The current two year programme has been developed with the support of a college grant towards employing a research assistant who has developed and used new materials with first year students. While this selection may seem excessively broad, it serves the purpose of ensuring that the course is firmly related to the skills we expect from a graduate geographer. The programme is introduced through a course handbook which describes the timescale, the learning processes, the assessment procedures and the support structures. A key feature of the programme is that students have to compile evidence that they have reached a satisfactory standard in each of the eight skills units. They are ultimately responsible for selecting appropriate, high quality work and justifying its inclusion in their portfolio.
Students work at their own pace and in their own time.
A limited amount of tutorial back-up is available and students are encouraged to seek help from the college learning support system if specific weaknesses are identified. A set of assessment criteria based on coverage and quality are clearly defined and discussed with the students at an early stage. Students can submit the portfolio at any time, although they are advised to wait until the end of the second year of the degree. In principle there is no objection to the inclusion of this evidence. The problem lies with verifying the experience and this is an issue which is currently being addressed by tutors.