Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Employer Engagement will be achieved by:

Visiting Speakers

Volunteering

Volunteering is an opportunity for students to improve their chances of prospective employment and an important way of gaining skills required for a future career. Students will be expected to reflect on their choice of an appropriate volunteering placement within the creative industries in the first instance. An application or meeting with a prospective employer would then be arranged.

Fieldwork

For specific modules students create work on location in response to particular environments such as the Welsh Heritage coastline.

Field Trips

Field trips are organised for student groups to meet with employers to discuss and plan possible work placements. Students are also expected to independently research possible work placement opportunities as part of professional studies.

Work Placements

Appropriate timetables and work placements are agreed between employers and students. Students would then be expected to carry out a planned period of work experience, which corresponds to the professional studies module.

Work-based Learning

Opportunities for professional skills development and work-based learning are embedded within modules in both years of the course rather than in separate modules devoted to WBL. These opportunities will ensure that students are equipped with skills required to document and promote their work and themselves within professional contexts. The college currently employs a full-time Work Placement Officer who undertakes vetting and monitoring of work experience placements supported by a Health and Safety Officer. Opportunities to undertake individual and collaborative practice within work-based contexts will enable students to gain valuable experience of work within the creative industries sector.

Sandwich Years

N/A

Employer Forums

Employers are invited to come into college to discuss work placement opportunities with staff and students. During these meetings employers are invited to use the time as an opportunity to comment on effectiveness of these placements and their relevance for future employability.

Other

Professional studies enable work placement opportunities for students wishing to pursue careers in education through supporting and working with the teaching team at Merthyr College.

Means of Assessment

Learning Support

Students receive inductions to the library and student support services to become familiar with resources, where to locate them and how to use them. Students receive inductions to the various workshops: print-making, drawing and ceramics, which includes health and safety and risk assessment. Students receive inductions that focus on key skills for art history including essay writing, Harvard referencing and writing critically.

FD award leader acts as personal tutor for students across the board as the course has a small cohort of around 10-12 students per year.
Open door policy allows students to approach tutors and personal tutor during non-taught hours.

Tutorials are given throughout the course for each module to monitor student progression. For practical modules tutorials consist of looking at, and discussing journals, annotations, research, ideas, and works in progress. For art history modules, tutorials are given on a one to one basis, and are time-tabled in once work on assignments begins with each student having the opportunity to discuss ideas, research, study skills, and works in progress on a weekly basis, if desired, otherwise weekly during the month before deadlines.

A combination of lectures and seminars are conducted as standard practice to introduce a new module and enable group discussion during the course of development of the project. Seminars also occur on a weekly basis in art history modules to discuss set texts and address study skills such as research, essay writing, essay structuring, Harvard referencing, critical writing, etc.
Longer running modules require students to submit early assignments before a final summative assignment. Shorter modules will be formatively assessed through tutorials with a final summative assessment.

Students have 3 half hour pastoral tutorials spread through the year.
Students’ research progress is supervised throughout modules. Modules begin with an overall introduction to relevant artists and lists of artists to research are given. Thereafter, students gain further marks for independent research, and this is supervised through regular tutorials and informal discussion.
Online resources are provided by tutors via Moodle and by the library.

Students are directed to the advice centre to additionally gain advice and skills in research, writing and general study. Representatives are also called in to provide lectures on key study skills such as Harvard referencing and essay writing. Students are encouraged to use the college Student Services to seek help with study skills and especially with the academic Art History modules if needed. This can help with improving level of written work in critical studies and visual Journals, explaining how the assessment criteria are applied to determine performance and how students can address the criteria effectively through their work, their statements of intent, research folios and approaches to research. The student support system operates on a strictly confidential one-to-one basis and students find this beneficial.

Those students with conditions such as dyslexia are advised to approach the advice centre to gain further assistance such as note-takers, study skills and technology designed to assist. Students can also make use of the Disability & Dyslexia Service drop-in appointments and gain general access to Disability Advisers to discuss support requirements, answer queries or discuss funding for support.

The arts have a high degree of dyslexic practitioners, many will begin the course having already been diagnosed with conditions during school or lower level education and will understand the processes for gaining assistance such as digital equipment and software to assist their studies, as well as note takers and advisers. This can help with improving the level of written work in critical studies and visual journals, explaining how the assessment criteria are applied to determine performance and how students can address the criteria effectively through their work, their statements of intent, research folios and approaches to research. However, some students slip through the net and begin FD without knowing that they are disadvantaged by an undiagnosed condition. These students are usually identified through written work, assignments and seminars at level 4. Once identified they can be introduced to Student Services and begin the process of diagnosis and gain assistance.
The library induction introduces students to the wide range of resources available freely online via the USW and Merthyr College hubs including books, articles, journals, images, radio, TV and films. The college also offers a wide range of IT equipment both in class, in the library and in designated areas on each floor that students can access and use. This includes both PC and Macs with a wide range of software aimed at general and subject specialist use.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

The following progression routes are available: Upon successful completion of the course, students may choose to progress (subject to course-specific requirements) to the final year of an appropriate undergraduate degree course at the University of South Wales, or any similar course with an alternative provider. From September 2019, Level 6 of BA Art Practice will be delivered from the College’s Merthyr Tydfil campus. Other employment progression routes available include: Self-employed/supporting artist – commissions, grants, residencies, artists’ co-operatives Participatory arts practitioner and collaborative artist Teaching Assistant curation in museums and galleries and alternative venues Arts management and administration Craftsperson Sculptor, public artist Other career opportunities also become available in the design and performing arts sector, Educational/schools/museums programmes that include elements of art practice and art history Arts health and wellbeing

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Admission to the course is normally through gaining one of the following qualifications:

FD Standard entry requirement

A Pass grade in BTEC National Diploma/Certificate or equivalent in a related subject orA Pass grade in BTEC Diploma in Foundation Studies, Art & Design or2 A Levels at grade D and above orMature students will be invited to bring a portfolio of work to interview and will be considered on an individual basis. Relevant or prior experience will be taken into account orApplicants from overseas will need to provide evidence of 6.0 IELTS score or equivalent experience to a level not lower that than required for students from the UK. Applicants will also be expected to either send a portfolio of work or negotiate with the award tutor regarding email or web site equivalent. A face-to-face interview.

Plus 3 GCSE passes at grade C or above to include Mathematics and English Language.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A