Learning & Teaching Periods (and the Link to Assessment)

Semesters and Trimesters: what they mean and how they work....

From the 2011/12 academic year, a rationalised and streamlined approach to learning and teaching periods will be introduced across all Anglia Ruskin taught undergraduate and postgraduate pathways and applies to all delivery in the UK and at international partner institutions. In addition, all re-assessment for the Semester/ Trimester 2 period will permanently move from late August to mid-July from 2011.

This webpage has been designed to provide further detail on the background to these changes and to help staff and students understand the revised approach. On this page you can find out about:

• Background to the new approach
• What is changing? New definitions for Semesters and Trimesters
• The link to the assessment process
• The impact on full-time, 1 year, 180 credit masters pathways
• Award ceremonies
• Accommodating international collaborative provision in the assessment process
• Where to go for further queries or additional information

The Senate has now approved academic calendars for the 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 academic years which reflect the new approach to learning and teaching periods detailed on this page. These can be viewed and downloaded from the Academic Calendar webpages.

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Background to the New Approach

During Spring 2010, the Project Board on the Rationalisation of Curriculum Structures, Management and Delivery identified a number of issues which cause confusion across the institution and its partner institutions: (i) the use of learning and teaching periods; (ii) their link to assessment periods and; (iii) the terminology currently used to describe Anglia Ruskin’s range of delivery patterns. It was noted that these issues, in turn, lead to an inefficient use of staff and physical resources, and required urgent attention.

A consultation paper outlining the Project Board’s initial proposals with regard to learning and teaching periods was circulated during April and May 2010 to all faculties and relevant support services as part of a consultation exercise.  Feedback was considered at the Project Board meeting of 26th May 2010 and at the meeting of the former Academic Standards, Quality & Regulations Committee (ASQRC) of 30th June 2010.

Full details of the proposals were circulated, by e-mail, to all key postholders (including Deans of Faculty, Deputy Deans of Faculty, Directors of Studies, Heads of Department, Faculty Business/Resource Managers, Directors and Assistant/Deputy Directors of Support Services and relevant Heads of Unit in Support Services) on 1st October 2010 and discussed by Faculty Boards in October 2010 with final endorsement by the Senate in November 2010 - leading to the approval and publication of the 2011/12 academic calendar.

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What is Changing? New definitions for Semesters and Trimesters

Research showed that, whilst many staff and students at Anglia Ruskin considered the terms Semester and Trimester to have a standard definition, in reality there are many different interpretations across Anglia Ruskin, particularly with regard to Trimesters (eg: when the periods begin and end and their duration).  The variety of interpretations of these terms caused significant difficulties for the timetabling and assessment functions for both students and staff and contributed significantly to an inefficient use of our teaching space.

Therefore, from 2011/12, the Academic Regulations will be amended to recognise formally only two types of delivery pattern: Semesters and Trimesters. These will be defined as follows:

• Semesters – two periods in the academic year (September to January and January to June)
• Trimesters – three periods in the complete 12 month period (September to January; January to June and June to September)

Therefore, it follows that:

• Semester 1 and Trimester 1 are identical, run concurrently and feed into the same assessment periods.
• Semester 2 and Trimester 2 are identical, run concurrently and feed into the same assessment periods.
• Trimester 3 runs during the summer vacation (June – September) and comprises 10 weeks of teaching (rather than 12).

All of Anglia Ruskin's undergraduate and postgraduate taught pathways are delivered in this way - either a Semester basis or a Trimester basis. Therefore, for each academic year, two calendars are published: Semester and Trimester deliveries.

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The Link to the Assessment Process

One of the main objectives of the Project Board was to ensure a clear and transparent link between learning and teaching periods and the assessment process. This new approach provides this clarity and it is now possible to identify a first assessment and re-assessment point for all modules depending on when they are delivered.

The simple table below has been developed to demonstrate the link between each of the newly defined learning and teaching periods and assessment periods (you can click on the image below in order to view and download the table).

It explicitly shows when students will undertake their assessment tasks (in terms of final submission dates and examination periods) and the set of assessment meetings that will consider the outcomes of the assessment process for the delivery of the module (Departmental Assessment Panels (DAPs), Mitigation Panel, Student Reviews and Awards Board).

Click here to view and download the special hybrid version of this table for the Faculty of Health & Social Care

 

The same information is also presented in an alternative format. You can download the document below which lists the function of each the individual assessment periods for delivery at Anglia Ruskin and in the UK (a hybrid version for the Faculty of Health & Social Care is also available).

Click here to view and download the special hybrid version of this document for the Faculty of Health & Social Care

Double Period Modules

Some modules are delivered over more than one period, most usually starting in Semester 1 and continuing until the end of Semester 2. From 2011/12, such modules will be identified on SITS as SEM1-2 (instead of just SEM1, as at present).

Any module taught and assessed over a double period maps to the pattern for the latter period. For example: for a module delivered and assessed over Semesters 1 and 2, the assessment is considered under the Semester 2 schedule, as outlined in the above table.

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The Impact on Taught Full-time, 180 Credit Masters Pathways

There are some implications of the new approach for full-time taught masters pathways and these are described in this section.

Taught Masters students completing a full-time 180 credit masters pathway in one year (ie: September 2011 to September 2012) will do so on a Trimester basis (eg: 60 credits in Trimester 1, 60 credits in Trimester 2 and 60 credits in Trimester 3).

Trimester 3 will include the completion of the Major Project module.  In recognition of the significance of a postgraduate Major Project module both for the student and the marking and moderation process, there will be a common deadline across Anglia Ruskin for submission of the postgraduate Major Project for all full-time Master's students who are taking and completing the Major Project during Trimester 3 - the last Friday of September (already set as 28th September 2012 for Trimester 3 in 2011/12). Other taught modules delivered in Trimester 3 will continue to use the standard final deadline for all work - the end of August.

Consequently, postgraduate Major Project modules taken and submitted in Trimester 3 will not be considered by the Trimester 3 assessment cycle as it will not be possible for Major Projects submitted at the end of September to be marked and moderated in time for the standard Trimester 3 assessment meetings.  Instead, all postgraduate Major Project modules which are taken and submitted in Trimester 3 will be formally considered by a new small round of DAPs (one Joint DAP per Faculty, including appropriate external examiner attendance, as required by the Academic Regulations) held at the end of November, to feed into the December meeting of the Awards Board, in the following academic year [NB: this small assessment period in November and December is already established for use by the Faculty of Health & Social Care].

Therefore, awards for completing students who study on a full-time masters pathway from September 2011 to September 2012 will be conferred by the December 2012 Awards Board.

Semester/Trimester 2 Entry

Two patterns of delivery are possible for full-time taught master's pathways with a Semester/Trimester 2 (February) start:

(a) Semester delivery – ie: taught modules are NOT delivered during the summer vacation:

• 60 credits in Semester 2
• 60 credits in Semester 1
• 60 credits in Semester 2 (including Major Project)

In these circumstances, the submission date for the Major Project module will be set for the second or third Friday in May in order to allow adequate time for marking and moderation for processing through the Semester/Trimester 2 DAP and Awards Board.  Therefore, awards for completing students who study on a full-time masters pathway on a Semester basis from February 2012 to May 2013 will be conferred by the June 2013 Awards Board.

(b) Trimester delivery – ie: taught modules are delivered during the summer vacation:

• 60 credits in Trimester 2
• 60 credits in Trimester 3
• 60 credits in Trimester 1 (including Major Project)

In these circumstances, the same principle outlined above for standard trimester delivery applies.  The deadline for submission of the Major Project will be the last Friday of February.

Consequently, postgraduate Major Project modules taken and submitted in Trimester 1 will not be considered by the Semester/Trimester 1 assessment cycle.  Instead, all postgraduate Major Project modules that are taken and submitted in Trimester 1 will be formally considered by the DAPs held at the end of Semester/Trimester 2.  Therefore, awards for completing students who study on a full-time master's pathway from February 2012 to February 2013 will be conferred by the June 2013 Awards Board

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Award Ceremonies

From 2011, all award ceremonies will permanently move to early October.

It is therefore necessary to highlight that Masters students on pathways delivered on a Trimester basis who are submitting a major project in Trimester 3 will not be eligible for inclusion in Award Ceremonies until the following year as the assessment process for Trimester 3 will not be completed in time to allow attendance. For example: students studying a full-time 180 credit MA pathway in 2011/12 will complete their final piece of work for submission in September 2012, will be considered by the December 2012 Awards Board and will therefore be invited to the October 2013 Award Ceremony.

Full-time masters students who commence their study in Semester/Trimester 2 (February) on a Semester basis (see The impact on full-time, 1 year, 180 credit masters pathways above), will be eligible for inclusion in Award Ceremonies in the following academic year. For example: students studying a full-time 180 credit MA pathway who start in February 2012 on a Semester basis will complete their final piece of work for submission in May 2013, will be considered by the June 2013 Awards Board and will therefore be invited to the October 2013 Award Ceremony.

Full- time masters students who commence their study in Semester/Trimester 2 (February) on a Trimester basis (see The impact on full-time, 1 year, 180 credit masters pathways above), will be eligible for inclusion in Award Ceremonies in the following academic year. For example: students studying a full-time 180 credit MA pathway who start in February 2012 on a Trimester basis will complete their final piece of work for submission in February 2013, will be considered by the June 2013 Awards Board and will therefore be invited to the October 2013 Award Ceremony.

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Accommodating International Collaborative Provision in the Assessment Process

For a number of years, additional assessment cycles have operated in the Ashcroft International Business School (supported by the Academic Office) to accommodate the delay in completing the assessment process which inevitably occurs with the transit, receipt and moderation of assessed work from international partner institutions. This practice is also starting to be adopted by other faculties who are increasing their international collaborative activity (eg: the Faculty of Science & Technology).

The move of Semester / Trimester 2 re-assessments to July has two major consequences for international collaborative provision:

1. the separate additional assessment cycle at the end of Semester/Trimester 2 for international provision will no longer be required from 2011/12 onwards as first assessments from international partners for the Semester/Trimester 2 period can now be considered in the same cycle of meetings that will occur in late July/early August (which will consider Semester/Trimester 2 re-assessments from core Anglia Ruskin provision). This is a major advantage - by bringing these two separate assessment cycles together, it removes the need for two separate assessment cycles in a four week period during the summer.
   
   
2. however, the change described in 1 above means that re-assessments for international delivery from Semester/Trimester 2 cannot take place in July (as the outcomes of the international first assessments will only be confirmed by early August).  Therefore, a separate examination period and submission point for Semester/Trimester 2 re-assessments for international partner institutions is still required and will take place in late August.  This, in-turn, will require the writing of additional examination papers and other assessment tasks by Module Leaders for use at international partner institutions in order to maintain the security of the assessment process.

In order to reflect the proposals detailed on this page, the operation of the additional assessment cycles will, therefore, be as follows:

• International Semester/Trimester 1 first assessments to continue to be considered by additional assessment cycle for international provision in February/March (approximately three weeks after the main Semester/Trimester 1 assessment cycle) – ie: NO CHANGE

• International Semester/Trimester 1 re-assessments to continue to be considered by the main Semester/Trimester 2 assessment cycle (ie: at the same meetings which will consider Semester/Trimester 2 first assessments and Semester/Trimester 1 re-assessments from core Anglia Ruskin module delivery) – ie: NO CHANGE

• International Semester/Trimester 2 first assessments to be considered by the new main late July/early August assessment cycle (ie: at the same meetings which will consider Semester/Trimester 2 re-assessment from core Anglia Ruskin module delivery) - ie: NEW

• International Semester/Trimester 2 re-assessments to be considered by additional assessment cycle for international provision in October – ie: NO CHANGE

• International Trimester 3 first assessments to be considered by additional assessment cycle for international provision in October – ie: NO CHANGE
  
  
• International Trimester 3 re-assessments to be considered by additional assessment cycle for international provision in February/March (approximately three weeks after the main Semester/Trimester 1 assessment cycle) – ie: NO CHANGE

The above information is neatly summarised in the document below which lists the function of each the individual assessment periods for delivery at international partner institutions.

 

[NB: The published academic calendars are for delivery of pathways at Anglia Ruskin's main campuses in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Fulbourn and Peterborough and our partner institutions throughout the UK (except the London College of Accountancy). Teaching dates and examination periods for our overseas partner institutions broadly match those used in the UK, and comply with the assessment system described in this section, but small local variations have been agreed on occasion to accommodate, for example, different public holidays in different jurisdictions. Exact details are provided to students in their Student Handbooks.]

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Further Queries and/or Information

If you require more information on the detail provided in these pages, please contact Paul Baxter, Director of the Academic Office.

 

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