The Validation Story
Last week, we announced the launch of two new degrees – BA (Hons) Photography and BA (Hons) Painting. Together with our existing BA (Hons) Creative Arts, these degrees are unique. As far as we are aware, no other distance-learning creative arts, photography or painting degrees exist anywhere in the world!
Preparations started two years ago with the development of new courses opening up distinct pathways through the Creative Arts degree, allowing students to pursue a chosen specialism. From this came the idea of creating specialist degrees. About a year ago, this idea was discussed with OCA course leaders and sounded out with tutors and students, and met with approval. A proposal was subsequently made to our trustees and to Bucks New University, our accrediting university, and we were given the green light to develop two new degrees in photography and painting.
From conception and development through to validation of a new degree involves a long process of consultation and review not only with internal contacts but also with external art academics and professionals. In addition, the development of the aims and learning outcomes at all stages of the degree needs to be fully in line with QAA benchmark statements.
It also involves a formidable amount of documentation – around 250 pages for the two degrees with a word count worthy of a PhD! First there was a weighty document outlining the context and rationale for the new degrees. Next came “programme specifications” describing the overall aims and learning outcomes at all stages of the degree as well as the curriculum, mode of delivery, teaching, learning and assessment strategies, etc. After that, at the next level of detail, came “module descriptors” for each of the 30 or so modules, which needed to be revised and upgraded in the light of new HE requirements. Finally, the Degree Handbooks (which can now be viewed on the OCA website), which include the information students needs to know about the degrees overall.
On completion of the draft documentation OCA directors and academic and administrative staff from the Faculty of Design, Craft & Visual Arts at BNU came together in November and January to review the documentation in detail, each meeting inevitably resulting in further elucidation and revisions to the documents. The degrees were approved by the Quality Enhancement Committee Validation sub-group in February and then the final stage was approval by the University Senate in mid-March.
So, what next? We need a new challenge – and a BA (Hons) Textiles might be on the cards… Don’t expect it to happen overnight, though….!
I’m thinking about starting my degree with you. My main interest is textiles so…. a textile degree… would really make me happy and give me the extra push!!!
Hi Marta
We are now committed to getting a textiles degree. Here is the news snippet from the main OCA website:
‘We have reviewed our current validation plans and will be proceeding to seek to gain validation of a BA(Hons) Textiles and aiming to achieve this by the end of 2010. Current textiles students who follow appropriate study pathways will be able to transfer from the BA(Hons) Creative Arts programme once the new degree is validated. ”
So you could start a textiles module and transfer into the textiles degree when it becomes available.
Also, for a bit of inspiration, have you seen this
Gareth