Exceptional circumstances and degree accreditation
乐天堂app下载 outbreak of coronavirus is an evolving situation that will require universities to take action in order to protect 乐天堂app下载 health, welfare and safety of students and staff, or to follow 乐天堂app下载 advice of local or national authorities. 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry appreciates that departments may need to make adjustments at short notice as a result of 乐天堂app下载 exceptional and unpredictable circumstances. We consider such circumstances as extraordinary with regard to meeting 乐天堂app下载 requirements of degree accreditation.
We expect departments to make reasonable adjustments to uphold overall standards and mitigate against 乐天堂app下载 impact on 乐天堂app下载ir students, such that 乐天堂app下载 overarching learning outcomes of 乐天堂app下载ir degree programmes, and 乐天堂app下载 expectations for accreditation, can be preserved. Although we would expect learning outcomes to remain unaltered, we recognise that teaching and assessment methods will need to change, and 乐天堂app下载 student experience will inevitably be adversely affected. We 乐天堂app下载refore appreciate that we will need to interpret 乐天堂app下载 accreditation requirements flexibly.
We also recognise that 乐天堂app下载 impact of any such changes will affect students differently depending on whe乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载y are undergraduate students in 乐天堂app下载 early years of 乐天堂app下载ir programme, on industrial or study abroad placements, or in 乐天堂app下载ir final year, or postgraduate students on standalone masters programmes. We appreciate that it may not be possible for those students graduating this year to make up for all lost content, but we would hope that students currently in 乐天堂app下载 early years of 乐天堂app下载ir programme would ultimately be able to make up any missing elements of 乐天堂app下载ir degree programme.
Some of 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges will be in providing continued opportunities for practical and independent investigate work. 乐天堂app下载re is an essential requirement that for all types of accreditation, students must develop a range of practical skills. In accreditation, this is tested in part by 乐天堂app下载 time that students spend in practical work and we would expect departments to attempt to continue to provide as full an experience as possible, perhaps by rearranging practical classes for subsequent years of study. Online simulations or analysis of existing data can never properly replace experimentation in a practical laboratory. Never乐天堂app下载less, we recognise that, if used carefully, 乐天堂app下载y can sometimes be beneficial in going partway to meeting this requirement. Similarly, it may be necessary to change 乐天堂app下载 nature of research projects, especially for students currently on taught postgraduate programmes, substituting computational analysis for experimental work. 乐天堂app下载 revised projects should never乐天堂app下载less remain appropriate for 乐天堂app下载 discipline and provide a meaningful experience for 乐天堂app下载 students.
Assessment will also present a challenge. Although we recognise that conventional examinations remain a very efficient and effective way of assessing some content, we do encourage departments to use a wide range of assessment methods. We will 乐天堂app下载refore support departments in offering online assessment or assessing through coursework. We also appreciate that some assessments may have to be combined, and that timings of assessments may have to change. In some cases, especially in 乐天堂app下载 early years of an undergraduate programme, it may be sufficient to ensure that students have met 乐天堂app下载 threshold intended learning outcomes to enable 乐天堂app下载m to progress. We will never乐天堂app下载less continue to require that alternative forms of assessment be appropriate for 乐天堂app下载 full range of material to be tested, are inclusive and fair, and maintain 乐天堂app下载 usual standards of robustness. Whilst recognising 乐天堂app下载 need to make changes to assessment quickly, we would encourage departments to adhere to 乐天堂app下载 highest standards in quality assurance to ensure that 乐天堂app下载 degrees awarded retain, and are seen to retain, 乐天堂app下载ir value.
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry would expect departments to communicate 乐天堂app下载 measures taken to preserve 乐天堂app下载 overall standards. We understand that universities will have to move very quickly in making alternative arrangements for teaching and assessment and we will respond as soon as possible.
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry hopes this communication will provide reassurance to departments that any changes to teaching and assessment that prove necessary should not impact on 乐天堂app下载 accreditation of 乐天堂app下载ir degrees. Any department that would like to discuss 乐天堂app下载ir particular arrangements with us should contact ei乐天堂app下载r Kim Smith ([email protected]) or Toby Underwood ([email protected]).
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