Support for PGT Curriculum Review

We're providing a  three-stage process of support which is designed to be as flexible and bespoke as possible. Departments are defining their own local objectives and will receive tailored guidance in developing their curricula and teaching methods to meet their specific aims. 

Support for PGT Curriculum Review

1. Planning Stage

    • A department forms a PGT Curriculum Review Team
      • This may include Programme Leads, DPS, STFs, TFs and EdTech
    • An initial meeting is held with the PGT CR Team and Education Office, EDU, QA colleagues to discuss priorities for CR, using PGT CR Prompt Questions (below) to develop identify what matters most to the department and to identify appropriate support
    • Agreement of timeline for the review, including a proposed end date, and what support will be provided

2. Development Stage

Departments will be supported in meeting their aims through a range of supports, which they draw upon to suit their needs, these include:

    • Bespoke consultations with centres of expertise, e.g. EDU, CfAE, Graduate School, Careers Service
    • ‘Matchmaking’ with other departments/programmes for potential collaboration and peer support on curriculum design and/or teaching development aims
    • Review of and feedback on draft paperwork
    • The repository of web-based resources accessed via this page (e.g. the Teaching ToolkitStudent Involvement Framework and Exemplar Curriculum Review paperwork)

3. Review Stage

    • An opportunity for review and feedback on a near finalised draft by EDU and QA representatives, prior to submission to Faculty Education Committee

PGT Curriculum Review Prompt Questions

The of questions set out below are designed to help Curriculum Review teams identify their priorities and scope for the review and redesign of their PGT curricula. These prompts are neither exhaustive or binding and are expected to be complemented by priorities unique to the department’s own objectives.

PGT Curriculum Review Prompt Questions

To what extent do your 10 - 12 programme-level learning outcomes reflect and capture the essence of the programme and expected year on year progression?

 How do your programme-level learning outcomes integrate and enable students to attain the Imperial Graduate Attributes?

 To what extent do your learning outcomes reflect present disciplinary contexts and future directions?

 To what extent do your module-level learning outcomes contribute to, and align to, the programme-level learning outcomes? How can this alignment be improved?

 To what extent are optional learning pathways clear and does each of these enable achievement of the programme-level learning outcomes?

 How do you ensure that modules which are shared with UG curricular contribute to Level 7 learning outcomes for PGT students?

 How do you ensure that the learning outcomes are pitched at the appropriate level and build in complexity as appropriate for the relevant exit award(s)?

Is there an appropriate balance between core and optional modules and research project?

Can your programmes be delivered as streams or pathways within a single overarching MSc?

Are you able to timetable the programme without teaching on Wednesday afternoons?

Do your assessments currently enable you to assess and feedback on students’ mastery of important skills and behaviours/attitudes, as well as their knowledge?

Does this range of assessment methods enable all students to demonstrate their ability to achieve the learning outcomes?

Are there an appropriate number and range of assessment methods?

Are assessments spread throughout the year to enable students to monitor their study strategies and to learn from and feed forward their teachers’ feedback?

Are summative assessments positioned to capture the student’s final integrated learning?

Do you explain to students what is expected of them for each assessment and how to use feedback to guide their learning?

Are there opportunities for students to experience the disciplinary research culture?

In what ways are students taught how to formulate and answer research questions and learn by discovery?

In what ways do students learn research design, method, analysis and interpretation and to communicate research to diverse audiences?

When do students learn about research integrity and their role in promoting and maintaining a culture of honesty, openness and responsibility?

What are the opportunities for students to develop independent problem-solving skills and approaches to evidence-based evaluation?

Does your programme enable your diverse student body to answer the questions and solve the problems that are of interest and relevance to them, both in terms of content and method?

Does each module incorporate a range of opportunities for student participation (e.g. paired discussion, anonymous participation via Mentimeter)?

Where could active learning pedagogies (e.g. peer-learning, team-based learning and problem-based learning) transform the effectiveness/attractiveness of modules?

Which labs could benefit from a less prescriptive and a more enquiry, research-based format?

How are students supported in learning Higher Education and disciplinary terminology and the intentions and expectations behind aspects of their programme?

Do you include examples, cases studies and ideas that represent a range of experiences and perspectives, along the lines of culture, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and age?

Does group work make use of the diversity of student experience and background available in the cohort?

How can the online/blended content be deployed most effectively to transform pedagogy and enhance student learning experience?

How is technology and online/blended content used to engage students studying in a multi-modal setting?

Do the classroom activities within flipped classrooms allow students to engage with (or apply) concepts that were covered online? Is there sufficient space created in the curriculum to allow for student preparation and thinking?

How is technology used to facilitate active and inclusive learning in the classroom (and outside of the classroom)?

Are there appropriate learning analytics behind the tools used to help evaluate student engagement?

What are the opportunities/roles for students to student engagement in online peer learning (e.g. as Teaching Assistants)?

How will you establish and articulate the specific goals of the changes you plan to introduce?

How will you evaluate the success and effectiveness of the changes you introduce?

How will you use this evaluation to inform ongoing improvement?

How will you gain deeper insights into the nature of the student experience, at module and programme levels?

Can the students’ achievements be benchmarked against enduring/established standards?

How could you contribute to the educational research community, both within Imperial and beyond?