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

Guest speakers are embedded into the curriculum at every level of the course, including the following organisations (the cost of guest speakers for those who require payment, are built into initial budget planning).  Such guest speakers include people from:

South Wales Police

Probation Service

Prison Officers

Social Workers

Border Agency

Youth Justice Board

Youth Workers

Third Sector

Psychology Professionals

The Annual Criminal Justice Futures event invites Alumni and employers to speak and network with current students, and has included the above organisations, and the following organisations:

Parc Supporting Families

Newport Restorative Justice

AR Trac (Cyfannol Women’s Aid)

Food Crime Unit

National Wildlife Crime Unit

National Crime Agency

Volunteering

All students are encouraged to volunteer in pathway-specific roles.  For instance, in the past volunteer work has been with local police services, ZENRS, Youth Offending Teams and Parc Prison, Victim support, etc.

Volunteering opportunities are frequently added to each of the course pages on Blackboard, and are promoted at volunteer fairs and ‘Criminal Justice Futures’ events.

Students are also encouraged to join police volunteers such as South Wales Police Student Volunteers or the Gwent Special Constabulary as examples.

Fieldtrips

Students across all levels, on each course, have the opportunity to attend field trips. Fieldtrips will be tailored to each course. Field trips include: de-commissioned Shepton Mallet Prison and taser training with Gwent police; International Police Summer School (Australia, Germany, and Holland). Fieldtrips are aligned to course curriculum.  FE learners will be able to engage in such trips if they would like too.  They would be extra curricular and not compulsory.

Work Placements or Internships

Each student, across all Criminology courses, will have the option to complete a Professional Practice module, at Level 5. This will involve completing a work placement. Work placements will be closely aligned to the particular course.  The USW Careers placement team will assist colleagues in FE to suggest and secure placement opportunities to support students in completing a placement while studying for their FD, including regular talks, drop-in sessions and responding to emails.

Work-based Learning

Students will engage in work-based learning throughout their degree in Criminology, particularly at Level 5 where they may undertake a placement module. In addition, The Criminology courses incorporate work-based learning through its activities such as collaborating with industry partners, leadership, project management, problem solving, critical thinking and investigation – via the cold case unit. This is open to all courses, and all years.

Sandwich Years

N/A

Employer Forums

The Course Leadership Team meet regularly with industry partners to discuss their views of course currency and to obtain their views on how courses can be improved and kept current at a practice level. Each pathway leader will also host regular meetings with relevant organisations to ensure that industry relations maintain and grown, but also to ensure our provision remains current.

Other

N/A

Means of Assessment

Exam

Report

Presentation

Research Plan/Proposal

Poster

Student Choice

Presentation (Briefing / Debriefing)

Critique

Case Study

Professional Discussion

Reflective Essays

Professional Development Plan

Learning Support

Induction

Every FE student will attend an Induction at USW. This induction is used to familiarise students with campus surroundings, course curriculum, and to introduce students to their three year journey to the full BSc degree. Induction week also incorporates team building activities and an introduction to the VLE. Students are also immersed in an VLE style investigation, which is hosted within the Hydra facility. This task enables students to develop group working and communication skills, along with friendships within the first week.

 At Coleg Gwent and Bridgend College

Induction forms part of Year 1 of the programme and is arranged and planned within partner colleges. Induction is standardised and covers the following:

Introduction and welcome by the course team

Induction activity – getting to know you

Programme structure

Assessment

Supervision

Support

VLE: Google and Blackboard induction and tutorial

Health and Safety

Tour of facilities

Library induction

Course handbook and Module handbooks.

The students will also attend an induction at USW.

Students are able to access the following:

All students are allocated a personal tutor

Regular tutorial sessions with their personal tutor to discuss any issues they may be experiencing with any aspect of the Course, College facilities etc

Module evaluations are completed at the end of each module. These are anonymous so that all positives and negatives can be included.

The Course Leader will provide group tutorials if any issues are raised concerning the course.

The Complaints/Concerns procedures within the College and University

Provision for Student Representation

Personal Academic Coach[1]

Every student is allocated a Personal Academic Coach (PAC) and each student will be informed of the roles and responsibilities of the PAC and how to contact their PAC. We also issue a PAC form via MS Forms, which is tailored to each course and year group -  the data garnered from this process also will allow course leaders and pathways leaders to develop the programmes.

Coleg Gwent:

Coleg Gwent students receive weekly tutorials and have weekly access with their course tutor/programme lead. They also have access to the Higher Education Academic and Pastoral Coaches who can provide additional support and guidance if necessary.

The areas they cover include:

Academic referral support

Guidance with time management to support success

Learner welfare referral support (Example – Fancy a Cuppa Campaign - below)

Learner financial support advice and guidance 

Next steps advice and support

Learner advice and support following induction is further supported, via various HE campaigns that run throughout the academic year on all campuses.

Bridgend College:

All students will have a named Personal Tutor. There are regular tutorial sessions with their personal tutor to discuss any issues they may be experiencing with any aspect of the Course, College facilities etc.

Student are signposted to the support available to them and to the various support events that happen during the term e.g. around student wellbeing.

Learner Analytics

Course Leaders regularly monitor learner analytics. Students who have not engaged or who have shown limited engagement or a lack of engagement recently, are contacted and necessary support put in place. Personal Academic Coaches also can utilise learning analytics to identify areas of support for their students, and to keep records of meetings.

Bridgend College: Course attendance at the college is monitored using the MiHub system. Students that show a lack of engagement are contacted and supported to get back on track using our citizenship code. 

Coleg Gwent: An attendance register is taken at the beginning of every class, and attendance is closely monitored by the course tutor and module leads. Poor attendance is followed up with the learner and support put in place where appropriate with relevant signposting.

Office hours

Module Leaders are generally available to students but are encouraged to email their lecturers asking to arrange a meeting if needed, and both the lecturer and the student would agree on a mutually convenient date and time. Students would be informed of this policy during induction week, as well as via Course Handbooks and via Blackboard.

Students would also be informed of the need to be flexible regarding staff availability, and that staff would aim to get back to them within 2 days to arrange a meeting.

The Coleg Gwent approach is very similar to the USW policy. Students have access to speak with their tutors every day, and emails are generally responded to within 24hrs.

Bridgend College: Staff office hours relate to a one-hour designated weekly Tutorial where students can electively meet their tutor, additional to timetabled taught hours.

Tutorials / Seminars

Seminars

A key aim for this revalidation is to implement a challenge-based learning and teaching experience that transforms students’ professional identity and ambition. Seminars are replaced with interactive workshops. Workshops are student-centred and challenge based.

The curriculum presents challenge-based learning opportunities, connected to authentic unsolved problems/challenges beyond the classroom. Learners have opportunity to creatively engage with industry and co-create curricula within their academic discipline through scaffolded authentic challenge-based learning at all levels. This includes through work placements, live briefs, practice-based projects and extensive use of real-world regional, national and global challenges and simulated environments.

Formative Assessment

Several modules on each course contain a formative assessment, aiming to give students the opportunity to practice assessment skills and receive feedback before the summative assessment. The feedback they receive upon completion of these practice tasks will prepare them for the assessment.

To avoid over-assessing many modules have reverted to one point of assessment. This makes the inclusion of meaningful formative assessment crucial so that knowledge checks may be carried out in order for staff to target help and support.  Such formative exercises may include but but not limited to short online tests, in class exercises marked by peers, practice simulation exercises, students carrying out critiques of recordings of previously completed simulation exercises.

Tutors will be expected to identify not only those who require support and intervention to avoid failure, but also those who appear to be operating between grade boundaries – so that interventions may then be focused on pushing students to achieve as best they can.  For example, where knowledge gaps become apparent extra reading or supporting podcasts may be recommended.

Research Supervision

Research is embedded throughout the curricula. At Levels 4 and 5, students work in groups to research a pathway-specific problem, posed by an industry partner. This entails weekly group research supervision. During their final year of study, students have the opportunity to undertake an empirical research project and each student will be allocated a research supervisor and the time spent with their tutors during their Level 5 Research Methods module will prepare them for this.

Online Resources

Blackboard VLE: All students have access to Blackboard 24/7/365 days a year. The module pages on Blackboard contain: teaching and learning resources, including recordings of teaching and learning sessions, assessments guidance including recordings of this guidance, materials for wider contextualisation, and links to Collaborate streamed sessions as appropropriate.

MS Teams: All students have access to MS Teams for one-to-one meetings with staff.

USW Library: FINDit[2] is a simple, one-stop search for books, e-books, articles, DVDs and more, and includes a range of personal features.

Search options are:

•       Everything for all print & online resources

•       Libraries for books, journals, DVDs and more at USW libraries

•       Articles for conference proceedings, technical papers, journal & newspaper articles and more

•       USW People for research outputs, theses, books and more by USW authors

•       Exam Papers for the past three years of USW final examinations

BoB : TV and radio online: All Students and staff on campus or at home (UK only) can watch or record television and radio programmes using BoB. You will need the latest web browser to access the service. Use our About BoB guide (external link) for help on all aspects of this service.

Bridgend College:

Students at Bridgend College have access to all the online resources at USW. Students also have access to Google Classroom and the online resources at the Bridgend College library to fulfil all their resource needs. Introductions to online learning platforms are provided during induction and reinforced during classes.

Coleg Gwent:[MB1] 

All learners on initial engagement with the College undertake a formal induction which includes an introduction to library services, study skills support (including the VLE for HE Partner organisations) and Office 365. The College has a vibrant Canvas online community for learners, within which Blackboard and Office 365 are embedded for HE learners, the Canvas community is not just a repository for course materials/resources, but as an interactive and vibrant online facility to enhance learner experiences, facilitating reinforcement of learning, announcements and direction to dynamic supportive materials.  It is a dedicated community providing access to resources off-campus (virtual base-room).

All course resources, learning materials, course handbook and module content are available on CANVAS. Here, there are also further resource links to relevant information within each module page. There are course Instagram and Facebook pages that highlight activity and any information about networking events. Students are informed about the use of a number of online journals to support their studies, as well as being directed to links for products and other information that may be required.

The HE Learner Specific Coleg Gwent Connect page is as shown:

Advice Zone

The Advice Zone on the Treforest campus is available between 9am and 9pm in person and online (via an e-booking facility). Students are informed about the Advice Zone during Induction week, and throughout their course. There are links in the Course handbook, but also a number of pre-recorded videos within the “toolbox” which will help students gain access to the relevant teams/services across USW.

 Bridgend College:

Available via USW online appointment-based system. The College will have access to these facilities but run their own local system.

Coleg Gwent:

Coleg Gwent learners once enrolled become USW learners as and as such are able to access the resources that this affords. In addition to this the College also has a wide range of advice/support related resources these are highlighted below: 

The College offers a number of free and professional support services including information, advice and guidance on: 

·                Learning Support

·                Student Finance

·                Counselling

·                Welfare & Wellbeing (example below)

·                Careers Online support with regard to this: 

A ‘snip’ from the Learner CG Connect page is as follows:

Future Progression: 

Help is also available free of charge to students to support with personal, legal, financial and academic problems via student services.

The College has student wellbeing counsellors available by appointment, with emergency appointments available daily. Coleg Gwent works with Careers Wales Gwent to help students make informed decisions about their education and future career. Students can make appointments to see trained careers advisors based at the College. The advisors help students decide how to progress after their course, whether onto university or into employment. They can also help with preparing a CV or interview skills. 

Disability

Bridgend College:

Students with disabilities are able to access assessment by the college Disabled Students’ allowance (DSA) team and support is provided by the teaching team and support staff to meet their needs. This includes interpreters, note takers and specialist equipment. The College is also represented on the GO website to provide accessibility information to students.

Coleg Gwent:

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

IT support and library facilities are available at USW Treforest Campus. Students can also access IT/Library on any other USW campus, or remotely, should they wish.

The Library and Student Centre is the largest of the University’s libraries and is located on our Treforest Campus near Pontypridd. Services and access to library spaces have changed. You will now only be able to access Library spaces with a valid booking for either a study space or to collect book requests.

Study Spaces:

Treforest Library has different types of study spaces to suit all students’ needs and FE learners are welcome to use these facilities at any time.

Study space can be booked for up to 4 hours at a time.

•       Silent Study The silent study room is on the ground floor of the library

•       Quiet Study The book stock and PC area are designated quiet study areas.

•       Groupwork study desks for up to 6 students.

•       There are 5 Pods with plasma screens for group study (seats 6-8) these are also bookable on Connect 2 Treforest Library | University of South Wales

•       PCs There are PCs throughout the library. The main 24/7 PC area is on the first floor of the library.

Services provided by the Library:

•       Borrowing and Membership

•       How do I borrow a book

Some students may prefer to take books out of the Library

•       Self-service machines are available for this

•       Staff are at hand to help student who wish to access books on site.

•       Books can be requested online and collected them from any USW campus of your choice.

•       For UK based students only a postal loan service is available.

•       Library guides:

Created by USW librarians to help students, staff and researchers to effectively use library resources and facilities.  https://library.southwales.ac.uk/collections-subject-guides

Referencing guides

Harvard: Support for referencing is provided by Student Development and Study Skills, who offer referencing workshops and one-to-one appointments.

Harvard, is USW’s recommended referencing style. The guide below will help students with their understanding and use of this referencing style:

https://library.southwales.ac.uk/documents/33/Harvard_Referencing_2021_5.pdf

Bridgend College: Bridgend College has Success Centres at Bridgend and Pencoed campuses, both of which have had extensive investment and refurbishment in recent years. These comprise a comprehensive collection of learning resources (print and online), ample computer facilities and loanable Google Chromebooks. Our Queens’ Road centre comprises a well-stocked resource collection reflective of the courses studied there. The Success Centres are also the home of our Skills Coaches, who provide literacy, numeracy and study skills support. Our qualified librarians are able to offer specialist support to students with one-to-one and group support including guidance on research, referencing and plagiarism. Our librarians are also able to signpost students to specialist resources and reference catalogues.

Students are introduced to Bridgend College learning resources facilities (Success Centres) at the start of the academic year during Induction. They are provided with an ID card which enables them to borrow up to ten books at a time and to use the IT facilities. They are also given the opportunity to register for a Bridgend College Open Athens account enabling remote access to a range of e-journals and e-books; the latter on MyiLibrary and ProQuest platforms. The Success Centre also has a microsite where all students can access our resources and catalogue remotely under the ‘Library Services’ section of the Student Hub. In addition, workshops are provided in the use of Athens accounts at the request of individual students or teaching staff. Students and staff have free access to our myCirqa App which will allow them to renew, request and manage their library accounts at their convenience.

All HE students are entitled to use the facilities and services provided. They may borrow up to 10 books at a time for a period of 2 weeks, renewable if not reserved by other students. Books may be reserved if not immediately available. Copying and printing is done via the College ID card. Staff printing/photocopying allowances are decided by the relevant manager. The Success Centre Librarians and Learning Resource Advisors have excellent communication with their USW colleagues and ensure that our resources are thoroughly showcased and demonstrated during learning resource induction sessions. The students attend these during their very successful USW induction day organised by the faculty.

Students enrolled on this course will have full access to USW on-line and on campus Library resources.

Coleg Gwent:

The College has five Campuses across the counties of Greater Gwent

·                City of Newport Campus

·                Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone

·                Crosskeys Campus

·                Torfaen Learning Zone

·                Usk Campus

On each of the five Campuses there are fully stocked Learning Resource Centre’s (LRC’s), the proposed provision will be offered from the BGLZ. Each of the learning centres provide a centre for information and guidance, while acting as support bases for student centred learning. Resources are updated continually in consultation with subject tutors and via reading lists from the partner universities. When and if this course is validated the reading lists will be worked through with the Head Librarian and any resources that are required will be purchased. Students on this programme will be able to access any of the College LRC’s that they wish.

Students can access both the College’s VLE Canvas and the University VLE to access learning materials and assessments to support their learning.

The LRC at the BGLZ houses open access PC’s and a laptop trolley with laptops that are available for learners to borrow should this be required. Wi-Fi access is also available. The LRC houses a quiet study area where silent study is required to encourage independent self-initiated reflection on performance.

College Campus LRC’s – 8.30am – 4.30pm

Includes two late nights a week (open until 8pm) dependant on learner demand and timetables

In addition to the above support, Learning Advisors who are based in the LRC’s are on hand to support students through their knowledge of the available resources as well as advising students how to access university resources. 

Learning advisors are scheduled to provide information literacy sessions to groups of students during induction. These include topics such as plagiarism, referencing, research skills, and essay writing and presentation skills. All of these sessions are also uploaded onto the learning resources section on Canvas for learners to access in their own time if required.

Each of the College Campuses house a HE Hub facility; this is a designated space specifically for higher education learners. The space facilitates, group work area’s, ICT facilities, independent reflection space. Within the Hub space’s there are also learner welfare and personal progression support services offered which relate to current College support campaigns.

Learners also have access to USW facilities, such as study skills, advice zone, library resources and the student union.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

UCAS Tariff – 48 points

A level – DD/EEE

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma – PPP

Access to HE Diploma – Pass

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma – MP

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

Contextual offers may be made where  a lower offer based on a range of factors, including a learner’s background, experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example).

Other qualifications and experience

Combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. Sometimes credits achieved at other universities and students’ work/life experience can be recognised through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.

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