Guidelines For Presentation of Learning Programmes-1
Guidelines For Presentation of Learning Programmes-1
PROGRAMME NAME:
1.1.1 Introduction
The introduction articulates how the programme relates to the University's vision and mission, how
it forms part of institutional planning and resource allocation and how it meets national
requirements. In writing the introduction, consider the following, among other things:
(a) the general area of expertise and the skills gaps that the programme addresses;
(b) the nations policies with special reference to the national development programme; and
(c) the contributions of the proposed programme to the profession, to academia, and to research
and University life.
1.1.2 Rationale
The rationale provides the reasons or the justification for establishing the programme. Consider the
following in writing the rationale:
(a) provide a general description of the benefits that accrue to stakeholders by running the
programme – students, staff, industries and the country in general;
(b) Include the skills gap that the programme would address by considering the graduate and/or
postgraduate trained manpower requirements of the country/sectors in the proposed fields
of study;
(c) provide evidence-based statements that are backed by results of a survey or results derived
from any other suitable instrument or published report on the qualification obtained from
programme of study;
(d) indicate how the programme addresses the needs of students and other stakeholders and how
the delivery of the programme is able to facilitate a balanced learning process that ensures
that students are able to acquire cognitive and practical skills that are consistent with the
educational goals and aspirations of the nation.
(a)
The rationale for developing a new programme or making major changes to an existing programme may be based on:
(a) responses to feedback (e.g. from students, external examiners, employers, professional or statutory bodies etc.);
(b) a consequence of teaching staff changes;
(c) the need to meet strategic objectives;
(d) a result of programme review.
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1.1.3 Aim of the Programme
The aim of the academic programme is a broad-based general statement of the educational intent of
the overall goal of the programme. The following may be considered in writing the aim of the
programme:
(a) thorough training in the principles and applications of given phenomena;
(b) addressing social-economic issues;
(c) contribution to national production/output in a specific area;
(d) enhanced capacity in research; and
(e) alignment of competences with the appropriate ZQF level.
Objectives of the programme are the measurable expected outputs. The opening statement for
programme objectives shall read “By the end of the programme, graduates will be expected to:”.
This shall be followed by a list of the actions or activities that successful graduates are expected to
perform in specific, measurable, achievable and realist ways. The actions should also be done in a
reasonable time-frame.
For example, for the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) programme, the objectives may be
written as follows:
Curriculum
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1.2.2 Level of Qualification and Articulation in the Zambia Qualifications Framework
The ZQF is organised into ten qualification levels. Each level is described by a statement of
learning achievement known as a level descriptor. The articulation provides a generic indication of
learning achievements or outcomes that are appropriate to a qualification at a given level.
(i) ZQF Level: Indicate the level of the qualification as provided by the ZQF. (For example,
Bachelor’s degrees are at Level 7 on the ZQF).
(ii) Indicate what is expected of graduates after their have attained this level of qualification.
For example: At end of the programme graduates with a BEng degree in Agricultural Engineering are expected to:
(a) apply theoretical knowledge in engineering principles, sciences, research and in consultancy;
(b) design systems, components, or processes to meet desired needs for agricultural production within realistic
constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and
sustainability;
(c) function on multi-disciplinary teams involving other engineers and professionals;
(d) identify, formulate, and solve diverse engineering problems with a specific bias to agricultural production;
(e) use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice;
(f) impart positive and responsive out-reach attitudes, initiative and creative thinking in their mission as engineers;
(g) communicate effectively through the written and oral skills acquired; and
(h) understand ethical issues and their responsibility of serving the society and the environment at large.
An average fulltime student is expected to spend 40 to 50 hours on learning activities per week. Using such a guideline is
intended to help departments balance the teaching and workload of a course and to guide students in assessing the
approximate workload expected of them, in this instance 40 to 50 hours per week over a 30-week academic year
.
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Table 1: The Teaching and Learning Plan for Each Year of Study
Year No: ……
Total Credits
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Assessment
Assessment at programme level is the process of determining the extent to which students have
learnt specific knowledge and skills in line with programme objectives. The various courses have
their own assessment criteria, however, at the programme level, assessment of performance will
show the course combinations that must be cleared and the overall comment that can be assigned
in relations to the level of performance in the various courses. The following are required:
(a) Indicate the number and contribution to the overall summative assessment of the various
courses.
(b) Specify the University policies and arrangements that shall be used in the programme for
moderation, validation and security of examinations.
(c) In the case of a postgraduate programme, indicate the arrangements for assessments of
dissertations and theses.
Staff
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Programme Coordinator: ………………………………………..
Table 2 Staff information – academic and support staff (Please complete table below)
1. Academic Staff
Title Surname Other names Gender Highest Teaching Professional Rank Full Time (FT)
(M/F) Qualification experience in and work-place Part Time (PT)
Higher experience Honorary (H)
Education (Years) Temporary (T)
(Years)
2. Support/Technical Staff
Title Surname Other names Gender Highest Experience Professional and Position Full Time (FT)
(M/F) Qualification in Higher work-place Part Time (PT)
Education experience Temporary (T)
(Years) (Years)
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1.4.2 Staff Development Programme
The department running an academic programme shall maintain a rigorous staff development
and training programme to ensure high standards in staff performance. In this regard, the
Schools shall have a Staff Development Committee and ensure that:
(a) the programme coordinator is trained and informed on the roles and responsibilities of
the programme coordinator and is able to provide academic leadership for the
programme;
(b) the departments regularly identify graduates with outstanding performance and good
standing to be retained as staff development fellows who may be employed as
academic staff after appropriate training;
(c) academic staff teaching on the programme are adequately trained in the various fields
of specialisation; and
(d) technical and support staff are adequately qualified and their knowledge and skills are
regularly updated through workshops and short courses.
The workload for staff includes both teaching and non-teaching tasks. Consideration must be
with respect to the average notional working week of 40 hours. Consider the following:
(a) The unit (department/school) responsible for the programme shall make adequate
provision for the programme in the workload allocation taking into account the number
of academic staff attached to the programme and envisaged student enrolments.
(b) The academic and support staff complement shall be of adequate number for the size
of the student body.
Physical facilities are needed to deliver a learning programme. Those offering the programme
need to demonstrate that there are facilities appropriate for the pursuit of learning and research
and for the acquisition of higher education that is responsive to the needs of the public. The
following minimum standards should be addressed:
(a) Adequacy of teaching and learning facilities in relation to the programme (classrooms,
seminar rooms, work rooms, studios, etc.)
(b) Availability of laboratory or special equipment required for the programme.
(c) Compliance with health and occupational safety, and clinical regulations.
(d) Availability of adequate IT infrastructure (hardware and software) in relation to staff
and students.
(e) Adequacy of library and other resources for this programme
Teaching and learning support includes all academic support services for the enhancement of
teaching and learning for the programme. The following minimum standards should be
addressed:
(a) Sufficiency of training provided to both staff and students in IT and usage of the library
and other resource facilities.
(b) Financial plan for the maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure/resources.
(c) Suitable and sufficient venues, IT infrastructure and library resources are available for
students and staff in the programme.
(d) Policies ensure the proper management and maintenance of library resources,
including support and access for students and staff.
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Internal Quality Assurance
Internal quality assurance includes all the policies, processes and actions through which the
quality of delivery of the programme is maintained and developed. This is also the process
whereby measures are established which ensure that outcomes of academic programmes and
activities are of a prescribed standard. The following should be addressed:
(a) Identify the mechanisms for quality assurance of the academic programme by making
reference to specific sections of the University Quality Assurance Framework.
(b) Specify the departmental/school management arrangements for internal quality
assurance .
(c) Specify any University policies that have a bearing on the quality of the programme,
courses, student academic conduct (e.g. attendance in given courses, requirements to
clear continuous assessment, etc).
Financial Resources
Financial resources are related to the budgetary provisions that are available and adequate to
support the learning programme; Indicate the following:
(a) The strategies and plans have been made for resource allocation to the programme.
(b) The available financial resources to support the programme.
OTHER INFORMATION
Delivery and learning methods relate to the adequacy and appropriateness of the modes of
delivery aimed at meeting the stated learning outcomes of the programme. Delivery methods
that could be used include the face-to-face (lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions,
presentations, demonstrations, seminars, etc.), distance learning or online modes. Consider
the following:
(a) Proposed modes of delivery and delivery sites
(b) Delivery and facilitated learning methods
(c) Any practical, field based or work based components
Acceptability
Acceptability relates to the interest, value and recognition that stakeholders such as relevant
academic, industrial, professional and other communities attach to the programme in terms of
its stated aims and learning outcomes, content and structure. Consider the following:
(a) Stakeholders are identified, including relevant academic, industrial, professional and
other communities
(b) The actual or likely interests of these stakeholders in respect of the proposed
qualifications are clearly identified
Relevance
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Consider the following:
(a) How well skills gained align with employment needs.
(b) Provision for educational pathways.
(c) Provisions for employment pathways, including career advancement.
Regulations
Regulations provide information about how the programme is managed and student
admissions. Regulations also explain how the qualification is awarded. Regulations also
indicate what is expected from the programme and what is expected from students. Consider
the following:
(a) Entrance Requirements.
(b) Curricula Regulations.
(c) Examinations.
(a) Progression (grading and awarding credit towards a qualification or exemptions from
specific requirements)
(d) Degree Regulations (pre-requisites, optional, compulsory/elective components,
practical, theoretical work).
(e) Degree Classification.
2.4.2 Progression
Progression guidelines provide the way in which the curriculum of the programme promotes
an organised progression so that the demands on the learner in intellectual challenge, skills,
knowledge, and learning autonomy increase as they progress through the academic sessions.
Indicate clearly the conditions for progression through the programme. The following
guidelines should be used:
(a) The progression from one academic session to the next level should indicate the
courses/modules that need to be cleared.
(b) The prerequisites for individual courses must be clearly indicated.
(c) The allowable course combinations must be shown.
(d) A flow chart showing the progression through the set of courses and the academic
sessions and the critical decision points shall be indicated.
2.4.3 Examinations
Provide the regulations related, but not limited, to:
(a) Conduct of examinations
(b) Eligibility to sit for examinations
(c) Deferred and supplementary examinations
(d) Conditions for submission of examinable work (e.g project reports, dissertations,
theses, etc)
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2.4.4 Regulations for Award of Qualification
To qualify for the award of a qualification, a student shall have completed all requirements of the
programme to the satisfaction of the examiners and Senate, such courses of study as are
prescribed and approved by Senate and published in the programme handbook.
The conditions under which the student shall be considered to have successfully completed the
programme should be specified in this section. This may include:
(a) normal length of study in the programme;
(b) number of course to be taken (or credits to be accumulated);
(c) industrial, vacation or other required extra training or practice.
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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
A typical course description shows the course code and title followed by various subtitles
under which course details and the requirements for completing the course are provided.
Courses descriptions should be arranged alphabetically progressing through the various years
of study of the programme. Provide course descriptions for each course of the programme,
separated by the years of study in which the course is normally offered, including:
Example:
3.1.1.1 Background
This is a brief description of the general area of expertise and the skills gaps that the course
addresses. Provide a relationship of the course to other courses in the programme, for
example, a foundation course may cover the basic data and principles and set the foundation
for a more advanced course, an intermediate course may provide theoretical grounding while
an advanced course may provide knowledge in the applications of concepts and theories.
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3.1.1.4 Prerequisites for the course
Prerequisites are courses or levels of achievement that a student is expected to have completed
successfully prior to enrolling in a course. Co-requisites are courses which should be taken
concurrently by students who have not previously completed the co-requisites.
Indicate the prerequisites for each course in the programme. Where the course does not have
a prerequisite, this must be indicated with the word ‘None’.
3.1.1.6 Assessment
Course Assessment is the process of determining the extent to which students have learnt
specific knowledge and skills in line with course objectives. Indicate the number and
contribution to the overall summative assessment of the various components of the course
assessment given in Table B5.
3.1.1.9 Journals
Journals published in specific fields of study contain refereed papers or articles providing
research findings and innovations. These are particularly useful for postgraduate students and
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undergraduate students taking project courses. Identify journals for further reading. Use the
following format:
(i) Journal of Science and Technology, The University of Zambia Press, ISSN 1027-4928
(ii) The Zambian Engineer – Journal of the Engineering Institution of Zambia, Engineering
Institution of Zambia, ISSN 1608-6678
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LIST OF COURSES TAUGHT IN THE PROGRAMME IN THE LAST
ACADEMIC YEAR*
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
YEAR 5
*(Use “LIST OF COURSES TO BE TAUGHT IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR” for a new programme)
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TEACHING STAFF CURRICULA VITAE
COURSES TAUGHT
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Eg:
1997 – 1998: Head of Department, Animal Science Dept., and Senior Training
Officer/Lecturer NRDC.
1990 – 1993: Farm Director, NRDC.
1981 – 1986: Practical Instructor, N.R.D.C.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Title, Firstname, Initials, Surname
COURSES TAUGHT
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
e.g.
1989 Master Science, Tropical Animal production and Health (TAPH), University
of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Eg:
1999 to date: Lecturer – Department of Animal Science, UNZA
2003 - 2009: Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programmes, UNZA.
1999 - 2003: Field Station Coordinator. UNZA.
Eg:
1997 – 1998: Head of Department, Animal Science Dept., and Senior Training
Officer/Lecturer NRDC.
1990 – 1993: Farm Director, NRDC.
1981 – 1986: Practical Instructor, N.R.D.C.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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