THIS VERSION INCLUDES GUIDANCE ON THE COMPLETION OF MODULE SPECIFICATIONS

MODULE SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE

The module specification provides the University and its students with the approved and primary record of the curriculum. It is aimed at validation and review panels for approval purposes and also to provide students with sufficient information about the aims of the module, its content, how it’s taught and assessed.
A module specification does not have to be provided in full to a student but all locally developed information must reference and accurately reflect the information in the specification.
All module specifications will be published on the University’s module repository.

MODULE DETAILS

Module title / The title of the module should be clear and relevant to the content of the module
Module code / The module code must correspond to the code for the module on CAMS. (The School normally allocates the module code, in liaison with colleagues responsible for CAMS).
The module code indicates which school/subject the module, its level and a unique number.
Credit value / The credit value of the module is the number of CATS points in multiples of 10.
Level
Mark the box to the right of the appropriate level with an ‘X’ / Level 4 / Level 5 / Level 6 / Level 7 / Level 8
Level 0(for modules at foundation level)
Entry criteria for registration on this module
Pre-requisites
Specify in terms of module codes or equivalent /
  • Pre-requisites normally indicate those modules which must be successfully completed prior to commencement of the module, and should be indicated by module code(s).
  • Module teams are encouraged to be as flexible as possible in terms of determining pre-requisites for modules, and these should only be specified where absolutely necessary.
  • Pre-requisites should not be confused with the entry requirements to the course. However, if the module can be taken on a freestanding basis, any entry criteria must be specified here.
  • The pre-requisites may in some cases be equivalent to a module (such as prior experience), and these should be indicated here.

Co-requisite modules
Specify in terms of module codes or equivalent / Co-requisite modules are any modules which must be taken at the same time as this module, and should be indicated by module code.
The co-requisites may in some cases be equivalent to a module (such as prior experience), and these should be indicated here.
Module deliveryUse the check boxes below to indicate the mode of delivery. In most cases the correct box will be ‘taught’ (which includes those modules delivered by blended learning). More than one box can be marked where multiple delivery modes are used (e.g. the same module is delivered to one cohort as a ‘taught’ module and to another by ‘distance learning’. If ‘Other’ is selected, a description of the mode must be included.
Mode of delivery / Taught / Distance / Placement / Online
Other
Use the check boxes below to indicate the basic pattern of delivery. ‘Block’ refers to modules delivered in one or more intensive day(s). If ‘other’ is selected a description of the mode must be included.
Pattern of delivery / Weekly / Block / Other
Use check boxes below – where a single module instance spans two semesters use ‘Throughout year’. Where a single module is delivered twice in the year (once in semester 1 and once in semester 2) check both Semester 1 and Semester 2 boxes. For modules delivered outside the core teaching year use ‘Other’ and indicate the delivery period
When module is delivered / Semester 1 / Semester 2 / Throughout year
Other
Brief description of module content and/ or aims
Overview (max 80 words) / This description should be a maximum of 80 words and aimed at a non-specialist audience to give an overview of the module. This is often used for external publicity including website and prospectus, and will primarily inform students about the content of the module when making choices about modules and courses.
Module team/ author/ coordinator(s) / Please indicate the module leader. The person named here should act as a single point of contact for queries about the academic content of the module.Initially this may be the Module Author but ultimately the name of the Module Leader must be indicated here.
In some instances module leadership may be shared with more than one person,but only one name should appear here.
School / Owning School – every module must have a School which provides the academic home and has ultimate responsibility for the quality assurance and enhancement of this module.
Site/ campus where delivered / “This module will normally be delivered at…” please add the name of the site / campus where it is intended this module will be delivered.
Course(s) for which module is appropriate and status on that course
Course / Status (mandatory/ compulsory/ optional*)
*Mandatory: a module that must be taken and passed;
Compulsory: a module that must be taken but may be compensated for if failed
Optional:those that may be taken to broaden the programme of study, and which may be compensated for or replaced by an alternative optional module in the event of academic failure and as agreed by the Course Examination Board.
List all the courses which include the module as part of their designated curriculum, in the left hand column. Indicate the status of the module in the relevant course on the right (using only Mandatory/Compulsory/Optional). Please note: there is no formal category of ‘core modules’. Therefore please only use Mandatory/Compulsory/Optional to define the status of this module.

MODULE AIMS, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT

Aims / This section must start with the sentence: “This module aims to”
  • These must be listed, and to achieve an appropriate level of detail there should normally be 1-3 aims.
  • These should be written in terms of the broad educational intention of the module and are an indication of the general areas that will be covered in the module.

Learning outcomes / This section must start with the sentence: “On successful completion of the module the student will be able to”
  • The learning outcomes are what a student is expected to know, understand and be able to do at the end of the module.
  • Learning outcomes should take into account the requirements of students with disabilities and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.
  • The learning outcomes should correlate with the relevant SEEC credit level descriptorsand/or the QAA credit level descriptors (see QAA Academic Credit Framework Appendix B).
  • Each learning outcome must be numbered using LO1, LO2, LO3 etcso that they can be referred to / cross-referenced in the assessment criteria.
  • Since learning outcomes specify essential learning, all learning outcomes should be assessed.
  • There should normally be between 3 to 8 learning outcomes in a module to achieve an appropriate level of detail.
  • If there is a large number of learning outcomes, they are likely to be specifying too much curricular detail and will be unmanageable in the process of assessment.
  • Each learning outcome should represent a significant capability, task or process that the student will be able to do by the end of the module. They are statements of essential learning to be achieved to merit the award of the credit. As essential learning, learning outcomes are written at minimum acceptable standard. If a student meets all of the learning outcomes at a minimum, they would get the minimum pass mark (40% for undergraduate level modules, 50% for postgraduate level modules): i.e. all learning outcomes must be achieved in order to pass a module at the minimum level.
  • Not all anticipated learning is specified in the learning outcomes. There are also desirable learning outcomes which should not be specified unless they are to be assessed. These should be described in other parts of the course literature.
  • Learning outcomes should be expressed using explicit and active verbs which describe what students will be able to do (i.e. demonstrate behaviour), such as ‘demonstrate’, ‘state’, ‘show’, ‘explain’, ‘define’, ‘describe’, ‘predict’, ‘recognise’, and ‘criticise’.

Content / The content of the module should provide a framework within which the learning outcomes will be achieved. This may take the form of a short description of the content or a series of bullet points.
Learning support /
  • A range of up to date and current learning resources should be provided that are relevant to the content of the module.Learning resources should be specified in terms of Books, Journals, Electronic Sources and Other resources (excessive lists should be avoided). This is not a definitive reading list.
  • You are strongly advised to consult with your Learning Technologies Advisor to ensure this conforms with talis aspire.
Indicative Reading
Latest editions of the following texts:
[The referencing style used in this section must be consistent with the referencing system required for student assignments on this module]
Key Websites:
[List key websites applicable to students on the module – include ‘last accessed’ information.]
Please ensure that all web links are working.
Key Journals:
[List key journals applicable to students on the module]
Other Resources:
[List any other core resources under appropriate headers if applicable]
Teaching and learning activities
Details of teaching and learning activities / This section should
  • relate to how the content will be delivered which will enable the student to achieve the learning outcomes.
  • indicate a variety of learning and teaching strategies which respond to the diversity of students’ learning styles.
  • specify those learning and teaching activities that will be adopted during scheduled learning and teaching hours, work-based learning and placements.
  • Include formative assessment tasks
  • include teaching delivered via e-learning, if timetabled
  • include a breakdown of the scheduled hours per week allocated to each of the learning and teaching methods e.g. 1 x 1 hour seminar, 1 x 1hour lecture, 1 x 1 hour tutorial per week, or the total number of hours of each learning and teaching method in this module e.g. 13 hours of lectures, 13 hours of tutorials, 13 hours of seminars.
This breakdown must match the summary total of scheduled and placement hours in the table below (which is used for the KIS submission).
Please refer to the HESA guidance on Learning and Teaching for guidance on how learning and teaching activities are classified for KIS purposes.
Allocation of study hours (indicative)
Where 10 credits = 100 learning hours / Study hours
The table below provides the data for the Learning, Teaching and Assessment submission for our Key Information Set (KIS) and must be consistent with the details contained in the above section.
Please refer to the HESA guidance(sections 6 and 7) for guidance on how learning, teaching and assessment activities are classified for KIS purposes. For further advice and guidance on KIS categorisation of assessment tasks please contact a Campus Quality Officer (Academic Services). or the Curriculum Team (Academic Services)
SCHEDULED / This is an indication of the number of hours students can expect to spend in scheduled teaching activities including lectures, seminars, tutorials, project supervision, demonstrations, practical classes and workshops, supervised time in workshops/ studios, fieldwork, and external visits.
GUIDED INDEPENDENT STUDY / All students are expected to undertake guided independent study which includes wider reading/ practice, follow-up work, the completion of assessment tasks, and revisions. Guided independent study will typically be derived as the number of hours remaining after taking into account hours spent in placements and scheduled learning and teaching activities.
PLACEMENT / The placement is a specific type of learning away from the University, (normally including word-based learning) that is not a year abroad.
TOTAL STUDY HOURS
Assessment tasks
Details of assessment for this module / This section is required so that sufficient information about assessment tasks is available for students, for approval panels and to inform data required for the University’s Key Information Set (KIS)and CAMS.
This section should
General
  • provide essential and accurate technical information about the assessment.
  • provide a variety of assessment methods within the overall course structure in order to respond to a diversity of students’ needs and also in order to prevent plagiarism and academic misconduct.
  • indicate Include the way in which the assessment tasks should be entered onto CAMS (this may be different to the way in which it is presented for KIS purposes, particularly in the use of the term COURSEWORK. Further KIS guidance is outlined below)
For example, the module assessment might comprise 3 tasks: a written report (70%), an initial proposal presentation (10%) and a viva(20%)
For CAMS, the three are combined as a single ‘coursework’ assessment
For KIS it would be 70% COURSEWORK, 30% PRACTICAL
Assessment tasks and learning outcomes
  • indicate all summative assessment task(s) which provide students with the opportunity of achieving the learning outcomes of the module.
  • include a note of which learning outcomes are being assessed against each assessment tasks (e.g when there is more than one task) andcross reference assessment tasks to the learning outcomes – each learning outcome must be assessed but should not normally be assessed more than once.
  • keep assessment tasks to a minimum in order to avoid over assessment of students, based on the principle that each learning outcome should be normally assessed only once.
Marking schemes
  • state the marking scheme (percentage or pass/fail) being used for each task
  • provide the weighting of each task as a percentage of the overall mark of 100% should be given.
  • indicate how the numeric or pass/fail mark is derived and which tasks must be passed if a module comprises both percentage and pass/fail assessment tasks
  • indicate how a tasks wil be assessed if the task is a group work task, i.e. whether the same mark will be allocated to each member of the group, or whether each member’s contribution will be assessed individually or otherwise moderated.
Nature of task, length and duration
  • include a specification of the task which is clear enough to provide students with an indication of the nature of the task they will need to complete, but very specific essay or assignment titles should be avoided.[1]
  • indicate a maximum word limit for written assessment tasks
  • indicate the duration or examinations, presentations and practical assessments (and where appropriate a word length equivalent)
This section should not
  • Include details of formative assessment tasks (see Learning and Teaching Activities above).

Types of assessment task[2]
List of summative assessment tasks which lead to the award of credit or which are required for progression. / % weighting
(or indicate if component is pass/fail)
The table below provides the data for the Learning, Teaching and Assessment submission for our Key Information Set (KIS) and must be consistent with the details contained in the above section.
Please refer to the HESA guidancefor guidance (sections 6 and 7) and also included at annex 1 (assessment section only) on how learning, teaching and assessment activities are classified for KIS purposes. For further advice and guidance on KIS categorisation of assessment tasks please contact a Campus Quality Officer (Academic Services). or the Curriculum Team (Academic Services)
WRITTEN / Written exam
COURSEWORK / Written assignment/ essay, report, dissertation, portfolio, project output, set exercise
PRACTICAL / Oral assessment and presentation, practical skills assessment, set exercise

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

Area examination board
Refer to Academic Services for guidance in completing the following sections
External examiners
Name / Position and institution / Date appointed / Date tenure ends

QUALITY ASSURANCE – TO BE COMPLETED BY ACADEMIC SERVICES

Date of first approval
Only complete where this is not the first version
Date of last revision
Only complete where this is not the first version
Date of approval for this version / The date of SASC where module is approved.
Version number
Modules replaced
Specify codes of modules for which this is a replacement
Available as free-standing module? / Yes / No
These are modules that are available to be taken as ‘free-standing’ to students not registered on a specific University of Brighton award, for a fee or as CPD.

Appendix 1: Guidance on categorisation of Assessment Tasks,
from HESA website 2015/16

Activity type / KIS category
Written exam / Written
Written assignment, including essay / Coursework
Report / Coursework
Dissertation / Coursework
Portfolio / Coursework
Project output (other than dissertation) / Coursework
Oral assessment and presentation / Practical
Practical skills assessment / Practical
Set exercise / Varies - see notes

Performances in the performing arts context, should be classed as practical assessment. As examination of practical skills of individual students (or possibly groups of students) takes place as a 'one off' by an examiner, either through observation of a live performance or through the review of a recorded performance.

For the purposes of the KIS, if a degree comprises of work in the form of sketchbooks, large scale design work, exhibitions or portfolios, produced in either a classroom or self-study environment it should be included as coursework, not practical assessment. This includes work that counts towards continuous or examinable work.

Written exam

A question or set of questions relating to a particular area of study.

Written exams usually occur at the end of a period of learning and assess whether students have achieved the intended learning outcomes. They may be 'seen', where the student is aware in advance of the question(s) they are expected to answer, or 'unseen', where the questions are only revealed 'on the day'. In an 'open-book' exam, a student is allowed to use a selection of reference materials during the assessment. The questions asked as part of a written exam may be essay, short answer, problem or multiple-choice. Written exams usually (but not always) take place under timed conditions.