Annual Course Monitoring Procedure

Introduction

1. Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication aims to continuously

evaluate its provision to ensure that standards are maintained and the quality of
the student experience is improved. All higher education courses are subject to
a process of annual course monitoring. This process is guided by the QAA
Code of practice, Section 7: Programme approval, monitoring and review and
the requirements of its validating partner(s).

Purpose

2. The purpose of Annual Course Monitoring is:

• to ensure that courses are in good standing and delivered in the manner
specified in the College’s programme specifications and associated College
regulatory documents;
• to identify any shortcomings so that appropriate action can be taken to
remedy them;
• to ensure that courses remain current and that areas for development and/or
modification are identified;
• to ensure the student experience is the best that can be achieved within the
resources available;
• to evaluate the extent to which students continue to attain the learning
outcomes of the course;
• to evaluate the continuing effectiveness of the curriculum and of assessment
in relation to the course learning outcomes;
• to identify and disseminate good practice;
• to build up information needed for course review, revalidation, periodic
review and for external reviews.

Procedure

3. The Course Leader is responsible for the monitoring of the course throughout
the year and for the production of an Annual Course Monitoring Report (ACMR).
This is produced in the autumn term according to a template approved by
Quality Development Committee (See Appendix 2). The Course Leader should
prepare the ACMR in liaison with other course team members and draw
together the views of Unit Leaders and other staff associated with the course.

4. The Course Leader is supported in producing the Report by the course’s

designated Quality Officer. The latter will liaise with MIS to ensure that the
appropriate statistics are available and that the external examiner report(s) and
other relevant information is available to the Course Leader (i.e. the results from
the College Student Survey and the Destinations of Leavers from Higher
Education Survey relating to the course, where available).
Annual Course Monitoring Report

5. The Annual Course Monitoring Report evaluates the experience of the course in
the previous academic year and includes a review of data and statistics relating
to student profile, recruitment, retention and achievement in comparison to
College and national comparators.

6. In relation to the headings of the template, the Course Leaders should outline
the course’s strengths and potential strengths (opportunities) and the issues and
potential issues (risks) arising. The report should respond to comments made by
external examiners. Any outstanding actions from internal or external reviews or
validation should be identified and addressed. The report should summarise the
student feedback received during the course of the year. For each of the
headings in the report, actions should be set out to address the course’s issues
and risks. Where issues cannot be addressed at course level, these should be
highlighted for discussion at the Faculty or College level. Annexe 1 of this
document contains guidance for Course Leaders on completing the report
template and a series of prompts to be considered under each heading.

Annual Course Monitoring Log

7. The actions identified in the Annual Course Monitoring Report are entered in an
Annual Course Monitoring Log (see Annexe 3). This Log is maintained by the
Course Leader throughout the academic year and the actions on the Log are
reviewed on a termly basis at the Course Committee. Actions that relate to
issues which are identified in the course of the current academic year are added
to the log as they arise.

Consideration by Faculty Committee

8. All Annual Course Monitoring Reports are to be considered by Faculty

Committee. All reports are considered draft until they are approved by the Head
of Faculty, as Chair of the Committee. In order to facilitate this, a Reader from
the same Faculty, but not the same course, is appointed for each report in
advance of the meeting. They are required to consider whether the report
represents a balanced account of the experience of the course in the previous
academic year, based on the evidence available to them. The Reader is also
asked to introduce the report to the Committee and make a recommendation as
to whether the report should be approved. Guidance for Faculty Committee
Readers is contained in Annexe 4.

Annual Faculty Monitoring Report

9. Annual Course Monitoring Reports are submitted to the Faculty Committee for
consideration and approval. Based on the course reports and discussions at the
Faculty Committee, the Head of Faculty prepares an overview report for the
faculty. Themes and issues, which relate to the faculty as a whole, are identified
in the report. Any issues to be dealt with at the College level should be
highlighted and an associated Log drafted.
Annual College Monitoring Report

10. The Annual Faculty and Course Monitoring Reports are received and
considered by Quality Development Committee (QDC) and the Head of Quality
will prepare an Annual College Monitoring Report based on these reports and
the discussion at QDC. On the basis of the report and the discussions at QDC,
an Action Plan for the College will be prepared.
ANNEXE 1: GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING ANNUAL COURSE MONITORING
REPORT TEMPLATE

1. The Annual Course Monitoring Report template is divided into a number of sub
headings, you are required to comment on each in terms of positives and
negatives.

2. Positive aspects of the course experience should be reported in terms of

‘strengths’ (those aspects which are working well) and ‘opportunities’ (potential
strengths). Negative aspects of the course experience should be reported in
terms of ‘issues’ (aspects causing problems) and ‘risks’ (those elements which
could potentially become issues if they are not mitigated or eliminated).

3. It is not expected that the distribution of positives and negatives shall be so

uniform that there shall be one of each category of positive or negative under
each heading.

4. The following is a list of prompts, which should be considered by Course

Leaders as they complete each heading:

Applications and admissions

Is the number of applications/enrolments steady or in decline?

Are there noticeable trends in the patterns of the student intake?
Is the student profile static or changing?
Are there any issues in relation to the ethnic or gender balance of the cohort?
Are there any particular groups under-represented?
Was the course induction a success?

Course aims, structure, outcomes and curriculum

Were there any significant changes in the content of the curriculum and if so
what was the impact?
Were there any changes or modifications to the course structure and if so, how
did this work?
Is the content still appropriate in relation to the level of the course and in terms
of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications?
Below the level of the programme specification and unit descriptors, were there
any changes to content and how did this work?
Are changes needed in the approach of particular units in the light of the
experience of running them?
Is there a need for any minor modification?
Are the course aims, structure, outcomes and curriculum up to date?

Learning and Teaching outcomes

Were there any significant developments in the area of learning and teaching?
Were there any there any changes responding to changes in student numbers
or profile?
Has any use been made of e-learning on the course?
Are widening participation and lifelong learning taken into account?
How are these impacting on the course?
Were employers involved in any projects and if so how did this work?

Student Support and Guidance

Did the student profile raise issues in relation to student support for the course
team?
Were there any general issues in relation to learning support and how were
these addressed?
How does the withdrawal rate on the course compare to the rate in the Faculty
and the College Benchmarks?

Young Entrants (under 21 on entry) 12.2% (SD 1.79)

Mature Entrants (over 21 on entry) 13.6% (SD - 5.7)
All Entrants 9.5% (SD - 2.3)

(HEFCE Performance Indicator 2004/05 issued September 2006)

Are any trends apparent in the students’ reasons for withdrawal?

Outline the contribution which various Support Services have made to the
quality of the student experience (i.e. LRC, Student Welfare, IT etc)

External Examiner Feedback

Comment specifically on the main measures taken during the last academic
year in response to external examiner reports (i.e. those on your External
Examiner Action Plan)
Was there evidence in this years external examiners report that the external
was satisfied with the measures taken?
Have there been any significant changes to the curriculum following the
examiners report?

Assessment and achievement

How well did assessment policy work in the last academic year?
What went well and what went badly in the assessment of students?
Are students meeting the learning outcomes of the course as expected?
Is the pattern of achievement similar to other courses in the College and
nationally and if not why not?

Table E: HESA UK Qualifications Obtained Data 2004-05

(latest available national data)
First 2.1 2.2 Other
% % % %
Full Time Undergraduate (all subjects) 11 45 31 13
Creative arts and design 12 47 32 9
Mass communications and
communications 7 51 34 8
Architecture, building and planning 8 35 40 17
Engineering and technology 17 37 28 18
Do students understand the criteria for assessment and the methods employed?
Is there an assessment schedule, which is communicated clearly to students?
Comment on formative as well as summative assessment?
What feedback do students receive on submitted work? Is it prompt, detailed
and helpful?

Student Feedback

What student feedback mechanisms is the course using and how is it working?
What were the main points of feedback made by course representatives and
what actions at the course level are taking place as a result?
Were there any student feedback meetings and if so, what were the main points
which emerged and what is happening as a result?
Was there feedback on individual units?
Were the results for the course in the College student questionnaire in line with
College norms?

Course quality, planning, development and management

Outline any measures taken to integrate sessional staff into the course team?
What measures are in place to ensure parity of experience across units and
assessment and how are these working?
Are any changes to the course proposed in the near future?
Is there a need for the course to re-examine its position in relation to any
published QAA subject benchmarks? (and/or the foundation degree qualification
benchmark)?

Graduate Employment and Alumni Contact

What sort of employment destinations are graduates achieving?

Are these as expected?
Are alumni relations impacting on the course?
Is any information on course graduate destinations available from the
Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Report?
If so what is the significance of this information?
Have any significant relationships with employers and placement providers been
developed?
How does the course do in relation to the College’s benchmark?

Employment Benchmark (including further study):88.3%

Employment indicator (including further study): 93% (SD - 1.82)

(HEFCE Employment Indicator 2004-05 issued December 2006)

Staffing/Staff Development

Have there been any changes of staffing and how has this impacted on the
course?
What was the level of engagement with the College programme of staff
development and how has this impacted on the course?
Are there areas of specific need in terms of staff development?
Does the course have adequate staffing i.e. are there any gaps in the curriculum
coverage?
Are staff up to date with current industry practice?

Learning Resources

Have changes in College facilities impacted on the course in a significant

manner?
Comment on teaching spaces, IT resources and Specialist resources
How accessible are the LRC and IT?
Are the learning resources adequate for the course?

Reviews (if applicable)

Were there any internal or external reviews (QAA) and if so what actions are
being taken as a result of this?
 ANNEXE 2: ANNUAL COURSE MONITORING FORM

ANNUAL COURSE MONITORING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2005-2006

Course
Faculty
Course Leader
1. Summary of the last Academic Year

2. Applications and admissions

Entrant Summary Table
2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006
n % n % n %
UK
Non UK EU
OVERSEAS

Male
Female

White
Black/Minority Ethnic
other
Not Known

A/AS Level
Access
BTEC
HND/HNC
FD Dip Art & Design
Other UK
Non-UK qualification

Under 21
Over 21

Total
Course Leader’s Evaluation
Bullet Points Evidence
Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

3. Course aims, outcomes, structure and curriculum

Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

4. Learning and teaching
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

5. Student support and guidance

Retention Summary Table
2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006
On Course Withdrew On Course Withdrew On Withdre
Course w
n % n % n % n % n % n %
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Reasons for Withdrawal Summary
Academi
c
Financial
Personal
Transfer
Other
Total
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:
Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

6. External Examiner feedback

Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

 7. Assessment and achievement
Total 1sts 2.i 2.ii 3rd & Finalist
finalists other failure
n % % % % %
2005-2006
2004-2005
2003-2004
2004-2005
Domicile
UK
Non-UK EU
Non-EU
Gender
Male
Female
Ethnicity
White*
Black/Minority Ethnic*
Not known
Entry qualifications
A/AS level
Access
BTEC
HND/HNC
FND at FE level
Other UK
Non-UK qualifications
Mature
Under 21
Over 21
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

8. Student feedback
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

9. Course quality, planning, development and management

Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

10. Graduate employment and alumni contact
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

11. Staffing/staff development

Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

12. Learning Resources

Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

13. Reviews (If applicable)
Course Leader’s Evaluation

Bullet Points Evidence

Strengths/Opportunities:

Issues/Risks:

Proposed Action(s) Responsibility Target Date

ANNEXE 3: ANNUAL COURSE MONITORING LOG

ANNUAL COURSE MONITORING LOG 2005-2006

Issues/Risk Source of Issue Planned Action Lead Target Progress

Responsibility Date
ANNEXE 4: GUIDANCE FOR FACULTY COMMITTEE READERS

Annual Course Monitoring Procedure

Guidance for Faculty Committee Readers

In advance of the Autumn Faculty meeting at which the annual course monitoring
reports (and external examiner reports and associated action plans) are considered,
the Head of Faculty will appoint a number of Readers with at least one with
designated responsibility for each report which the meeting will consider.

The Reader

The reader should be a member of academic staff who is not involved in the delivery
of the course on which the ACM report has been compiled. The function of the
Reader is to consider the report and to make a recommendation as to whether the
report should be accepted by Faculty Committee or referred back to the Course
Leader for amendment.

Criteria for Acceptance

In making this recommendation, the reader will consider ( based on the information
available in the ACM report, statistics, external examiner report and action plan, and
Student Course Experience Questionnaire results) whether:

• The report is an adequate reflection on the experience of the course during

the last academic year;
• The strengths identified in the report are the true strengths of the course;
• All the issues facing the course seem to have been identified and appropriate
actions identified to address them.

Faculty Committee Summary

The Reader will present a succinct overview of the report to Faculty Committee
(three or four minutes orally or a couple of paragraphs in writing if preferred)
confirming the above points and noting for the meeting:

• The key strength(s) of the course;

• The primary or most pressing issue(s);
• Examples of good practice on the course worthy of dissemination;
• Issues which are either shared by other courses in the faculty or may need
faculty or College action.

Following the introduction, the Course Leader may wish to add to or reply to the
Reader’s remarks and may take questions.

If time permits, the Reader may confer with the Course Leader before the final
version of the ACM report is submitted to Faculty Committee so that the Course
Leader can act upon the Reader’s suggestions. In the event of the unavoidable

Head of Quality Final Version – issued August 2006

17
absence of the Reader, and if no substitute has been appointed, the Head of Faculty
will introduce the report (following the above guidelines).

Head of Quality Final Version – issued August 2006

18