Programme specification in a flexible, multidisciplinary curriculum environment: an Open University perspective
| Pages | 203-211 |
| Published date | 01 December 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880010356192 |
| Date | 01 December 2000 |
| Author | Chris Dillon,Linda Hodgkinson |
| Subject Matter | Education |
Programme
specification in a
flexible,
multidisciplinary
curriculum
environment: an Open
University perspective
Chris Dillon and
Linda Hodgkinson
Introduction
The Open University (OU) is the UK's
largest university, with over 200,000 people
studying its courses. Students take individual
courses, usually 30 or 60 credit points,
although some shorter 10- and 15-point
modules exist, accumulating points at entry
level (equivalent to first year study at any
other UK university), second level (equivalent
to second- and third-year study towards an
ordinary degree) and third level (equivalent to
third-year honours degree study). There are
also some fourth level courses that offer
independent project work or more advanced
topics in specific subject areas. For a typical
BA or BSc honours degree students must
complete courses amounting to 360 credit
points, with requirements on the number of
points at second and third level. There are
currently 125,000 undergraduate students
and 40,000 postgraduate students registered
with the university and around 44,000
``studypacks'' are sold each year.
The university currently has no system for
enrolment on a programme and no formal
qualifications are required to register for a
course. Students come with a wide range of
educational and workexperience, from a broad
range of backgrounds. Through its regional
network and Web site the OU provides
extensive support and guidance to students
planning their route through the available
courses. Course descriptions offer advice to
prospective students about desirable
prerequisite skills and knowledge. However,
the structure is fundamentally open and
flexible and students are free to choose those
courses they feel are appropriate to their needs.
In general there are no mandatory
requirements for particular progressions,
routes or pathways through courses and levels
and, although guidance and advice are
available about progression from course to
course and from level to level, students can
choose not to follow it. This openness and
flexibility are a central feature of the OU's
charter and one that lies at the heart of the
educational philosophy of the institution.
Against this background the concept of PS
presents the OU with a challenge. This paper
describes two pilot projects to examine the
issue of progression and specification in a
flexible, multidisciplinary curriculum
framework.
Courses and programmes
A central feature of the OU system is that it is
course-based rather than programme-based
The authors
Chris Dillon is with the Faculty of Technology and
Linda Hodgkinson is with the Vocational Qualifications
Centre at the Open University.
Keywords
Curriculum, Skills, Open learning, Flexibility
Abstract
The article examines the implications of programme
specification for the distinctive multidisciplinary curricular
environment of the Open University. It concludes that, for
multidisciplinary programmes, specification is likely to
focus on generic outcomes that relate to institutional level
descriptors aligned to descriptors in the national
qualification framework. These will be connected to more
detailed course specifications that describe the curriculum
building-blocks. Generic outcome statements will need to
reflect concepts of level, progression, diversity, balance,
flexibility, integrity and coherence through an
individualised programme that is constructed by the
student. It concludes that the adoption of a framework of
key skills outcomes benchmarked against the national
standards can provide the basis for institutional
descriptors against which multidisciplinary programmes
can be benchmarked.
Electronic access
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
203
Quality Assurance in Education
Volume 8 .Number 4 .2000 .pp. 203±210
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0968-4883
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