MAY 2007

About Reections
Welcome to the fourth issue of Reections, the
newsletter which focuses on teaching, learning and
assessment in Queens and more generally in higher
education. Reections is published once a semester by
the Centre for Educational Development and provides
a forum for discussing learning and teaching initiatives
in Queens. We aim to balance articles from the various
support units within Queens with contributions from
academics and guest writers.

Internationalising the
Curriculum through
joined-up thinking

Our cover article is on internationalising the curriculum

by Dr Viv Caruana from the University of Salford. Viv
has done extensive work on this topic on behalf of
the Higher Education Academy and recently came
to Queens to give a seminar, as part of the Guest
Speaker Series, on approaches to providing students
with an internationalised focus to their studies. We also
report on another Guest Speaker event, a workshop
conducted by Chris Rust from Oxford Brookes University
on lightening the assessment load while increasing
student learning.

By Dr Viv Caruana, University of Salford

Contributing to the next Reections

We would very much welcome contributions for our
next issue of Reections to be published in Autumn
2007. Contributions can take several forms:
Articles on an aspect of teaching and learning or
student support (generally 500750 words);
Shorter newsash items, e.g. reporting on a recent
event or advertising a new venture or up-coming
event (100200 words);
Brief synopses of recent interesting articles on
teaching and learning from the educational literature
(100200 words);
Letters or responses to previous articles or to recent
developments in H.E.
Contributions can be
submitted via e-mail to Linda
Carey, ([email protected]) or
Liz McDowell
([email protected])

Linda Carey
Editor of Reections

The internationalisation phenomenon is currently sweeping the UK HE sector, posing

challenges for both policy makers and those engaged in supporting student learning.
The drive to concretize internationalisation raises a host of conceptual and practical
issues. In order to engage meaningfully with the internationalisation agenda and to
grasp the fundamental principles which underpin the notion of an internationalised
curriculum, we need to understand the origin and evolution of the movement.
If curriculum design is not to be a mammoth task devouring resources at an everincreasing rate, it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach to the internationalised
curriculum - an exercise in joined-up thinking that exposes the connections between
internationalisation and related policy agenda that seek to inuence the HE curriculum.
Internationalisation has traditionally been viewed as the response to changes brought
about by globalisation, the most signicant being the breaking down of domestic
barriers between societies and cultures and the subordination of all to the market.
Globalisation has also been cited as the origin of a marketisation discourse that has come
to pervade higher education as international competition intensies. Taken together
with institutional shortfalls, globalisation creates pressure to develop a favourable brand
in the international marketplace geared towards maximising foreign earnings from the
recruitment of international students.
However, whilst international competition remains a signicant driver for
internationalisation, universities eorts are now being re-focused on the need to enable

Designed by Media Services

Various current and upcoming initiatives are reported,

including the new Student Guidance Centre, the
Insight into Management programme organised by the
Queens Careers Service and an update on the CETLs.
In addition several sta members have sent in short
articles about current projects in learning and teaching.

Dr Viv Caruana is an Education Development Co-ordinator and Programme Leader

for the University of Salfords Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Practice
and Research and Module Leader for the PG Certicate. She is also active in the
design and delivery of sta development events which aim to support sta in
enhancing the quality of the student learning experience. Her research interests
include the impact of the global knowledge-based economy and learning society
on learning and teaching in HE with special reference to internationalising the
curriculum and interdisciplinarity.

graduates to compete in an increasingly global world of work, to

function eectively in international and multicultural workplaces and
to negotiate the uncertainties of a super-complex world. This trend
in thinking has engendered a marginal shift away from ethos, student
mobility and content towards the graduate attributes or competency
approach to internationalisation.

Using the QOL Assessment

Tools in skills practical
classes

Within the internationalised curriculum, we are thinking about how we

can develop cross-cultural capability in students who, for one reason
or another, cannot study abroad. In this context, Internationalisation at
Home (IaH) is increasingly assuming signicance. IaH is dened as any
internationally related activity with the exception of outbound student
and sta mobility. Thus, it focuses on activities beyond mobility,
critiquing traditional actions in the process of internationalisation and
countering the lighthouse perspective that internationalisation is
something you do abroad.

By Chris Hunt, School of Geography, Archaeology and

Palaeoecology

In eect, Internationalisation at Home links the international and the

intercultural dimensions of HE teaching and learning in such a way
as to raise awareness of and promote values of cultural diversity and
equity in the classroom. It is clear that the goals of internationalisation
and Equality and Diversity are similar, each intending to facilitate
mutual understanding, tolerance and respect and these goals can be
realised through curriculum design based on the principle of IaH.
While Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has traditionally
been regarded as the territory of geographers, scientists, engineers,
it is clear that the internationalised curriculum and the sustainability
curriculum share common ground since internationalisation is the
response to globalisation and sustainable development is an attempt
to humanise it. Todays vision of sustainable development embraces
an interconnection of issues such as poverty alleviation, social justice,
democracy, human rights, peace and environmental protection
issues common to the notion of the Global Citizen. This concept
encompasses sustainability literacy, skills and knowledge, including
problem solving in a holistic, non-reductionist manner; holistic
thinking to support critical judgements; and a high level of reection
to identify, understand, evaluate and adopt values conducive to
sustainability.
Whilst institutions have a responsibility to consider the economic
imperatives of globalisation, university teachers and others supporting
learning have a responsibility to interpret mission statements, policy
documents and strategic plans to determine the most appropriate
ways of introducing an international/intercultural dimension to the
student learning experience. It is crucial to consider not simply what
we do but why we do it. A holistic approach to internationalisation
makes the vital connections that bridge the gap between rhetoric and
reality.

On coming to Queens 18 months ago, I inherited a rst year module

which attracted about 110 students. The module Human Evolution
and its Environmental Impact had a series of partly-online numerical
skills practicals written by Mike Baille, who had the module before
me. These necessitated the students downloading the information,
carrying out calculations on the computer using Excel, then printing
out the results for me to mark. A vast pile of paper was generated
and a huge amount of time was spent checking the calculations and
marking.
Relief came with attendance of a sta training event on the QOL
Assessment tools, run by Gill Kelly from the Centre for Educational
Development. It was easy to see that if the students did their
calculations and entered them into the assessment tool, the system
could be programmed to recognise a correct answer and give
feedback on a wrong answer (You should have multiplied the gure
by 3 at this point).
By setting up the Cloze procedure to recognised numbers generated
at various stages in a calculation, you could even use the system
to identify at which stage they went wrong and give appropriate
feedback. The multi-choice part of the assessment tool could be used
to test understanding of the results.
e.g. Does the answer you have got indicate
1) a strong positive correlation
2) a weak positive correlation
3) no correlation
4) a weak negative correlation
5) a strong negative correlation?
It takes about two hours to set up a practical that runs for one and
a half hours. Students get their marks and feedback instantly, while
the work is still fresh in the mind. There is no marking, the module
assessment shows that students enjoyed and learnt from the
experience and the marks rose on these practicals to such an extent
that in the exam board this term my colleagues told me that the
module was out of line with our other rst year modules. Clearly, you
dont get the personal touches that a good marker gives to feedback,
but with a big class, this is dicult to do anyway.
This type of approach works well with fairly simple material and would
most likely be a nightmare with really complex ideas or calculations.
But for your big Stage 1 skills classes, this might be an approach to try.
Thank you, Gill!

Maria Lee, Head of CED (l), with Viv Caruana (r)

Insight into Management

an opportunity to learn
through experience and to
gain experience through
learning
By Mr David Foster, Queens Careers Service
Background
Insight into Management helps students make sense of what graduate
careers in management can oer them. While most students have parttime jobs these days, not all will have experience of the graduate work
place. Insight into management simulates graduate work and seeks to
engage students in a range of business related functions and activities.
This helps participants to experience the tasks and duties associated
with graduate work, appreciate the nuances of organisational culture
and helps them to make decisions about their own careers. As many
graduate careers in business and management are open to graduates
from all degree disciplines, this course is relevant to all students at
Queens irrespective of subject studied.
How is Insight into Management Structured?
The course has a central business game running throughout a threeday intensive programme of activities. Students are allocated into
project groups and work on both the central business game and a
range of interactive case studies (e.g. responding to a business brief,
developing a product, a marketing plan, a sales pitch and constructing
a prototype for demonstration purposes). These case studies encircle
the core game throughout the three-day period.
With a typical Insight into Management day lasting from 9am9pm
and beyond, the programme challenges both the physical and
cognitive reserves of students although encouragement and support is
always available from Careers Service sta and team facilitators (recent
graduates drawn from careers in industry and commerce). All in all, it is
a busy, tiring experience which also has a lot of fun and builds a strong
sense of camaraderie amongst participants.

What are the aims of the programme?

At a very basic level, we hope students will:
Learn about themselves
Learn about others
Try new things
Discover potential careers.

What Skills does an Insight into Management Student Develop?

Students develop a range of employability skills critical to success in
securing a job and then being eective in the workplace:
Teamwork
Communication
Problem solving
Decision Making
Time Management
Analysis of Information
Presentation
Networking and Negotiation.
Management of self and work
Self-Condence
Entrepreneurial outlook
Sensitivity to others
Self-Awareness
Creativity and initiative.
Student evaluations of the course demonstrated increased
development and performance of the skills listed above amongst the
student cohort.
How is Learning from Insight into Management Structured?
The process through which students learn on Insight is based on
Kolbs Learning Cycle. At various points throughout the course, team
facilitators help students experience real business related tasks,
reect on the experience, apply it to their own situation, and forward
plan. Students are supplied with a learning log at the beginning of
the course which helps to structure their experience and assist the
reective process.
Similarly, the recent graduates who work as team facilitators undergo
facilitation skills training provided by the course director and other sta
from Queens Careers Service. In September 2006, the Sta Training and
Development unit at Queens was also involved in this work, helping
team facilitators apply their learning from the Insight experience
to their current job and their future personal and professional
development.

Students at the Innovations Fair

To nd out more about Insight into Management contact: Dr David

Foster, Queens Careers Service at 028 909 75640 or email d.foster@qub.
ac.uk. Students interested in registering for the course running from
1113 September 2007, should contact Joanne Mulgrew, Programme
Assistant on 028 9097 4151 or email: [email protected] or call
to 8 Malone Road.

Communities of Practice in
the Classroom
By Jonathan Skinner, School of History and Anthropology

The Anthropology and Ethnomusicology Research Cluster

(AERC) in the new School of History and Anthropology, is
progressive in its teaching and learning of anthropology.
Lecturers have used learning journals with their students for courses
on the anthropology of emotions, eldtrips for research methods
students, drumming circles for anthropology of performance students,
tourist souvenirs for anthropology of tourism students, ag making
for anthropology of art students, and gamelan and drumming
ensembles for Ethnomusicology students. The School has had a music
and performance tradition ever since the Schools rst Professor of
Social Anthropology, John Blacking. Two recently introduced results
of his inuence are a wooden-oored performance room and a music
and video-orientated hypermedia room. It is the ideal environment
for experiments in the teaching and learning of anthropology, and
the new module the anthropology of modern dance was the ideal
module in which to carry out these experiments.
Working from the academic premise that movement is the mother
of all cognition (Sheets-Johnstone 1966), I convened a module
The Anthropology of Modern Social Dance in which students were
encouraged to participate in active learning workshops with visiting
dance instructors. In this module, students formed a community of
practice (Lave and Wenger 1991) and listened and watched dancers
tell and dance their life stories, they interviewed them, and they
then became apprentices, learning some of the dance movements
themselves (hip hop, salsa, jive, tango, modern African dance, break
dancing, and rueda) I taught the jive as well as some of the salsa,
just as I have taught free classes to sta and students throughout
the University. These masterclass weeks were interspersed with
more traditional lecture and tutorial sessions to give continuity and a
theoretical overview to these more experiential sessions.
The module was evaluated in terms of student feedback: a
triangulation of focus groups, questionnaires, self-esteem surveys,
and module and visitor evaluation forms, and examined through the
traditional 2 hour examination with a written learning journal. From
these we learned that,
Students preferred an embodied approach to learning and
absorbed and retained learning faster, easier and for longer periods
Students became autonomous learners as they felt emboldened
to take up dance classes and to study dance literature outside of the
curriculum and university
Student made insightful connections between dance experiences,
dance readings, and embodied educational theories
It was not just students kinisthetic intelligence which was fostered,
but student self-esteem which raised as the module progressed
Positive student feedback came from this embodied approach to
learning.

Salsa instructors instructing sta and students

This module was supported through a TQEF2 grant as a research

and teaching exercise in bodily intelligence. We used performances
of understanding to engage with students, devolving much of the
structuring of sessions to the students themselves. They took to their
responsibilities, lming classes, hosting instructors, interviewing them
and learning the dances often going back to their digs to teach
their atmates the moves and to recount the culture of the dance
to others, or to search out for dance lessons around Belfast. In this
way, they spread their new skills to others and took on the teachers
mantle. The lms they made and the masterclasses they recorded are
an archive for future classes and can be used by the next cohort of
anthropology of modern social dance students, as well as research
students in anthropology. Future innovations will be to re-create the
students as a community of practitioners through the collective use of
WebCT as they make notes on their readings and comment on each
others essays. This development will also require careful forethought
and planning as it too constitutes a conceptual redenition of the
traditional roles in classrooms. It requires both teachers and students to
embrace new educational relationships.
The nal comments, however, must come from some of the students:
Through completing this module, we are able to use our bodies
to think, as well as act with. We are given an alternative and more
comprehensive way in which learning is stimulated. [] The
mode of learning in this module most denitely promotes longterm retention of ideas, concepts and skills. The combination of
readings, performances and hands-on apprenticeship makes critical
anthropological ideas touch our senses in dierent ways. (learning
journal extract)
I found how the module had a strictly modern feel. I also believed
that it transformed the traditional university structure. [] I believe the
module was a success because it enabled me to learn about myself
my likes, dislikes, my habits and beliefs. It extracted these aspects
from my character in a way that I never thought possible.
References
Lave, J. and E. Wenger 1991. Situated learning: legitimate peripheral
participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sheets-Johnstone, M. 1966. The Phenomenology of Dance, Madison:
University of Wisconsin Press.
J. Skinner (Ed.) (2005) Special Edition: Embodiment and Teaching and
Learning in Anthropology, Anthropology in Action, 12(2), pp.1-82.

The Road to
Medicine
Dr Marise Heyns
Division Basic Medical Sciences/Anatomy
Allister Foy receives the Ann Green Bequest Prize certicate from Dave
Wilson, Head of Division Basic Medical Sciences

Medicine is an integrated, multi-disciplinary eld where patient

care, scientic knowledge, teamwork and problem solving
feature heavily. Allister Foy graduated from QUB with a BSc(Hons)
Biomedical Science degree and is currently enrolled in the
Graduate Entry Medical Programme in Medicine at Swansea
University. Allister undertook a dissection-based anatomy
research project in his nal year, in which he investigated
Potential Sites of Referred Pain and Dysfunction Resulting from
Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation. He subsequently received
the Ann Green Bequest Prize, which is awarded annually to a
student in Biomedical Science, or Anatomy or a Medical/Dental
intercalated student of Anatomy, who, in the judgement of the
Board of Examiners, produces the best Level 3 research project in
the subject of Anatomy or a closely related subject.
As the supervisor of his Level 3 research project with an interest in his
career progression, I asked Allister to reect on how the Biomedical
Science degree and his research project had facilitated his preparation
for such a varied and challenging degree and future career. This was his
response:
Biomedical Science, as the name suggests, fully explores human
anatomy and physiology in both health and disease. The course
structure is such that one has sucient opportunity to explore areas
of scientic interest such as cancer biology or exercise physiology,
whilst ensuring that subject matter integral to the understanding of
human anatomy and physiology is comprehensively studied. The
degree has without doubt aided me in my medical studies, through its
balance of excellent teaching, self-directed learning, critical appraisal
of scientic literature, oral and poster presentations and group-work.
In the nal year of the degree, I undertook an Honours research
project in anatomy under the expert supervision Dr Marise Heyns. This
project was highly challenging and rewarding, and will certainly aid
my professional development during my medical career. It gave me
the opportunity to study a topic of interest, employing techniques
such as critical literature appraisal, experimental design and technique
and scientic writing. Upon completion of the project, I was given

the opportunity to present the ndings at two scientic conferences. It

was a very positive and rewarding experience and resulted in a journal
publication. This will all be of great benet to me throughout my current
studies and future medical career.
In summary, Biomedical Science has not only given me the opportunity
to study medicine, but has also established a rm basis for many of the
qualities that are essential in the modern doctor including the scientic
principles of health and disease, communication skills, teamwork and
professionalism.
I feel, as a Teaching Fellow in the Division of Basic Medical Sciences, that
we are indeed providing an excellent programme for our students, and our
approach of self-directed learning fosters an appreciation for continuous
education that will be to the advantage of these students, not only in
future studies but also in their future careers and career progression.

Educational Research and

Teaching Symposium
The Teaching Fellows in the Division of Basic Medical Sciences are
organising a symposium titled Topical Issues in Biomedical Education
during 1314 September 2007. The symposium would be of interest
to anyone teaching in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Biomedical
Science and related subjects. Invited speakers will cover topics such as
Problem-based classes, Intercalated degrees, Standardised Assessment,
Ethics in Biomedical Science and Student Selected Components.
Anyone interested in contributing either an oral or a poster
presentation or interested in attending, can contact Dr Etain Tansey
(Physiology / [email protected] ) or Dr Marise Heyns (Anatomy /
[email protected]).

The Student
Guidance Centre
By Russell Rowley, Head of Student Support Services
There is a strong relationship between high quality
student guidance and student progress and
achievement. That this is true is supported by an
increasing amount of research and is further reinforced
by the following statement from Universities UK.

Not only will the information be easy to access, importantly, it will

be easy to use. This student information area will have 15 networked
PCs for student use and additionally, a bank of laptops for students to
borrow, for use within the Centre. As the Centre will be a wireless zone,
students will be able to access on-line services using the laptops.

Student services have traditionally been seen as a

reactive support department inherently a good
thing and there to support the academic experience
for students, but essentially a safety net. Perceptions
are changing. Increasingly, services are a rst port of
call involved in supporting all students, rather than a
last resort for students with problems.

Of course, students will continue to be able to consult with key

guidance centre sta, including Careers Advisers, Counsellors and
Disability Advisers. The refurbishment includes a number of interview
and meeting rooms, thereby facilitating services in the delivery of
support and development to students within the one location.

The above statement very much reects the thinking behind the
Student Guidance Centre.
You may have noticed building works taking place next to the
bookshop at Queens. This is the construction of the entrance to the
new Student Guidance Centre which will be located on the 1st and
2nd oors of the building which used to be the Sta Common Room/
Club.

So, whereas currently students sometimes have to go to a number of

dierent locations depending upon the information required, from
September that should no longer be the case.

The benets for Students

A single point of contact for students and prospective students with
the Universitys principal academic support services
Increased use of ICT to facilitate student interactive use of resources

This ambitious development is bringing together the Universitys

student services, which provide information, advice and guidance
services, into a single point of contact because the University
recognises that the Student Experience is enhanced by the input
of high quality, well researched information, advice and guidance.
Although especially for students throughout their academic life, and
prospective students, clearly sta will also wish to know of the facilities
and services it will provide.

Gives students a number of information sources including take away

material and interactive resources

Initially, it will accommodate those services involved with Admissions,

Student Records, Exams, Careers (including Work Placement Centre
and Jobshop), Counselling, Disability, Finance (Income Oce, Clubs
and Societies and Student Support Fund) and Widening Participation.
It will include also, the newly created Learning Development Unit,
possibly within a Skills Centre. The Learning Development Unit, which
will be staed by a Learning Development Ocer and 2 Learning
Development Tutors, has been established to work in collaboration
with academic colleagues in the development and delivery of
academic and learning skills provision.

The benets for Sta

The 3m redevelopment, which is scheduled to open for the new

academic year starting September 2007, will provide students with a
large open plan area, within which they will be able to access a wide
range of information, both in paper form and electronically on any
student related matter.

The sta moving to the Student Guidance Centre can help,

support and improve student transition into the University and
beyond. From recruitment and admission, through induction and
on to academic success and employability; the sta of the Student
Guidance Centre can make a huge dierence.

Places students needs and expectations at the core of all services

A single reference point for enquiries point for enquiries relating to

student support
A single reference point to which to refer students
As a result of the synergy created by bringing services together,
academic colleagues will experience a more integrated approach
to the support of students

Plagiarism Awareness and

Prevention for Research Students
by Dr Lillian Greenwood, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
and Mrs Gill Kelly, CED.

Articles in the press suggest plagiarism is rife in British universities.

Whilst we do not believe this to be the case, across the UK universities
have been re-writing denitions of plagiarism and reviewing their
policies. In addition to purchasing plagiarism detection software,
institutions (including our own) are encouraging the introduction of
plagiarism awareness sessions at undergraduate level, as studies show
students do not fully understand the conventions of academic writing
and citation and are not entirely clear what plagiarism means1,2,3.
However, our work in plagiarism awareness, prevention and detection
in Queens informs us that a signicant proportion of postgraduate
entrants are also confused over how to acknowledge the work of
others appropriately. Students entering postgraduate programmes
can often be changing the discipline, institution and even the country
in which their studies are based. Such changing contexts, plus gaps in
plagiarism education at undergraduate level, can leave postgraduates
confused about the exact nature of plagiarism at this level a major
academic oence.
Several of our colleagues have told us they found the work required in
preparing a plagiarism case, where a lengthy dissertation is involved,
extremely time consuming. Where plagiarism of electronic sources is
suspected, the TurnitinUK detection software can be used to speed
up the evidence gathering part of the process (unless the student has
waived copyright their consent is required). This, however, will alleviate
only part of the workload.
It is in the interest of both research student and supervisor that
plagiarism is prevented from the outset of a research degree. Support
for prevention is oered through two complementary approaches,
designed to supplement the tutors instruction to students:

1) Plagiarism awareness sessions are oered as part of the

Postgraduate Skills Training Programme. Entitled Plagiarism, the
workshops, facilitated by Dr Lillian Greenwood, School of Electronics,
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, help students
understand what is meant by plagiarism and how to avoid it. Students
can opt to do this session early on in their postgraduate programme.
2) The TurnitinUK software is also available for supervisors to
use as a formative tool with new research students uploading a
short piece of work prior to the rst submission allows the tutor and
student the opportunity to see if electronic sources are being used
without appropriate citation. The tool is also available for more formal
continued use if the supervisor and student so wish.
For details of the plagiarism workshop contact Nuala McCabe
(Postgraduate Oce) or Lillian Greenwood, l.greenwood@qub.
ac.uk. For further information on the TurnitinUK plagiarism detection
software please contact Gill Kelly CED, extn 6595, [email protected].

1 Dawson, M. & Overeld, J., 2006. Plagiarism: Do students know what is is ? Bioscience
Education e-journal,[online] 8-1, Available from:< http://www.bioscience.heacademy.
ac.uk/journal/vol8/beej-8-1.htm> [accessed 19December 2006]
2 Franklyn-Stokes, A. & Newstead, S. , 1995. Undergraduate cheating: who does what
and why? Studies in Higher Education 20 (2), 159-172
3 Underwood, J. & Szabo, A,. 2003. Academic oences and e-learning: individual
propensities in cheating. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34, 467-478

Motivating
and
exciting
students

Motivate and excite students

Demonstrate the relevance of the other subjects
in Stage 1, and their ability to solve real-world
problems
Clarify understanding of the nature of engineering
and what engineers do
Improve understanding of fundamental concepts
Provide practical engineering experience

a new approach to 1st

year teaching
By Dr Charlie McCartan, CEAIL
(NI) and Dr Sarah Marshall, CED

Start to develop professional skills: computing,

report writing, information retrieval, presentation
skills, team working etc
Bridge the gap between school and university, and
ensure that students can cope with the change in
learning methods

The School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has

been recognised and funded by DEL as part of the Centre for
Excellence in Active and Interactive Learning (NI), one of three
such Centres (CETLs) at Queens. The funding was awarded
to Engineering on the basis of its leading role in CDIO, an
international initiative to reform engineering education so that
graduates are more fully prepared for careers as professional
engineers. CDIO stands for Conceive, Design, Implement,
Operate representing the main steps involved in creating
engineering products, processes and systems. The School
has been using the CDIO principles, syllabus, standards and
methodologies to frame a range of curriculum changes.

Introduction to Engineering runs throughout Semesters 1 and

2, and includes weekly lectures covering the development of
professional skills, a six-hour course on team-working and three
design-build projects. These projects each provide opportunities for
the development and assessment of personal and professional skills
and for the application and assessment of content from other rst year
modules:

Curriculum approach

Project 3: Robotics project, in which mechanisms and programming

relating to an Engineering Dynamics Module are applied.

The CDIO standards promote active approaches to learning, the

integration of skills and knowledge, the inclusion of design-build
experiences and the inclusion of an Introduction to Engineering.
These standards have been addressed through a new double
module, Introduction to Engineering, the learning and assessment
of which is integrated with the content of the other modules taken
by rst year students.
The purpose of such an introductory course, which should be one of
the rst required courses in a programme, is to provide a framework
for the practice of engineering. This framework is a broad outline
of the tasks and responsibilities of an engineer, and the use of
disciplinary knowledge in executing those tasks. Students engage
in the practice of engineering through problem solving and simple
design exercises, individually and in teams. This course also includes
personal and interpersonal knowledge, skills and attitudes that are
essential at the start of a programme to prepare students for more
advanced product and system building experiences.
In 200607, this module was taken by all rst year Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering students. Objectives for the Introduction to
Engineering module (Table 1) were derived and prioritised through
interviews and discussions with sta in the School. These interviews
were carried out as part of a supported change management
programme which was undertaken in partnership with the UK
Centre for Materials Education, one of the HE Academys national
subject centres.

Project 1: Model Racing Car project, which includes practical aspects of

design relating to a Mechanical Design module.
Project 2: Bicycle Wheel project, which contains analysis and testing
relating to a Materials module.

All projects carry equal weighting towards the nal mark and it is a
requirement of the module to complete all three projects.
The projects each have an associated introductory lecture and a postproject reective lecture, and include tutor, peer and self assessment.
The assessment of professional skills is integrated via the range of
assessment media: Project 1 includes a written report, Project 2
includes poster presentations and Project 3 an oral presentation.

Is it working?
A full evaluation will be carried out at the end of the academic year,
and in subsequent years, but emerging evidence, including sta and
student feedback, module statistics and benchmarking against the
CDIO standards, would suggest that not only are the objectives in Table
1 being addressed by the new approach, but also that there has been a
positive eect on student retention and progression.

Transferability
While this work has been developed in the context of rst year Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering, we believe that the model is one that could
usefully be adapted for other rst year courses. In summary, it provides
a means of integrating skills and knowledge development and helping
students to understand, and appreciate the relevance of, fundamental
concepts in their chosen discipline.

Assessment: lightening
the load while increasing the
learning By Alison Skillen, CED

He outlined a number of strategic programme decisions which might be

taken in order to reduce assessment with no detrimental eect on student
learning. These included:

On 23 February, Queens hosted an interactive workshop led by

Dr Chris Rust, Head of the Oxford Centre for Sta and Learning
Development at Oxford Brookes University. The workshop, which
was attended by over 30 colleagues, was organised by the Centre for
Educational Development as part of its 2006/07 Guest Speaker series.

using more varied assessment methods a mixture of fewer essays

backed up by objective tests might ensure both development of writing
skills and reasoning skills and the desired broad coverage of the material;

Dr Rust considered a range of practical ways that sta might reduce their
assessment workload without damaging the student learning experience.
Through several case studies, he showed that there was good evidence that
changes made to reduce the assessment burden on sta, sometimes even
improved the student learning experience.

Reviewing the need for extensive summative assessment in the rst

year where most assessment is eectively pass/fail and where almost all
students pass regardless of the assessment system used;

identifying and reducing repetitive assessment e.g. writing lab reports

every week may not necessarily increase what students learn from the lab
work or develop report writing skills;

Distinguishing between courses with dierent goals dierent

courses should have unique assessment patterns rather than all courses
Dr Rust claimed that it is a clich that we do too much assessment. It is
being assessed with the same type and volume of assignments. Other
important to distinguish between assessment as marks and grading and
assessment strategies might include: a brieng paper, an article, a book
assessment as feedback to students; in terms of the latter, he remarked that review, an annotated bibliography, a draft research bid, an A-Z, an
we can never do enough.
encyclopaedia entry, a response to a clients question or a poster;

Assess only selected pieces of student work from a greater portfolio of

work they have produced.

Strategies considered included involving the students in the marking

process through self- and peer-assessment, for example, through the use of Reducing the time spent on feedback might include:
model answers.
One scenario (Forbes & Spence, 1991) involved Engineering students who
had weekly maths problem sheets which were marked by the lecturer.
However, increased student numbers meant marking had become
impossible and the classes had become big enough for students to hide
in and some of them had simply stopped completing the problem sheets.
The result was that the exam mark declined from an average of 55% to 45%.
To address this problem, the course team introduced a course requirement
for students to complete 50 problem sheets which were then periodically
peer assessed but did not contribute to the course assessment mark. The
average exam mark increased dramatically from 45% to 80%. The course
team believe that it was getting the students engaged with the learning
task through involvement in the assessment process that was the primary
reason for the increase in the marks well above the previous level.
Chris also suggested four ways of mechanising the assessment process

Giving general feedback to the whole class rather than individual

feedback
Using feedback forms
Using students to peer/self-assess work
Using statement banks
Using computer-based tests
Providing focussed feedback on a dierent criterion each time
Using audio tape to comment on students work tone of voice can
convey more information than from written comments and is sometimes
easier than deciphering the assessors handwriting!

1. the use of statement banks (generic banks of subject-specic statements Feedback from participants about the event was very positive. During the
which can be numbered and attached to marked work);
event, several participants indicated that they would implement some
of the ideas suggested e.g. the self-assessment check-list, use of more
2. computer-aided assessment;
peer marking and fast track feedback. Comments from the evaluation
of the event were very positive and ranged from - a fresh and interesting
3. essay marking criteria and assignment attachment sheets; and
approach, to a dynamic, knowledgeable speaker and excellent, really
worthwhile - everyone should attend! On this basis, we hope that Dr Rust
4. optical mark readers for use in marking multiple choice answers.
will visit Queens to facilitate a further workshop on a future occasion.
Details of Dr Rusts presentation and handouts are available on http://
www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAairs/CentreforEducatio
nalDevelopment/ProfessionalDevelopment/LearningandTeachingEvents/
GuestSpeakerSeries/

Chris Rust with Linda Carey and Ken Brown

Bringing Medical Imaging to Undergraduates

By Dr Jason Greenwood, School of Mathematics and Physics

Physics, like the Mathematics it relies

heavily upon, is a rather esoteric subject, although,

as the name suggests, there is an intimate
relationship with the physical or real world.
Students who study Physics have a wide range of
potential careers open to them, some of which may
not appear to link directly to their studies.

Medical Physics is one of the few

professions for which this link is clear and it is

becoming more important as new technology is
introduced to hospitals. Therefore, it provides the
opportunity for students to see how their core
Physics is relevant, as well as providing knowledge
and understanding valuable to employers. In the
Department of Physics and Astronomy, we have
catered for the growing interest and importance
of Medical Physics by introducing new modules
and a new programme Physics with Medical
Applications. In the nal year Physics in Medicine
has proved to be the most popular optional module
with an uptake by female students of greater than
50%, a statistic which is extremely rare in a UK
Physics Department. Through collaboration with the
NI Medical Physics Agency (NIMPA) we have been
able to undertake some student projects in local
hospitals, but we have been seeking cost eective
in-house projects to give more students exposure to
this subject.
With the support of NIMPA and the Teaching Quality
Enhancement Fund, we now have access to the
powerful medical imaging package Analyze. This
software enables any type of medical image to
be accessed, viewed and processed. It is built in
a Windows environment and does not require
computer programming skills, so that students
are able to quickly gain competence in its use and
perform powerful medical image processing.

10

Laura Downie receiving the Unilever-Earnshaw

Prize in 2006 from Dr David Cunningham

One project we have piloted involved the study of severe epileptic seizures. Gamma
images of blood ow in the brain during and after a seizure were studied by the students.
Analyze was used to nd statistically signicant dierences, from which an area of
abnormal blood ow could be identied. This active region was then mapped onto
a third brain image obtained using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device. This
information can be used for patient diagnosis and pinpointing the location for brain
surgery. Final year student Laura Downie gives her perspectives on this project.
I chose to study Physics because I found it interesting and thought-provoking and I was
keen to increase my knowledge of topics Id only briey focused on at school. I also saw
it as an opportunity to learn more about new theories and ideas being put forward, and
to make use of experimental methods for laboratory work. I chose to study the Physics in
Medicine module in my nal year because I wanted to learn more about the techniques
being used and developed to help detect and cure disease. I selected the Analyze project
as the imaging techniques used by the software were linked to the Physics in Medicine
module, which would improve my understanding and also widen my knowledge about
epilepsy.
After carrying out the project, I have learned how to interpret and manipulate medical
images and carry out statistical analysis on the images provided. This has increased my
understanding of the processes carried out in hospitals when dealing with a condition
such as epilepsy. I found the software quite straightforward with the most impressive
aspect being the capability to render a 3D volume of various structures in the body.
After graduating, I would like to take a year out from studying to travel. Following that I
am considering a career in a eld combining Physics and Health Care, as I think this would
be a very rewarding and ever developing area of work.

Undergraduate
Scholarship
Schemes
By Maria Lee, CED

The Universitys Education Strategy seeks, as one of its aims, to

ensure that the curriculum is informed by research at all levels.
Drawing on Griths (2004) and Healey (2005), we can broadly
dene Research-informed Teaching at Queens as:
This article focuses on students learning to do research through
involvement in special undergraduate research programs where they
participate in the actual research being carried out in the University,
under the guidance of academic sta and gain insight into research
work. In addition to strengthening links between teaching and
research, other benets identied in such an approach (Seymour,
Hunter, Laursen, & Deantoni, 2004, Blackmore & Cousin, 2003) include:
Encouraging closer links between academics and students
Increasing awareness of academic research and induction into the
requirements of academic professionalism. This includes a greater
appreciation of the time involved, the care needed to make accurate
observations and keep detailed notes, the attention to detail required,
the tedium and repetition of some lab tasks, the long hours researchers
worked, and their diculties in achieving desired results.
Increased condence (for example in ability to do research,
contributing real knowledge as a researcher, or feeling like a
researcher)
Intellectual development in thinking and working like a researcher
including improved ability to apply knowledge and skills, development
of critical thinking and problem solving skills and a more advanced
understanding of the nature of research/ how academic knowledge is
developed
Developing transferable skills e.g communication skills, time
management, a wide range of research skills including bibliographical
searching, organisation of data, experimental skills.

A number of universities within the UK e.g. the University of Warwick,

University of London and Imperial College London, have introduced
Undergraduate Scholarship Schemes over the last number of
years. However, there are a number of schemes funded by external
groups to which Queens sta/students can apply. These provide
funded research opportunities for a dened period of time, typically
in a summer vacation, as part of a research team or alongside an
established academic researcher. Most undergraduate research
schemes appear to be targeted at the early years of undergraduate
education; i.e. in the rst or second years.
Examples include:
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Vacation Bursaries
British Society for Animal Science Summer Placement Scheme
EPSRC: Vacation Bursary Programme (piloted 2006 with 15
Universities).
Experimental psychology society: Undergraduate Research
Genetics Society Summer Studentships
Institute of Structural Engineers Undergraduate Research Grants
Nueld Foundation: Undergraduate bursaries in Science
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) (Undergraduate Research
Experience & Knowledge Award. This programme supports active
research participation by undergraduate students in any of the
areas of research funded by SFI and is open to students from
Ireland and abroad
Society of General Microbiology: Vacation Studentships & Elective
grants for medical, dental and veterinary science students:
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
Welcome Trust Vacation Scholarships
Queens students are participating in such schemes. Queens has
received four grants per year on average over the last 3 years from the
Nueld foundation while the most recent gures available from the
Welcome Trust Vacation Scholarship show that there were 267 awards
in 2004 and that Queens was in the top 20 Institutions for awards
receiving between 5-10 awards.

Clarication of career goals

Students
learning about
others research

Sta use their own research and that of others in the

discipline to illustrate ideas, concepts, and theories or to
provide examples

Students
learning to do
research

Opportunities for students to learn about how to

undertake research within their discipline. This learning
may or may not take place within research methods
modules

Students
learning in
research mode

Students develop knowledge and researcher skills by

learning in enquiry mode, rather than being the recipients
of teacher-processed knowledge

Sta involved
in pedagogic
research

Sta inform their teaching practice through practitioner

research and reective practice or make use of the
learning and teaching research of others

12

References
Blackmore, P. and Cousin, G. (2003) Linking Teaching and Research Through ResearchBased Learning, in Educational Developments 4 (4): 24 27
Griths, R. (2004) Knowledge production and the research-teaching nexus: the case of
the built environment disciplines, Studies in Higher Education. 29(6), 709-726.
Healey, M. (2005) Linking research and teaching: disciplinary spaces, in: R.Barnett
(Ed.) Reshaping the university: new relationships between research, scholarship and
teaching, 30-42. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.
Seymour, Elaine, Hunter, Anne-Barrie, Laursen, Sandra L. and DeAntoni, Tracee.
Establishing the benets of research experiences for undergraduates. Science
Education 88, 4 (2004): 493-534.

11

Centre for Educational Development

Reections4

Queens University Belfast

6 Malone Road
Belfast BT7 1NN
Tel: 028 90976570
Email: [email protected]

An advance date for the diary

Centre for Educational Development

Learning and Teaching

Conference
17th and 18th September 2006
Canada Room and Council Chamber, QUB

Theme:

Encouraging Student Engagement and Attainment

Keynote speakers:
Professor Lorraine Stefani, University of Auckland
A Southern Hemisphere perspective on student engagement
Professor Ray Land, University of Strathclyde
Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge
Professor Sally Brown, Leeds Metropolitan University
Using formative assessment to foster student engagement and achievement
In addition, parallel workshop sessions will be facilitated by the keynote speakers and by invited Northern Ireland practitioners.
Publicity material and registration details will be circulated shortly.
There will be no charge for Queens sta members.
For further details please contact theCentre for Educational Development
Ext 6570, e-mail [email protected], www.qub.ac.uk/ced

The Road to
Medicine
Dr Marise Heyns
Division Basic Medical Sciences/Anatomy
Allister Foy receives the Ann Green Bequest Prize certicate from Dave
Wilson, Head of Division Basic Medical Sciences

Medicine is an integrated, multi-disciplinary eld where patient

care, scientic knowledge, teamwork and problem solving
feature heavily. Allister Foy graduated from QUB with a BSc(Hons)
Biomedical Science degree and is currently enrolled in the
Graduate Entry Medical Programme in Medicine at Swansea
University. Allister undertook a dissection-based anatomy
research project in his nal year, in which he investigated
Potential Sites of Referred Pain and Dysfunction Resulting from
Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation. He subsequently received
the Ann Green Bequest Prize, which is awarded annually to a
student in Biomedical Science, or Anatomy or a Medical/Dental
intercalated student of Anatomy, who, in the judgement of the
Board of Examiners, produces the best Level 3 research project in
the subject of Anatomy or a closely related subject.
As the supervisor of his Level 3 research project with an interest in his
career progression, I asked Allister to reect on how the Biomedical
Science degree and his research project had facilitated his preparation
for such a varied and challenging degree and future career. This was his
response:
Biomedical Science, as the name suggests, fully explores human
anatomy and physiology in both health and disease. The course
structure is such that one has sucient opportunity to explore areas
of scientic interest such as cancer biology or exercise physiology,
whilst ensuring that subject matter integral to the understanding of
human anatomy and physiology is comprehensively studied. The
degree has without doubt aided me in my medical studies, through its
balance of excellent teaching, self-directed learning, critical appraisal
of scientic literature, oral and poster presentations and group-work.
In the nal year of the degree, I undertook an Honours research
project in anatomy under the expert supervision Dr Marise Heyns. This
project was highly challenging and rewarding, and will certainly aid
my professional development during my medical career. It gave me
the opportunity to study a topic of interest, employing techniques
such as critical literature appraisal, experimental design and technique
and scientic writing. Upon completion of the project, I was given

the opportunity to present the ndings at two scientic conferences. It

was a very positive and rewarding experience and resulted in a journal
publication. This will all be of great benet to me throughout my current
studies and future medical career.
In summary, Biomedical Science has not only given me the opportunity
to study medicine, but has also established a rm basis for many of the
qualities that are essential in the modern doctor including the scientic
principles of health and disease, communication skills, teamwork and
professionalism.
I feel, as a Teaching Fellow in the Division of Basic Medical Sciences, that
we are indeed providing an excellent programme for our students, and our
approach of self-directed learning fosters an appreciation for continuous
education that will be to the advantage of these students, not only in
future studies but also in their future careers and career progression.

Educational Research and

Teaching Symposium
The Teaching Fellows in the Division of Basic Medical Sciences are
organising a symposium titled Topical Issues in Biomedical Education
during 1314 September 2007. The symposium would be of interest
to anyone teaching in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Biomedical
Science and related subjects. Invited speakers will cover topics such as
Problem-based classes, Intercalated degrees, Standardised Assessment,
Ethics in Biomedical Science and Student Selected Components.
Anyone interested in contributing either an oral or a poster
presentation or interested in attending, can contact Dr Etain Tansey
(Physiology / [email protected] ) or Dr Marise Heyns (Anatomy /
[email protected]).

Bringing Medical Imaging to Undergraduates

By Dr Jason Greenwood, School of Mathematics and Physics

Physics, like the

Mathematics it relies heavily

upon, is a rather esoteric subject,
although, as the name suggests,
there is an intimate relationship
with the physical or real world.
Students who study Physics have
a wide range of potential careers
open to them, some of which
may not appear to link directly to
their studies.

Medical Physics is one of the few

professions for which this link is clear and it is

becoming more important as new technology is
introduced to hospitals. Therefore, it provides the
opportunity for students to see how their core
Physics is relevant, as well as providing knowledge
and understanding valuable to employers. In the
Department of Physics and Astronomy, we have
catered for the growing interest and importance
of Medical Physics by introducing new modules
and a new programme Physics with Medical
Applications. In the nal year Physics in Medicine
has proved to be the most popular optional module
with an uptake by female students of greater than
50%, a statistic which is extremely rare in a UK
Physics Department. Through collaboration with the
NI Medical Physics Agency (NIMPA) we have been
able to undertake some student projects in local
hospitals, but we have been seeking cost eective
in-house projects to give more students exposure to
this subject.
With the support of NIMPA and the Teaching Quality
Enhancement Fund, we now have access to the
powerful medical imaging package Analyze. This
software enables any type of medical image to
be accessed, viewed and processed. It is built in
a Windows environment and does not require
computer programming skills, so that students
are able to quickly gain competence in its use and
perform powerful medical image processing.

10

Laura Downie receiving the Unilever-Earnshaw

Prize in 2006 from Dr David Cunningham

One project we have piloted involved the study of severe epileptic seizures. Gamma
images of blood ow in the brain during and after a seizure were studied by the students.
Analyze was used to nd statistically signicant dierences, from which an area of
abnormal blood ow could be identied. This active region was then mapped onto
a third brain image obtained using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device. This
information can be used for patient diagnosis and pinpointing the location for brain
surgery. Final year student Laura Downie gives her perspectives on this project.
I chose to study Physics because I found it interesting and thought-provoking and I was
keen to increase my knowledge of topics Id only briey focused on at school. I also saw
it as an opportunity to learn more about new theories and ideas being put forward, and
to make use of experimental methods for laboratory work. I chose to study the Physics in
Medicine module in my nal year because I wanted to learn more about the techniques
being used and developed to help detect and cure disease. I selected the Analyze project
as the imaging techniques used by the software were linked to the Physics in Medicine
module, which would improve my understanding and also widen my knowledge about
epilepsy.
After carrying out the project, I have learned how to interpret and manipulate medical
images and carry out statistical analysis on the images provided. This has increased my
understanding of the processes carried out in hospitals when dealing with a condition
such as epilepsy. I found the software quite straightforward with the most impressive
aspect being the capability to render a 3D volume of various structures in the body.
After graduating, I would like to take a year out from studying to travel. Following that I
am considering a career in a eld combining Physics and Health Care, as I think this would
be a very rewarding and ever developing area of work.