Art and Design

YOU SAID: 'Great communication and help from lecturers, as well as the unlimited availability of the use of modern facilities and the latest software.'

WE DID: Since last year, we have extended access hours for most of our learning spaces, have provided  Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students with a bespoke practical workshop area  and are currently upgrading the software in our Mac suites (CS4) so that we can continue to offer our students excellent  learning opportunities.

YOU SAID: 'Access to Macs is limited in the evening and there's no Mac access in the 365 area.'

WE DID: We now have open access to Mac computer suites on T5 from Monday to Thursday evening until 9pm, with support provided by a member of technical staff.  Two Mac computers are also being installed in the 365 area.

YOU SAID: 'The change over of campuses was really disruptive. Facilities were not ready and there were many transition difficulties.'

WE DID: The move to our new facilities has been successfully completed and we are now able to provide high-quality studio and workshop spaces for all of our Art and Design and Media students.

YOU SAID: 'Certain tutors let their personal tastes and experiences affect the mark they give students' work, which we don't think is fair.'

WE DID: The marking processes in the School are rigorous and robust, as evidenced by the very positive comments of our External Examiners. Programme teams now hold a range of workshops and group crits, to give students a clearer idea of how marking is undertaken and how academic judgements are made.

YOU SAID: 'Some tutors are lacking in some teaching skills; they do not feedback or advise how to improve work during the review session.'

WE DID: The School of Arts, Media and Education have excellent tutors in the Art and Design area, most of whom are practicing professionals in their field. Staff who may have years of professional experience, but who do not hold a relevant teaching qualification, are supported by the University to undertake a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in HE, to ensure their teaching skills are of an appropriate standard. The school also holds regular staff development events throughout the year on key issues such as assessment and using technology, to enhance the learning environment for students.

 

English

YOU SAID: 'Module options are limited; some modules are only available in the evening and there are not enough evening modules for part-time students.'

WE DID: Our BA English course is one of the few programmes in the University which allows for completion of the degree by part-time evening-only attendance. In order to accommodate both full-time and part-time evening students we need to circulate modules between day and evening occurrences. Although this means that sometimes a student may not be able to attend a module when they would prefer, we always try to be as flexible as possible to allow students to achieve the module profile of their choice.

YOU SAID: 'Part-time students don't receive information as effectively as students of the full-time course.'

WE DID: The course team are investigating ways of improving communication with part-time students. The Arts, Media and Education School Handbook (containing loads of detailed information relating to policies, procedures and student support) and the course programme handbook are both available electronically via the school website. Our e-team is currently training all staff to use Moodle more effectively as a learning resource and communication tool for individual module tutors. This will help us to ensure that all students can get ready access to all of the information that they need in order to make good progress on their course of study.

YOU SAID: 'Some students get away with handing work in late and missing classes.'

WE DID: Procedures on attendance and late submission of work are now strictly adhered to as per the guidance included in the school handbook.

Education (undergraduate programmes)

YOU SAID: 'Students are not able to contact staff when they need to and are given insufficient advice and support.'

WE DID: All students have now been allocated a personal tutor and all final year students will be given additional support by their dissertation supervisor. Students have been advised to contact personal tutors for guidance should they have any course-related queries or issues.

YOU SAID: 'More advice is needed when making study choices.'

WE DID: The programme leader plans to run structured module choice sessions in semester two,  in preparation for 2010-11 classes. This should give students every opportunity to ask for any additional advice or information that they may require that is not already included in the programme handbook.

YOU SAID: 'There have been times when the course's organisation and management has not met expectations.'

WE DID: A new course management structure is now in place and the programme leader holds regular team meetings to discuss course issues, timetabling and matters relating to student support.

YOU SAID: 'The course provided insufficient personal development planning opportunities.'

WE DID: PDP is now an assessed part of all three core modules at levels HE4, 5 and 6 and will therefore be monitored more closely by module tutors. E-PDP training is available for both tutors and students within the school and this should help to make the PDP process more meaningful and productive.

Film and Media Studies/Media, Writing and Production

YOU SAID: 'The University does not give guidance when using equipment, especially for people who have not used equipment before.'

WE DID: Several new full-time and part-time members of staff have been recruited this year which will mean that students will have better access to expert staff and general support. The MWP programme leader is monitoring the effect of having new staff on board in terms of student satisfaction with practice-based modules.

YOU SAID: 'Great work experience opportunities. Good equipment is almost always available to use. We are definitely learning skills that can be applied to the workplace. Technicians are always available and helpful with any problems.

WE DID: We continue to build upon our excellent work-related portfolio of contacts and networks through our successful Writers' Lab project which is supported by a host of key production companies across the North West.

YOU SAID: 'There are theoretical subjects which have little to do with MWP.'

WE DID: The MWP course team are reviewing all of the theoretical modules on the programme and then intend to restructure them across all three years, to ensure they are truly fit for purpose. New modules will be introduced gradually and monitored closely to ensure that they are enabling an effective integration of theory and practice for students.

YOU SAID: 'In FMS we regularly have one-to-one tutorials with lecturers. Here, I get more feedback and so can improve my work in the long run.'

WE DID: We shall continue to provide this level of support and are pleased that students benefit from the individualised guidance that we offer.

YOU SAID: 'Work deadlines were not properly thought out across modules so a student can find themselves bombarded with work at times.'

WE DID: MWP already provide students with an assessment calendar laying out dates; FMS will produce this as from semester two, to try to avoid assessment overload. Student reps have been consulted to help understand the issue and the FMS study skills module is also designed to highlight strategies for students to manage their assessment schedule.

YOU SAID: 'Library resources for specific third-year modules , including animation, have been limited in comparison to other modules.

WE DID: Extra orders have been underway since summer 2009 and many items are now in the library. Additional web resources are also being highlighted to students .

YOU SAID: 'There could be more guest speakers.'

WE DID: We shall introduce more guest speakers into the FMS Professional Issues module this year. Also we intend to flag up the school's research seminar series more actively. Even though there were at least three media-themed seminars with high-profile external speakers in 2008-09 and further sessions with internal speakers, few students attended. The good news is that this year more FMS students are already attending and participating in the seminars.

Creative Writing

YOU SAID: 'Earlier deadlines for feedback would be preferred.'

WE DID: We have instituted a three-week deadline for feedback to students.

YOU SAID: 'Not enough feedback on coursework.'

WE DID: The team plan to introduce a subject-specific feedback form for 2010/11.