Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Level 7 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Employer Engagement will be achieved by:

Visiting Speakers

Visiting speakers are used to introduce students to current industry practice and to bring knowledge into the course not held by current specialists. Visitors would normally be professional engineers currently engaged in industry.

Volunteering

Students are encouraged to engage with volunteering opportunities advertised by the careers team. Opportunities to volunteer through the PSRBs are also communicated to the students.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is undertaken where it will enhance student understanding of the theory learnt or prepare students for site-based employment. Students undertake fieldwork for Geology and for Surveying.

Fieldtrips

Level 5 students undertake two residential field trips for Geology and for Surveying. In addition, ad hoc trips to current construction projects are used to enhance learning where appropriate.

Work Placements

Students are encouraged to engage with placement opportunities advertised by the careers team. In addition, employers often contact the team to advertise opportunities which are shared with the students. The Civil Engineering Blackboard organisation is used to ensure that all students are aware of potential placement opportunities.

Work-based Learning

There is no work based learning element in the current course.

Sandwich Years

FT students are actively encouraged to undertake a sandwich placement between Levels 5 & 6. Alternatively, an MEng FT student may take their placement year between Levels 6 & 7. Presentations are given to L5 students by L6 students returning from placement, to encourage engagement. In addition, the School of Engineering has identified this as a priority growth area and has recently appointed an Industry Liaison & Placements Co-ordinator, to engage with employers and increase the number of students taking sandwich and other placements.

Employer Forums

Civil Engineering have an active Industrial Advisory Board. The CEIAB meets three times a year and comprises industrial partners from local and national organisations, as well as PSRB representatives.

Other

As the only provider of part time accredited degrees in South Wales, we have a strong relationship with local employers and a large number of part time students.

Means of Assessment

Learning Support

Induction

The initial induction period is used to introduce students to their, Course Leaders (CL) and peers. Activities are designed to impart key course information but also allow opportunity for social engagement with staff and peers. Activities are designed so that students need to work together in small groups, ensuring that they have ample opportunity to get to know each other.
Information sessions are recorded and made available on Course Pages. This ensures that students who are late to enrol can catch up with any information missed. Attendance records are used, to enable CLs to identify students who missed induction and may require additional support when they arrive.

Personal Academic Coach

All students are assigned a Personal Academic Coach during induction. PACs make initial contact with new students via email and then arrange face-to-face meetings. Students will normally remain with the same PAC throughout their studies. Returning students are sent reminder emails from their PAC at the start of the academic year, to remind them that their PAC is still available to offer support.

Learner Analytics

Course Leaders use Learner Analytics to monitor engagement. Module teams will report any concerns regarding engagement to the CL, to prompt further investigation. If the CL is unable to connect with the student and support them to reengage, further support is sought from the Progression team.

Office hours

Students are provided with a document which details the arrangements for contacting staff, with particular emphasis on the Open Door Policy, which is now available both on campus and virtually. The communications document identifies normal office hours as Monday to Friday between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 UK time. Whilst staff will often provide online support outside these hours, this is discouraged for staff well-being reasons.

Tutorials

Tutorial sessions are used where appropriate to allow students an opportunity to practice engineering methods and to ask questions to enhance their learning. Whilst the timetable mainly shows 2 hr lecture blocks for each module, in reality that time will be split between lecture style teaching, tutorial sessions, practical exercises and group work.
Seminars Seminars are not normally used for Civil Engineering modules.

Formative Assessment

All modules include tutorial examples that enable students to practice relevant skills and techniques before being required to accomplish similar tasks for an assessment.

Progress meetings

Progress meetings are used for modules where students are required to undertake independent study, either individually or in groups, such as the Individual Project and Integrated Project modules.

Research Supervision

Students undertaking individual research will have a supervisor to support them throughout the module. The student will usually be able to choose their own supervisor according to the specialism under consideration. The maximum number of supervisions undertaken by a staff member is subject to a cap set by the ASM. This is to manage staff workload and ensure that supervisors can give an appropriate amount of time to the student.

Online Resources

All learning materials are provided on Blackboard. Lecture notes are posted in advance of the lecture so that students can download them before the session. Lectures are recorded and links are also provided on Blackboard. Many modules also make use of online reading lists.

Advice Zone

The Advice Zone is available to support students throughout their course. The Advice Zone can be accessed in person at Treforest campus or online. Students are signposted to the Advice Zone services during induction.

Disability

The Disability Service provides information, advice and guidance to and co-ordinates support for disabled USW students. This includes students with physical, sensory, mental health or unseen disabilities, specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) and autism. Students are signposted to the DS services during induction and are encouraged to engage with them as early as possible if they believe they may have a Specific Learning Difficulty. Staff use Individual Learning Plan information provided on Quercus to identify students who require adjustments.

IT/Library

Our designated Librarian supports the team by providing presentations to students on the resources available and how to access them. They support staff in identifying existing and new resources required for the course. They also provide one-to-one sessions to support students with individual research, as well as offering a variety of online support materials.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

N/A

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Entry to Level 4
BBB to include Mathematics and at least one other numerate Science.

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Distinction Merit in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject.

Direct Entry
Direct entry to Level 6 from USW BEng Civil Engineering, subject to achieving specified academic level.

No direct entry is permitted to Level 7.

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