individual students only by exceptional efforts on the
part of the ALT. Students in Law wished to see the language option being made
available in the LlB programme and for more support for, and value placed on, the
language component within the Faculty.
Students in all courses stressed that they felt that the German teaching staff were
very friendly and supportive, and complimented them on both quick and effective
feedback and their willingness to respond to student difficulties as the course
progressed.
The Review Group recommends that the Department give serious consideration to
the appointment of a separate external examiner for the Applied Language
courses.
The Review Group understands that the terms for ALT promotion are currently
the subject of discussion with the Human Resources Office and the Registrar’s
office and it is hoped that the criteria will faithfully reflect the focus of the ALTs’
teaching with its practical research, self-improvement through attendance of
teachers’ courses, technology-enhanced course development and administration.
The Group also became aware of the aspirations of the ALTs to engage in
scholarly activity and hopes that impediments to such activities can be removed
by sensitive management of their workloads and range of duties.
It is also recommended that the recently developed probationary
supervisory system, or an equivalent process, should encompass the ALTs,
ensuring that they are provided with support and that they and other staff (such as
those on temporary or part-time contracts) are made fully aware of appropriate
potential career pathways.
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(6) The Group expresses its hope that those staff on temporary contracts will be
reappointed. The feedback on these staff from both colleagues and students was
very positive indeed, but the uncertainty over contract renewal is a source of stress
and anxiety.
4. Scholarship and Research
The Department has an excellent research reputation which is predominantly based on
the output of two members of staff, although there is an awareness of the need to
involve all staff members in research and scholarly activity.
Staff expressed satisfaction with the funding provision and opportunities
available within the university and from external sources. It is recommended by the
Review Group that the Department avails of the training and support available from
both the Research Office and the Arts Faculty for making external funding
applications.
The Review Group would also encourage the Department to make the
proposed Research Day an annual event and begin concerted efforts to explore the
possibilities for building capacity for research.
There is, for example, scope for developing joint interests with the other
modern language Departments and to some extent this has begun to happen with
recent conferences and events. Research “clusters” around common themes is an idea
that was also raised in meetings with the Registrar, Dean of Research and individual
staff. The example of the Centre for Human Settlement and Historical Change was
frequently cited as an example of multi-Departmental cooperation. Opportunities also
exist for external collaboration with other universities and organisations.
Some greater clarity could be provided as regards the research supports,
opportunities and expectations for the various categories of staff employed by the
Department (full-time, part-time, temporary, permanent, Lecturer, ALT, etc).
The Group recommends that further efforts should be made to recruit
postgraduate students onto taught and research programmes. The current postgraduate
students drew attention to the lack of a common room, with provision of magazines
and newspapers, but discussions with the Dean indicated that a room had been
identified for such student use, although in practice this has been used as a staff
common room. The postgraduate study room (206A) was felt to be an excellent
resource.
5. Community Service.
The Review Group acknowledges the many examples of community service described
in the Self- Assessment Review and it is clear that the Department contributes
significantly to both on-campus and off-campus activities, ranging from an evening
Diploma course (which has a full uptake) to contributions to various festivals and
related events.
The Group was also impressed by the organisation of two international
conferences within an 18-month period.
6. The Wider Context.
The current trends in recruitment to modern language Departments in Englishspeaking countries are of major concern and the Department needs to develop a
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strategy to respond to this situation. The Review Group acknowledges the ideas
suggested by staff members, but stresses the importance of establishing a dynamic and
proactive approach to recruitment.
Activities such as events for school students (providing sample courses and
workshops), showcasing the work of the Department, participation in Open Days,
visits to schools and Careers Fairs, etc, are all worthwhile. Greater involvement with
national groups such as the German Teachers’ Association in Ireland (GDI) may also
provide opportunities.
In discussions with the current students it became evident that they had not
been made aware of courses in German in Galway whilst at school. Many had
selected German whilst enrolled on other programmes or general Arts courses.
The positive attitude of the students and the friendliness of the staff of the
Department are valuable assets that should help to attract new applicants.
The Review Group was strongly of the opinion that the existing publicity
materials developed by the Department were inadequate to tackling the current
recruiting situation. More attractive, glossy leaflets should be designed that will
appeal to school students and other potential applicants. Perhaps cooperation with the
other language Departments would also be beneficial in this area, sharing costs and
drawing attention to the range of language courses in Galway. In addition, the
Departmental web pages require to be updated with information on staff research and
teaching interests, as well as administrative responsibilities.
The marketing and recruitment strategy should also consider targeting other
specific groups such as mature applicants and lifelong learners. The high
employability of language graduates should be emphasised in publicity materials and
at promotional events.
7. Summary of main recommendations
The Review Group recommends that:
•
the Department recognise, as a matter of urgency, the extent of the crisis in
student recruitment in German studies and take active steps to address this;
•
the Department further promote collegiality by enhancing the clarity and
consistency of its policy making procedures, and of details of workload
distribution and responsibilities;
•
links be strengthened between the BA staff and those in Applied Languages;
•
the Department be encouraged to explore the opportunities for rationalisation
of courses and shared teaching where this is possible;
•
the Department review all of the documentation it provides for students, taking
into account the points made in this Report, and work towards the creation of a
single Departmental handbook;
•
the Department establish consistent and reliable arrangements for the year
abroad;
•
the Department regularly review its course provision and curriculum taking
into account, in particular, developments in students’ interests and abilities;
•
clear criteria for promotion and clearly defined career pathways be identified
by the University, particularly for Applied Language Teachers;
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•
staff on temporary contracts be reappointed;
•
the Department further promote its research capacity through staff
development, annual research days, participation in cooperative ventures with
other Departments, particularly modern languages, and where appropriate with
colleagues in other institutions;
•
host Departments give full recognition to the benefits to be derived from the
applied language courses and facilitate their delivery in every way possible;
•
An Teanglann and the Library review provision of, and student access to,
German audio-visual materials, newspapers, TV, etc.
Comments on the Methodology of the Review Process
The Review Group felt that the Review process was well-organised, fair, and
comprehensive. The members of the Department, and others interviewed by the
Group, were clear about their role in the Review process, and open and constructive in
their comments and contributions.
The meetings with individual Staff were very helpful, but the scheduling of ten
minutes per interview was too short, in some cases, and perhaps this can be taken into
account in timetabling future such events. As regards the documentation provided to
the Group, some additional materials such as student feedback forms (and analysis)
for the BA courses and documents relating to the year abroad would have been of
assistance.
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