On this page:
Staff from the LTEU can support you in a range of activities, from full course development to improving specific aspects of provision. We keep up to date with QAA guidelines etc. and, by sitting regularly on validation panels, have current knowledge of 'hot topics'. Tom Hall and Ruth Brown are academic developers with considerable knowledge and experience of teaching and learning. Contact Ruth (brownrh@lsbu.ac.uk) or Tom (tom.hall@lsbu.ac.uk) if you have a specific development issue to discuss, or if you would just like to bounce ideas around with someone.
The LTEU also hosts support for the virtual learning environment (Blackboard) please get in touch with Sarah Bell (bells@lsbu.ac.uk) or Robert Kenny (kennyra@lsbu.ac.uk) for support in accessing the VLE or developing your use of it.
By working across the university we may be able to put you in touch with colleagues who are exploring the same issues in curriculum development, or who have successfully implemented ideas you are currently exploring. We would also encourage you to share your successes through short informal presentations to colleagues. There's a great deal going on at LSBU! We would also encourage publication and conference presentation of successful developments. Staff at the LTEU can point you in the right direction and/or co-author and present if you prefer not to work alone.
If you have had particular success in an aspect of curriculum development and feel you would like to celebrate it and share that success with LSBU colleagues we may be able to help.
Below is some information on Foundation Degrees, a particular hot topic at the moment and some important urls.
The Chairs of Validation Panels got together recently to discuss practice. The group considered many points, including how best to prepare Chairs and how to identify and support new panel members. They also undertook an exercise to clarify the characteristics of a good validation experience and a poor one. Click the link below to see the summary points, it would be a useful document to refer to when preparing for validation.
Download the file 'Characteristics of a Successful Validation (35KB DOC)',
Foundation degrees are intermediate awards, equivalent to DipHE or revised NQF level 5 that focus on learning through work experience. They also provide access to honours degree study. If you are interested in developing a foundation degree these two QAA documents are essential reading.
Documents:
Please contact Ruth Brown (brownrh@lsbu.ac.uk) or Tom Hall (tom.hall@lsbu.ac.uk) for more information.
Useful links for Foundation Degree development:
Resources
Assessment: Good Practice Guidelines
Curriculum Map (38KB DOC)
This map, developed by the Quality Unit, provides a
design aid to help course teams identify where programme
outcomes are being developed, taught and assessed within
the course. It also provides a checklist for quality
assurance purposes and may be used in validation, accreditation
and external examining processes.
Unit
Proforma for Validations (53KB DOC)
This regulation statement, developed by the Quality
Unit, lists the information which must be included in
a unit syllabus considered at validation and subsequently
comprising the formal definition of the unit, whether
as a free elective or as part of any course m which
its inclusion is approved.
Useful Web Sites
The
Quality Assurance Agency (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/)
The Higher Education Academy (http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/)
The South of England Education Consortium (http://www.seec-office.org.uk/#)
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/)
The Department for Education and Skills (http://www.dfes.gov.uk/)
