January 2021 Start - MA Education Programme Design Document

	A	C	F	I	J	L	N	R	T	AB	AH	AI	AK	AR	AT	AX
1	1. Admissions/ Management Information
2	Title of the programme – including any lower awards Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award. See guidance on programme titles in:
3	Masters			MA Education
4	Postgraduate Diploma			Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies							Please indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. programmes on which a student can register, exit awards, ie. that are only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.					Exit
5	Postgraduate Certificate			Certificate in Educational Studies							Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. programmes on which a student can register, exit awards, ie. that are only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.					Exit
6	Level of qualification			Level 7
7	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:								January 2021
8	Awarding institution									Teaching institution
9	University of York									University of York
10	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department									Board of Studies
11	Lead Department		Education							Education
12	Other contributing Departments:		n/a							Education
13	Route code (existing programmes only)								PMEDUSEDU1
14	Admissions criteria
15	2:1 or equivalent in an undergraduate degree in any subject and demonstration of an interest in education. IELTS (6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component) PTE Academic (61, minimum 55 in each component) C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency (176, minimum 169 in each component) TOEFL (87, minimum 21 in each component)
16	Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
17	Programme				Length (years/ months)		Status (full-time/ part-time) Please select	Start dates/months (if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
18										Mode
19										Face-to-face, campus-based			Distance learning		Other
20	MA Education				1 year		Full-time	January		Please select Y/N		Yes	Please select Y/N	No
21	Language(s) of study
22	English
23	Language(s) of assessment
24	English
25	2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
26	2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
27	Please Select Y/N:		No	if No move to section 3 if Yes complete the following questions
28	3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
29	Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
30	Please Select Y/N:		No	if Yes, provide details
31	4. Programme leadership and programme team
32	4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
33	Programme leader is Professor Paula Mountford. There is significant input from module leaders of core modules from other members of staff.
34	5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
35	5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the masters programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
36	Some of the most important questions facing societies are how young people should be prepared for the future and how citizens should be educated. This MA programme has been designed so you can critically engage with such debates in the field of Education, reflect upon teaching and learning in specific contexts and broaden your ability to undertake educational research in key areas. In addition, through selecting optional modules and completing an independent research project, you will be able to tailor your programme to your career needs or interests. As a graduate, you will therefore be in a position to take on more senior positions in education, broaden your career options into areas such as education leadership, journalism or information management, or move on to PhD study. In whichever realm, as an MA in Education graduate, you will be able to play an informed role in the development of education thinking, policy and practice.
37	5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do. If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
38	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
39	1	analyse and assess the implications of current issues and key trends in the field of education based on a critical understanding of the sector and its methodological traditions
40	2	contribute to decision-making concerning teaching, learning and education by critically appraising, evaluating and synthesising information from diverse knowledge bases, literatures, perspectives and contexts to produce well-evidenced arguments
41	3	inform and improve practice in specific educational contexts by using a broad range of theoretical frameworks and concepts to evaluate approaches to teaching and learning
42	4	communicate complex information and arguments clearly, confidently and in a professional manner, making use of oral, written and visual formats
43	5	initiate and conduct independent, focussed research projects by engaging in thorough planning, rigorous ethics procedures and the selection and application of appropriate principles, methodologies and approaches
44	6	collate, manage and critically analyse complex empirical data using digital tools in order to support presented arguments
45	5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
46	i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
47	The PLOs for this programme will challenge you to analyse the highly complex education sector that we know today - from the depth and breadth of cutting-edge educational research to application in practical teaching and learning contexts. You will also be part of a stimulating research community that will push you to question your conceptions and assumptions regarding education. This will culminate in your independent project in which you will research a specific area, produce and manage complex research data and communicate ideas to a professional standard
48	ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
49	This programme is distinctive and flexible, as you will be able to tailor the course in ways that most appropriately prepare you for the workplace. Due to the breath of specialisms within the Department of Education at York, you will have the opportunity to develop skills in social justice, science or language education, among others. The breadth of the modules available means that you will be able to pursue a career in formal or non-formal education settings and other education sector roles, as well as opening doors into journalism, information management, human resources and other careers.
50	iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
51	The programme has been designed to support your transition into Masters level study. In the first term, all modules include pre-assessment (formative) work on which you will receive detailed feedback. This will ensure you are clear about your learning and what you need to do to develop and succeed in your studies. There is also additional support provided on digital skills, academic writing skills, statistical analysis (SPSS) and English language.
52	iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills, [add link to QAA masters characteristics document].
53	Core modules allow fundamental knowledge to be covered. This is then developed further when you get to choose more specialist modules through your Options. There is a research methods focus throughout the programmes, beginning with Research Methods module in Term 1 and then the Dissertation preparation module 'Planning and Communicating Research'. This then leads you seamlessly into the Independent Study Module where research proposals are confirmed and ethics approved.
54	v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
55	You will develop your digital literacy skills in a variety of ways. There will be an expectation to create powerpoint presentations, participate in blogs, and collaborate using digital technologies in group work. You will discuss issues on the VLE discussion board and by using clickers in class. You will also take part in library-based workshops addressing areas of digital literacy.
56	vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
57	University Staff
58	The programme will provide you with the chance to develop key skills sought after by employers and expected of people in senior education positions. These include data management, ethical research and the ability to address real issues through careful analysis and evidence debate.
59	viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
60	The MA programmes are directly linked to the Department's Research Centres. As an MA student, you are invited to attend research seminars in the department throughout the year. All teaching and learning content is designed on the latest research. Some of the teaching staff are recognised experts in their research fields and use their specialist knowledge to inform their teaching.
61	5.d. Progression For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
62	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to: If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
63	Students exiting the programme with a PG Cert will have accumulated 60 credits from the taught modules (the Planning and Communicating Research module does not count as it is on a Pass-Fail basis). Students will have made progress towards fulfilling PLOs 1 - 4, and may have made progress towards fulfilling PLOs 5 and 6 depending upon the combination of modules successfully completed. Award title - Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies
64	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to: If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
65	Students exiting the programme with a PG Dip will have achieved 120 credits from the taught modules. Students will have made significant progress towards achieving PLOs 1 - 4 and will have made some progress towards fulfilling PLOs 5 and 6. Award title - Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies.
66	6. Reference points and programme regulations
67	6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
68	6.b. University award regulations
69	The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
70	7. Programme Structure
71	See Jan 2021 Tab for Section 7a and 7b
72	7.c. Explanation of the programme and assessment design The statements should be in a form that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). It should make clear to students why they are doing the key activities of the programme, in terms of reaching the PLOs.
73	i) Students’ independent study and formative work Please outline how independent study and student work has been designed to support the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes (for example, the use of online resources which incorporate formative feedback; opportunities for further learning from work-based placements).
74	The independent study and formative work across the programme has been designed to support your progression towards achieving the programme outcomes. The student work will allow you to either practise skills without the pressure of being marked, or formulate and develop ideas through interactions with classmates, or strengthen your understanding of assessment expectations through submitting formative work for feedback prior to major assessments.
75	ii) Contact with staff Please explain how the programme’s design maximises the value of students’ contact time with staff (which may be face-to-face, virtual, synchronous or asynchronous), including through the use of technology-enhanced learning. For example, giving students resources for their independent study which then enables a class to be more interactive with a greater impact on learning.
76	Throughout your programme you will interact with staff in various ways, all of which have been designed to support your progression towards achieving the programme outcomes. You will assigned a supervisor who will guide you throughout the programme and will support you as you complete your dissertation research. Tutors will work with you as you develop your ideas and skills through your taught modules and academic support classes - in-person during class meetings, through the provision of written feedback on assignments, and via the VLE.
77	iii) Summative Assessment Please outline how summative assessment within and across modules has been designed to support and evidence the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes. (For example, the use of different assessment methods at the ‘introduction’ stage compared to those used to evaluate deeper learning through the application of skills and knowledge later in the programme).
78	Your programme involves a range of summative assessments, all of which have been designed to support and evidence your progression towards achieving the programme outcomes. For some modules you will submit extended written work, while for others you will sit an examination under controlled conditions. You will also be assessed on an oral presentation, the preparation of a research proposal and ethics documentation, and finally on the conducting and reporting of an independent research study.
79	8. Additional information
80	8.a. Continuing Professional Development Will any of the programme’s modules be available on a free-standing basis?
81	Please Select Y/N:		No
82	if yes, please explain how:
83	N/A
84	8.b. Transfers out of or into the programme
85	i) Transfers into the programme will be possible? (please select Y/N)					Yes
86	Additional details:
87	N/A
88	ii) Transfers out of the programme will be possible? (please select Y/N)					Yes
89	Additional details:
90	N/A
91	11. Exceptions to University Award Regulations approved by University Teaching Committee
92	Exception Please detail any exceptions to University Award Regulations approved by UTC									Date approved
93	N/A									N/A
94	Quality and Standards
95	The University has a framework in place to ensure that the standards of its programmes are maintained, and the quality of the learning experience is enhanced. Quality assurance and enhancement processes include: · the academic oversight of programmes within departments by a Board of Studies, which includes student representation · the oversight of programmes by external examiners, who ensure that standards at the University of York are comparable with those elsewhere in the sector · annual monitoring and periodic review of programmes · the acquisition of feedback from students by departments, and via the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).
96	More information can be obtained from the Academic Support Office:
97	Academic Support Office Staff
98	Date on which this programme information was updated:
99	01/12/2020
100	Departmental web page: