Programme review: CHEM33300
School of Chemistry, undergraduate, Year 2010-2011
Last modified: 2010-11-12 10:42:46
Evaluation
Report Structure:
This report is divided into a number of sub sections based upon the responses to the
self-evaluation tool. Each subsection is reported upon in tabular form, with three
columns:
1. The first column gives the questions from the self-evaluation tool,
2. The second column gives your response to these questions,
3. The third column gives suggested future actions. Key actions are in bold.
The next step:
The report includes a suggested actions template, where you can allocate timelines
and responsibilities for the implementation of actions.
Sections
Programme Course Design
Introducing inclusion into design curriculum will limit the need to introduce retroactive
adjustments later.
Question
Your answer
Is there a well publicised
No
programme attendance
policy that incorporates flexibility
for extenuating circumstances
consistent with competence and
other academic standards?
Choose N/A if you are evaluating
a module or your own personal
teaching practices.
Suggested actions
Insert attendance policy into the
programme handbook or
website. Advise students of
action to take if ill or if any other
problems with attendance are
foreseen.
Question
Your answer
Are the College library and other Yes
facilities sufficient to support
teaching / learning activities?
Would you like more
information before
answering?:
on considerations when
answering this question (2m 13s)
Are a range of teaching and
Not sure
assessment methods and
materials utilised to respond to
Labs and
diverse learner preferences?
lectures could we offer
more?
Are teaching and assessment
No
methods and materials evaluated
for barriers to learning for diverse Put on agenda
student groups?
of next
committee
(e.g. students with: English as a meeting
second language, significant
external responsibilities,
disabilities etc.)
Would you like more
information?
Suggested actions
Continue to monitor student
satisfaction with College services
and inform service areas of
difficulties if they arise in the
future.
Consider whether the range of
methods and materials can be
expanded to better respond to
learner preferences.
Proactively evaluate your
practices. Consult your
students.
TIC Inclusive Guidelines has
examples of barriers within
different teaching and assessment
methods. Seek student feedback
on their experiences of the
academic environment. Update
your responses to this selfevaluation on an annual basis to
monitor progress and highlight any
issues arising.
further explaining this question
(length 1m 11s)
If found, are strategies sought to Not applicable
overcome these barriers?
Are learning outcomes
Not sure
Evaluate all learning outcomes
formulated in an inclusive
as they develop and evolve for
manner?
potential barriers to learning for
Recheck
diverse student groupings and
seek to reformulate where
Select N/A if you are evaluating
barriers are found.
your own teaching practices, and
do not set learning outcomes.
Is there alignment between
learning outcomes and teaching
No
See TIC Learning Outcomes for
advice on how to evaluate learning
outcomes for inclusion.
Ensure that all aspects of your
learning outcomes are taught
Question
Your answer
and assessment methods?
Suggested actions
Not always - and assessed (e.g. theoretical
need to
understanding, knowledge, and
consider more practical skills).
practical work
within specific
modules.
Pre-Admission
Clear information regarding College’s programmes and processes is essential to
help ensure prospective students’ choices are well informed, to aid the smooth
running of the application process, and to create a positive first impression of
College.
Question
Your answer
No
Are there clear, easy to find,
information sources that
ensure prospective students
have accurate expectations
of your programme before
applying?
Are programme-specific
requirements relevant and
fair on your programme?
Suggested actions
Ensure prospective students
have access to relevant
programme information online
from the College website, and
in printed format where
appropriate.
Information
fragmented, may
be useful to
include all
information in one
place.
Yes
Continue to review programmespecific requirements to ensure
they are relevant and fair.
(Select 'Not Applicable' if this
is an undergraduate
programme with no
programme-specific entry
requirements)
Not sure
Are alternative modes of
meeting programme
requirements sought where
appropriate?
Select 'Not Applicable' if this
is an undergraduate
You can ensure any unforeseen
cases are covered consider
adding a level of flexibility to
programme requirements by
including the following to your
programme requirements:
“or otherwise satisfy the
selection panel that they have
the ability to complete and
benefit from the course”
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
programme with no
programme-specific entry
requirements.
Not applicable
Where students are
interviewed: are individual
student needs considered
before the interview
process?
(Select 'Not Applicable' if no
interviews are held for any
student applying to this
programme)
Where students are
Not applicable
interviewed: Where specific
needs arise are adjustments
made to the process as
appropriate to ensure equity
and fairness?
(Select 'Not Applicable' if no
interviews are held
for any student applying to
this programme)
Induction and Orientation
Induction activities are often act as the first point of direct contact between new
students and College, and as such they play an important role in welcoming
students, and ensuring that they are familiar with academic expectations as well as
College facilities and services.
Question
Do you hold induction
events for new
students to your
programme?
Your answer
No
Information
online instead
Suggested actions
Hold induction events for your new
students. Student feedback during the
TIC pilots have strongly argued for the
importance of well planned induction
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
events to familiarise students with
academic expectations, and College
services / facilities.
Are induction events
held in physically
accessible venues?
Does all induction
information follow
Clear Print
Guidelines?
Are new students
clearly informed of the
facilities and services
available to them
within College?
Are new students
clearly informed
regarding their
programme of study,
and academic
expectations?
Not applicable
Yes
Continue to follow clear print guidelines in
induction materials.
All staff aware of
this policy.
Not sure
Clearly inform new students of
facilities and services available in
College including student support
services, IT services and the library;
and consider incorporating a guided
tour of facilities and services into your
orientation event.
No
Clearly inform new students of
information regarding their study and
academic expectations including study
Going on
methods, assessment types, and class
retention rates
and failure in 1st contact hours versus self-directed
study.
year exams, I
would guess no
Programme - Physical Environment
The physical environment in which students learn can play an important role in
enabling inclusive practice. An inclusive learning environment is accessible to all
students, pleasant to work in, and appropriate for the teaching, learning and
assessment methodologies employed.
Question
Are all teaching / learning
venues used (e.g.
classrooms, labs, seminar
rooms) physically
accessible to all students?
Your answer
No
Suggested actions
If your inaccessible venue is
regularly used:
Lecture hall 101 is
inaccessible, no
Seek alternative accommodation.
induction loops in
the smaller
classrooms and no
lowered work
If your inaccessible venue is a
station in the lab. one off venue:
fictional
Ask students to advise if they
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
foresee any difficulties accessing
the venue and respond to any
difficulties raised by either
changing venues or taking steps
to enhance accessibility (e.g.
installing an induction loop,
clearing space for a wheelchair
etc.).
In both scenarios, seek strategies
for minimising any barriers to
physical accessibility as an
interim measure.
Create an action plan outlining the
actions to be taken if a student is
either temporarily or permanently
disabled.


Consider the viability of using
alternative venues.
Where this may not be
possible for some reason
seek alternative methods for
facilitating students with
mobility difficulties (e.g.
providing classes in
accessible venues,
podcasting classes).
Further considerations:
Does the layout,
Not sure
equipment, and furniture in
your teaching / learning
Need lowered
As far as possible, aim to ensure
that the size of class rooms is
adequate for the numbers of
students and that acoustics and
lighting as sufficient. Report any
ongoing difficulties with rooms
(e.g. temperature, acoustics) to
the Buildings office.
Consider strategies for enhancing
the physical comfort and visibility
Question
environments (including
laboratories) suit teaching
methodologies employed
and the learning needs of
the students?
Your answer
Suggested actions
work station in the within classrooms and labs etc.
lab....
Consider, for example:





Are relevant administrative Yes
and academic offices
physically accessible to all
students?
layout of seating,
size and shape of furniture,
the size of the room for the
student numbers present,
the position of any pillars
within classrooms, and
temperature.
Continue to be aware of, and
enhance as necessary, the
accessibility of your office/s.
Accessible Information - Programme
All information provided by College must follow the College Accessible Information
Policy. Furthermore, in order to enhance inclusion, all information should be clear,
accurate, jargon free, and timely.
Question
Does all course information (both
electronic and hard format) follow Clear
Print Guidelines?
Is course information available in
alternative formats on request?
Your answer
No
Need to update
the programme
handbook in
line with
Accessible
Information
policy
Yes
Suggested actions
Follow clear print
guidelines.
Further
consideration:
When circulating
materials
electronically,
consider the size of
the document and
possible difficulties
for those on slower
Internet connections.
Continue current good
practice and ensure all
documents have a
strapline telling readers
who to e-mail to
request a copy in
alternative format.
Question
Your answer
Are queries from current and prospective
students dealt with in a timely and clear
manner?
Not sure
Where they are finalised, are learning
outcomes easily available to students
either online or in the programme
handbook?
Is one consistent method used by all
lecturers / instructors on this module /
programme to circulate electronic materials
to students (e.g. WebCT, shared network
space, e-mail)?
Is the final teaching timetable completed
at least one week before teaching is
scheduled to begin?
No
Need to look
into this
process.
Will add in for
next year.
Yes
Moodle
Suggested actions
Ensure there are
procedures in place
to ensure queries
from students are
dealt with in a timely
and clear manner.
Include learning
outcomes within the
programme handbook
or online.
Continue to use one
consistent method to
circulate all electronic
materials to avoid
student confusion.
Not sure
"Final", yes but there can
be further
amendments.
Ensure the teaching
timetable completed
at least one week
before lectures are
scheduled to begin.
Further considerations:
Seek to ensure that
students get breaks
throughout the day
within lecture
timetables and that
there is sufficient time
to travel from venue to
venue between
lectures.
Do students receive all major assessment No
deadlines at the beginning of the academic
year?
Select N/A if there is no continuous
assessment.
Aim to give as
advanced warning as
possible for all one off
changes.
Circulate deadlines
for continuous
assessments to
students at the
beginning of the year.
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
Further consideration:
Do all students receive programme
handbooks at the beginning of the year?
No
Are handbooks available online?
Yes
They went up
this year in
November
Do handbooks offer students accurate and Not sure
comprehensive information regarding their
programme of study?
Will review for
next year.
Seek to spread
deadlines more evenly
throughout the year if
not already doing so.
Allow students
access to their
programme handbook
from the beginning of
the academic year.
Continue to locate your
handbook online or
extract the information
relevant for prospective
students and add to
your website.
Include all relevant
information within the
programme
handbook, including
module and
programme
information, and
details of College
facilities and
services. See the TIC
handbook
template (156kb) for
suggestions of
information to include.
Information Technology
Question
Does the programme website
and online resources follow
Web accessibility and Clear
Print Guidelines?
Can all teaching and
Your
answer
No
Suggested actions
Amend all online resources to follow
Web accessibility and Clear Print
Guidelines.
Website to
be updated
this year.
Yes
Continue good practice and ensure IS
Question
Your
answer
assessment activities be
completed by students using
the IT facilities currently
available on campus?
Suggested actions
Services are regularly updated
regarding any required software and
any ongoing IT related difficulties
reported by your students.
Further suggestions:
Limit the amount of printing required of
your students as far as possible. It can
be costly and working printers can
sometimes be difficult to find.
Formal Classroom Teaching
Question
Your
answer
Suggested actions
No
Are all teaching staff,
including guest lecturers,
encouraged to design
classes to respond to the
various learning preferences
of a diverse student body?
All students have different strengths and
preferences with regards learning.
Therefore, using a range of teaching
Not
explicitly resources and approaches will ensure all
students can learn to their strengths.
Have all teaching staff been Yes
made aware of the
importance of accessible
teaching and where to
access information regarding
these practices?
Select N/A if you are
engaging in self-evaluation.
Use a range of teaching methods and
materials, and consider new methods
and materials as learning outcomes and
technology develop.
If students are experiencing significant
ongoing difficulties with a segment of the
course, investigate why, and consider how
you can help students overcome these
difficulties.
Continue promoting good inclusive practices
and where to access information regarding
these practices.
There are a wide variety of staff workshops
and presentations on good teaching,
assessment, and supervisory practices
delivered in College. The TIC website is
also a good resource.
Events are advertised
regularly from CAPSL, CLT, the Disability
Question
Are teaching staff aware of
tools to check the facilities
within their class rooms?
Check N/A if you are
engaged in a self evaluation
of your individual teaching.
Your
answer
Service, the Staff Office, IS Services
amongst others.
Not sure Advise staff of the following resources:
The College Accessibility Checker and the
Theatre AV Facilities Checker, which both
Will
circulate list equipment in major class rooms.
e-mail
No
Are the needs of a diverse
student body anticipated
when purchasing and
refurbishing equipment, (e.g.
lab equipment, tools,
furniture)?
Choose N/A if there are no
relevant practical elements.
Are disabled students
advised of processes to
follow when identifying any
potential need for
adjustments?
Consider student needs when
purchasing / refurbishing equipment and
furniture and consider strategies for
enhancing the class environment as
teaching, learning, and technology
develops.


Select N/A if you are
evaluating your own
teaching
Are prospective and current
students well informed in
advance of the nature of
practical elements and of
what they will have to do in
order to undertake the
course?
Suggested actions
Yes
Conduct regular access audits of
class facilities.
Consult students before
refurbishing.
Inclusion goes beyond physical
accessibility. An inclusive environment is
pleasant to work in and includes accessible
equipment that is fit for purpose. Consider
whether school / programme owned labs /
workshops and classrooms can be better
equipped to facilitate learning for all
students.
Continue to provide information in advance
regarding the nature of practical elements
and what they will have to do in order to
undertake the course.
Not sure Actively advise disabled students of
processes to follow when identifying any
potential need for adjustments.
Ensure they are aware that they should
contact the Disability Service if they believe
Question
Do you ensure disabled
students receive the
accommodations laid out
within the LENS report?
Your
answer
Suggested actions
they will need reasonable accommodations
for a disability.
Read the LENS reports for all your
students, and provide the recommended
accommodations.
No
LENS (Learning Educational Needs
Summary) reports are documents that are
forwarded annually by the Disability Office
to schools summarising the needs of
disabled students within the area. For more
see: Disability Service: LENS information
Off Campus Teaching
This section has been skipped
Placements
This section has been skipped
Problem Based Learning
This section looks at the design and delivery of problem based learning to ensure
that all students experience PBL as an effective learning tool.
For more on inclusive delivery of PBL see TIC: Problem Based Learning.
Question
Your
answer
Are the aims, rationale, and
No
expectations for participants
when engaging with Problem
Based Learning, clearly
explained to students in
advance?
Does the layout, equipment and Yes
furniture in the learning
environment suit PBL and the
needs of your students?
Suggested actions
Explain the aims and rational of PBL
to new students. Furthermore, ensure
students know what is expected of
them to successfully engage with
PBL.
Continue to consider the layout and
furniture in your PBL environment,
including:


layout of seating,
acoustics and lighting,
Question
Your
answer
Suggested actions

visibility of any boards / flip charts.
Group Work
Group work offers worthwhile opportunities for students to work together, learn from
each other, and acquire transferable skills. When setting group work tasks, it can be
useful to consider student availability, resources necessary, and expected outcomes.
Question
Your answer
Are teaching staff
No
encouraged to consider
accessibility difficulties
that can arise when using
group work, and how to
overcome these?
Suggested actions
Minimise the negative effects of
group work by considering:


Your students’ formal teaching
timetable when deciding on the
quantity of group work to
include. The less free time your
students have, the harder it will
be for them to organise times
when all group members are free.
The needs of students with
considerable external
responsibilities (e.g. child
rearing, practice placement).
Ensure group work is not too
demanding on these students
with limited free time outside
scheduled class hours.
Consider using online resources.
These can be helpful to students who
find it hard to meet in person.
For more see TIC group work
guidelines.
When setting group
Yes
Continue to follow strategies that
assessments: are
minimise the risk that students will take
teaching staff
Students must credit for work that is not theirs. Possible
encouraged to consider also hand in an suggestions:
and minimise the
individual report
difficulties that can arise on their
 Limit the weighting for group work
when using group work
contribution to
in final marks,
as a means of summative the group.
 Include some individual
assessment that takes account of
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
assessment?

Choose N/A if group work
is not used as a means of
summative assessment.
Are convenient group
work facilities available
for your students?

Not sure
the level of individual commitment
when grading students,
Use some form of peer review
when grading students.
Ask students to report on what
work they contributed.
Seek to ensure your students have
access to convenient, accessible
group work facilities.
There is space
in the Hamilton not sure
You could aim to provide your own
whether it
facilities if group work is a significant
meets demand. element in your teaching. If resources
make this difficult, you could also
compile a list of possible group work
venues your students can use, along
with contact details for making bookings
(e.g. Library Group rooms). Seek
student feedback on facilities on a
regular basis.
Assessment and Progression
An inclusive assessment environment strives to ensure all students have equal
opportunity to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes. Providing a range of
assessment methods is good practice as all students have different strengths and
preferences.
Question
Your answer
Are students clearly No
informed of which
aspects of their
performance they are
being assessed on?
Suggested actions
Publish and explain assessment details
and learning outcomes aligned to
assessment and teaching methods in
your handbook / website. If applicable,
offer students past samples so as to
enhance their understanding of
expectations.
Yes
Continue to use a range of assessment
methods. Consider new methods in line
Are a variety of
lab work, exams, with the evolution of the learning
assessment methods essays, reports, outcomes, technologies available etc. and
consider balancing the weighting between
used on this course? experiments,
exams and continuous assessment if your
group work
grading relies heavily on exams.
Question
Your answer
Is there a choice of
Not sure
assessment methods
offered to students? Possibly within
some modules,
certainly not in
the majority.
Is grading criteria
No
published well in
advance in the
handbook / website?
Do you strive to
Yes
spread exams across
the examination
period to avoid burn
out and fatigue?
Are students offered Not sure
clear, productive
feedback on
Depends on the
assignments?
module
Are students offered
timely feedback on
assignments?
No
Suggested actions
Strive to offer a choice of assessment
methods (e.g. essay or presentation,
continuous assessment worksheets or
exam).
Add grading rubrics to the handbook
and / or Website to enhance clarity.
Continue to spread exams across the
examination period to avoid burn out and
fatigue.
Ensure students are offered
clear, legible, and productive feedback
on all assignments that informs them
what they did right and where they can
improve.
Offer students timely feedback on all
assignments. Aim to offer feedback in
time for students to use when working
on their next assignment.
Turnaround is a
problem we are
currently seeking
a solution to.
If students currently do not get back
assignments contributing to their final
grate, seek strategies to enable
students to receive and use feedback
from these assignments throughout the
year. For example, provisional marks, that
will not be confirmed until after the
external examiner’s visit, or comments
without a grade.
Research Project
The research experience differs greatly from the taught experience. Within research,
students have a high level of autonomy in their study, and for a large period of time a
students' only regular contact with academic staff will be with their own supervisor.
Question
Your
answer
Suggested actions
Question
Your
answer
Are potential barriers No
to the research
experience
considered and
proactively
addressed?
Suggested actions
Consider and address any barriers to the
research experience that may arise from:



cultural, social and professional values and
norms,
competency at written and oral English,
personal and financial situation.
For more see: TIC: Thesis Supervision
Are you open to
Yes
alternative modes of
gathering data where
the norm creates a
barrier?
Not
sure
Are academic
expectations clearly
conveyed to
students?
Supervisors can avail of training in supervision
offered within the university.
Continue to actively seek alternative modes of
gathering data where the norm creates a barrier.
Convey academic expectations to students:





Student Feedback
Explain academic expectations regarding
written work clearly. Note what referencing
style to use. Ensure plagiarism is well
understood.
Discuss research resources. Assess the
student's level of research skills. Discuss
actions for improvement if necessary.
Establish a timetable of meetings and agree a
work tempo.
Ensure that there is clarity on the role of the
supervisor.
Be aware that your students' cultural
understandings of the nature of knowledge
and learning may differ from yours. Discuss
any differences. Clarify what is expected of
research students in College (e.g. in some
cultural backgrounds it is seen as
disrespectful to openly disagree with a
supervisor).
It is good practice to seek, and act on, student feedback at regular intervals.
Question
Is there a system to obtain
feedback from your
students regarding their
perceptions of teaching
and assessment on this
course?
Your answer
Suggested actions
Not sure
At module level, Ensure you have a feedback system
yes. Not sure for students to report their
about
perceptions of teaching and
programme
assessment on this course. You may
level.
consider using some of the following if
not doing so already:




Is there a system to obtain No
feedback from your
students regarding
satisfaction with the
services and facilities
provided by College?
Create a feedback system for
students to report on how facilities
and services in College impact
study. You may consider using some
of the following:




Is there a system to obtain Yes
feedback from your
students regarding their
perceptions of the comfort
and accessibility of the
physical environment in
College?
A suggestion box outside your
office door,
A feedback survey at the end of
the semester / year,
Meetings with student reps,
An online feedback form from
your VLE or webpage.
A suggestion box outside the
office,
A feedback survey at the end of
the semester / year,
Meetings with student reps,
An online feedback form from
your webpage / VLE.
Continue to use a feedback system for
students to report on the physical
environment in College. You may
consider using some of the following:




Feedback survey at the end of
the year,
Meetings with student reps
Seek advice from the Disability
Service and students with
mobility difficulties,
An online feedback form from
Question
Your answer
Suggested actions
your programme webpage.
Is there a system to report
to students on how their
feedback will be used to
enhance future student
experience?
Select N/A if you never
seek student feedback.
Not sure
Ensure you report back to students
on how you are using their
feedback.