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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:
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Postgraduate Diploma AstronomyPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Both
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Postgraduate Certificate Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Level of qualificationLevel 7
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This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:2019
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Awarding institutionTeaching institution
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University of York University of York
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Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
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Lead Department Lifelong LearningLifelong Learning
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Other contributing Departments:
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Route code
(existing programmes only)		PDCLLSAST1
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Admissions criteria
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Normally students will be expected to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in a related subject area. CLL will also favourably consider any student previously awarded a BA/BSc in any subject, and with evidence of recent HE level study. Previous maths skills, to A-Level or equivalent standard, are essential.

CLL reserves the right to ask any student for academic work to support their application.

Any student may be called to interview. It is anticipated that students will be largely from a science background. The programme will be targeted at students who will already have the required skills to study at M level.

Students will not be accepted to the programme unless they can demonstrate the required skills, which could include a maths test for non-traditional applicants.

Students must have an IELTS score of 7.0 where appropriate.
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Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
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ProgrammeLength (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
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Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
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PGDip Astronomy2Part-timeSeptember and January startsPlease select Y/NNoPlease select Y/NYes
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Language(s) of study
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English
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Language(s) of assessment
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English
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2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
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2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
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Please Select Y/N: Noif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
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3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
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Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
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Please Select Y/N: Noif Yes, provide details
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4. Programme leadership and programme team
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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.
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Ben Johnstone-Bray, Iain Barr
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5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
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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.
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N/A
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5.a.i Statement of purpose for applicants registering for the Postgraduate Diploma 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 diploma student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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The Postgraduate Diploma in Astronomy provides the opportunity for learners, who may have graduated in subjects other than physics or astronomy, to gain a postgraduate astronomy qualification. The foundations of modern astronomy will be studied in detail, from astronomy in antiquity and the development of the scientific method to areas at the cutting edge of modern research, such as high-energy astronomy and cosmology. You will learn and enhance your skills in scientific analysis and solving problems mathematically, and will also conduct your own investigations. You will become part of a vibrant online community of learners who have a shared interest in astronomy. You will also have the chance to gain practical astronomy skills at our yearly residential weekend, where you will undertake laboratory activities with the equipment at the University of York Astrocampus
Upon completion of the programme, you will have experience in presenting results from investigations in both lab reports and conference-style posters, and will be better prepared to be part of the wider scientific community. You will be adept at using digital resources, collecting and organising data and communicating scientific ideas. The programme is suitable for those wishing to pursue a career in astronomy-related research and for those who have a passion for astronomy and wish to engage with the subject at postgraduate level.
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5.b.ii. Programme Learning Outcomes - Postgraduate Diploma
Please provide four to six statements outlining what a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma programme will be able to do.
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.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Demonstrate higher-level knowledge of the physics and technology underlying observational astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum and using cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational waves.
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2Solve advanced physics problems mathematically by identifying the relevant physical principles and translating problems into mathematical statements.
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3Plan and execute an experiment or investigation using modern computational techniques, and work independently to critically analyse the results of investigations and draw valid conclusions.
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4Evaluate the relationship between theoretical results and results obtained from experimental observation.
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5Communicate complex scientific ideas and the conclusions of an experiment, investigation or project concisely, accurately and informatively to a diverse audience ranging from specialist to non-specialist.
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6Evidence postgraduate understanding of mathematical models used in advanced astronomy topics, such as high-energy astronomy, particle astrophysics and cosmology, to describe astronomical phenomena.
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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:
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i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
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These PLOs will result in a programme that prepares graduates, who may have no previous higher education in the natural sciences, to potentially progress to an astronomy related career. Progressing through the PLOs,students will learn that physics is a quantitative subject, and appreciate the use and power of mathematics for modelling the physical world and solving problems. Moreover, their ability to critically assess the link between theoretical results and experimental observation will be developed.
On a more fundemental level, students will develop their understanding of laws and principles of astrophysics, along with their application to a variety of areas in astrophysics and be able to solve advanced problems in physics using appropriate mathematical tools.
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ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
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Students will develop skills in mathematics, scientific investigation, problem solving, communication and computational techniques, in addition to amassing a vast knowledge of astronomy, from its very beginnings field up to modern day astronomy and unsolved questions in the field. Whilst the first year modules focus on foundational knowledge, the second year of the programme offers students a range of introductory modules which embrace cutting-edge topics within the sphere of astronomy, incorporating, for example, high-energy astronomy and cosmology. Through the six PLOs identified which underpin this programme, the vision is for students to develop their overall knowledge of pivotal areas with PLOs 1 and 2, enhance their practical application of that knowledge through PLOs 3 and 4, and move towards a personal, research-led focus through PLOs 5 and 6; finally, PLO 6 also serves to enhance students' abilities to share their knowledge with others, which again refers back to our starting point of PLOs 1 and 2 having now passed through several threshold concepts.
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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
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The programme is designed for students from diverse entry routes to achieve a formal qualification in astronomy, and the foundational knowledge is introduced early in the programme to ensure that everyone is on equal footing. All of the required mathematical skills are taught alongside relevant astronomy, and there is extra maths support available, either from the tutor or the maths skills centre, to make sure all students reach the required mathemtical standard. The investigative skills, language skills and understanding of conventions are developed through the formative and summative assessments, and again there is extra support available for those who need it, i.e. those who have no prior experience of higher education in the natural sciences.
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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. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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The first year of the programme (and especially the first two modules) aim to offer a foundational understanding of the subject area and ensure that all students, regardless of their educational attainment upon entry, are well-placed to progress into the second year of study; for those with previous HE experience in physics, some of the ground covered may be considered rudimentary, but given the nature of many lifelong learners who may well have had a gap in their study, it is essential to ensure that the key skills are developed and explored at the outset. As part of this programme, students will be assigned a number of different research projects. These activities will allow students to become accustomed to analysing different types of data. In addition to this, a variety of different analytical methods will be required to carry out the research. These diverse experiences will prepare students for carrying out more sustained and independent research.The modules are designed so that work on the students' research projects will be supported by the knowledge gained whilst studying the module. This will offer students a valuable insight of the methods used to carry out modern research. Additional to this, students will have the opportunity to discuss modern research with University of York academics via residential weekends; these also offer students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of using equipment which they would not have access to at home.
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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 classroooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
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This is a distance learning programme delivered entirely via Blackboard. As such, all student interaction is carried out online. Blog posts are used to deliver formative tasks, and this is also where students share some of their work. A significant share of the programme will be is underpinned by this blog-based approach to teaching and learning: to this end, students are required to respond to exercises and discussion points as they would within a face-to-face setting, upload their work and then be subject to both peer and tutor review. This methodology, supported by content areas supporting the exercises is, by its nature, more reflective that in a classroom setting, and this asynchronous delivery method has offered much greater scope for constructive support. Through the use of weekly adaptive release, all students are encouraged to work on similar exercises and discussion tasks at the same time, although exactly when they contribute is flexible.The Virtual Café on the VLE is an environment where students can communicate with each other about work, share astronomy news or just generally chat to further develop digital literacy skills, making them more comfortable with online communication and learning generally.
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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 employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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As students progress through the programme, the research projects become progressively more complex and open-ended. The majority of the students enrolled on the programme will not have carried out research previously and so initially care will be taken to ensure that they are well supported in their work. As they progress through the course they will gain confidence in carrying out research and the assignments will reflect this. Students will be expected to explore the module subject areas and share their findings in a coherent and understandable manner with their peers on the blogs. Thus, the programme will form a significant stepping stone to their future ambitions by offering a tranche of transferable high-level research and communication skills. Students will leave with a formal qualification in astronomy, which will allow them to pursue astronomy-related careers that may not have been open to them previously. Outside of astronomy, the investigative, mathetical and problem solving skills developed thoughout the programme would be an asset in many careers.
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viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
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Whilst Lifelong Learning itself does not have an active research remit, the programme itself is informed by current research and developments in the field, and students are regularly given recent journal articles to read, and critically evaluate, on a weekly basis. The final module, offering an introduction to cosmology, also benefits from a series of recorded lectures, shared by the Department of Physics, to offer a topical view of the subject area and embeds current departmental appraoches to that particular subject area within the programme here.
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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.
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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.
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• Students will have a comprehensive knowledge of the development of astronomy, astronomy in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, the solar system and stellar physics.
• Students will learn that physics is a quantitative subject and appreciate the use and power of mathematics for modelling the physical world and solving problems.
• Students will have developed skills in research and planning and their ability to assess critically the link between theoretical results and experimental observation.
• Students will develop the ability to solve advanced problems in physics using appropriate mathematical tools.
• Students will be able to identify the relevant physical principles, to translate problems into mathematical statements and apply their knowledge to obtain order-of-magnitude or more precise solutions as appropriate.
• Students will develop the ability to plan and execute under supervision an experiment or investigation, analyse critically the results and draw valid conclusions.
• Students should be able to evaluate the level of uncertainty in their results, understand the significance of error analysis and be able to compare these results with expected outcomes, theoretical predictions or with published data.
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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.
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• Students will have a deeper understanding of the practical aspect of Astronomy outside of the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and cosmology.
• Students will have a more complete working knowledge of a variety of experimental, mathematical and computational techniques applicable to current research within physics.
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6. Reference points and programme regulations
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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:
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The course will be aligned to the postgraduate QAA benchmark statements for Physics, Astronomy, and Astrophysics issued in 2008 and updated in 2016: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Subject-benchmark-statement-Physics-astronomy-and-astrophysics.pdf/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Physics-Astronomy-and-Astrophysics-17.pdf
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6.b. University award regulations
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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.
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7. Programme Structure
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7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each invidual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
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Part time structures
Please indicate the modules undertaken in each year of the part-time version of the programme. Please use the text box below should any further explanation be required regarding structure of part-time study routes.
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Year 1 (if you offer the programme part-time over either 2 or 3 years, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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20CED00018MIntroduction to AstronomySEA
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20CED00016MPlanetary ScienceSEA
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20CED00017MStar and GalaxiesSEA
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Please indicate when the Progression Board and Final Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted.
NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
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Progression BoardLate August 2019
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ReassessmentImmediately following module failure
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Exam BoardLate August 2019
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Year 2
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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20CED00015MInfrared and Radio AstronomySEA
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20CED00014MHigh Energy AstronomySEA
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20CED00013MParticles and CosmologySEA
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Please indicate when the Progression Board and Final Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted.
NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
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Progression BoardLate August 2020
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ReassessmentImmediately following module failure
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Exam BoardLate August 2020
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Year 3
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7.b. Optional module lists

If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
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Option List AOption List BOption List COption List D
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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.
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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).
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By its very nature and despite the wraparound technologies to support group learning, there is an inherent element of independent study involved with any distance learning programme. Students are encouraged to read widely from the outset, critically engage with secondary materials and develop their own contextual knowledge of astronomy; there are then weekly opportunities to share this independent study either with the group through dedicated blogs, or the lead academic through the personal journal channel. In this fashion, the intention is to turn independent learning into food for collective group discussion in which views can be exchanged and debated. Formative work is also exposed to the student body as a whole through the use of open blogs in order for students to appreciate different approaches to similar problems.
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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.