Main University menu

• university »
• home
• colleges & services
• courses
• research
• contacts
• a-z
• help

Policy on Flexible and Distributed Learning ('Distance Learning') Programmes

1. Relevant University policy on Learning and Teaching applies to all distance learning programmes (including elearning) leading to the award of a University Qualification. This includes the procedures inherent in the University's Quality Assurance Framework, the Admissions Policy, the Assessment Policy for Taught Provision and the Computer-Aided Assessment Policy and Procedures. Where exceptions to normal practice are necessary due to the nature of distance learning, these should be agreed with the Academic Secretary or Director of Quality Assurance in advance.
2. Distance learning provision should adhere to the precepts in Part B of the QAA Code of Practice, Section 2: Collaborative Provision and Flexible and Distributed Learning (Including Elearning) [available http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/default.asp], especially those relating to the quality of information supplied to students regarding the curriculum, its delivery, study methods, support mechanisms, formative feedback, assessment, plagiarism and impersonation.
3. Curriculum content, procedures for assessment and teaching arrangements should be approved in detail by the relevant School Board.
4. Courses should be directly comparable with in-house courses at the same level in terms of content and standard other than in those cases where exceptional variation is specifically approved by the relevant School Board.
5. Assessment procedures may take a variety of forms but should be subject to the same safeguards and scrutiny as that applicable to in-house courses.
6. Examinations, where required by the Regulations, should be sat in the University where possible under the same conditions as those applicable to in-house courses. If this should be impractical the examinations should be sat in other centres approved by the appropriate School Board and normally supervised by a responsible member of the University teaching staff.
7. All assessment material should be available as a matter of course to the external examiner.
8. All students on distance learning courses should register in each year of study.
9. Particular care should be exercised if a credit accumulation model is adopted. Certification of discrete modules which may eventually be counted towards a University qualification should not be left to the discretion of a department. Such certification should be a matter for School Board approval and should be subject to the same standards and scrutiny in terms of content and assessment as that applicable to whole degree or diploma programmes.