Quality reviews

What: a comprehensive review of a programme conducted by a panel of academic peers and at least one student. These reviews usually take place every five years to consider the curriculum, learning outcomes and assessment of a programme to ensure it remains current, fit for purpose and the best it can be.  The panel also considers the management of a programme and scrutinises External Examiner reports and responses, student feedback (e.g. surveys, module feedback questionnaires, staff-student forums) and statistical information on student entry, performance and retention for the last five years. Study materials are also looked at to ensure currency.

How often:  PPRs usually take place every five years.  Given the number of programmes there are often several PPRs that take place in any year.

How many students: each PPR panel will meet with a group of students from the programme being reviewed.  In addition, a student member (from another programme) is sometimes appointed to the panel.

Examples: recently, students were involved in PPRs for Undergraduate Laws, Information Security, International Business/International Management; Periodic Programme Review for Professional Accountancy (November 2020); Periodic Programme Review for Epidemiology (March 2021).

What: when a new programme is proposed by one of our Member Institutions, the Quality, Learning and Teaching Committee (QLTC) will appoint a panel to consider detailed programme approval documentation. This will include the academic rationale for the programme, Programme Specification and Regulations, Module Specifications and a draft Student Handbook (where applicable). The panel will sometimes be given access to the VLE in order to look at indicative course guides, reading materials and assessments.   The panel will include at least two subject specialists from other Higher Education Institutions (or from within industry) to act as External Advisers to the panel.

How many students: one student member is appointed to the panel.

Examples: Health Economics pathway for the MSc in Public Health, 2019; PG Cert in Sports Management, 2018; MSc Global Supply Chain Management and Global Logistics, 2018; Healthcare pathway for the Global MBA programme, 2018; BSc in Computer Science, 2018; PG Cert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 2017; MA Understanding and Securing Human Rights, 2017; Programme Approval Panel for MSc Marketing (November 2019); Programme Approval Panel for MSc Professional Accountancy and MSc Accounting and Financial Management (November 2020); Programme Approval Panel for BSc Business Administration and BSc Marketing (November 2020); Programme Approval Panel for Global Diplomacy (January 2021); Programme Approval Panel for MSc Project Management and MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice / MSc Psychology Law (March 2021).

What: MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. All of our MOOCs are reviewed by a panel on behalf of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure they are fit for purpose before they are available to learners.

How many students: each panel includes a student member.

Examples in 2018-19:

• How Computers Work
• Introduction to Programming
• Mathematics for Computer Science
• Foundations of Data Science: K-Means Clustering in Python
• English Common Law (revised)
• MOOC review for Machine Learning (August 2019)
• MOOC review for Refugees in the 21st Century (December 2019).