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Programme development and review

Get support from the Programme Design Unit to design or re-design your academic course or module(s).

The Programme Development Unit (PDU) in our Higher Education Development and Support (HEDS) Institute can support you in the development of new courses and modules, as well as in the review and redesign of existing ones.

The PDU aims to support academic colleagues in clarifying course (programme) design, writing learning outcomes, and identifying student activities and assessment strategies to enhance the student experience across their course. The PDU can advise on UCL guidance and recommendations that can add value to the course design process, such as assessment mapping, students’ learning journey across the course, blended modes of delivery, employability and sustainability.

Programme development support portfolio

For course (programme) teams designing new, or completing a significant review of existing, taught courses (Undergraduate or Postgraduate) we offer a range of support and workshops:

a) Programme Design Workshop

  • A tailored workshop to facilitate early discussion between members of the programme team.
  • Designed as one of a number of activities that can enable writing programme approval documentation.

b) ABC Learning Design workshop (module level)

  • A fast-paced workshop that brings module and programme teams together to storyboard modules, discussing activities, assessment and other themes.
  • Allows for a rich and innovative ‘whole programme’ (re)review of the student experience.

c) Tailored individual course (programme) lead/ team 1-2-1 meetings with PDU Faculty Lead

d) Optional ‘targeted’ Programme Development Workshops for specific areas (e.g. programme learning outcomes, programme level assessment design)

e) Facilitated Student Review Workshop

f) Course (programme) review

  • The Programme Development team offers 2-3 hour review workshops for existing courses and modules.
  • These can be stand-alone events or take place as part of an away day.

To book a planning meeting for one or more of the PDU's workshops, please use this MS Form.

Please contact the Programme Development Unit on ucl.arena-programmedesign@ucl.ac.uk to learn more and request an initial meeting to discuss your programme design needs and support we can provide. Ideally, please put your course name/title in the subject line and also copy in your Faculty’s PDU Advisor.

View a detailed overview of Programme Design and Review Support workshops

Programme review support (Programme Excellence Project - PEP)

The Programme Development Unit is available to support the pedagogic aspects of course review (for example, considering course learning outcomes, course level assessment strategies, and potential course updates to align with UCL's Curriculum Design Principles).

The Programme Development Unit and wider HEDS team have developed and curated a variety of resources to support course (programme) leads/teams in completing their programme review, and for Department/Faculty reviewers as part of the Programme Excellence Project.

View our resources page on the Programme Excellence Project SharePoint

Our Programme Development Unit colleagues are focussing support initially at Faculty level (see Faculty contacts below) by offering:

  • Faculty versions of our Introduction to Course Design & Review workshop to help colleagues consider good programme design and how to begin a review (available as full two-hour version or shortened one-hour version focusing on review elements).
  • Support for Faculty leads in considering the PEP2 process and completing reviews of associated paperwork.
  • Our Crafting effective (Intended) Learning Outcomes at programme and module level workshop. (Duration: 1-1.5 hours).

If a department identifies that an individual Course (Programme) Leader or course team requires additional support with a more significant or comprehensive curriculum review, or is identified as needing substantial support with a high priority or “non-standard” course, we can work more closely with that team. One or more customised versions of these workshops (suitable for individual courses or small groups of related courses) may be appropriate in such cases:

  • Programme Design Workshop (1 & 2) (2-3 hours each)
  • ABC Learning Design workshops (1.5-3 hours)
  • Assessment Mapping (1-3 hours).

Please contact the PDU via ucl.arena-programmedesign@ucl.ac.uk to request an initial meeting if you would like further support with developing new courses and/or modules, enhancing existing provision, or undertaking PEP2 curriculum review activity. Ideally, please put your course name/title in the subject line and also copy in your Faculty’s PDU Advisor (listed below).

Meet the Programme Development Unit team

Dr Pete Fitch – Strategic Lead of the Programme Development Unit.

Leo Havemann – Programme Development Advisor (Faculties: Arts & Humanities, IOE, Laws, and Social & Historical Sciences).

Nataša Perović – Programme Development Advisor (Faculties: Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Population Health Sciences, and Medical Sciences).

Karen Shackleford-Cesare – Programme Development Advisor (Faculties: Bartlett, Engineering Sciences, and Mathematical & Physical Sciences).

PDU Programme Support Officer (TBC)

Programme Design blog: suggestions and direction on how to review and enhance the design of existing programmes and modules or shape the design of a new programme.

Related Teaching Toolkits

Connected Learning Baseline

The UCL Connected Learning Baseline sets out the minimum expectations, or baseline, for connected learning for all taught programmes and modules at UCL, with a focus on Moodle.

Creating Learning Outcomes

Guidance on creating effective learning outcomes which accurately define what students will be expected to do by the end of a programme or module.