Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 7 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Industry Projects - As the students are already engaged in employment they are tasked throughout the course with personalising their submissions to the Academic Forum and in their individual module assignments and relate them directly to their own experience in industry and within their own healthcare setting. Those who are not currently in employment can draw upon their past experiences in order to build upon the knowledge gained to progress in their careers on completion of the course.

Where opportunities exist to enhance the practice area students are encouraged to engage with employers, particularly for the professional project in their Master’s year.

Work-based Learning - During the admission phase, students must demonstrate how they will directly apply the knowledge gained on the course to their everyday working practice. During the running of the course, they are required to provide examples of this in their reflective journal component, which equates to 10% of their overall module grade.

Means of Assessment

Learning Support

Induction - Across Learna:

All students are enrolled on a Study Skills orientation module which serves as their induction in the week preceding the start of the programme. This module provides the students with an entire week of induction and resources. Representatives from the Learna Student Services Department are available throughout the induction week to answer queries and problems as they arise and provide proactive support before the course commences.

The module has been specifically designed to help students prepare for the start of the programme. However, they can also access the module throughout the entire course as an essential reference guide.

The module introduces them to online learning, navigation of the learning platform Moodle, and study skills support, including the elements of assessment, referencing, critical appraisal, reflective practice, levels of evidence, and how to write scientifically. It also covers the use of referencing software, advanced literature searching, and access to other academic and research libraries.

The module is available for all students online throughout the course.

Students have full access to a designated in-house Student Services team for the full duration of the course.

Personal Academic Coach - Academic support is provided by a subject-specific tutor on a module-by-module basis. The Student Services and Teaching Services Departments within Learna provide continuity of support throughout the course, with input from the Learna Programme Leader where required.

Students are encouraged to contact their module tutor for academic queries and the Student Services Team for other help and advice.

If a student discloses that a subject is sensitive to them because of personal circumstances, the tutor can respond on an individual basis.

Each student can contact any member of the Student Services Team, who acts as their point of contact for any concerns they might have, e.g., arrangements for extensions. Student Service officers monitor students' participation in the learning platform, providing encouragement and guidance to help them keep up with the pace of studies and contact them if they fall behind. Students can book calls with a Student Services Officer.

Student Services can also contact the Teaching Services team, who will work with the tutor to encourage and guide specific students through direct messaging.

Learner Analytics - Student and tutor engagement and participation is monitored throughout the course by the Student Services and Teaching Services Teams respectively and who will intervene where required.

Office Hours - 9am-5pm Monday to Friday for office support with the learning platform; however, tutors are contactable over weekends as well as during the week.

Student Services also offers an appointment booking service. Students can schedule a call to discuss any queries about their enrolment and Moodle (the learning platform) throughout their time on the course. This enables international students in different time zones to have direct contact with the Student Services Team at a time convenient to them.

Tutorials - One tutor provides learning guidance for 10-20 students. They are available for academic support and are contactable via Moodle. The tutor's role is to facilitate students’ learning rather than to provide didactic teaching. The tutor will stimulate the students to pursue appropriate lines of academic inquiry in the Academic Forum and provide direction to ensure the module learning outcomes are met.

Seminars - The Academic Forum is the discussion board where a large proportion of the learning and assessment for each module takes place. It is a seminar environment where the tutor and student group engage in critical appraisal and discussion of the topic area.

Formative Assessment - All Academic Forum contributions are assessed, however there is emphasis in the early modules on detailed feedback, helping students to understand expectations and improve their approach to academic discourse. As the programme progresses, the focus gradually shifts from skill acquisition to demonstrating mastery in content-rich discussions.

Progress Meetings - Student Services Officers monitor each student’s participation in the learning platform, providing encouragement and guidance to help them keep up with the pace of their studies and will contact them if they fall behind. Following student feedback, the Student Services Dept now provide Student Participation Reports which are sent to students regularly (on a weekly basis throughout module 1).

Research Supervision - This is provided on a one-to-one basis by a designated professional project supervisor in year 2 (MSc).

Online Resources - The online resources for students include:

?       An online study skills preparation week, with continued access to it throughout the course for revision purposes.

?       Access to USW’s online library facilities.

?       The Learna Library resource provides online reading resources and links to search engines.

?       Module-by-module reading lists on the Moodle website provide students with direct links to recommended reading material that can be accessed throughout the course.

A WhatsApp social channel, overseen by the Student Services Team, provides an informal area for students to converse.

Advice Zone - For the full duration of the course, students have full access to the University of South Wales Advice Zone and a designated in-house Student Services Team (from Learna).

The range and availability of Learna’s Student Services is as follows:

?       Student Services Officers monitor students' participation in the learning platform, providing encouragement and guidance to help them keep up with the pace of their studies and will contact them if they fall behind.

?       Students can book calls with their Student Services Officer. Student Services can also contact the Teaching Services Team, which will work with the tutor to encourage and guide specific students through direct messaging.

?       The Student Services Team has developed a knowledge base resource which answers many frequently asked questions and is fully accessible via a link on Moodle for the duration of the course.

?       The Student Services Team provides 9 am-5 pm office hours by telephone throughout the course (including between module breaks). Students can also book out-of-hours calls via an acuity service to accommodate international students' differing time zones.

?       Email enquiries via a ticketing system ‘freshdesk’ are responded to within the times set by Learna, with an aim to reply to students within 2 working days.

?       Student Services Team members can work weekends prior to the important end-of-module submission dates.

For academic queries, students can message their tutors in several ways. They can ask queries via their tutor group on the Academic Forum, or they can privately message their tutor on Moodle at any time for one-to-one academic support. The Reflective Journal also provides a forum in which a student can reflect on issues and receive one-to-one feedback from the tutor.

Students complete feedback surveys at the end of every module, the results of which are collated by the quality team and assessed internally. They also contribute to continuous monitoring reports for USW. Where feedback leads to change, this is reported on the ‘Student Voice’ section on Moodle in a ‘You said, we did’ area so that the students get direct responses to any feedback that brings forth change. 

Students are also able to access the University Wellbeing service to discuss any issues which arise from their course via USW Wellbeing.

Disability - In all cases of disability, the Learna Student Services Team will work with the student on an individual basis.

Learna's Student Services Team supports students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) or disabilities in accordance with the recommendations in their Individual Support Plans (ISP).

IT/Library - Students have full access to the University of South Wales Library and IT department.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

There are 3 entry points for this course: 

1. Postgraduate Diploma (1-year programme – 120 credits)

2. MSc (2-year programme – 180 credits)

3. MSc top-up (1-year programme – 60 credits)

Applicants can apply and enrol onto the postgraduate diploma and on completion, then be entitled to apply directly to the MSc top-up.

Previous study can also count as credit towards a programme of study – this is known as ‘Recognising Prior Learning’ (RPL).  If an applicant has achieved qualifications such as a Postgraduate Certificate (PgC)  or Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) or Postgraduate Masters (MSc) at another university, an application for module exemption can be considered.

Applicants will be assessed on an individual basis, but typically, applicants for the programme will: 

?       Possess an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject awarded by a UK university or overseas equivalent.

?       Provide evidence in the personal statement as to how they can apply learning to a practical setting and reflect on practice.

?       Basic IT skills (e.g., word-processing, email and internet)

?       If English is not the student’s first language they must hold an English language qualification

English Requirements:

?       IELTS with an overall score of 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each band)

?       GMC / NMC (Nursing Midwifery Council) / IMC (Irish Medical Council) registered - with a licence to practise

?       OET with an average of 440-350 overall and a minimum of 350 in each component

?       TOEFL with a score of 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing (including Home Edition)

?       English GCSE grade C or above

?       Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)- exams taken from January 2015- overall score of 169 with at least 162 in each component; exams taken before January 2015- Grade C and no less than borderline in each skill

?       Trinity College English Language qualifications: ISE II Distinction or ISE III Pass

?       PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI with a score of 64 overall and 59 in each component. Please note that where a UKVI SELT is not required, we can also accept the scores in the PTE Academic Online

?       LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator or SELT Exam with a High pass with a minimum score of 33 in reading, writing and listening, and 38 in speaking

?       WAEC is graded A-E. Anything above C6 is acceptable, so C6, C5, C4, B3, B2, and A1 are acceptable. Anything under C6 will not be accepted (D7, E8).

?       PSI Service (UK) Ltd Skills for English UKVI B2 (4 component) with a pass in all 4 components (listening, speaking, reading, writing)

?       Kaplan International Tools for English (KITE) online test: Overall score of 458, with 425 in each component.

?       Password Skills Plus with an overall score of 6.0 and no less than 5.5 in each component.

?       English Medium of Instruction (EMI)

Proof of study at a UK, USA, Australian, New Zealand or Canadian University of membership to a medical body from one of these countries.

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