120 likes | 199 Views
uwic.ac.uk/HEAR. Implementing the HEAR at UWIC. Dr Jon Owen Academic Registrar University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Monday 13th September 2010. Background. our VC was – and is – a member of the “Burgess group” current student system: CAMS from SITS: used for modules and assessments
E N D
uwic.ac.uk/HEAR Implementing the HEAR at UWIC Dr Jon OwenAcademic Registrar University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Monday 13th September 2010
Background • our VC was – and is – a member of the “Burgess group” • current student system: • CAMS from SITS: used for modules and assessments • home-grown CIMIS: information on programmes and students • UWIC has just purchased Agresso QLS • design and implementation over the next 18 months • UWIC already issues QAAHE / national transcript as a matter of course for all taught programmes (marks for all modules) • University of Wales provides certificates (via a data transfer to their systems) which we distribute at ceremonies • explanatory text available separately to support the transcript • good links with the Student Union
Initial implementation and issues decided at the start as a policy to have no hand-editing of the HEARs: always produced automatically from our student and academic information system(s) first job: repackage the existing transcript under the HEAR headings … … which gives pause for thought on 6.1, 4.3, 4.2 link to existing information on Web or include text explicitly? paper and/or electronic form?
The authorised account … • The emerging account … • An unauthorised (and possibly deniable) account …
How to get to grips with 6.1 remember that the HEI owns the document and authorises the information in it [it is not a PDP portfolio or a cv or a reference] need an agreed set of rules approved by the HEI to govern what is included in 6.1 [Keele] start small, and grow generate rather than hand-craft precepts approved, and published on the Web sabbatical officers (already captured for HESA) prizes
Prizes • UWIC now has an approved set of prizes, held in its student and academic information system • consistency of prize names • consistency of prize citations • students are “linked” to prizes as part of the processing that follows each examining board • advantages • easier for examining boards: prize list is available • generates information for the HEAR • generates information for the ceremony programme • generates information for Web pages • prizes and winners are now much more visible
What next for 6.1? • volunteering? • “additional” modules, so (hopefully) straightforward • student reps? • factual not evaluative; who provides this information? • final year project or dissertation titles? • when are they decided? who types them in? section 4? • societies? • are all posts included (students cannot “suppress” information)? • who authorises this? where is the information held? • representing UWIC? • at what level? sports? appearances? exhibitions? verification?
What next for 6.1? • graduate attributes? • “Easthampton award” • UWIC already has documents on “a UWIC graduate” but these need to be reviewed • other HEIs have good models for this • revisit “Graduate Standards Programme”? [HEQC, CVCP] • will become progressively richer over time • continue to remember that it is not a PDP portfolio
4.2 Programme requirements • UWIC’s programme specifications are not published on the Web (as allowed in Wales) • stage 1: publish, and point to materials • stage 2: include extracted information explicitly • “hard” information (award type, title, duration, PSRBs, UCAS codes, subject benchmarks) all available already • load programme-level learning outcomes into a new feature being developed by Agresso • investigating the use of XCRI – an emerging standard for eXchanging Course-Related Information to migrate information • will transfer from existing Word into a structured document • will allow programme/module mappings to be produced
4.3 Programme details, and the individual grades, marks and credits obtained drilling down to modules, then assessment components actually quite straightforward: information exists already for examining boards how best to present it? codes for assessment types or description of assessment? UWIC now has an approved taxonomy of assessment types links through to module descriptors on the web (for a given year)
The format of the HEAR • electronic form uses XML parts; written to pdf • Welsh version of template • translated, and available on UWIC’s website • paper form is being reviewed for its design • order of (numbered) sections is not negotiable • “special” document for the student • fit onto 4 sides, with supplementary explanatory materials • HEAR reference number? • electronic version to be made available with “interim information”
Conclusions • useful mechanism / catalyst for getting things done • precepts for including “additional information” • prizes • UWIC graduate • improvements in the information held in existing systems • requirements for system vendors • useful document for the individual students • self-assessment • employment • for distinctiveness