Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
| Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision | ||
|
foundation_course_students:whole_handbook [2024/10/30 12:41] lisas [Quality Assurance] |
foundation_course_students:whole_handbook [2025/03/05 12:19] (current) jake [Foundation Course: Student Handbook] |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ====Foundation Course: Student Handbook==== | ====Foundation Course: Student Handbook==== | ||
| - | + | // | |
| - | {{ : | + | |
| - | // | + | |
| =====Introduction===== | =====Introduction===== | ||
| Line 89: | Line 87: | ||
| Heartwood is committed to developing and maintaining quality assurance policies and procedures.\\ | Heartwood is committed to developing and maintaining quality assurance policies and procedures.\\ | ||
| - | ===== 1: Internal quality assurance ===== | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.1 Institutions should commit themselves explicitly to the development of a culture which recognises the importance of quality, and quality assurance, in their work. To achieve this, institutions should develop and implement a strategy for the continuous enhancement of quality. The strategy, policy and procedures should have a formal status and be publicly available. They should also include a role for learners and other stakeholders.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.2: Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodic review and monitoring of their programmes and awards. \\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.3 Assessment of learners: Learners should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and procedures which are applied consistently. \\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.4 Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualified and competent to do so. They should be available to those undertaking external reviews, and commented upon in reports. \\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.5 Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support of student learning are adequate and appropriate for the programme offered. \\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.6 Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevant information for the effective management of their programmes of study and other activities.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 1.7: Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objective information, | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== 2: External quality assurance procedures: ===== | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.1 External quality assurance procedures should take into account the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance processes described in Part 1\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.2 The aims and objectives of quality assurance processes should be determined before the processes themselves are developed, by all those responsible, | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.3 Any formal decisions made as a result of an external quality assurance activity should be based on explicit published criteria that are applied consistently.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.4 All external quality assurance processes should be designed specifically to ensure their fitness to achieve the aims and objectives set for them.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.5 Reports should be published and should be written in a style, which is clear and readily accessible to its intended readership. Any decisions, commendations or recommendations contained in reports should be easy for a reader to find.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.6 Quality assurance processes which contain recommendations for action or which require a subsequent action plan, should have a predetermined follow-up procedure which is implemented consistently.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.7 External quality assurance of institutions should be undertaken on a cyclical basis. The length of the cycle and the review procedures to be used should be clearly defined and published in advance.\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | 2.8 Quality assurance agencies should produce from time to time summary reports describing and analysing the general findings of their reviews, evaluations, | ||
| - | ====== Staff Policy====== | ||
| - | All Heartwood staff recognise their ethical and professional responsibility to protect the interests of learners. In situations where a conflict of interest may arise, particularly where a learner and staff member have a family or close personal relationship, | ||
| - | * Selection for any prize or bursary | ||
| - | * Selection for any Heartwood programme | ||
| - | * Selection/ | ||
| - | * Supervision of theses/ | ||
| - | * Complaints and disciplinary proceedings | ||
| - | * Assessment or academic progress issues. | ||
| - | Staff members must declare to the Trustees of the Education Fund any personal interest with regard to a currently enrolled learner – whether the connection is through family, business or close personal relationship. | ||
| ====== Disciplinary Procedures ====== | ====== Disciplinary Procedures ====== | ||
| Line 156: | Line 112: | ||
| ====== Timeliness ====== | ====== Timeliness ====== | ||
| - | You should engage with all learning activities which form part of your course Units subject to medical issues or other personal reasons notified to the Administrative Coordinator, | + | You should engage with all learning activities which form part of your course Units subject to medical issues or other personal reasons notified to the Administrative Coordinator, |
| You should also be aware that some Units require specific attendance at live webinars and text chat sessions. These will be clearly stated on the LMS page for each Unit.\\ | You should also be aware that some Units require specific attendance at live webinars and text chat sessions. These will be clearly stated on the LMS page for each Unit.\\ | ||
| - | You are expected to become familiar with the use of the LMS as part of the course. If you have any problems in using the LMS, you should contact [[mailto: | + | You are expected to become familiar with the use of the LMS as part of the course. If you have any problems in using the LMS, you should contact [[support@heartwoodteam.net]] at your earliest opportunity. |
| ====== Intellectual Property ====== | ====== Intellectual Property ====== | ||
| Line 178: | Line 134: | ||
| In doing so they must: | In doing so they must: | ||
| * Respect others' | * Respect others' | ||
| - | * Avoid activities which may lead to criminal liability, including use of pornographic material. | + | * Avoid activities which may lead to criminal liability. |
| - | * Avoid keeping of others' | + | * Avoid keeping of others' |
| * Not produce or pass on any material which could be considered defamatory. | * Not produce or pass on any material which could be considered defamatory. | ||
| * Understand that Heartwood will impose severe penalties – up to dismissal or even referral to the police – in order to protect the safety of learners and uphold the reputation of its courses. | * Understand that Heartwood will impose severe penalties – up to dismissal or even referral to the police – in order to protect the safety of learners and uphold the reputation of its courses. | ||
| Line 199: | Line 155: | ||
| Any user who, for whatever reason, comes to know the password of any other user must not attempt to obtain access to the Learning Management System using that password nor disclose it to any other person. Use of a password by anyone other than the authorised person will be treated as serious misconduct.\\ | Any user who, for whatever reason, comes to know the password of any other user must not attempt to obtain access to the Learning Management System using that password nor disclose it to any other person. Use of a password by anyone other than the authorised person will be treated as serious misconduct.\\ | ||
| - | All reasonable efforts will be employed to ensure that Learning Management System will be made accessible to all learners, regardless of disability, who have a legitimate reason for using them. Heartwood seeks to explore the potential of information technology to assist disabled students to engage in their chosen course of studies and, in particular, to carry out any associated course requirements and academic tasks, so far as resources allow. | + | All reasonable efforts will be employed to ensure that Learning Management System will be made accessible to all learners, regardless of disability, who have a legitimate reason for using them. |
| ===== Penalties ===== | ===== Penalties ===== | ||
| Line 214: | Line 170: | ||
| The course remains available in its current form to learners for 6 weeks after the initial 12 month study period. | The course remains available in its current form to learners for 6 weeks after the initial 12 month study period. | ||
| - | * Some activities have deadlines, and you are advised to check submission dates in advance | + | * Some activities have deadlines, and you are advised to check submission dates in advance. |
| * At the close of the course, students will have access to an archived version free of charge for one year. | * At the close of the course, students will have access to an archived version free of charge for one year. | ||
| * That version will not contain interactive features such as glossaries, webinars or forums. It will include all the videos, slides, documents, pages and e-book material you would need to use for reference. | * That version will not contain interactive features such as glossaries, webinars or forums. It will include all the videos, slides, documents, pages and e-book material you would need to use for reference. | ||