I have answered your queries as best I can from my understanding
of what can happen in and across the various disciplines here at
Leeds.  However assessment of placements is a fast moving field
and we await the promised QAA draft Code (said to be out before
the end of November but it hasn't reached the QAA's website yet)

> Colleagues,
>
> The University of Brighton is to consider best practice in the credit
> rating and assessment of placements of all sorts (teacher training;
> clinical practice; business placement; year abroad for language students).
>  The purpose is to attempt to develop a clear and coherent policy on the
> approach to be taken to these types of learning activity, in particular
> where outcomes may not always be clearly defined.
>
> I should be grateful if any colleagues with experience in this area were
> able to answer the questions below (I am aware that there will be some
> which have more than one answer, depending on course!).  I should be happy
> to distribute my findings to the list in due course.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Jon
> ______________________________
> Jon Renyard
> Regulations Officer
> University of Brighton
> email: [log in to unmask]
> tel: (+44) (0)1273 643907
>
>
> 1) Do you assess formally work carried out as part of a placement or
> similar activity?
>
Yes. A number of professionally accredited/statutory programmes
require that this happens and we have numerous other
programmes in which it may happen

> 2) If YES, how is this done? (eg through casework notes? an essay or case
> study? observation?)

all of these plus reflective learning logs, progress files, objectively
structured clinical examinations (OSCE), testing of defined clinical
competencies, fieldwork notes etc  and probably otherways too -
depends on the discipline and level of studies

>
> 3) If YES, is it marked pass/fail, or given a grade?
>
more likely to be pass/fail given variabilities beyond the student's
control in clinical/plpacement settings. However a module may link
theory and practice and include a  number of different assessment
mechanisms - some of which may be capable of yielding a fair
numeric grade (reflective essays etc) such that the module can
achieve a numeric grade overall

> 4) Is this period of study credit-rated?
>
For some courses. Our Schools of Medicine and Dentistry have not
found it possible to document their BChB and BChD programmes
in the same 'modular' way as the rest of the University although their
documentation uses similar pro forma. We required these
programmes as non-modular.


> 5) If NO, how does it fit into the overall programme requirements - how
> many additional hours does it represent?
>
Medics and Dentistry have always done longer than normal degree
programmes (currently 4+ and 5 years respectively) and their
attendance period is significantly longer than the usual 30 weeks in
each academic year.  Our nurses, midwives and radiographers do
an additional third semester every year. PGCE students do at least
a 36 week year.

> 6) If YES, at what level is it rated?
>
do you mean level of study i.e. approx equivalent to year of study or
how many hours of clinical/placement activity make up a normal say
10 credit module?   If the latter we expect modular programmes to
be documented to demonstrate 120 credits of learning in a UG
academic year.  The nurses/midwives/radiographers aim to design
their programmes/modules to demonstrate that the required level
and same quantity (120 credits) of learning in terms of learning
outcomes is being completed within their extended year (or in the
period they have funding for under their NHS contracting
arrangements).  The emphasis is placed on learning outcomes
rather than the input of hours in relation to clinical/placement
modules so the credits completed semester by semester is less
than for a programme which does not include placements.

However some workbased learning assessment methods permit a
more normal match to the inputted hours of learning through setting
aside hours to be devoted specufucally to learning within the
workplace context.

> 7) If YES, does this result in students achieving more than the standard
> 360 credits for an honours degree?  (and if so, how is this resolved - do
> students drop their worst marks, and are they allowed to drop the
> placement mark?)

No.  It is also noteworthy than clinical programmes have never
allowed compensation for falure between individual elements - a
feature which is becoming more prevalent across a number of
professional disciplines (some Engineering disciplines are moving
fast in the same direction). Also trainee teachers never pass if they
cannot teach.

However some programmes requiring placement activity (in non-
clinical disciplines) may compensate for failure - but this practice
may well diminish even further under QAA NQF Framework and
Benchmarking

>
> 8) Do you have courses which offer both sandwich and non-sandwich routes?
>
Not really - although we do have programmes with variants allowing
lengthy industrial placements and study abroad

> 9) Are students advised which route would be best for them?
>
Some programmes of the type under 8 are restricted only to the
students demonstrating the higher levels of achievement.

> 10) Do the learning outcomes of the University-based award remain the same
> for both versions of the programme?  If so, what is the benefit of the
> placement?
>
In some instances the programme variant will lead to a different
award noting the study abroad or industrial placement and the
learning outcomes reflect the difference.   In other instances there
may be an additional award of a CGLI Licentiate for an industrial
placement year in which separately defined learning outcomes
have been met. In yet other instances where study abroad or
industrial placements may be allowed more as an ad hoc variant
because a particular student wants to do it there may be no
difference in the learning outcomes. The benefit in the latter case is
student satisfaction (and possibly higher achievement by the
student in the latter year(s) of the programme)

Hopes this helps - it's a bit muddled but you did ask questions
across a big field.

Good luck with your attempts to codify

Janet


Janet Jurica
Senior Assistant Registrar
Quality Management and Enhancement Unit
The University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT

tel + 44(0)113 233 3625/258 6173
fax + 44(0)113 233 4198/258 6173