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

Visiting Speakers
Visiting speakers, workshop leaders and production directors are key to the delivery of the Foundation Degree. Each College and USW offers a programme of visiting guests from industry who work with students and offer insight into professional working practices.

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 environments or applied contexts.

Fieldtrips
For specific modules students create work on location in response to environments or applied contexts.

Work Placements
Appropriate timetables and work placements are agreed between employers and students. Students are expected to carry out a planned period of work experience, which corresponds to the creative industries work placement module. All such work placements adhere to the University’s Procedures for Placement and Work–Based Learning

Work-based Learning
Work based learning takes place within various modules across the course and will offer a full placement with tutor / college support.
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. The modules - Professional Practice in making Games and the Press Play to continue modules will cover this.

Employer Forums
Employers are invited to come into colleges 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
Live briefs and applied projects offer the opportunity for guidance and mentoring by industry professionals. The Professional Practice and Press Play to continue modules will offer this chance, with the expectation of ‘real world’ simulation.

Means of Assessment

• Visual Journal
• Project Output
• Creative Designs / Art
• Essay
• Oral Assessment
• Self-Reflective Assessment
• Report
• Literature/Book/Paper Review

Learning Support

Induction
Students receive inductions to college libraries 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 available for their use, which includes health and safety and risk assessment. Students receive inductions into the structure and content of the course, teaching teams and teaching and learning approaches. Students also have the opportunity to visit the USW campus as part of their induction, including an introduction to the library and general facilities.

Personal Tutors
All learners are allocated a Personal Tutor and receive 1 hour of pastoral support each week.

Office hours
Open door policy allows students to approach tutors non-taught hours. The course team are generally available throughout the week during standard office hours, either in the studios or in their office, in case of any enquiries or emergencies. Provision is also made for online tutorials where attendance on campus is not possible.

Tutorials
Tutorials take the form of a one-to-one or group discussion with a tutor. These can be face to face or online. Each module has a component of tutorial, but the emphasis on this format will change depending on the module. Tutorials focus on supervision support and academic development.

Seminars
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 a project. Seminars also occur within critical studies modules such as Perspectives on Theatre and Performance to discuss set texts and other learning materials and address study skills such as research, essay writing, essay structuring, Harvard referencing, and critical writing.

Formative Assessment
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. This provides students with a valuable opportunity for guidance in preparation of the completion of their assignment. The format of the formative assignment may range from in-class performance showings to set rehearsal points to draft written submissions.

Progress meetings
Progress sessions are conducted during tutorial time via 1 to 1 sessions.

Research Supervision
Learners’ research progress is supervised throughout modules. Modules begin with an overall introduction to learning materials and appropriate guidance for research is given. Thereafter students engage in independent research, and this is supervised through regular tutorials and informal discussion.

Online Resources
Online resources are provided by tutors via Teams Class.
Use of the VLE is set out in the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Minimum Requirements Policy. Each College will offer online resource using their respective learning environment tools.
Students have access to a range of digital books and journals via the College and University libraries. Professional collaboration tools such as Google Docs or collaborative wikis are used to support team working and project management.

Advice Zone
Students are directed to College advice centres to additionally gain advice and skills in research, writing and general study. Students are encouraged to use the college Student Services to seek help with study skills and especially with the academic critical studies modules if needed. This can help with improving level of written work in critical studies and 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 HWB operates on a strictly confidential one-to-one basis and students find this beneficial. The HWB are also able to advise on counselling, disability and dyslexia, money and progression.

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

IT/Library
Library inductions introduce students to the wide range of resources available freely online via the USW and the college hubs including books, articles, journals, images, radio, TV and films. The College also offer a wide range of IT equipment both in class, in libraries and in designated areas 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

Learners who complete the Foundation Degree can progress to Level 6 to complete a BA with Honours degree.

At USW, students can progress to the BA (Hons) Game Art and BA (Hons) Computer Games Design. The curriculum is constructed in such a way to ensure that students have the necessary pre-requisite skills to be able to engage with, and complete, Level 6 successfully.

Other employment progression routes include:
1. Games design
2. 3d modelling
3. 2d concept art
4. Environment artist
5. Character artist
6. Vehicle artist
7. Level designer
8. AI designer
9. UI designer
10. Team management
11. Self-employed / freelance

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Typical A-Level Offer – DD

Typical BTEC Offer - relevant BTEC level 3 profile of Merit/Pass or Pass/Pass/Pass Typical Welsh Bacc Offer - Grade C and DE at A Level
Typical Access to HE Offer - Pass Diploma with 60 credits overall to include 45 level 3 credits all passes.

Additionally, GCSE passes in three subjects at grade C or above to include Mathematics and English Language (or equivalent).

A successful interview may also be a requirement for entry onto the course.

If an applicant does not meet the grade criteria, then age and experience may be able to be taken into consideration.

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