SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION INTERCALATED BSC IN MEDICAL HUMANITIES Information for students: the programme specification is the definitive document summarising the structure and content of your degree programme. It is reviewed and updated every year as part of Keele s Curriculum Annual Review and Development process. The document aims to clarify to potential and current students what you can expect from the study of the subject over the course of your programme. Name of programme: Medical Humanities Name of award: BSc (Hons) Mode of study full time or part time: full time As part of the HEFCE Wider Information Set (WIS) requirements, we provide a table detailing the External Examiner and their home institution by programme. The table also provides the last examiners report and the school response to that report. The report and response are only available to internal users (with Keele University login and password). http://www.keele.ac.uk/qa/externalexaminers/reportsandresponses/ug Single Honours/Dual Honours/Major-minor: Intercalation (comprising 240 credits at levels one and two derived from the successful completion of the first two years of a UK MBChB, plus 120 credits at level three derived from modules in Humanities relating to perceptions and practice of medicine). Given that students will take the Humanities modules for one year at level three, students on this programme will not be exposed to the same range of subjects or techniques as those studying for a Keele dual-honours BA in Humanities disciplines. Nonetheless, they receive training in many of the skills acquired by Humanities students as these skills are routinely embedded in Humanities modules, such as the new History dissertation module. Duration of programme: Three years but N.B.: this programme specification relates solely to the third year of the programme, to be delivered by the School of Humanities Recognised by (If appropriate): N/A 1. What is the Philosophy of the Programme? a. What are the broad educational aims of the programme? What makes the programme distinctive? To secure an appreciation of the cultural and historical contexts of medicine, via an investigation of literary, filmic and historical texts which address connections between disease, the individual patient or practitioner, and the practice of medicine. To offer an intercalated programme at medical humanities at the Bachelors level. At present the majority of such programmes at British universities are Masters courses but this is likely to change as institutions develop their intercalated pathways. 1
b. What are the intended learning outcomes of the programme - i.e. what students should know, understand or be able to do by the end of the programme of study in terms of subject specific knowledge, subject specific and key skills and attitudes. Identify aspects of the doctor/patient relationship from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries Analyse articulations of the doctor/patient relationship as it is depicted in different media or forums, and recognise the potential for this relationship to be modified according to the familial or socio-political context in which it is conducted, (for instance, with the introduction of additional stakeholders in the form of institutions, statutory frameworks, or other participants/factors). Identify the ways in which particular linguistic or visual representations of medical conditions, institutions and scenarios, and/or relations between individual human agents, affect our understanding of them. Discuss the impact of changes to the medical environment (such as the shifting of disease aetiologies or the application of medical technology) on the experiences of patients, doctors, carers or others. Formulate a position and synthesise an argument in relation to a specific debate or topic (to be presented at length in a dissertation/isp). Keele Graduate Attributes Engagement with this programme will enable you to develop your intellectual, personal and professional capabilities. At Keele, we call these our ten Graduate Attributes and they include independent thinking, synthesizing information, creative problem solving, communicating clearly, and appreciating the social, environmental and global implications of your studies and activities. Our educational programme and learning environment is designed to help you to become a well-rounded graduate who is capable of making a positive and valued contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world, whichever spheres of life you engage in after your studies are completed. Please refer to the programme webpages for a statement of how you can achieve the Keele Graduate Attributes through full engagement in the programme and other educational opportunities at Keele. 2. How is the Programme taught? a. List the principal learning and teaching methods used in the programme. The programme will be delivered principally via seminars (comprising groups of around 12 students, where key issues can be discussed in more depth). There will be scope in some modules for workshops (involving the practical application of techniques under study). Dissertation/ISP studies will entail some one-to-one supervision. In addition to formally-scheduled classes and meetings, it is expected that the learning and teaching entailed in this programme will be supported by student activity, specifically by independent study based on directed reading from text books, research monographs, academic journals, official government publications and other media. These forms of independent study can be supported by Keele University s virtual learning environment (KLE). The KLE is used to give students easy access to a wide range of resources and research tools, and as a platform for online discussions, quizzes and blogs. b. Explain how these methods enable learners to achieve the stated outcomes. 2
Seminars, tutorials and online discussions provide opportunities for students to ask questions about, and articulate arguments in response to, aspects of the doctor/patient relationship, the experiences of disease, and/or responses to the institutions of medicine. These forums also offer students the opportunity to present their own ideas to members of staff and other students using an appropriate medium of communication. Independent study allows students to gain a systematic understanding of approaches and concepts inherent to the Humanities, and to understand how they may be used in the course of seminars and tutorials to analyse a variety of texts, historical accounts, or other material employed in Humanities studies. c. List the number of teaching staff and their academic qualifications, the number of staff who are associates or fellows of the Higher Education Academy and/or who have relevant professional qualifications. The permanent teaching staff in Humanities who will be responsible for delivering the modular components of this Programme consists of four full professors, one reader, three senior lecturers and four lecturers, drawn from the disciplines of History, English, Music and American Studies. All members of staff either have doctorates (PhDs or the equivalent) in relevant Humanities disciplines or are published authors (in the case of creative-writing staff). As members of the University s Humanities Research Institute, they are all active researchers whose work has been widely published in books, research monographs and leading international journals. The staff group has extensive experience of teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level in universities in the UK and North America. All members of staff hold teaching qualifications and two are fellows or associates of the Higher Education Academy. Four have research publications in the field of either medical history of medicine in literature. 3. What is the Structure of the Programme? a. Give an outline module structure for the programme, including compulsory core, optional core, programme electives and approved electives, and an indicative list of other choices which are likely to be available to students through electives elsewhere in the university. Students taking the BSc in Medical Humanities MUST select one dissertation or ISP-equivalent module from a Humanities subject area, i.e. American Studies, English, Film Studies, History, Media Communications and Culture, Music or Music Technology. They may choose to take two dissertation modules (in two different subject areas). They will then select a further 60 or 90 credits from taught, 15-credit modules such as: HIS-30088 Encountering the Other: Genocide, Tolerance and the European Perspective, I HIS-30089 Encountering the Other: Genocide, Tolerance and the European Perspective, II HIS-30102 The Art of Dying: Death and Society in Medieval and Early Modern Europe HIS-30100 Sickness and Suffering? Health, illness and medicine 1628-1808 HIS-30101 From Sawbones to Social Hero? Doctors and medicine 1808-1886 ENG-30055 The Two Cultures of the Arts and the Sciences AMS-30034 The Contemporary American Novel AMS-30038 High Culture: Drink, Drugs and the American Dream or from approved electives in Social Science disciplines including: LAW-30088 Healthcare Law CRI-30041 The Politics and Cultures of the Death Penalty in the 21 st century PSY-30043 Research in Music Psychology PSY-30058 Psychology, Health and Social Action b. State in a table as below the learning outcomes (i.e. level descriptors) for each level of study of the programme, alongside the modules that fulfil them and the forms of assessment used to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes. 3
Outcome (all at level III: the stated outcomes are achieved by taking any of the modules offered as either programme cores or electives) Recognise and explain aspects of the doctor/patient relationship from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries Recall and relate instances, from literature, history, film or elsewhere, of specific encounters between patients and practitioners/institutions/government bodies/other stakeholders in health, illness and medicine Module in which this is delivered Subject Knowledge and Understanding Principal forms of assessment (of the Level Outcome) used Recognise the potential for a medical relationship to be modified according to the familial or socio-political context in which it is conducted, (for instance, with the introduction of additional stakeholders in the form of institutions, statutory frameworks, or other participants/factors). Identify the ways in which particular linguistic or visual representations of medical conditions, institutions and scenarios, and/or relations between individual human agents, affect our understanding of them. Discuss the impact of changes to the medical environment (such as the shifting of disease aetiologies or the application of medical technology) on the experiences of patients, doctors, carers or others. Subject-Specific Skills 4
Formulate a position and synthesise an argument in relation to a specific debate or topic at issue in Medical Humanities Work productively in both structured and unstructured contexts exercising initiative and personal responsibility Communicate fluently and persuasively, both orally and in writing Make use of IT resources appropriately and efficiently Key or Transferrable Skills c. List the exit routes from the award (e.g. Cert HE, Dip HE) and specify the numbers of credits needed for these. The single exit route for this programme will be the award of an Intercalated BSc (Hons) in Medical Humanities, comprising 240 credits secured via successful completion of years one and two of a UK MBChB and 120 credits secured via successful completion of Humanities and other modules at level III. 4. How is the Programme assessed? a. Explain the function of the methods of assessment listed in the table above in testing the achievement of stated programme learning outcomes. The function of the assessments listed in the table above is to test students achievement of the learning outcomes of the. For example: Unseen and seen examinations in different formats test students knowledge of theoretical approaches in different Humanities disciplines and the practical findings of relevant or associated research. Examinations also investigate students ability to apply that knowledge in addressing different questions. Examinations may consist of essay, short answer, document extract or other types of questions. Essays also test the quality and application of subject knowledge. In addition they allow students to demonstrate their ability to carry out basic bibliographic research and to communicate their ideas effectively in writing in an appropriate scholarly style using the Harvard system of referencing. 5
Document commentaries, case studies and short papers test the student s ability to apply disciplinary knowledge and techniques in a specified context which demands focus and succinct expression. Genre writing will test the ability to adapt the prose form to express a particular voice or to articulate an opinion accurately, persuasively and creatively. Oral assess students subject knowledge and understanding. They also test their ability to work effectively as members of a team, to communicate what they know orally and visually, and to reflect on these processes as part of their own personal development. b. Briefly explain how students in the programme are supported through formative (i.e. non-mark-bearing) assessment. Marks are awarded for summative assessments designed to assess students achievement of learning outcomes. Students are also assessed formatively to enable them to monitor their own progress and to assist staff in identifying and addressing any specific learning needs. Formative assessment is not formally marked and is levied in different ways by different modules; for instance the genre-writing required by modules HIS-30100 and 30101 will be modelled repeatedly in class prior to the submission of summative assessments of this type. Feedback, including guidance on how students can improve the quality of their work, is also provided on all summative assessments and more informally in the course of tutorial and seminar discussions. 5. What are the typical admission requirements for the programme? Include levels and subjects required, as well as any other relevant factors such as arrangements for accreditation of prior experience or learning where these exist (n.b. this section should be consistent with the relevant prospectus entry). This programme is open to UK medical students who have successfully completed at least two (and up to four) years of their MBChB, AND who have successfully completed a medical-humanities SSC in the course of their medical training or possess equivalent experience (such as a grade C or above in a Humanities subject at A level). 6
6. How are students supported on the programme? What arrangements are made for the academic support of students? Include information on academic support in relation to the choice of modules and other academic decisions, feedback on formative assessment, feedback on summative assessment. The emphasis should be primarily on support that is available at the level of programme, School and Faculty, as students will be separately informed about central generic student support provision. Support for student learning on the Programme is provided in the following ways: Module and tutorial group leaders are responsible for providing support for learning on the modules and in the tutorial groups for which they are responsible. They also give individual feedback on in-course assessments and more general feedback on examinations. Students taking this intercalated degree will be accustomed to Higher Education but unfamiliar with modes of study in the Humanities. Therefore their dissertation supervisor/s in the Humanities will provide the students first source of support in any Humanities-related question or difficulty, but students will also be allocated to a personal tutor drawn from staff in the Keele Medical School, to ensure a measure of continuity and support for candidates who have come from, and will be returning to, clinical medical studies. This will enable students to reflect on the similarities and differences between Medicine and Humanities with academic input from a clinician. Personal tutors also act as a first point of contact for students on non-academic issues which may affect their learning and can refer students on to a range of specialist health, welfare and financial services co-ordinated by the University s Centre for Student and Learning Support. Additional help with University level study skills can be sought from the Life and Learning team within Keele's Student Support and Development Services (SSDS). All members of teaching staff on the Medical will be available to see students during advertised weekly office hours and at other times by appointment. 7. Learning Resources Give information about the physical facilities and learning resources that are typically used in the programme. Humanities modules are taught in modern teaching rooms across the University, many of which are equipped with computers, internet access and electronic whiteboards or projection equipment. Rooms may be arranged either in traditional lecture format or more informally to allow students to work together in small groups. The learning resources available to students on the Programme include: The extensive collection of books, periodicals and digital resources relevant to undergraduate study held in, or accessible via, the University Library. These materials have been built up over the period of Keele s existence as an autonomous institution offering degrees in Humanities, with a particular emphasis on acquisitions in medical humanities since the founding of the Keele Medical School (opened 2002). The Keele Learning Environment (KLE) which provides easy access to a wide range of learning resources including lecture PowerPoints, electronic materials available in a repository maintained by the University Library and other resources accessible from external providers via the internet. 8. Other learning opportunities a. Give details of study abroad opportunities, field trips, placements and other learning experiences which may be available during the programme, and indicate those in which there may be a time/cost commitment required from the student. Please also supply details of where students can obtain further information about these. 7
Study abroad usually takes place at level II for students at Keele (while this programme relates chiefly to level III). The range of learning opportunities for intercalating students will be governed largely by their home Medical School (Keele, or elsewhere), but there will each year be a range of informal opportunities offered by Humanities research seminars, guest lectures and via other means (the majority of which carry no cost commitment for students). 9. Quality management and enhancement a. Describe how the programme is managed (e.g. programme management committee, programme director, year leaders, etc.). b. Describe how the programme is monitored and reviewed. Include details of opportunities for students to express their views and how student views are taken into account. c. Describe how students are represented in the management of the programme. The Head of the School of Humanities is responsible for the overall direction of learning and teaching on the Programme supported by the School s Director of Learning and Teaching. The Programme s Learning and Teaching Committee will be conducted as a component of History programme meetings, and as such will invite student representatives plus all members of staff teaching on the intercalated BSc in Medical Humanities. The Committee will be responsible for the quality and standards of learning in this programme, and will ensure a continuous process of monitoring, review and enhancement. Furthermore, individual modules and the intercalated Programme as a whole will be reviewed and enhanced every year as part of the University Curriculum Annual Review and Development (CARD) process. Finally, the Programme will be run in accordance with the standards set out in the University s Academic Quality and Standards Manual (AQSM) and is subject to annual audits of its compliance with the Manual by the University s Assurance and Academic Audit Office. Student evaluation of, and feedback on, the quality of learning in Humanities subjects takes place in several ways. Staff-student consultation for this programme will take place within the SSCC for the History programme, where student interests can be represented by third-year Student Academic Representatives (or StARs) for History. The results of student evaluations of all modules are reported to module leaders and will be reviewed by the School Learning and Teaching Committee as part of the Curriculum Annual Review and Development (CARD) process referred to above. Findings related to the intercalated BSc in Medical Humanities Programme from the annual National Student Survey (NSS), and from regular surveys of the student experience conducted by the University, are subjected to careful analysis and a planned response at School level. A senior member of academic staff from another university will be appointed by the University s Senate to act as external examiner on the Humanities Programme. They will be responsible for approving all examination questions, confirming all marks which contribute to a student s degree, and advising on the structure and content of the Programme and assessment procedures. 10. The principles of programme design Where necessary, explain how the programme relates to the guidelines to be found in the following: a. University's Learning and Teaching and Assessment Strategies and other relevant policies b. Subject benchmarks (where available) c. Requirements of professional and statutory bodies (where appropriate) d. Feedback from employers and other stakeholders 8
e. Other relevant standards (as applicable). The Humanities Programme described in this document has been drawn up with reference to, and in accordance with the guidance set out in, the following documents: Programme Specification Template: Undergraduate, Keele University, 2009. Guidelines for preparing programme specifications, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2006. The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2006. Learning and Teaching Strategy 2007-2010, Keele University, 2007. Keele Assessment Strategy, Keele University, 2008. Educational Aims for Undergraduate Courses, Keele University, 2005. Employability Skills Guidelines for Undergraduate Programmes, Keele University, 2007. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Learning and Teaching Strategy 2007-2010, Keele University, 2007. 11. Date on which programme specification was written or revised 13 June 2011 9