Conditions Review and revise the assessment for Module GRSO1003.

Transcription

1 Conditions Review and revise the assessment for Module GRSO1003. R: The assessment for Module GRSO1003 has been revised so that it now differs from Module GRSO1001. Recommendations 1. Clarify who is responsible for the assessment for each module and record this in the documentation. R: A table has been added to the Book of Modules with the names of those responsible for assessment of each module. 2. Clarify the ECTS for the programme components such that they amount to 360 or 340 ECTS and not a range. R: The PhD programme will have a total of 360 ECTS credits divided as follows: Element 1: Original Research 290 ECTS Element 2: Research & Professional Development Plans 30 ECTS Element 3: Employability Skills 20 ECTS Element 4: Discipline Specific Skills 20 ECTS The Student Handbook documentation has been updated accordingly. 3. Develop a TU4D wide implementation plan that enables the structured programme to be rolled out and operationalized effectively. This implementation plan should provide for clear communication and dialogue between the Graduate School/Programme Committee and Colleges/Schools, Students and Supervisors. This plan should provide for appropriate induction for all stakeholders and training where appropriate. R: A TU4D wide implementation plan has been developed and the Supporting documentation has been updated accordingly. 4. The Panel encourages the Programme Committee to reflect on the minimum English language requirement of IELTS of 5.5 and consider revising it to 6.0 in light that there is now a taught element and consider specifying the minimum threshold in each IELTS component. R: The Programme Committee has considered the minimum English language requirement and will keep it under constant review. Any stage 1 student whose native language is not English and who has obtained a score between 5.5 and 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System or equivalent must successfully complete the English Language for Academic Purposes module. In addition the entry requirements to the programme have been modified to read The minimum level required for research programmes is International English Language Testing System 5.5 or equivalent for the overall average score, with a score not lower than 5.5 in all categories A revised response as follows:

2 Taking into account the recommendation of the validation panel to the minimum English language requirement, the Programme Committee propose as follows: The entry requirements for the programme will be modified to read The minimum level required for research programmes is International English Language Testing System 6 or equivalent for the overall average score, with a score not lower than 5.5 in all categories. In exceptional circumstances, an applicant with an overall average score of 5.5 may be considered subject to the approval of the proposed supervisor, Head of School and the Head of the Graduate Research School. In addition, any Stage I student whose native language is not English and who has obtained a score between 5.5 and 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System or equivalent must successfully complete the English Language for Academic Purposes module. The Programme Committee will continue to monitor the minimum English language requirement and will keep it under constant review. 5. Consider how to incorporate and assign ECTS credits (where possible within the existing modules / elements) to research activities including conference presentations, publications, seminar programme attendance, internships and laboratory rotations. R: The Advanced Research Topics module has been modified ) to include research activities including conference presentations, publications, seminar programme attendance, internships and laboratory rotations. 6. Check that the research plan element is not been overly weighted / double counted for ECTS purposes. R: The assessment for Module GRSO1003 has been revised so that it now differs from Module GRSO1001 and therefore the research plan element is not double counted. In addition element 2 has been restructured as follows: o Annual Evaluations and RPDP to be considered as one category with a total of 15 ECTS credits; o Transfer or Confirmation examination to be given 15 ECTS credits; 7. Undertake a skills mapping exercise across the programme and produce a matrix and incorporate this in the student handbook. R: A table mapping skills to modules has been incorporated into the Student Handbook. 8. Review workload allocation models to ensure that research supervision is accounted for and that the proposed workload of research supervisors ensures that they are able to accommodate the needs of the structured programme. R: A workload allocation model is not within the remit of the PhD programme committee. However the validation panel s recommendation will be communicated to the appropriate groups. A timetable allowance of 2hrs per week per full-time student (pro-rata for part-time) is allocated under current workload allowances arrangements to support the supervision of PhD students. The core student-supervisor relationship remains the core feature of doctoral education and that does not change under the Structured PhD programme. The programme s structured elements are complementary to the traditional PhD and should not add any

3 additional burden to supervisors. Ongoing supervisor support provided by the Graduate Research School will seek to assist supervisors discharging their role under the programme. Delivery of other aspects of the programme, including modules, is timetabled separately at School level. The Committee acknowledges that there is a disparity in allowances for supervisors of students onsite and offsite and undertakes to bring forward proposals to address this. 9. Each academic school needs to consider how the discipline specific modules can be delivered within existing resources. R: The Heads of School have informed Section 5.1 Module Selection and Registration of the Student Handbook ie Modules will be offered to students subject to the availability of resources and a minimum number of participants. The Head of the Graduate Research School will liaise with the relevant Head of School (or nominee) each year as to the availability of modules. If a module is requested by a higher number of students than the maximum allowed, the module may be offered twice in any given year. To clarify, as part of annual planning for the PhD programme the Head of the Graduate Research School will work with Heads of School to ascertain the availability of resources and places on the modules; 10. The Panel notes the wide range of students recruited and the input student profile should be mentioned in the documentation and the different progression pathways available should be made more explicit. More explicit reference should be made to the part-time route. Information should be provided in relation to what happens if the students do not complete during the specified time period. R: A flowchart describing all entry routes, progression paths and exit points has been incorporated in the Student Handbook. 11. Revisit the section on the recognition of prior learning with a view to making it more flexible particularly in relation to the employability modules. This is of particular relevance to mature entrants. R: Section 5.2 on RPL in the Student Handbook has been rephrased so as to read Students on research programmes may apply for recognition of prior learning and be exempt from employability or discipline specific modules to a maximum of 10 ECTS. 12. Specify the structure for the approval of new modules to be added to the programme. This should be included in the documentation. R: The procedure for approval of new modules has been described in section 6.1 (development plan) of the Supporting Information document ie A proposal for a new PhD module may be initiated by staff members, schools and/or colleges and can be validated in the normal manner according to the procedures in Chapter 2 of the Handbook for Academic Quality Enhancement. 13. Consideration should be given to the balance of the distribution of modules throughout the programme and to providing more flexibility with an emphasis on more front loading in earlier years.

4 R: The programme committee has considered the balance of modules. Modules are frontloaded with the requirement tapering off in later years, so that there are no taught elements in year 4. A flow chart describing the requirements has been included in the Student Handbook. 14. The programme committee should monitor the student workload and reconsider the breakdown of ECTS on the programme if required. R: The programme committee will monitor the programme on a regular basis. 15. Remove reference in the student handbook to the Programme Committee providing modules, and consider further the procedure / contingency plan in areas where discipline specific modules are not available. R: All references in the student handbook to the Programme Committee providing modules have been removed. Further details on how students can source modules eg from other national platforms, summer schools and other international for a have been added to the Student Handbook. 16. The Panel recommends that the Graduate School / Programme Committee arrange regular meetings with key external stakeholders e.g. industry / public sector bodies to ensure that the programme remains contemporary, relevant and of value to the students. Consider appropriate Advisory Boards for each of the four pillars. R: While the governance and management of research pillars is not formally within the remit of the PhD programme committee, the programme is underpinned by its location within strategically-chosen themes supported by Research Institutes. The Research Action Plan provides a detailed description of the role of Advisory Boards in providing support and guidance where appropriate to Research Institutes. The Programme Committee acknowledges that Advisory Boards can play a particularly valuable role in informing the educational, research and engagement strategy for each of the Institute s research pillars. This role is confirmed in the Research Action Plan. Most Research Centres and Institutes have very active Advisory Boards and provide a crucial linkage with industry, ensuring that the nature of the research and graduate activity remains relevant and solutions-focussed. 17. The Panel noted that there was not a balance of modules across all of the research pillars and some need further discipline specific modules made available, in particular for the Society and Culture Research pillar, to ensure an appropriate choice for students. R: The Programme Committee will keep the module offering under review to ensure there is balance across all disciplines. A strategy is in place to further develop the suite of offerings across each of the research pillars to ensure a sufficiently wide choice to support the range of DIT research. The Research Action Plan outlines a strategy for investment and capacity enhancement for each pillar, enabling a balanced and sustainable growth trajectory for research and graduate education. Furthermore, while the research pillar in Society, Culture and Enterprise is still undergoing development, it benefits from two existing PhD graduate education programmes (GradCAM and the programme in Transcultural Research and Media

5 Practice) whose modules are included within the overall offering. 18. The Panel strongly recommends, that all module descriptors are reviewed to improve consistency, ensure all assessment weightings add to 100% and to update reading lists as appropriate. R: All module descriptors have been reviewed and all assessment weightings add to 100% and all reading lists are up to date. 19. A single source/catalogue of all available modules should be developed for students and published online and kept up to date. R: Once final approval has been obtained, all modules will be added to the programme and module catalogue online. 20. The programme documentation should be reviewed to remove all editorial inconsistencies. Remove reference to Professional Doctorates as these have their own defined and approved structures. R: The documentation has been reviewed. Editorial inconsistencies, including reference to Professional Doctorates have been removed. 21. Consideration must be given to the metrics for measurement of success of the programme e.g completion rates, time to completion, employment stats. The Panel welcomed the surveying of graduates as tabled at the meeting and would recommend that this is extended to non-graduating students, and to the undertaking of longitudinal studies. R: Metrics such as completion rates, time to completion, employment stats are regularly reviewed by the Graduate Research School Board. The Programme Committee will consider further surveys including a supervisor survey.