Establishing a Foundation Degree in Computing at Fermanagh College

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Establishing a Foundation Degree in Computing at
Fermanagh College

• Gerry Kingston Lecturer Computing

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Fermanagh College
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Program Concept
Viable Student Numbers
University
Industrial Partners
Other concerns Management support, staff and
physical resources, marketing
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Initial Contact with University

• UU had given a presentation to FE colleges in N.
  Ireland about the provision of Foundation Degrees
  and invited colleges to apply.
• Fermanagh College had a well established but
  dated HND in Computing. Inspectorate reports had
  been generally favourable but noted poor
  industrial links.

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Stage 1 CA2 formCourse Proposal from an
external Institution

• Must be submitted by an early deadline eg
  October.
• After initial expression of interest able to
  correspond with Dr Stephen Hagan UU Faculty of
  Engineering Head of Collaborative Courses (my
  best friend in the whole world)

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CA2 Sections

• Course Outline
• Reasons for Proposal
• Student numbers
• Progression routes
• External Agencies Industrial Links
• Entry Requirements
• Aims and Learning Outcomes

• Course Structure
• Teaching and Learning Methods
• Resources
• Staff
• Course Committee
• Physical
• Support
• Endorsement of Proposal

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Students

• Speaking to existing HND computing students the
  title Foundation Degree is more appealing than
  HND
• Changes in application qualification would make
  little difference to student numbers.
• Consulted with AVCE/BTEC Nat. students in college
  and their course co-ordinators
• Surveyed careers officers in local schools

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Consultation with Employers

• Welcomed by most employers on a visit to their
  company
• Surveyed essential understanding required
• Practical experience required
• Programming languages and software packages
• Possible number of students who could be
  accommodated on work placement
• Format of work placement

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Management Support

• Management must facilitate and encourage the
  course team
• Appoint a course co-ordinator and allow staff
  time for course submission it requires large
  quantities of time and effort.
• Support your local course co-ordinator

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Course Team

• Decide on module content and structure based on
  details obtained by course co-ordinator.
• Course structure is primarily controlled by the
  employer links and core structure provided by the
  University rather than staff preferences.
• Consider teaching and Learning methods

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Outline Structure from UU
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Fermanagh CollegeFD Computing structure
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Submission of CA2 formstage 1 complete

• UU Course Approval Sub-Committee considered our
  CA2 and recommended to the Teaching and Learning
  Committee that the proposal proceed to planning
  and evaluation with a view to entry in September
  2004
• Now we were to prepare a course document in line
  with the Universitys Guide to Collaboration in
  Course Provision

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Stage 2Course Document and presentation to
Faculty Validation Panel.

• Course Document
• Follow University course document template.
• General Introduction origins, student demand
• Course Specification learning outcomes,
  structure, admission criteria
• Commentary progression, entrepreneurship,
  teaching, learning and assessment criteria
• Course Regulations must follow University
  standards, work based learning, course structure
  and course modules.
• Course Management quality assurance, college
  resources

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Module Design

• Involve teaching team in overall course plan
  including relationships between modules and
  linking modules to needs of industrial partners.
• Not all industrial partners will have identical
  needs so compromise where necessary and justify
  decision to industrial partner.
• Ensure coverage of course learning outcomes
  across module portfolio

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Choice of programming language
Must be an OO language QUINN Group
C Swiftsoft
University Progression Java
HND Computing VB6 Java
VB BALCAS
VB.net Eventual Choice
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Individual Module Design

• Teaching team members wrote the modules they
  expected to deliver then agreed the content with
  the course co-ordinator.
• Views of relevant local employers had a strong
  input to module design and assessment.

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Module structure

• Rationale brief introduction
• Aims point format
• Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Intellectual Qualities
• Professional/Practical Skills
• Transferable Skills
• Content
• Learning and Teaching Methods
• Assessment ensure coverage of Learning outcomes
• Reading List
• Summary Description

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Work Placement

• Feedback from employers indicated a preference
  for semester 2 with students possibly spending
  most of the week with an employer.
• Module assessment
• Work placement preparation
• Reports on activities during placement
• Employer feedback and tutor observation
• Post placement review including peer review

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APL

• Include college APL Scheme in appendix
• APL only applicable to year 1 modules (where APL
  scheme demonstrates academic experience and
  ability equivalent to any particular module)

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Progression Routes
Full time BSc Hons in Computing at University of
Ulster joining year 2 and year 4
Part time BSc Hons Computing and Information
Systems at Fermanagh College or UU
Foundation Degree in Computing at Fermanagh
College
Employment
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Faculty Validation Meeting

• Provide 7 copies of course document in advance.
• Meeting took place in UU between Faculty of
  Engineering staff and the course team.
• Representative from industry present.
• Course co-ordinator gave outline of course
  proposal then complete team answered questions.
• Work placement and entrepreneurship training were
  closely examined.

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Faculty Validation Outcome

• The Faculty Validation Panel recommended
  progression to the University Evaluation Panel.
• Significant number of changes requested,
  especially to Work placement.
• Stage 2 complete

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Stage 3University Evaluation Panel

• Review and rewrite course document in keeping
  with comments from the faculty panel.
• Include concept of learning contract between
  employers and students.
• Provide 7 copies in advance of meeting

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University Evaluation Panel, College staff and
Industrial links
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University Evaluation Panel

• UU Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Teaching and Learning
• Professor N Black, Dean of Faculty of Engineering
• 3 lecturers from Universities in England
• Local Industrial representative, head of IT at
  the Quinn Group

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University Evaluation Panel

• Tour of facilities
• Presentation of course to panel
• Further changes recommended
• Lunch with various local industrial links
• Course finally accepted (subject to changes in
  course document)
• Stage 3 complete (almost)

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Living with a Foundation Degree

• Document everything
• Course team meetings.
• Staff/student consultative meetings
• Exam Boards
• Resit boards
• Course Review

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Quality Procedures
Externally verified by External examiner
Externally verified by subject expert within the
University of Ulster
Internally verified by course co-ordinator or
member of teaching team
CW / Ex set by module co-ordinator
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Closing comment

• An excellent course with real practical skills
  and abilities.
• Prepares students well for the work environment
• The teaching team must meet frequently in the
  first year.
• Co-ordinator must drive course forward.