Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
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 ListAny 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, 3explain the national significance and international dimensions of UK HE policy, practice and change. will be achieved by assessments: 2,3describe and exemplify links between HE policy and their own experience as students will be achieved by assessments: 2,3evaluate the impact of HE policy change on students' expectations of HE will be achieved by assessments: 2,3constructively critique their own experience of, and approach to, learning against the policy frameworks presented will be achieved by assessments: 2,3explain the historical significance of key HE policy reviews over the past fifty years will be achieved by assessments: 1plan, 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
25 class contact hours (11 x two hour sessions + 3 hours group presentations)10 hours independent work on formative assignments15 hours collaborative work for group project50 hours reading and preparation for seminars and group presentation2 hours individual supervision48 hours essay
Description of Module Assessment
1: Review weighted 0%Review of policy document - formativeEach 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 workIn 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 summative4,500 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.