Purposes and outcomes of the review
The programme reviewed
Section A Framework
Section B Overall educational aims of the programme
Section C An evaluation of the emerging standards of the programme and the emerging achievements of students
Section D An evaluation of the quality of students' learning opportunities
Section E An evaluation of the monitoring and enhancement of quality and standards
Section F Good practice and/or innovative features
Section G Summary of the main review outcomes
The Higher Education Funding Council for England has commissioned the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education to carry out a second programme of reviews of a sample of Foundation Degrees (FDs) in England in the academic year 2004-05. The major purposes of the review process are:
The findings from the reviewers' lines of enquiry result in a published report containing two threshold judgements. In the case of programmes where there are students who have graduated, the report contains judgements on the confidence, or otherwise, the reviewers have in:
In the case of recent programmes where no students have graduated to date, the report contains judgements on the confidence, or otherwise, the reviewers have in:
The report also comments on the maintenance and enhancement of standards and quality, and on the examples of good practice and innovation which may be worthy of wider dissemination.
Each review looks at one FD programme. It covers the entirely of that programme and includes, as applicable, the provision at all sites of delivery, all pathways, sites of work-based learning and modes of study.
The review takes place within a framework that includes a range of activities common to all reviews. Each review is structured around a series of 11 key questions to be considered by the provider in preparing its self-evaluation and by the reviewers when summarising evidence to be used to reach the two threshold judgements. The same questions form the structure of the report.
1 The University of the Arts, London (the University), formerly the London Institute, was awarded its university title in 2004, and comprises five colleges specialising in art, fashion, design and communication. It validates a range of FDs delivered by its constituent colleges. The FD in FDM is solely delivered by the London College of Fashion (LCF). For management purposes, the College is divided in to five academic levels, progressing from further education to research. All FDs come within the FD and further education portfolio headed by a Dean and Associate Dean.
2 The FD in FDM was developed in response to a perceived lack of vocational courses that prepared students to work across the creative and managerial divide, following consultation with industry through the College's industrial advisory panel. The FD in FDM was specifically designed to provide students with subject knowledge, technical skills of marketing and brand analysis to enable them to operate successfully across a range of fashion-based small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
3 The FD programme is unitised, comprising two years' full-time study. Students follow a combination of 10, 20 and 30-credit units each year leading to 120 credits a year; 240 in total with a minimum of 110 at level 2, all delivered at the LCF. One elective 10-credit unit is provided in year two. The course is broadly balanced between design and marketing, cultural and contextual studies and work-based learning (WBL). The FD specifically articulates with a full-time BA (Hons) programme in Product Design and Development for the Fashion Industries (Clothing Pathway) at the LCF, and a part-time BA (Hons) in Fashion Studies. The College provides a non-credit-bearing bridging studies course for students eligible to be considered for progression to BA (Hons) level of study early in the summer following completion of their FD.
4 Although the course does not include experience of employment in its curricula model, it provides integrated and structured opportunities for simulated WBL, requiring students to work on industry-set project briefs with employer-practitioners in a purpose-designed and equipped campus facility in East London. Furthermore, students take part in 'live' projects in design and marketing in conjunction with external consultants. Many students avail themselves of opportunities to undertake work experience additional to the curriculum during their course of study, facilitated by the College's Industrial Liaison Unit, which operates within LCF's Fashion Business Resources Centre.
5 Currently there are 36 first-year students and 23 second-year students enrolled in the course, which is only delivered in full-time mode. The first cohort completed the course in summer 2005, resulting in 24 graduates.
6 Course aims and outcomes were formulated with reference to the draft Foundation Degree qualification benchmark (FDQB), published by QAA in 2002, and the relevant sections of the Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education, published by QAA. As stated in the self-evaluation and the programme specification, the general aims of the FDs at the LCF are to:
Specifically in addition, the FD in FDM aims to:
7 The course successfully provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare them for a career in the fashion industry. The providers have built upon a long and successful experience of educating students for industry and have worked with employers and SkillFast-UK, the relevant sector skills council, to design a course that reflects the changing needs of the employment sector.
8 At course level, the aims and learning outcomes are clear, coherent and closely linked together. They are effectively communicated to the students through documentation and meetings and to members of staff, including employer-practitioners. However, the links between the aims and learning outcomes at unit level with those for the course as a whole would benefit from greater coherence and collaboration in documentation.
9 Two elements of work-based or work-related learning are integrated into the curriculum. The course aims appropriately reflect the development of practical and technical skills, and the application of these skills within 'live' briefs. Additionally, although not part of the course, students are strongly encouraged to undertake work placement in their own time or during vacations. The course offers a realistic work environment which can be supplemented with the experience of working in the industry, and successfully embeds practical and academic skills.
10 The reviewers believe that the intended course learning outcomes are clear, appropriately reflect the defining characteristics of FDs, and are consistent with the Intermediate level of the FHEQ. The aims of the course are stated clearly and reflect the FHEQ, the relevant subject benchmark statements and current occupational standards. However, the links between unit and course aims within the documentation are not as clear as they could be.
11 The curriculum is well designed and coherently structured, fully reflecting generic and course aims and the defining characteristics of FDs, with a content informed by sector good practice and enhanced by use of employer-practitioners. It makes a significant contribution to the successful achievement of intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and progression to further study or employment.
12 Curricular design is influenced and informed by a number of considerations including current industry requirements and access to widening participation. It successfully facilitates the development of a wide range of industry-specific and transferable skills relevant to employment. Additionally, the fashion industries' requirement for development of a broad range of technical skills with an awareness and knowledge of marketing and brand analysis is reflected in course ethos and structure.
13 Subject-specific skills and knowledge are developed through units in design and technical studies, fashion brand development and marketing. Through exploration and experimentation, sequential acquisition of skills and knowledge in level 1 facilitates the development of independent learning in level 2, where self-directed practice and application takes place through integrated assignments within both core and elective units.
14 A range of study modes facilitates the development of career aspirations, where specialist pathways can be undertaken in level 2 through both the Personal Development Project Core Unit and the Elective Unit. The robustness of academic content is confirmed through the delivery of contextual units which are common to both the FDM and undergraduate courses where students experience more theoretical demands.
15 WBL is a clear strength, visibly central to all aspects of curricular design and content. It is structured to progress incrementally from studio-based delivery to simulation of a work environment in the industry-standard resource centre at the East London Campus, with support from both staff and employer practitioners. Students expressed their appreciation of the work-based focus of interactive assignments at both levels of study.
16 Employers involved in the design of the course confirmed their interaction with the Industrial Advisory Panel, highlighting instances of consultation in the setting of agenda items on issues of work experience and work shadowing. Further evidence of employer practitioner input into course evaluation, revision and development is evidenced through the introduction of 'live' briefs, facilitating direct contact between students and industrial clients. Employers confirmed their confidence in the programme, expressing the view that new creative and innovative solutions could be seen to be emerging from the dual synergies of design and marketing.
17 The reviewers consider that the design and content of the curriculum reflects the defining characteristics of FDs, and that students are meeting the aims and achieving the relevant course outcomes.
18 The range of assessment evidence required for each unit is clearly set out within unit descriptors, assignment briefs, the student handbook and on the virtual learning environment (VLE). This is particularly evident with regard to the competences and the vocational skills applied in the simulated work elements of the programme.
19 The assessment is consistent with, and appropriate to, the Intermediate level of the FHEQ, and the College requires students to complete successfully a bridging programme before they are deemed eligible to progress onto the final year of the honours degree.
20 The College has a policy of returning marked work within 20 working days. However, there are occasions when marks are not available on time, leading to decisions at examination boards being deferred for the Chair's action. This seems to be a particular problem with referrals and deferrals.
21 All units contain the same generic normative marking scheme. The assignment feedback form requires the marker to comment on whether or not, and to what extent, each of the learning outcomes for an assignment has been met. However, there is the potential to use these feedback forms in a more developmental manner to further student learning. Some staff currently use it simply to justify the overall grade, perhaps due to the use of common generic grading criteria, irrespective of the nature of the piece of assessment.
22 The reviewers also noted some inconsistency in the approach to the marking of assignments across the units, and were not always able to see how the final composite unit mark was arrived at. This potentially reduces the quality and efficacy of feedback provided to students.
23 The College has a policy for awarding credits for prior experiential learning, APEL but, to date, only one student out of three cohorts (over 80 students) has taken advantage of it. This could be a reflection of the recruitment, where the majority of students are under 25 and hence are unlikely to have had the sort of work/educational experience that would qualify them for APEL. Recent developments in the College's policy on widening participation could lead to an increase in APEL applicants.
24 Overall, the reviewers believe that the arrangements for assessment are clear, robust and capable of systematically testing the students' achievement of programme outcomes.
25 Of the 25 students in the first cohort who enrolled in 2003, 24 graduated (96 per cent) in June 2005, including two with Distinction. In each cohort in both years approximately 20 per cent progressed after having been referred in one or two units, and four of the six students referred at level 1 were referred again at level 2. Nonetheless, there was evidence that at least one of these students subsequently achieved the award with Merit.
26 The scrutiny of students' assignments reveals a largely consistent picture of achievement in relation to programme outcomes, with evidence of creative design concepts aligned with high-quality garment finishing. It also indicates that they are well able to integrate employment-relevant skills and related academic activities. However, since the work-simulated elements are college-based, there are the inevitable gaps of real experiences of, for example, the tensions, deadlines, financial imperatives and human work relationships.
27 The proportion of students wishing to proceed to the articulated honours degree programmes is greater than the places available, due primarily to the low student withdrawal rate from earlier stages of the articulated programmes, and the overall limit on places required of the University. Consequently, access is restricted to those with a 'merit profile' and subsequent successful completion of a bridging programme which further emphasises academic reading and writing skills. Of the students who graduated in 2005, four progressed onto the third and final year of the honours degree programme. The College has identified the limited number of places as a problem, and is considering design of a third-year honours degree programme specifically for students graduating from the FDM.
28 Progression data and review of student work indicate that the course's ILOs are being achieved and meet the expectations of the defining characteristics.
29 The College, through its links with a wide range of creative and fashion industries, has called upon a diverse network of both industry professionals and educational specialists in the development of the course, including the British Fashion Council and SkillFast-UK. Further engagement with industry is evidenced through research undertaken by the industry advisory panel identifying the multitask-oriented demands of new fashion and fashion-related businesses, which are clearly demonstrated as having shaped the vocational nature of course design and content.
30 As a result of this interaction, ILOs for work-based units clearly articulate with both generic and course-specific aims and outcomes, requiring demonstration of achievement of subject knowledge and understanding, intellectual and academic skills, practical subject skills, and personal and professional development.
31 A range of opportunities for vocational engagement is provided through use of 'live' projects and simulated work environments, both effectively supported by the Fashion Business Resource Studio and the Industrial Liaison Unit. Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation is clearly demonstrated in work practices at all locations.
32 The effectiveness of the incorporation of WBL within the programme is demonstrated in the quality of the students' academic and practical work. Students confirmed their satisfaction at the quality of resources supporting the technical and vocational nature of assignment briefs, and welcomed the added currency of working alongside practising industry professionals and benefiting from ongoing formative feedback. External placement is not a mandatory feature of the course, due to difficulties in guaranteeing a consistent quality experience for accredited WBL in the fashion industry. Nonetheless, there is a lack of exposure to formal external work experience which would help students to appreciate the 'cut and thrust' of working in industry.
33 Employer practitioners confirmed that training for assessment was available, and that they contribute to the process through the provision of formative and qualitative feedback on sampled work. The reviewers and stakeholders see formative employer feedback to students as an essential component of the assessment process, confirming and consolidating student awareness of the rigours and demands of professional requirements.
34 Overall, the reviewers believe that the strategy for simulated WBL is well integrated into curricular design, and allows students to develop a range of technical and transferable skills.
The reviewers have confidence in the academic standards and achievements of students.
35 The course uses a diverse range of effective and appropriate learning and teaching methods integrating academic studies with WBL, including lectures, seminars, group discussions and tutorials, but it is learning through practice that defines and distinguishes the learning environment. Additionally, the course team has adopted flexibility of teaching and learning to reflect changing group and individual student needs arising from employment or other circumstances by a successful tutorial policy and effective use of the timetable. As a result, the interaction between staff and students is particularly effective and productive.
36 Independent learning is successfully promoted through study support, open-access and structured opportunities for teamwork. Progress of individual learners is supported and monitored through the use of formative and summative assessment and tutorials. There are also clear articulated progression opportunities.
37 Key and transferable skills are delivered through the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) unit, while the WBL units successfully develop and assess the students' practical awareness, competencies and expertise. Assessment is integrated within unit assignments, and students are provided with a map indicating where these skills are developed and assessed within the course.
38 The delivery of the curriculum is supported by appropriate learning materials, including those for flexible learning where relevant. The VLE allows students to access information about their course, including project briefs, examples of student work and distance-learning materials. Students are able to access the package remotely and learn independently at their own pace.
39 The College has well-established procedures for enhancing the learning experience of students coming from non-traditional backgrounds. The course team has adopted a differentiated approach for these students, partly arising from Innovation Fund projects to develop writing skills, introduce research techniques, and promote learning on a self-directed basis. The College has also a policy of accommodated assessment guidance for students who have specific learning needs.
40 The threshold quality of curricular delivery is considered to be effective, and students spoke positively about the high quality of teaching and learning throughout the course. This is further confirmed in the external examiner's reports, industrialists' comments and by the statistics for student retention and achievement.
41 Overall, the strategy for teaching and learning, including opportunities for independent learning and integration of academic studies with WBL, is effective and appropriate in achieving the learning outcomes, and reflects the defining characteristics of the FD award.
42 An effective network of support services is provided at course, college and university levels. The arrangements for providing academic guidance and support form a continuum from the initial enquiries from prospective students through to induction, on-course preparation and progression to the articulated honours degrees, graduation and beyond.
43 Publicity material for the course is available both electronically and through printed brochures. Students, mostly female, come from a range of backgrounds, and prospective students can seek advice and guidance at College open days, or the 'HE week' for internal candidates. An external 'compact scheme' exists with regional FE colleges to promote inclusion and widen access.
44 All applicants are interviewed, and course selection criteria demand evidence of an appropriate balance between subject-specific practice-based skills and knowledge of marketing for the fashion industry. The excellent level of student retention and subsequent high level of achievement indicate that the selection criteria are appropriate in identifying the skills students require to enroll for successful study at this level.
45 At enrolment, students are given a clearly written and informative course handbook and other publications, providing a guide to student services, quality assurance, academic and other regulations. Students receive a comprehensive induction in line with the College's induction checklist, and are also made aware of the wide-ranging network of student support services, including the Language Centre, Careers Service and Students' Union.
46 Individual learning needs are identified during the application process and there is opportunity for student self-declaration. Diagnostic activities in the first term identify students who would benefit from additional learning support, and representatives from the industrial liaison unit provide supportive workshops on skills analysis, curricula vitae compilation and an introduction to the on-line employer database.
47 The progress of individual students is monitored in a variety of ways. Students receive regular tutorial support in accordance with the entitlement outlined in the College's Tutorial Policy. In addition to the formal tutorial process, the emphasis on practical learning enables tutors to monitor individual students' progress and attainment while engaged on a project.
48 Overall, the network of processes providing academic support and guidance for FD students is effective, and is appropriate in meeting their distinctive needs.
49 The course team is led by a senior lecturer who is supported by a range of fractional and associate lecturers, known as employer practitioners. The process of staff recruitment, induction and development ensures that academic staff are suitably qualified to deliver subject specialist knowledge and skills.
50 Extensive use is made of current practitioners to expose students to the latest thinking and developments in practice. The College operates a comprehensive staff development programme, including a wide range of both practical and educational events. There is considerable evidence that staff development is taken seriously to enhance awareness of current trends in educational practice and industry needs.
51 Students at the College have excellent physical resources to undertake the practical side of their studies. A range of specialist studios and workshops facilities provides an effective learning environment to enable students to achieve the course aims. The simulated work environment at the East London Campus is of industrial standard and provides a rich and extensive variety of physical resources. Specialist induction is provided by the Academic Site Manager, who also facilitates the transition to the work-based phase of learning. Designed to emulate current industry experience and practice, the reviewers consider it to be a major strength of the course.
52 Another strength is the specialist learning resource provided by the LCF library, which holds one of the most extensive collections on fashion in the UK, with approximately 65,000 books related to all aspects of the fashion industry. It also houses a reprographic and finishing area. Students may borrow books from other University of the Arts, London libraries. Access is also provided to an expanding range of electronic information resources.
53 Students on the course have open-access to ICT facilities. Students can access resources at the other college sites, and the college intranet. Teaching facilities for information technology include computer suites that allow access to key generic and specialist software applications to support the curriculum, including a CAD/CAM facility with design, pattern cutting and grading software.
54 Overall, the reviewers are of the opinion that the excellent resources are more than adequate and appropriate for the delivery of the FD in FDM, reflecting the specific needs of FD students. The provision is enhanced by the use made of the location of the course in a College based at the centre of the fashion industry.
55 The in-house simulated WBL environment adopted for the fashion-related portfolio of FDs enables the College to effectively integrate academic study with WBL, and to provide high-quality learning activities, support and guidance for students, while safeguarding the integrity of the assessment process. The contribution of the partnership between the College and employers based at the East London Campus facility cannot be underestimated. This exemplary symbiotic relationship clearly demonstrates the strength of employer engagement, which far exceeds the expectations of the defining characteristics of the FD.
56 The involvement of employers in the course is part of a larger college-wide strategy that seeks to develop an iterative partnership between academics and industrialists. The course involves employers and employer-practitioners in a range of units, and many contribute to the curricular design, syllabus content, delivery and evaluation. Employers are not directly involved in assessing the students' work but do give formative feedback where necessary. On the other hand, employer-practitioners have been trained to help with assessment.
57 Relevant employers were consulted before and during validation, and there is continued interaction with industry through the Industrial Advisory Panel. There is support for academic staff whose research and/or professional practice is industry related to ensure updating of skills and their knowledge as well as staff access to cross-College, industry-related activities that promote networks of knowledge exchange. The richness of the course is enhanced by the integrated involvement of practitioners and provision of industry-standard resources.
58 Work experience is not a compulsory, formal element of the course. Nonetheless, students are actively encouraged by the College to engage in work closely related to the course content during vacations, to widen their knowledge of the industry they intend to enter.
59 Overall, the reviewers considered that WBL makes a significant contribution to the delivery of the FD in FDM, particularly through the excellent industry-standard simulated work facility.
The reviewers have confidence in the quality of the students' learning opportunities.
60 The University provides a coherent quality assurance framework. The standards for the course were established at validation using the University's framework and with reference to the key external reference points.
61 The course has been through a series of minor modifications following feedback from students and staff. Such changes have followed the University's procedures for minor modifications and are appropriately confirmed in course documentation. A number of issues, such as marks not being available, analysis of students' performance, and numbers of referrals, are identified and recorded in the minutes of the examination and referrals boards. However, there is little evidence that they are captured and followed up in the manner described by the College's quality assurance processes.
62 The Course Committee is responsible for overseeing, monitoring and enhancement. It undertakes a continuous monitoring of the progress of the course and takes action where appropriate. Included in this process is the opportunity for students to comment formally on the course, through a combination of questionnaires, discussion with tutors, focus group discussions, and a staff-student liaison committee. The focus of student questionnaires is somewhat process based, and inclusion of specific academic questions as well as logistical ones would help to provide additional valuable evidence for the quality monitoring processes.
63 A synoptic report on student views forms a part of the annual course monitoring. This is submitted to the College's Foundation Degree Board of Studies, which subsequently responds to, and acts upon the report where appropriate. Reports from the Dean of Foundation Degrees and Further Education progress through the College Academic Committee to the Head of College, who reports on all courses to the University's Academic Standards and Development Committee. These processes are effective and rigorous, ensuring the effective operation and maintenance of standards on the course, which is enhanced by the senior management structure.
64 The external examiner is fully briefed on the course and its assessment. The University's standard reporting template for external examiners requires confirmation of standards, comments on the quality of overall student performance, and identification of strengths and weaknesses. It is not however tailored to reflect the special characteristics of the FD award. Although the College has a clear policy for internal verification of the proposed assignments and the marked scripts, it does not have a clearly identifiable (paper) audit trail in operation.
65 The reviewers consider that there is an effective framework in place for the monitoring and enhancement of quality and standards of the FD in FDM. However, there is scope for improvement in the operation of the processes.
66 In the self-evaluation, the provider made three major claims for innovation and good practice surrounding the provision of the FD in FDM. These reflect the emphasis placed on integrated simulated workplace learning, the integration of employer-practioners and the provision of the Fashion Business Resource Studio within the Industrial Liaison Unit, the award of Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CETL) status in collaboration with Chelsea College of Art and Design, and the use of the VLE as an aid to learning.
67 The strategy of engaging employer-practitioners demonstrates the proactive approach the course has taken in developing the skills of employability. Embedding employer-practitioners into the heart of the programme enables students to develop their cognitive and practical skills in the setting of real-world outcomes. Employers teach students not only what they need to know but also how they might use that knowledge in more complex settings. Student interaction with industry and industrial environments is facilitated by the College's provision of the Industrial Liaisons Units and its Fashion Business Resource Studio. This is seen as an excellent resource.
68 Although the use of the VLE may be regarded as good practice, reviewers consider that the body of work proposed within the successful collaborative bid for CETL status to identify, evaluate and embed scholarship and effective practice-based teaching and learning strategies, is innovative and worthy of greater dissemination.
The Foundation Degree (FD) in Fashion Design and Marketing (FDM), validated by the University of the Arts, London and delivered by the London College of Fashion, a constituent College, was reviewed in the academic year 2005-06. Judgements were made about the academic standards and achievement of students and of the quality of the learning opportunities provided.
Overall, the reviewers have confidence in the academic standards and achievements of students.
Overall, the reviewers have confidence in the quality of learning opportunities provided for students.
Features identified as good practice and innovation include:
The strengths of the programme include:
Areas for development include: