An Expert Panel was convened to review the submission of the following programme:

Transcription

1 Explanatory Memorandum College of Computer Training (CCT) An Expert Panel was convened to review the submission of the following programme: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology - 1 year add on - Level 8 Major Award - 60 ECTS The College of Computer Training (CCT) was established in 2005 and is a private, independent college providing programmes in further and higher education and training. CCT has existing validated programmes: Higher Certificate in Computing in Information Technology (2009); Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (2012); and minor awards in Computer Networking, Computer Programming and Information Technology (2013). The programme submission was received in March 2014 and in May an Expert Panel visited the College of Computer Training to evaluate the programme. The Panel recommended the programme for validation. The attached documentation includes: 1. The Report of the Expert Panel 2. The Response from the College 3. Programme schedule The Executive has reviewed the responses including confirmation of agreement by the Chair of the Panel on the response by the College. The Programmes and Awards Executive Committee is requested to approve validation of the programme for five years from September Named Award Programme Title Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology Award Type Honours Bachelor Degree Award Class Major Level 8 Intakes approved 1 September September 2018 ECTS/ACCS Credits 60 Note Programme Validation 1

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11 CCT Summary Report on Submission of the Proposed programme for QQI Validation, following the Validation Report of the QQI nominated Expert Panel Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year add on, major award 60 ECTS) Details of the Validation Event Provider College of Computer Training Date of Evaluation 9th May 2014 Programme Evaluated Programme Recommended for Approval Leading to the Award Level 8 Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Information Technology (60 Credits) Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year add on, major award 60 ECTS) Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Information Technology (Level 8 Major Award) Panel of Experts Mr. Dermot Douglas Mr Paul Collins Ms. Mary Sharp Dr. Gerry Grenham Ms. Roisin Sweeney Higher Education Consultant (Chair) Lecturer, School of Computing, Institute of Techology Tralee Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin Head of Postgraduate Programmes, Institute of Bankers Programme Validation & Accreditation, QQI, (Secretary) CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 1

12 Introduction This document outlines the changes made to the CCT Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Information Technology (60 Credits), made in response to the Validation Event held at CCT on May 9 th The report summarises how CCT has addressed the issues raised by the QQI Expert Evaluation Panel, in the context of a full review undertaken by the CCT Programme Development Team. CCT has sought to address and amend the proposed programme, in relation to all issues raised by the Panel with resulting conditions and recommendations, and recognises the panel's report serves to enhance and develop the programme. The full resubmission document is attached. This summary report highlights how CCT has met the conditions of programme approval as set out in the Validation Report of the Expert Panel, and references (as appropriate) where in the document by section, one can review the changes made. Conditions of Programme Approval Conditions The panel requires that the College respond satisfactorily to the following conditions before the validation will be recommended by the Panel to QQI. The Panel declares that the College must: C1: Assure QQI that the identified human resources and physical resources required for the programme i.e. 2 x full time equivalent IT lecturers and 1 x network support technician will be in place before the programme begins. C2: Identify any critical new physical or material resources required and provide a schedule for acquisition to ensure that the programme will run unhindered. C3: Commit to one intake only per year. C4: Significantly revise Programme Learning Outcomes to make them less generic and more specific to this programme. C5: Revise and correct proposed programme schedule. C6: Revise special regulations that require Continuous Assessment and Exams to be passed independently. Assessment endorses the achievement of threshold standards. The mode of assessment is simply a tool to measure that learning outcomes have been achieved. C7: Provide a breakdown of contact in the context of lecture, practical project, tutorial etc. C8: An indicative timetable of assessment must be provided to learners. C9: Edit all documentation as pointed out in meeting and trim narrative to remove repetition, correct errors in reference to HETAC/QQI. C10: Include blind marking/double marking to underpin fairness and consistency in assessing student performance, particularly in assignments and projects. C11: Revise the project to include content and the formation of research skills and rationalise structure and title of the two projects into one project. C12: Devise a conflict of interest policy and procedure especially in the context of external examining. C13: Identify a required text for each module. Include a commitment that required texts will be available in the library and recommended texts will at least be available in-house or online. CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 2

13 C14: Devise and publish a comprehensive policy and procedure on plagiarism and include it in the College s QA manual. Recommendations by the Expert Panel Recommendations R1: Revise and review the assessment strategy to ensure learners are not overloaded. R2: Develop procedures with regard to the design of examination papers to ensure that they test appropriate level and range of learning outcomes in each academic year and don t simply rely on rote learning. R3: Consider developing a policy on minimum attendance. R4: Consider developing a policy and procedures regarding lecturer workload and what level of work would trigger the need for a new hire. How Conditions have been addressed C1: Assure QQI that the identified human resources and physical resources required for the programme i.e. 2 x full time equivalent IT lecturers and 1 x network support technician will be in place before the programme begins. CCT acknowledges the required resources and has already employed a network technician and full time ICT lecturer. In addition a new full time librarian has also been hired. Plans are in place to complete the staffing required and will have fully met this condition before commencement of the programme. Please see Section 7 of the revised main programme document, for details on the additional staff appointments made (page 132). C2: Identify any critical new physical or material resources required and provide a schedule for acquisition to ensure that the programme will run unhindered. The College is committed to the following additional physical or material resources to be acquired to enhance delivery of the programme: a) Additional Library space of approximately 3,800 square feet to be located on the rooftop of the current Westmoreland St. campus building. The schedule for completion of this project will be April This is not currently a critical requirement for year 1 delivery of this programme, but CCT would view this development as critical in the medium term future. b) The following resources will be acquired (as in the process of being acquired) by July 31st 2014: Concurrent Parallel & Accelerated module o NVIDIA Jetson TK1 dev kits x 5 Mobile Development module o Samsung Galaxy Fame (Android 4.12) x 20 Additionally, CCT is upgrading one of its computer labs for greater capacity. Please see Section 8 of the revised main programme document, for details on the additional critical physical or material resources required for enhancement of programme delivery (8.1.1 page 137, page 143). CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 3

14 C3: Commit to one intake only per year. CCT commits to only one intake per year on this programme, with commencement start date in September of each academic year. CCT understands that this condition of validation and programme delivery is in place, until such time as CCT and QQI agree otherwise. Please see Section 4 of the revised main programme document, for statement of CCT's commitment to one intake per year (page 18). C4: Significantly revise Programme Learning Outcomes to make them less generic and more specific to this programme. The Programme Learning Outcomes have been revised to make them less generic and more specific to the programme. Please see Section of the revised main programme document, for revision of the Programme Learning Outcomes (pages 20-21). C5: Revise and correct proposed programme schedule. Please see Section 6 of the revised main programme document, for revision of the proposed Programme Schedule (pages 83-84). Also in considering this, please see the response to Condition 7, a summary table of contact hours (page 85). C6: Revise special regulations that require Continuous Assessment and Exams to be passed independently. Assessment endorses the achievement of threshold standards. The mode of assessment is simply a tool to measure that learning outcomes have been achieved. Revision of special regulations that require Continuous Assessment and Exams to be passed independently is provided under Section Please see Section for revision of special regulations on assessment (pages 64-65). C7: Provide a breakdown of contact in the context of lecture, practical project, tutorial etc. Revision of breakdown of contact hours has been provided in module descriptors, and in summary form in a table in section 6. Please see Section 6 of the revised main programme document, for summary table of contact time (page 85) and module descriptors in sections C8: An indicative timetable of assessment must be provided to learners. An indicative timetable of assessment, will be provided to all registered learners at Induction on week 1 of the academic year. It will also be included in the Student Handbook. Please see Section for statement in relation to this Condition (page 68). It is also indicated on the schedule itself (page 69) C9: Edit all documentation as pointed out in meeting and trim narrative to remove repetition, correct errors in reference to HETAC/QQI. CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 4

15 The main programme document with appendices, has been revised to trim narrative, remove repetition, and correct errors in reference to HETAC/QQI*, and others including the specific reference errors highlighted by the Panel in sections 5.3.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.4, (use of the word 'Progression). Please see full programme document with all Appendices. C10: Include blind marking/double marking to underpin fairness and consistency in assessing student performance, particularly in assignments and projects. The practice of blind marking / double marking will be adopted and utilised for the proposed programme particularly for assignments and projects Please see Section of the revised main programme document, for details on this process (page 64), and also the Applied Technology Project handbook, Appendix 7. C11: Revise the project to include content and the formation of research skills and rationalise structure and title of the two projects into one project. The project element of the proposed programme has been revised to include additional content and the formation of research skills, with a new rationalised structure of the two projects (originally proposed over two semesters) into one project deliverable over the academic year of the programme. The title has been amended also. Please see Section (page 86) of the revised main programme document, for the new project module descriptor, and Appendix 7 for the project handbook. C12: Devise a conflict of interest policy and procedure especially in the context of external examining. CCT have devised a new Conflict of Interest policy and procedure, especially in the context of external examining. This new policy and procedure has been included within Appendices section of the revised programme submission, as Appendix 9. Please see Appendix 9, Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure. C13: Identify a required text for each module. Include a commitment that required texts will be available in the library and recommended texts will at least be available in-house or online. A required text has been identified for each module and noted in each module descriptor. CCT commits to ensuring that all required texts will be available in hard copy form and strive to make available soft copy form as well. At least 75% of recommended texts will be made available in-house or online. The College commits to ensuring that such required and recommended texts will be available prior to course commencement. Please see Section 8 (page 138) within the main document for details of this commitment, and all respective module descriptors, sections C14: Devise and publish a comprehensive policy and procedure on plagiarism and include it in the College s QA manual. CCT have devised a new and more comprehensive policy and procedure on plagiarism. This has been included in the College's QA manual, which has been published and can be viewed on our website from 30th June This new policy and procedure has been included within Appendices section of the revised programme submission, as Appendix 10. CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 5

16 Please see Appendix 10, Plagiarism Policy and Procedure. How Recommendations are being addressed R1: Revise and review the assessment strategy to ensure learners are not overloaded. The assessment strategy of the proposed programme has been reviewed and revised, to ensure that learners are not overloaded. The assessment strategies of some modules have accordingly been amended to reduce assessment workload. Focus was on reducing the amount of CA work while still covering the necessary module learning outcomes. In part this was done through providing practical work, where students are assessed during contact time in a practical and hands-on manner, which lends itself naturally to the nature of the programme. In other cases CAs could be combined, while still assessing the appropriate learning outcomes. All modifications to the assessment strategy were examined to ensure that modes of assessment are aligned to the appropriate module learning outcomes. Please see section for details, the corresponding module descriptors in Section 6, and particularly the Assessment Schedule in section (page 69). R2: Develop procedures with regard to the design of examination papers to ensure that they test appropriate level and range of learning outcomes in each academic year and don t simply rely on rote learning. Additional procedures are in the process of being developed with regard to the design of examination papers to ensure that they test appropriate level and range of learning outcomes in each academic year and don t simply rely on rote learning. CCT is committed to having this recommendation fully addressed by August 2014, prior to the planned first cycle proposed course commencement in September R3: Consider developing a policy on minimum attendance. The current CCT Attendance policy is being reviewed presently to incorporate a policy on minimum attendance. CCT is committed to having this recommendation fully addressed by August 2014, prior to the planned first cycle proposed course commencement in September R4: Consider developing a policy and procedures regarding lecturer workload and what level of work would trigger the need for a new hire. CCT is currently developing a policy and set of procedures regarding lecturer workload and what level of work would trigger the need for a new hire. CCT is committed to having this recommendation fully addressed by August 2014, prior to the planned first cycle proposed course commencement in September CCT Summary report for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Level 8, one year addon, major award, 60 ECTS) validation - June 2014 Page 6

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