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Create a Course Instance: Teaching Load

Introduction

Staff holding the Input & Amend Course Details role will be required to set-up and maintain course instances. This process includes the allocation of subject codings and providing related information about the part(s) of the University responsible for delivering the teaching on a course. Within EUCLID CCAM this information is collectively referred to as “Teaching Load”.

Previously, “Teaching Load” information could not be edited via WISARD. In EUCLID this responsibility has been devolved to the Schools and can be edited and maintained via EUCLID CCAM.

Background

The University is required to hold subject codings and related information about its teaching provision as a consequence of statutory requirements placed upon it by the Scottish Funding Council and the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The information held is returned to these bodies on an annual basis and used by them to analyse activity in the sector, measure performance and to calculate teaching grant funding.

The same data is also used by third parties including in analyses undertaken by other government departments and agencies, those compiling newspaper league tables and in reporting the results of the National Student Survey (NSS). Internally within the University, the “Teaching Load” data provides information about where the costs of teaching fall (i.e. where a course, or part thereof, is taught by staff based in another School or sub-unit).

As a consequence of the various uses outlined above, “Teaching Load” data entered can have a wide range of impacts, including financial and reputational consequences. In light of this, it is suggested that, wherever possible, codes already in use and assigned to similar course provision within the School/Subject unit are used. Where there is any doubt, the relevant School Office(s) should be consulted and, if necessary, the issue can be further escalated to the College Office or Governance and Strategic Planning.

Key elements

For each course within EUCLID CCAM, “Teaching Load” data comprises three elements:

  1. Information about the subject area of the course (e.g. “Q700 Classical Greek Studies). In line with statutory obligations, this is assigned using the HESA Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) coding system.

  2. The University of Edinburgh Subject Unit(s) responsible for the delivery of teaching (i.e. Schools or their sub-units such as “SU792 History, Classics & Archaeology” or “SU114 Classics”)

  3. Details about how the teaching responsibility falls between one or more Subject Unit(s). This is recorded as a percentage of the total credit points for the course (e.g. “SU114 Classics, 100%” or “SU114 Classics, 70%; SU956 Linguistics & English Language, 30%”)

Where a taught programme is collaborative with another institution, and we have information on the University's student record system on all courses (including those at the other institution) taken for the programme, the collaborative nature of the courses should be recorded for Teaching Load.  This will help us with our reporting of collaborative programmes. This should be done in the same way as for UoE courses, but using the collaborative institution's SU code for their contribution.  If you require a JACS/SU combination to be created, contact studentsystems@ed.ac.uk as normal.

Within EUCLID CCAM, links between 1) & 2) above are “hard coded” and cannot be altered by those holding the Input & Amend Course Details role. However, where JACS subjects are taught by more than one Subject Unit, the same JACS code will appear against all the relevant Subject Units. The following example describes the EUCLID process for recording the Teaching Load information for a course instance and should assist in clarifying the relationship between JACS codes and Subject Unit(s).

 

Step 1
Retrieve the Course Summary screen for the course being amended. This can be done through the Input & Amend Course Details Task for newly approved courses requiring initial set-up or using the Amend Details link in the DPTs and Courses homepage for open courses.

From the Course Summary screen scroll down to Course Instances and select the Instance to be amended using the radio buttons in the left hand column.

Click the EUCLID Screenshot button to open the Amend Course Instance screen or alternatively click the EUCLID Screenshot button to Create a Course Instance.

EUCLID Screenshot

 

Step 2
From the Amend Course Instance screen locate the Teaching Load section.

There is currently no teaching load information recorded for this instance, to add the information click the EUCLID Screenshot button.

Add Teaching Load

 

Step 3
The Add Teaching Load Subject screen displays the Course Code, Occurrence, Academic Year and Period of the instance which cannot be edited.

There are 2 additional mandatory fields that must be completed; Subject and Percentage.

Teaching Load Subject

 

Step 4
The Subject code required for teaching load split is constructed from the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) code followed by the University Subject Unit code.

A list of JACS codes is available on the HESA website:  http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/1787/281/

 

Step 5
The Subject field is a dynamic list box and can be used in a number of ways to search for the correct JACS and Subject Unit code:

Search Criteria

Description

JACS Code

Start typing the JACS code to view a list of matching subjects.

e.g. Q700 - Classical Greek Studies

Subject Unit Code

Enter a wildcard * followed by the Subject Unit code to view a list of matching subjects.

e.g. SU114 – Classics

JACS/Subject Unit Name

Enter a wildcard * followed by the JACS/Subject Unit name (case-sensitive) to view a list of matching subjects.

e.g. *Classics – JACS/Subject Units names containing ‘Classics’

 

Begin typing the JACS Code, Subject Code or Name into the dynamic list box and select from the list of matching subjects.

EUCLID Image

 

Step 6
Enter the teaching load percentage for the selected subject code, in this example 100% is selected however the teaching load can be split across several subjects.

Click the EUCLID Screenshot button.

EUCLID Image

 

Step 7
The teaching load details are displayed for the instance.

To make changes to the details select the row in the left hand column and use the EUCLID Screenshot, EUCLID Screenshot and EUCLID Screenshot buttons.

EUCLID Image

 

Step 8

Details for a course where the Teaching Load is split across subject areas will be displayed as below:

EUCLID Image.

Step 9
When you have finished editing the course instance details (Teaching Load and First Class details) click the EUCLID Screenshot button at the bottom of the screen.

EUCLID Image

 

Step 10
Scroll to the bottom of the Course Summary screen to view the Course Instance.

Use the EUCLID Screenshot, EUCLID Screenshot and EUCLID Screenshot buttons to edit the course instance.

Click the EUCLID Screenshot button to make the course instance available and to exit the Course Summary screen.

EUCLID Image