One of the posters presented at today’s Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) conference at the University of Hull was by Phil Mathews, Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting in FMC.
The source issue for this poster was that the BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film and Television (BASW) programme has lots of opportunities both curricular and extra-curricular activities, however communicating these opportunities to students was not necessarily as expected.
The programme map that Phil presented was an attempt to capture the course network visually in order to communicate what was in place for students. It was also a way to establish a dialogue between students and University provision.
Having communicated the poster to students, Phil found that, rather than discovering gaps in the provision for BASW, a lot of initiatives were not known about which has made the team re-examine student communication. This was a revelation as the team had traditionally added more and more content without consolidating what was already available.
The process has therefore provided a wider perspective on the team’s approach to student engagement and course enhancement. Feedback from students provided valuable insights for staff into how the course is perceived by students which is not always in alignment with staff perceptions.
The programme map is a very good idea for teams wishing to review their programmes and students’ perceptions and is a great foundation for evaluation, assessment and seeking ways to enhance the student experience.
