Course and Module Delivery

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Course and Module Delivery aims to provide you with a range of guidance, information and resources relating to teaching, learning and assessment.

In the first instance, please use our dedicated search list ‘looking for something in particular’. This provides you with links to the source of content. Wherever there are multiple sources, these will appear on this page. As part of the development of Academic Essentials, we are working with our stakeholders to bring together all multiple sources of content into one place.

The content here has been curated by a range of stakeholders from across both academic and professional services teams and is managed by the Academic Development & Diversity (AD&D) Team.

We very much welcome contributions to this resource, suggestions on how we can improve and any other feedback.

Questions? — Join one of our drop-in sessions!

Click on one of the following headings to see more:

Changes to teaching, learning and assessment 2022/23
- Portfolio Re-development and Delivery Models
- Student requests for online learning
Colleges
Planning and delivery your course principles 2022/23
Quality Assurance
A-Z of resources to support inclusive delivery of courses and modules

Changes to teaching, learning and assessment 2022/23:

Portfolio Re-development and Delivery Models

Portfolio Plan project: please read the latest update.

Delivery Models project: please read the latest update including a new FAQs page.

The aim of the project is to establish a clear approach to the planning, scheduling, and communication of the learning experience. By taking a consistent and streamlined approach to the operationalisation of module delivery we will ensure that courses can be delivered with clarity of expectations to students and with less administrative burden for staff. Timetabling will be more effective and costing and resourcing will be known and transparent. Clarity of delivery also connects to module viability, student number planning, and decision-making about portfolio and provision. Defining our approach to module delivery and the way in which student learning is structured and delivered will allow greater consistency of an excellent experience for students and staff.  We cannot seek an increase to costs, so this work will need to flex as we move through the consultation and develop our modelling.

It’s interlinked with all the work that is going on around the quality and sustainability of our taught portfolio to support the growth in targeted areas and prioritise efficiency, sustainability and strategic alignment – ultimately this is about making our provision both attractive to applicants and students, and financially and educationally viable.

Please watch Alison Purvis ‘ presentation video, which helpfully summarises the delivery models project.

Student requests for online learning

The University’s Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Framework has a vision for an LTA experience that “is characterised by a dynamic in-person experience,” one in which “our excellent applied teaching inspires and challenges our students.” “Our students use and apply knowledge in critical and creative ways, contributing to society and transforming lives.” The in-person experience on our campus is a key part of our core offer.

Take a look at the staff guidance on student attendance and engagement and links to the policy Particular attention is drawn to the following statement:

“The expectation is that students will attend on-campus and live on-line sessions as timetabled and will engage with all course materials and assessments provided unless they are unable to do so because of illness, disability or other extenuating circumstances.”

The University will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled students with on-campus activities or to support occasional missed activities through the provision of a learning contract. A learning contract would not typically include an exemption from attendance at on-campus activities, since these are central to the University’s core learning, teaching and assessment offer.

View the full Student Requests for Online Learning – Staff Guidance for 2022-23.
Look at a range of digital tools and resources to support online / remote learning.

Colleges

Each College has their own course and module start of year checklist which provides key actions and resources moving forward:

Business, Technology and Engineering (BTE): start of year checklist 2021-22 (SharePoint site)
Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences (HWLS): start of year checklist 2021-22
Social Sciences and Arts (SSA): start of year checklist 2021-22(SharePoint site)

Planning and delivering your course principles 2022/23

The Teaching delivery: planning and delivering our course principles 2022/23 guidance as outlined below, is for staff in implementing the University Course Delivery Principles during the 2022/23 academic year. This guidance is kept under review and will be updated if and when new information becomes available or circumstances change. Contact the Digital Learning Team for content feedback.

Teaching sessions

Wherever possible, teaching sessions should not be cancelled, although in exceptional circumstances they may need to be postponed and re-arranged. Decisions should be made locally by departments and communicated to College Leadership teams. There may need to be flexibility for students who can’t attend sessions, with materials provided to support any learning activities missed.

Managers should be as flexible as possible to find ways of ensuring staff are not disadvantaged, and that any impact on service delivery is minimised. Staff who are unable to get to Sheffield by other means can work from home if they are able to, and for those who are campus-based the University’s Time Off policy (section 18) provides useful information which might be an option for some colleagues.

Quality Assurance

Sheffield Hallam University is responsible to its students for the quality and standards of its academic provision. External expectations are that the University’s academic standards must meet or exceed UK threshold academic standards and offer high quality learning opportunities to students. These include, curriculum catalogue, validation, modifications, annual review (course improvement plans), periodic review, external examiners, apprenticeships and work-based learning, collaborative and professional statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs).

The Academic Quality and Standards Team oversee the University’s Quality Assurance Regulations and Procedures.
They also manage the Academic Quality and Standards (AQS) Quality Framework, an externally facing guidance and home to our Quality Manual, sections 1 – 9.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education

The QAA safeguard standards and improve the quality of UK higher education wherever it is delivered around the world. The QAA check that students working towards a UK qualification get the higher education they are entitled to expect. Take a look about their remit and work with HE partners.

A-Z of resources to support delivery of your courses and modules

Academic Advising | Accessibility | Attendance and Engagement

Campus Teaching | Collaborative Courses | Course Principles | Curriculum View |

Evaluation | External Examiners (EEs) | Group Work | Hallam Welcome | Learning Contracts

Academic Advising

Hallam students have an Academic Adviser allocated to them at the beginning of Semester 1/2 and will have contact with them at least 3 times per academic year to discuss their Academic Progression Development – Personal Development and Professional Development.

Academic Advisers are members of the teaching team within the Colleges and Departments. If you are an Academic Adviser or support a colleague undertaking this role, you can find a host of guidance, information and resources on

The Student Support triangle SharePoint site “I am an Academic Adviser”.
Teaching Delivery website: academic advising.
Student Experience, Teaching and Learning (SETL) SharePoint site: academic advising.
My Hallam: academic advisers – student guidance.

Accessibility

You need to ensure your course and module materials are accessible to all:

Academic Essentials: digital capability, skills and support overview page – section: digital accessibility | Blackboard (accessibility).
Academic Essentials: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) overview page – range of resources to support.
Academic Development & Diversity (AD&D): inclusive pedagogy & practice – guidance and resources.
Assessment Essentials for all your accessible assessment and feedback resources.

Attendance and Engagement

The University’s Attendance and Engagement Policy clearly sets out expectations in terms of attendance and engagement and identifies processes whereby students who are not engaging can be offered support in an efficient way across a range of roles and services.

Academic Services: student attendance and engagement – staff guidance – which also includes the monitoring of international student engagement.
Academic Services: deferral with attendance – a deferral in an assessment task means that students will take the task again and the mark is not capped. Students are not entitled to any further attendance on a module.
BESE: Attendance monitoring for apprentices – staff guidance.
Digital Learning Team: TEL Help Blackboard attendance tool support for managing your blackboard site.
Student guidance: managing the impact of difficult circumstances on your studies.

Resources

WonkHE

Belong from the beginning: building connections, confidence and inclusion at university. Watch the recording and access resources (password: BELONG22)

To uni I belong: a sense of belonging – measured by quantitative engagement or qualitative feedback – has been strongly associated with academic achievement at university. But what exactly is “belonging”? How do we define it? How do we foster it? And when we do manage to, how can we replicate it elsewhere?

There are ways to ensure that students feel they belong at university – and there are big benefits if they do. Anna Jackson and Sunday Blake have the latest findings from a year-long project with Pearson.
If students need friends, whose job is to make it happen – and what do we mean by friends, anyway? Jim Dickinson’s mother warned him there would be days like these.
You can catch up with Taking action on belonging and inclusion – an event we held with Pearson in June to digest the findings of the staff survey.

Course Leader Fest

The following were delivered at the ‘Engaging and Thriving’ Course Leader Fest event December 2020:

Measuring student engagement: Stuart Hepplestone Digital Learning Team, SETL.
(Using) Learning Analytics and Student Engagement Data to Support Students: Neil McKay, Dean of Students and Paul Dewsnap, Project Manager.
Fostering a sense of belonging through pre-arrival on-line transition activities: Charmaine Myers, Principal Lecturer – Employability & Curriculum Design – BESE, James Coope, Senior Administrator (Curriculum Design) – BESE, Jude Langdon, Senior Lecturer, Academy of Sport and Physical Activity – HWLS and Vicki Norman, Senior Lecturer, Academy Sport and Physical Activity.
Strategies for Engagement: how developing resources within Blackboard and Google Forms to create a ‘Workbook’ approach can help with engagement: David Smith, Associate Professor, Biosciences and Chemistry HWLS.
Reports for supporting student engagement: using the reporting tools available in Blackboard to check student engagement: Martin Roberts, Senior Lecturer, Finance, Accounting and Business Systems BTE.
Developing strong student networks for all: Lessons from care experienced and estranged students journeys in higher education: Nathaniel Pickering, Senior Lecturer, Liz Austen, Head of Evaluation and Research and Alan Donnelly, Researcher – Student Engagement, Evaluation & Research (STEER) Student Experience, Teaching & Learning – SETL.
Developing Student Experience Through ‘Course Leader Surgeries: James Fenwick, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader BA (Hons) Media SSA.
A collection of journal articles, book chapters and conference presentations from colleagues at Hallam (word).

Campus teaching

The Digital Learning Team provide Teaching Delivery: Campus Teaching guidance. To support you with on-campus teaching and learning also visit:

Academic Essentials: Digital Capability, Skills and Support overview page – equipment section for access to AV equipment on campus.
Academic Essentials: Supporting our Students overview page – guidance on TORS: specialist teaching spaces such as labs.
You and your team should establish your own principles for meetings, using the meeting and events protocols. These may include how often to meet physically and for what purpose; which technology to use and how to ensure that communication is inclusive.
Resource booker website is now open to allow bookings for desk space, teaching preparation space, group space, car parking and rooms for synchronous teaching.
Security Team – if you have any problems accessing your allocated teaching space/room.
Ways of working at Hallam – advice & support – staff wide guidance.
The Library & Campus Services SharePoint site brings together the trading areas of the Facilities Directorate including catering, accommodation services, print shop etc.

Collaborative Courses

AQS Collaborative – the University collaborates with education providers and other organisations to provide a diversity of pathways and progression to higher education.
Academic Services: Collaborative Provision (SP site) outlines further provision and information.

Further information about collaborative courses can also be found on:

Academic Essentials: Digital Capability, Skills and Support overview page – for a range of collaborative tools and resources.
Academic Development & Diversity (AD&D) Team: academic leadership and management – course leadership – for guidance on work planning allocation and support for the collaborative course leadership role.

Course Principles

The Teaching Delivery resources set out the principles | pedagogic models | blended and flipped learning considerations.

Curriculum View

Is a view of course and module data that is set up and held in our student management system SITS. It allows you to view courses and the validated module diet for a course, modules and the courses a module is delivered on.

Please note:

The Curriculum View application will only be available on the Staff VPN, on campus on the University network or on the staff remote desktop. Please ensure you are logged in via one of these methods before accessing the application. If you have any difficulties or concerns with the process please contact the IT Service desk.

You can search for all modules allocated to a module leader, or all courses allocated to a particular course leader. The allocation of course and module leaders to curriculum view if a self-service model – please follow the who are our course leaders guidance and instructions.

Academic Services: what is SITS/SITS Online and My Student Record (MSR)?
Academic Services: student systems support and training
Online Blackboard training module: aimed at academic administration it also contains useful guidance about SITS module records for academic colleagues. Highlights:
- types of modules and module records * viewing student module information in SITS * changes to student module records and how to view them * creating class lists and reports * where nodule data is used in other areas
- to book your place email ! SITS Help with your user code and ask to be enrolled on the Blackboard site for SITS module training (00-Z-S0062-20178).
Academic Services: Curriculum data guidance – for queries about curriculum data.
Student Life Cycle – introduction to student records system (SITS). Book your place via The Core Portal.

SITS Support

The Academic Services SITS Help team provide support for student systems and processes:

Visit the SITS Status page and IT Help @ITHelpSHU twitter feed to keep staff users informed of progress during upgrades.
You can also find guidance on changes to the system on SITS annual upgrade changes log.
If you have any queries about the use of the Curriculum Catalogue please contact SITS Help in the first instance – SITS-Help@shu.ac.uk or telephone 0114 225 4475.

Resources

Presented at the Course Leader Fest event, December 2020, this highlights the importance of introducing your module (video) and the tools you are going to use to your students before the module starts so they are familiar with how the teaching will be delivered.
Presented at the Course Leader Fest event, December 2020, this highlights how to develop a module for remote delivery and how it was implemented in Blackboard (video).

Evaluation: adapting your delivery

Student Engagement, Teaching and Learning (SETL)

Student Evaluation, Engagement and Research (STEER): take a look at their wide range of guidance and resources to help you evaluate your course(s) and support evaluation.
Digital Learning Team: also support evaluation through their Teaching Delivery 2021/22 guidance: Evaluating and Adapting Delivery | Suggested evaluation methods | Student Engagement

Evaluation resources

Read Liz Austen, Head of Evaluation and Research’s WonkHE blog post ‘Working together on access and participation evaluation: a new collaborative effort to shape, promote and drive effective evaluation of access and participation work‘.

Access and Participation: an overview of Hallam’s 5-year plan to address student inequalities; and where to find data and insight about your course: Presented by Claire Walsh, Head of Academic Development & Inclusivity, Lizzie Morgan, Strategy and Policy Manager, Strategy, Policy and Insight and Simon Reade, Insight & Intelligence Manager, Strategy, Policy and Insight at the December 2020 Course Leader Fest ‘Engaging and Thriving’.

Staff Guide to Using Evidence: Presented by Liz Austen, Head of Evaluation & Research, Student Engagement, Evaluation & Research, SETL at the December 2020 Course Leader Fest ‘Engaging and Thriving’.

Surveys

Module Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ): Here you’ll find a range of support, resources and contacts on the comprehensive and systematic process to provide module leaders with anonymous feedback from the students studying their modules.
National Student Survey (NSS): Is the national survey of undergraduate students (to access click on image). Conducted annually it is commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS) and independently run by Ipsos MORI. Universities, Colleges and alternative providers take part in the survey.
- In July 2021, the National Student Survey (NSS) results were published. In response, the University has developed an NSS Action Plan.
- The NSS 2022 Marketing Tool is a useful ‘one stop shop’ resource containing all you need to brief your students on completing the NSS.
- For departmental / course data on NSS results, visit The Source.
Student Voice Repository: The Student Voice Repository is a new place for members of the University community to submit and view Student Voice insights from a wide range of sources. Request access to the Student Voice Repository here (MS Teams channel) for access to our monthly bulletins.
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey: Is a national online survey designed specifically for postgraduate research students.
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey: Is a UK-wide survey open to all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with postgraduate taught students and is made available by Advance HE.
UK Engagement Survey: Is a national survey, designed and supported by Advance HE and based on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union: Each year, the Students’ Union conducts research into the student experience. Most of this research is included in the Student Voice Report. The Student Voice Report is the main lobbying and advocacy tool produced by the Students’ Union. This report establishes clear actions, priorities and goals which can be reached through a joint partnership with students and the University.

External Examiners (EE)

AQS External Examiners (EE) – the University appoint EEs who have an essential role to play in the assurance of quality and standards within UK Higher Education. Here you can find:

forms and templates
annual reports
EE reports and how to respond to them
EE course and module allocations
SHU staff EE roles
guidance documents and public information

The TEL Help website hosts a range of guidance around External Examiners:

For more guidance on using Blackboard visit Academic Essentials: digital capability, skills and support overview page.

Academic Services: How to find my module external examiner – screencast

Are you looking to become an EE yourself? For details of career enhancement and development visit Academic Development & Diversity (AD&D) academic management and leadership for more details.

Case Studies

Making external examining for for the future: November 2020: Dr Lia Blaj-Ward, senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, points to ‘the emphasis on the importance of calibration across the sector’ as the highlight of Advance HE’s external examiner course. Visit Advance HE for more information.
Reflections of an External Examiner: December 2018: John Freeman, Principal Lecturer, HWB spoke to a group of academic colleagues during an External Examiners workshop about life as an external examiner. John has undertaken the role of External Examiner for about 12 years, in fact pretty much since John started at Hallam! You can read more about John’s role on the HWB Learning Enhancement pages.

Group Work

Policies and Regulations

University’s Rules and Regulations: Examinations and Coursework (website) covers group work policy and procedures.

Staff teaching resources

TEL Help: groups overview and setting up group work (website)
Assessment Essentials: Group Work Principles 2015 (PDF) guidance.
Digital Learning Team: Group Project and Group Presentations (website) – guidance to provide a view of implementing group work into your course and module from a digital learning perspective.
Academic Development & Diversity (AD&D): Inclusive Pedagogy and Practice – guidance on designing and hosting inclusive and accessible group work.
Peer and peer-led learning (word) resources to provide the student’s perspective of group work.

Case studies

Social Media for Learning (website) – suggestions to help prepare for using online breakout rooms as learning activities for group sessions
The use of Breakout Rooms for conducting group activities during a live session – December 2020 (video).

Student Resources

Online e-Module

Hosted on Blackboard “SKILLS HUB (2021/22) 00-Z-E0113-20212” – to support students with group work and covers a wide range of topics. Applicable to all students whereby students can self-enrol. If you’d like to batch enrol students, please contact Nick Russell, Peer Learning Coordinator, Skills, Library Services.

Group assignments / presentations

Are your students working on a group assignment or presentation? Are they looking for resources on how to set up a productive study group? Visit Lib Guides: Group Work and Study Groups (website) guidance from the Skills Centre.
Does your student have a Learning Contract? If so, visit the student guidance on My Hallam: adjustments to group work in your learning contract (website).

Hallam Welcome

The Hallam Welcome Staff Hub (SP site) is a one stop shop for all things Hallam Welcome. This site provides information, resources and tool kits for staff across the university to deliver their Hallam Welcome Experience to both new and returning students. Also visit:

Updated for Hallam Welcome – May 22 (SP site)
Updates for Hallam Welcome – Jan 2022 (SP site) – this update contains all the information and resources for you as Course Leaders and academic leads to help you create your Course Welcome Experience and Course Induction Schedule. We recommend that you read each section in order to ensure you are up-to-date with any changes and improvements made to the welcome journey. Also includes a printable Course Leader ‘to do’ list (word) which supports you in these tasks.
Teaching Delivery: Student engagement (website) – guidance around Hallam Welcome brought to you by the Digital Learning Team (SETL).
For Panopto guidance on creating your course welcome videos, visit the Academic Essentials: Digital Capability, Skills and Support overview page.

Case studies

Hint/tips in developing interactive course welcome sessions via PowerPoint – July 2020 – video
Academic Advising – an introduction to the AA offer: July 2021 – created by Melissa Jacobi, Academic Director, Academic Advising, this guide is to provide information and ideas to support you during induction week or the first week or two of teaching.
(Overview of) Hallam Welcome – January Intake – Dec 2020 – presented by Ricky Parkinson, Hallam Welcome Project Officer and Sarah Smart, Hallam Welcome Project Lead – Hallam Welcome Project Team at the December 2020 Course Leader Fest ‘Engaging and Thriving’.

Students

Hallam Welcome 2021 – guidance on Welcome Week and beyond.
Hallam Welcome: student online module – video that explains what it’s all about.
New student guidance on what the Academic Advising offer looks like.

Learning Contracts

All students who have a declared disability will have a Learning Contract. Visit:

Disabled Student Support Team: Learning Contracts SP page – staff guidance.
Academic Services: Students with Learning Contracts SP page – staff guidance.
My Hallam: Learning Contracts website – student guidance.

Resources

Learning Contracts (recording) – Presented by Catherine McAuley, Senior Disability Adviser and Marissa Hill, Head of SRAC, SAS at the December 2020 Course Leader Fest ‘Engaging and Thriving’.

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Last updated: 20th March 2023 NB