INSCAPE EDUCATION GROUP
Programme Development Policy & Procedures R1.2
2008/06/11
Inscape’s
learning programmes have been developed to meet the requirements of the National
Qualifications Framework (NQF). As such
they are Outcomes-Based and the higher education programmes lead to the award
of a SAQA registered qualification.
The
college is registered by the Department of Education as a Private Provider of
Higher Education (reg no 2000/HE07/002)
and enjoys full accreditation status, conferred on it by the Higher Education
Quality Committee.
Each Subject module is defined by its desired outcome. This is a statement of the competence
(specific outcomes: skills, knowledge and values) that the student may be
expected to have achieved before commencing the following module. All Subjects address the seven critical outcomes.
DESIGN PROGRAMMES
Programme Development
Policy
Annually,
starting at the beginning of the 3rd term, the programme
co-ordinators ….
Source documents
for annual review of curricula:
The college adopts a holistic approach to design
education: learning must be relevant and assessment developmental.
As Inscape learning programmes are Outcomes-Based and
market-oriented, contact with the design industry is maintained. The curriculum is re-assessed on an annual
basis. The syllabi and content reflect a
balance between satisfying market needs and underlying academic fundamentals
The college emphasises a relevant, integrated, career
oriented programme structure where theory is integrated into projects when
syllabus development is undertaken.
Competitions
see Policy and Procedures for Student Competitions
Real Projects
Any real projects that students undertake, must be
treated as such. The clients’ brief/s
and deadlines must be adhered to in the same way that a project would be
handled in business. In this situation
the lecturer serves as a facilitator between the students and their client and
gives them all the benefit of his/her practical expertise in industry. Students must be in no doubt that ‘the client
is right’.
Programme Development Procedures
Progress and consultative programme review meetings,
led by the Programme Co-coordinator, inviting and
collating constructive input from all contributing sources on programme
structure and content, are during the last quarter of
each year.
All projects are identified
and developed specifically because they contribute directly to the enhancement
of the students’ success in his or her design career. Design projects mimic real projects. Research projects assist in laying the
foundation of knowledge for design projects and prepare the student for the
need to do research as the critical basis for conceptualisation and problem
solving.
The Programme outline is revised by the Programme
Co-coordinator in co-operation with the other lecturers, usually in a workshop
situation, on an annual basis. Obviously
there will be no duplication of lecture sessions.
The courseware is intended to be a companion to the
lecture and to provide a basis for the brief.
Individual lecturers are responsible for revising
existing, or producing new, courseware and briefs where required, in consultation
with the Programme Co-coordinator.
The brief is prepared in
accordance with the specified format: banner (in which the assignment name,
theme, desired outcome and the assessment criteria, submission date… are
specified), theory content and submission requirements. Exercises and projects clearly reflect an
integration of the different subjects in a realistic brief. Exercises and projects are usually
constructed in a manner that will ensure that the material learned is relevant
to the real world environment.
Course material is developed/revised
and produced by Inscape academic staff.
They are guided in this process by the Inscape Policy and
Procedures for the Development of Learning Material, input researched from
industry and direction from the college management.
All courseware and briefs remain the property of
Inscape. The are stored digitally and
held in a central repository. Copies are
made for students by the designated person.
The responsibility for the programme
outline lies with the Programme Co-coordinator who prepares this scheduling in
consultation with the other lecturers.
Obviously there will be no duplicated or omitted lecture sessions.
Exposure to the market is crucial
to the students’ development. They need
to have an appreciation of 'what it means to be a designer'. Students also need to be aware of the
products and methods that are currently available to, and are used by or are
specified by the designer. In order to
be effective and up-to-date, students need to be aware of current local and
international trends and materials.
Responsibilities with regard to arranging of visiting
specialists and student outings lie with all the lecturers and must be built
into the programme outline and the syllabus.
Various forms of relevant external contact are identified:
• Visits by students to industry practitioners
(and contractors) and suppliers;
• Visits by experts/specialists or trade
representatives to the college.
The representatives from these companies must make
their presentations relevant to our students’ needs. Where possible, suppliers should be
encouraged to make samples of their products or promotional material available
to our students. Sample product boards
and charts may be displayed in the college.
Lecturers may need to guide the representatives in this regard.
It is our policy to express our gratitude in writing
as soon after the presentation as possible.
Several firms may be selected for visiting because
they are typical of the type of business in which a student may hope to find
employment. Contacts with such
businesses should be fostered in order to improve our students’ understanding
of the nature of the working environment, and in order to improve the chances
of our students’ success in finding in-service training and ultimately gainful
employment.
A register of useful contacts is in existence and
should be maintained.
Competitions
see Policy and Procedures for Student Competitions
Real Projects
These real projects must be incorporated into the
course outline when they are appropriate and beneficial to the students.
In the event that students’ services are contracted
outside the learning programme, such projects should not be undertaken free of
charge - students must be compensated for materials, expertise, time... and be
paid a fair student fee for their work.
This is to prevent the exploitation of students who are often easy prey
as cheap labour. Here the lecturer acts
as the intermediary between the students and their client.
DECORATING AND DRAUGHTING PROGRAMMES
Programme Development
Policy
under development
Programme Development Procedures
under development
end
proposed
amendments in red
changes since previous release in blue