The Programme Design Process at Northampton

All programmes that are validated and taught at the University of Northampton follow a development and review cycle as detailed below and there is support available for you at each and every stage.

Download

For a more detailed insight on student engagement with Active Blended Learning, download our Student Engagement with ABL Report (PDF)

Planning

This stage could include the design of brand new programmes and modules, or the redesign of existing programmes and modules following quality enhancement activity. Our primary mechanism for course (re)design is CAIeRO.

Quality Assurance

All our programmes and modules go through a process of approval which is led by the Quality Unit. To find out more, please contact your Faculty Quality Officer.

Delivery

This is where your teaching occurs. Our  Active Blended Learning approach means that this can happen in both face-to-face and online environments.

Quality Enhancement

 Teaching staff are expected to regularly review the design and delivery of their modules and programmes in response to student feedback, achievement, student retention etc.

Student Engagement and the Student Voice

It is really important that our programmes and modules are co-designed with student input. In fact, it is only their feedback that tells you whether your designs are achieving what you intended them to. We would encourage you to consider how to incorporate the student voice at each stage of the programme design process. A number of options exist for this, including:

Proactive opportunities for students:

  • Inviting students to participate in course redesign workshops (CAIeRO)
  • Using students as panel members in Quality processes such as Validation, Periodic Subject Review (PSR) and Change of Approval

Reactive opportunities for feedback from students:

  • Making use of your Course Representatives
  • Feedback from Student-Staff Liaison Committees (SSLCs)
  • Annual Module Evaluation
  • Student Teaching and Representation Awards (STaR Awards) – led by the Students’ Union