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EDU-30074 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

EDU-30074 - Higher Education: policy and the student experience
Coordinator:
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

The past decade has seen sharp re-directions in higher education. Today's universities are radically different than a generation ago. Most things taken for granted then are now contested. Students are important stakeholders in the business of higher educational change today. This module seeks to promote among students the exercise of an informed voice in recognition of their stake in the business, with a focus on the Keele experience in these broader historical and policy contexts. Traditional lectures, seminars, group work and a structured class debate tackle these following questions: What is the `purpose' of university? Who is it for? How should it be run? What do students think about these things?
Lectures include topics such as: Fees, Inclusion and the social vision; Internationalisation; Learning and assessment; and The Keele experience.

Aims
To enable students to make academic sense of wider reforms in Higher Education that impact on the 'student experience'

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/edu-30074/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

recognise the significance of key moments of HE reform on their immediate learning environment and on their experience as students
will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2, 3
explain the national significance and international dimensions of UK HE policy, practice and change.
will be achieved by assessments: 2,3
describe and exemplify links between HE policy and their own experience as students
will be achieved by assessments: 2,3
evaluate the impact of HE policy change on students' expectations of HE will be achieved by assessments: 2,3
constructively critique their own experience of, and approach to, learning against the policy frameworks presented
will be achieved by assessments: 2,3
explain the historical significance of key HE policy reviews over the past fifty years will be achieved by assessments: 1
plan, carry out and monitor a collaborative evaluation of the relationships between one aspect of HE policy, practice and their own approach to studying. will be achieved by assessments: 2

Study hours

25 class contact hours (11 x two hour sessions + 3 hours group presentations)
10 hours independent work on formative assignments
15 hours collaborative work for group project
50 hours reading and preparation for seminars and group presentation
2 hours individual supervision
48 hours essay

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Review weighted 0%
Review of policy document - formative
Each student is given one of five major policy documents to read and analyse according to a set of prompting questions provided. Students are require to upload their analysis onto WebCT. We subseqnetly use these uploaded analyses as a basis for discussion about which was the most significant policy document, and why.

2: Group Presentation weighted 0%
Group presentation of collaborative reflective work
In small groups of two or three, students present the main findings of their investigation into one of the themes of the module. In this presentation, they must describe the policy context, identify the theoretically problematic issues, and then draw on theirs and their peers' experiences to provide 'the student experience' dimension to these issues. Extensive feedback and discussion of these presentations further contributes to the material available for use in the final summative assessment task.

3: Essay weighted 100%
4,500 words summative
4,500 word essay, choosing from one of six broad questions provided. To answer each of these, students must show their understanding of the broad historical context, explain the particular issues as discussed in the relevant literature, and draw analytically on their own and peers' experiences (including their experience of this module and the formative tasks completed) to illustrate the student perspective.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023