Master of Medical Education Newcastlemenu.ncl.ac.uk/uploads/20162017/(meded) Programme Handbook...

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Master of Medical

Education

Newcastle

DEGREE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK

2016-2017

Incorporating information about:

Certificate in Medical Education

Diploma in Medical Education

Master of Medical Education

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Degree Programme Handbook

Incorporating information about:

Certificate in Medical Education

Diploma in Medical Education


At the School of Medical Education we are committed to the promotion of

education as a practical skill and as an academic discipline. Our accredited

programmes are designed for health care professionals, and enable participants to:

-

Plan and deliver teaching in a variety of settings.

Understand and use educational theories to improve teaching.

Develop awareness of the broader social and political contexts in which

education takes place.

Evaluate, plan and execute educational research.

Our overarching aim is to contribute to the development of health care educators,

and ultimately through that contribute to patient care.

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Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5-6

The Programme ......................................................................................................7-13

Programme Accreditation…………………………………………………………………….. 14-17

Student Progress, Assessment & Standards of Academic Conduct ........ 18-30

Attendance………………………………………………………………………………………………18-21

Booking Your Teaching Sessions on

MENU………………………………………………………………………………………………………21-22

Submission of Work for Assessment………………………………………………………22-23

Course Deadlines………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

Late Submission of Assessed Work: Extensions, Concessions and the Role

of the PEC Committee……………………………………………………………………………..24-30

Support for Students after a Failed Submission………………………………………….30

Request for Suspension of Registration ('Leave of Absence')…………….…30-31

Standards of Academic Conduct………………………………………………………………….31

Plagiarism………………………………………………………………………………………..……….31-33

University Library, Reading Lists, Resource Materials .................................. 34-42

The University Library………………………………………………………………………………34-35

Computing Facilities………………………………………………………………………………...35-36

E-Portfolio……………………………………………………………………………………………………...36

Writing Development Centre…………………………………………………………………..36-39

In-Sessional English………………………………………………………………………………...........39

English Language Materials Online (ELMO)…………………………………………………40

Maths-Aid………………………………………………………………………..…………………….………40

Reading Lists………………………………………………………………...………………………….40-41

Additional Resources for Clinical Educators (Journals & Societies)……….41-42

Electronic Databases……………………………………………………………………………..………42

Course Governance, Evaluation and Student Feedback ........................... 43-45

General Information ........................................................................................... 46-53

Induction………………………………………………………………………………………………………46

General Notes to Students……………………………………………………………………..46-48

Communication with Tutors by Use of Email…………………………………..…….48-49

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Changing Tutors………………………………………………………………………………………49-50

Students Sickness Procedure…………………………………………………………………..50-51

University Facilities…………………………………………………………………………………..51-52

Funding for Postgraduate Study…………………………………………………………………..52

Student Self Service Portal (S3P)…………………………………………………………….52-53

Appendix A – The Course Team ...................................................................... 54-57

Appendix B – Programme Regulations ................................................................. 58

Appendix C – Assessment, Exit Awards and Guidance on Submitted work

................................................................................................................................. 59-66

This appendix provides information on the assessment and grading system

for module assignments and exit awards. It also gives specific guidance on

the submission and presentation of assignments.

Marking of Assignments…………………………………………………………………………59-60

Feedback on Assessments……………………………………………………………………………60

Exit Awards and their Classification………………………………………………………...60-61

Moderation Boards and Boards of Examiners………………………………………..61-62

Guidance on Submitted Work…………………………………………………………………62-66

Appendix D – Statement on Accreditation of Prior Learning .................. 67-68

Appendix E – Student Standards of Personal Conduct .................................... 69

Appendix F – Partnership Agreement by the MMedEd Programme 2016/17

(accredited by the Higher Education Academy) ......................................... 70-72

Appendix G – Graduate Skills Framework ........................................................... 73

Appendix H – Timetable .......................................................................................... 74

Appendix I – Student Attendance .......................................................................... 75

Appendix J – Moderation and Scaling Policy ................................................ 76-79

Appendix K – Mechanisms for Ensuring the Quality of Your Degree ............ 80

Appendix L – Health and Safety .............................................................................. 81

5 School of Medical Education

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Introduction

Welcome to the Medical Education Programme

The purpose of this handbook is to give you information about the University and

the Certificate, Diploma and Master’s degree in Medical Education. Also information

about University rules that apply to your work and the facilities available to you. It

tells you what we expect from you and what you can expect from us.

It is important that you read it carefully and keep it for reference, especially as you

will need to follow guidance in it when you prepare your assignments for submission.

Careful reading now will save you much trouble later. Please pay particular attention

to page 18, ‘Student Assessment, Progress and Standards of Academic Conduct’.

You should be familiar with the regulations for the programme, the link to which is

appended (Appendix B, 58).

In addition to specific information for Certificate, Diploma and Master’s students,

this handbook includes information about the University and the facilities available

to you as a postgraduate student. It also gives brief details about the staff

associated with this programme. If you have any queries about the programme or

the information in this handbook, please get in touch with a Course Secretary

(contact details given below).

For the Certificate and Diploma stages of the programme, you will be assigned a

personal academic tutor. They should usually be your first point of contact for

discussing your progress and any difficulties that you may experience in relation to

your studies. For the Masters, academic support comes from the module leader

and your dissertation supervisor.

The following information may also be helpful: -

Standards of Academic Conduct (Good Academic Conduct) -

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/conduct.htm.

At Newcastle we value high standards of academic conduct from our staff

and students. Conduct is an important part of maintaining and developing

our reputation. Good academic conduct reflects the values which underpin

academic life, such as honesty, integrity, a shared community of ideas and

respect for others’ work. The Right-Cite for Good Academic Conduct,

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/, pages give a detailed account of the issues

governing academic conduct and provide access to a range of resources

for staff and students.

The Newcastle University Student Regulations and Policies -

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/2016.html.

The content of this handbook does not cover every eventuality, so please ask a

member of the programme team should you need help or information. Your

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/conduct.htmhttp://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/2016.html


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contacts are your Personal Tutor, the Degree Programme Director for your

particular degree programme, your lecturers or the Course Secretaries. There will

be plenty of help available throughout your studies.

We hope you will enjoy the programme and that it meets your needs and

expectations. On behalf of the course team, I wish you good luck and success with

your studies.

Richard Price

Degree Programme Director

e-mail: [email protected]

The Degree Programme Director is responsible for the structure, content and

standards of your degree programme. Their role may involve module

development, changes to course content and recruitment activites. Your personal

tutor may refer you to the Degree Programme Director to discuss academic issues.

The Course Secretaries are located in:

School of Medical Education

Level Three

Ridley Building One

Faculty of Medical Sciences

Claremont Road

Newcastle University

NE1 7RU

Tel: (0191) 208 4522 (all day) and 208 4819 (am only)

e-mail [email protected]

Learning Support Environment (and public website): http://.menu.ncl.ac.uk/

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://.menu.ncl.ac.uk/


The Programme

FT (FT) students should complete the programme in one postgraduate academic

year (September – end August). PT (PT) students can take up to five years to build

up the credits for the Masters. See the regulations (Appendix B) for more

information.

Normal notice period for changes to the curriculum or assessment: -

Changes after you register for the academic year are rare and are

generally unavoidable.

Wherever possible at least a month’s notice will be provided.

Course structure

The programme has a modular structure and is based on academic credits. You

accrue academic credits for each module completed successfully, resulting in one

of three qualifications.

Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education 60 credits

Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education 120 credits

Master of Medical Education 180 credits

Students bringing level seven credits (previously known as M level), or the

equivalent, from relevant courses of study at this or another institution, may apply

for exemption from modules (see Appendix D, pages 67-68, and the regulations at

Appendix B, page 58). Requests for exemptions should be made to the Degree

Programme Director prior to starting the course.

There are limits in the regulations to how many credits a student may be exempt

from. For students intending on exiting the programme at Certificate or Diploma

level, the maximum that we can exempt you from is the 20-credit Certificate

module Teaching and Learning in the Classroom. For students intending on

studying the full Masters the maximum level of credits that you can be exempted

from is 60 – you would therefore enter the programme at Diploma level and not

have to study the Certificate stage.

Study modules are divided into Certificate, Diploma and Master’s modules,

indicating the qualification to which they can contribute. Modules can be: -

Compulsory – modules that you must take in order to fulfil the

requirements of the programme.

Core – modules that you must PASS to pass the programme overall.


Optional – modules that you choose to take because they suit your

interests and career aspirations.

The amount of contact hours varies based on your module choices but typically

equates to: -

Certificate and Diploma – both stages contain nine study days each (three

per module), and a group tutorial of two-three hours (bar the Diploma

modules ‘Current Educational Issues’ and ‘Utilising Technology in Clinical

Education’ which have a 45 minute surgery instead). The contact hours will

be less on the Diploma if you choose to study our optional e-learning

module, ‘Utilising Technology in Clinical Education’, as this has no

attendance requirements.

Masters – As the main concentration is on your personal research project

and production of a dissertation, attendance requirements are less. You

have a total of: -

o PT Masters - three full and one half day study days, and one hour-

long surgery.

o FT Masters – two full and three half day study days, and one hour-

long surgery.

o Masters students are also entitled to 12 hours’ worth of supervision

with your appointed dissertation supervisor.

Surgeries are one-to-one meetings (phone or face-to-face, apart from for Utilising

Technology in Medical Education) with a tutor to discuss your assignments. You

are entitled to one for the following modules: -

Current Educational Issues (Diploma) – in semester two.

Utilising Technology in Clinical Education (Diploma) in semester two.

Please see the study guides or ask the Course Secretaries for further information

on each module. You are also welcome to contact the Degree Programme

Director for further advice on module choices for different stages of the

programme.

Information on all modules for every course in the University can be found at

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/. You will need to search by module code,

which is indicated below, or module title. .

Certificate Modules

All modules are worth 20 credits: -

Teaching and Learning in the Classroom MED8071 (core module). The

Board of Examiners is not allowed to use discretion to allow a student with

a fail grade in a core module to pass the course.

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/module-catalogue/


Teaching and Learning in the Workplace MED8072 (compulsory module).

Understanding Programmes of Learning MED8073 (compulsory module).

Diploma Modules

All modules are worth 20 credits. You must study three out of the following

modules: -

Scholarship in Medical Education MED8074 (core module). We strongly

advise all PT students to start the Diploma programme with this module.

Advancing Teaching and Learning MED8075 (compulsory for those

students intending to progress on to the Master’s).

Current Educational Issues MED8062 (optional module).

Utilising Technology in Clinical Education MED8067 (optional module).

Master’s Module

The Master’s consists of one 60 credit core module: -

Advanced Study Module MED8076 (PT students)/MED8077 (FT students)

(core module).

Calendar

Semester 1 runs from September to January.

Semester 2 runs from January to June.

Semester 3 runs from June to the end of August (for Master’s students).

2016-17 Semester and Term Dates are: -

Autumn Monday 26th September 2016 Friday 16th December 2016

Spring Monday 9th January 2017 Friday 24th March 2017

Summer Monday 24th April 2017 Friday 16th June 2017

Semester 1 Monday 26th September 2016 Friday 27th January 2017

Semester 2 Monday 30th January 2017 Friday 16th June 2017

Please note that our programme starts before the official start of the University’s

Autumn term, with induction taking place on: -

Certificate - the afternoon of Wednesday 14th September 2016.

Diploma – the afternoon of Thursday 15th September 2016.

FT Masters – Monday 19th September 2016 (full day).


Submission Deadlines for Summative Assessment

For candidates working towards the Certificate and the Diploma, the submission

deadlines in 2016–17 will vary by module but are usually near the end of January

(semester one modules) and end of May/beginning of June (semester two modules).

The submission dates for each module will be confirmed at the first study day for

the module and will be posted on the course Learning Support Environment (LSE),

MENU.

For candidates submitting work for the Advanced Study Module (Master’s

dissertation), the submission deadline for FT students and PT students taking the

stage over one year is: -

Tuesday 22nd August 2017.

For PT students taking the stage over two years, the deadline is the equivalent date

in 2018.

Please note that further information on deadlines, requests for extensions and

penalties for late or non-submission can be found in the section on ‘Student

Progress, Assessment and Standards of Academic Conduct’ on page 18.

Programme Aims

This programme has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to develop

a scholarly approach to medical education and to acquire the expertise necessary

for effective medical education in the context of your own educational roles,

responsibilities and interests.

The programme aims to: -

Enable students to acquire advanced skills and knowledge so that they can

contribute effectively to educational practice and the development of

medical education as a discipline.

Encourage a scholarly approach to the evaluation of established practice

and educational initiatives, balancing receptiveness to new ideas with critical

analysis.


Learning Outcomes

On completing the programme we expect you to be able to: -

Use theories and principles underpinning medical education to inform your

own educational practice and the practice of others.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge in specific areas of special interest or

professional relevance (Diploma and Master’s stages).

Justify the decisions made when designing methods for investigating

medical education (Master’s stage).

Relate educational issues in clinical practice to a wider educational context.

Critically appraise theory, ‘evidence’ and empirical data as well as your own

practice.

Take a strategic approach to your own identified educational needs and

plan appropriately to address these needs.

Formulate arguments and engage in academic debate about educational

research and educational practice (Diploma and Masters’ stages).

Contest and contribute to the body of knowledge about medical education

(Masters’ stage).

Design and deliver educational interventions.

Select the most appropriate educational strategies or methods for specified

contexts.

Identify practical and methodologically robust design solutions to selected

research questions (Masters’ stage).

Communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Use library and other information sources skilfully and appropriately.

Plan, organise and prioritise work activities in order to meet deadlines.

Work independently.

As you progress through the programme, you should be able to make an

increasing contribution to curriculum delivery and design in your own context. You

should also develop the ability to participate in local, national and international

debate regarding best practice in the education of health care professionals.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

The programme is delivered through a combination of: -

Study day workshops, online activities and tutorials.

Resource-based learning with discussion groups, an online module and online

assessment.

Work-based assignments.

Dissertation project (for the Master’s degree).


The mix of these methods varies with each module.

Students must be prepared to accept responsibility for planning and prioritising

their study workload in order to fit in with their other commitments and the

demands of the course. Students will be guided and supported by their tutors and

module leaders, but must take the initiative for arranging meetings, meeting

deadlines etc.

Towards the end of semester two (other than for the Masters module, where they

take place in mid-semester one), surgeries will take place for modules that have

them. These are non-compulsory, one-to-one sessions with a tutor that last for 45

minutes for the Diploma, and one hour for the Master’s. They will take place by

phone for Utilising Technology in Clinical Education, and either by phone or face-

to-face for all other mdules. You will be asked to book your slot through our

online session booking system on our Learning Support Environment, MENU

(http://menu.ncl.ac.uk).

If you choose to attend a surgery, it is important that you come prepared with

questions or specific queries – the allotted time passes really quickly and you will

gain more from the session if you are focused on what you want to discuss. You

can also email through a draft of your assignment for the tutor to have a quick

look through before the surgery (please send to the Course Secretaries on

[email protected] and it will be forwarded on to the relevant academic). The role

of the tutor is to answer your questions and guide you with these queries. The

tutor will not proof-read your assignment or give you an indication on whether the

assignment is likely to pass or fail. Surgery slots are also available after the marks

have been released (for ‘Scholarship in Medical Education’ and ‘Advancing

Teaching and Learning’ as well), and these are strongly recommended for anyone

who has been advised that they need to resubmit an assignment.

Assessment Strategy

Each module is assessed in a manner appropriate to its content and intended

learning outcomes. Formative assessment takes place in classroom activities,

tutorial discussions and online activities.

Please read Appendix C (pages 59-66) for more detailed information about

assessment; including the classification of exit awards, and marking criteria

(including how the grading system works).

IMPORTANT

Further guidance on summative assessment, assignments and their submission is

given in: -

The section of this Handbook on Student Progress, Assessment and

Standards of Academic Conduct (pages 18-30)

http://menu.ncl.ac.uk/mailto:[email protected]


Appendix C: Assessment, Exit Awards and Guidance on Submitted Work

(pages 59-66).

Each of the module study guides.


Programme Accreditation

Higher Education Academy (HEA) and the UKPSF

The Certificate programme has been developed and shaped in order to closely

align with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Higher Education

(https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_English.p

df). This is a set of descriptors developed across the whole Higher Education

sector. The descriptors seek to capture the essence of education as both a

practical and professional skill and as an academic discipline. They also capture: -

The philosophy of professional development as an educator through

professional practice.

Ongoing activity to improve professional development.

Personal reflection to bring the two together.

These fundamental principles very much align with our course philosophy.

Through their rigorous accreditation process, the HEA have devolved to us the

responsibility for making judgements as to whether individual participants have

achieved the standard of Fellow or Associate Fellow of the HEA. Please see the

UKPSF document on the home page of the course website for details.

There are four different Fellowships you can apply for. These are as follows: -

Descriptor 1 (D1) (Associate Fellow) – the HEA states that this is applicable

to ‘postgraduate teaching assistants, staff new to higher education

teaching with no prior qualification or experience, and staff whose

professional role includes a small range of teaching and learning support

activity’.

Descriptor 2 (D2) (Fellow) – the HEA states that this is applicable to ‘staff

who have a substantive role in learning and teaching to enhance the

student experience’.

Descriptor 3 (D3) (Senior Fellow) – the HEA states that this is applicable to

‘experienced staff who have an established track record in promoting and

mentoring colleagues in learning and teaching to enhance the student

learning experience’.

Descriptor 4 (D4) (Principal Fellow) – the HEA states that this is applicable

to ‘individuals, as highly experienced academics, able to provide evidence

of a sustained and effective record of impact at a strategic level in relation

to teaching and learning, as part of a wider commitment to academic

practice.’

We would presume that most of you would choose to apply for either D1 or D2.

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_English.pdfhttps://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_English.pdf


Those who wish to gain D1 must show an understanding of specific aspects of

effective teaching, learning support methods and student learning. They must

show: -

Successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity.

Successful engagement in appropriate teaching and practices related to

these Areas of Activity.

Appropriate Core Knowledge and understanding of at least 1 and 2 in the

‘core knowledge’ section (see

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_E

nglish.pdf).

A commitment to appropriate Professional Values in facilitating others’

learning.

Relevant professional practices, subject and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship within the above activities.

Successful engagement, where appropriate, in professional development

activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilities.

Those who wish to gain D2 must demonstrate a broad understanding of effective

approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to high quality

student learning. They must show: -

Successful engagement across all Areas of Activity.

Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core

Knowledge.

A commitment to all the Professional Values.

Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the

Areas of Activity.

Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to

academic practice.

Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation

to teaching, learning, assessment, and, where appropriate, related

professional roles.

Our view is that most participants who undertake the Certificate will be able to

achieve D2. However, some may feel that D1 is a better representation of their

educational involvement. We have mapped course content and assessment in

detail to the UKPSF descriptors and dimensions; this document is available on

MENU in ‘Module Docs’ in each individual module area.

In order to fully evidence achievement of the descriptors, participants are required

to submit an additional short piece of work (details are in the module study guides

for the Certificate modules). We will support and develop participants’

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_English.pdfhttps://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/UKPSF_2011_English.pdf


understanding of this process further by asking them to undertake a formative

exercise. This exercise will ask them to map their current activity to the descriptors

using this portfolio.

Your grids will be reviewed by a member of our academic team and then taken to

a Single Recognition Panel, based at this University. The Single Recognition Panel

decide whether or not to award HEA Accreditation and the decisions of the Panel

are sent straight to the HEA to generate your certificate.

There is a cost involved in applying for HEA accreditation. If you are a Newcastle

University staff member the University will cover this cost for you as part of its HEA

subscription. If you are not, the HEA payment system will prompt you to pay a fee

for your recognition claim.

However, as you completed your recognition claim via Newcastle University’s

accredited provision, and this University is a HEA subscriber, you will be entitled to

a 50% discount on this fee. Current fee levels for individual accreditation at

Associate Fellow (D1), Fellow (D2), Senior Fellow (D3) and Principle Fellow (D4)

levels, can be found on the HEA website at

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/consultancy-services/accreditation/fees-and-faqs.

Please note that the fees stated on the website already have the 50% discount

taken off them, so the figure stated is what you would pay.

To make a payment, please follow the link sent to you via email and follow the on-

screen instructions. Your fee will be automatically discounted. Please be aware

that you will only be sent your electronic Certificate of Recognition, your proof of

HEA fellowship, if the fee has been paid.

The HEA accolade is becoming increasingly valued in the higher education sector

and by Professional Regulatory and Statutory Bodies (PRSBs).

In addition to the accreditation and recognition processes described above, the

HEA provides a range of resources, awards small grants and arranges conferences

through its subject centres.

If you have any further questions about HEA Accreditation, these can be directed

either to the Course Secretaries or to the University’s Staff Development Unit at

[email protected].

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/consultancy-services/accreditation/fees-and-faqsmailto:[email protected]


Northern Faculty of Medical Education Course Recognition

The Northern Faculty of Medical Education (NFME) is a collaboration between

Durham University, Newcastle University and the Northern Deanery. Its remit is to

help support and develop education and training in health care across the region.

To that end NFME has developed a framework of markers that assess quality in

teaching, assessment and management of the educational process, against which

courses can be recognised.

.

The Certificate in Medical Education has been recognised by this process.


Student Progress, Assessment and

Standards of Academic Conduct

Please pay particular attention to the following information on: -

Attendance.

The deadlines for submission of assignments.

The rules about deferrals and late submissions.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all study days and tutorials as arranged, as they are an

essential part of the programme. Attendance is monitored, and non-attendance is

followed up. If your attendance becomes a significant issue, you will be asked to

meet the module leader for any modules where you do not attend two study days,

or one study day and one tutorial, in order to determine how you are progressing.

The Degree Programme Director may take further action as laid down in the

University’s Master’s Degree Progress Regulations, paragraphs F.15-19

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/10PGTProgress.pdf.

The University has a legal obligation to monitor the attendance of international

students and to report to the UK Border Agency any student who is not attending.

If you are unable to attend a study day for any reason, you should notify your

personal tutor and the Course Secretaries, then complete a Student Notice of

Absence Form, which can be found at

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/assets/documents/AbsenceNotice.pdf.

This form should be returned to the Course Secretaries as soon as you are able to

return to your studies. Where possible, you should rebook for an alternative

instance of that study day (for Certificate study days, study days are offered more

than once. Diploma and Masters study days are set days, but tutorials are offered

more than once).

International students should also seek approval for vacations or plans to leave the

UK in the summer period, as this may have implications for your visa.

A significant number of absences means that you are not making ‘satisfactory

progress’, and action may be taken under the University General Regulations (see

Progress Regulations link above) that could result in termination of your

programme of study. You should also remember that, in borderline cases, Boards

of Examiners (where all end of stage grades are verified) are more likely to favour

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/10PGTProgress.pdfhttp://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/assets/documents/AbsenceNotice.pdf


candidates who demonstrate commitment by a good record in attendance and

timely assignment submission.

Contact hours vary slightly depending on the specific modules that you choose.

For most Certificate and Diploma modules you will have, for each module,

approximately: -

3 study days.

An optional surgery, or a group tutorial (for ‘Scholarship in Medical

Education’ and ‘Advancing Teaching and Learning’).

Please note: all modules have a significant amount of self-directed learning.

The Diploma module ‘Utilising Technology in Clinical Education’ is an e-learning

module so has no attendance requirements. You are, however, entitled to a

phone surgery (as this is an e-learning module, it is the only Diploma module

where face-to-face surgeries are not available).

The Masters module (‘Advanced Study Module’) has a total of three and a half

study days altogether breaking down into: -

PT Masters – full day in early October, full day in late October, full day in

December, half day presentations day (with the FT students) in June

FT Masters – full day in November, full day in December, half day in

January, half day in February, half day presentations day (with the PT

students) in June.

The main focus is on your own personal research project and production of a

dissertation.

In order to identify anyone who may be having problems, and in accordance with

University regulations, we monitor attendance at every teaching session, and

student engagement with the programme in general. If you are studying on the e-

learning Diploma module Utilising Technology in Clinical Education, we will

monitor your participation in the online strands instead (as there is no attendance).

We will contact you directly if there are any issues. Please tell us if you know in

advance that you will not be able to make a study day ([email protected]), and

please also note that progression issues include non-submission of assignments.

We use the following system for contacting students who do not attend sessions,

participate in e-learning module strands, and/or submit assignments.

1. You will be emailed on the day that the teaching sessions open for booking on

MENU and asked to book onto the dates that you want.

mailto:[email protected]


2. Regular reminders will be sent out to anyone who has not booked in the run up to

the start of the sessions.

3. Immediately after a missed session, you will be invited by email to re-book onto

another alternative date. If there are no other instances for the session available to

book onto (because it is only run once or you have missed the last instance of the

session), you will be contacted by email to check if you are having any issues that

are affecting your ability to attend and remind you that repeated non-attendance

can be seen as a progression issue (please see the University's Postgraduate

Taught Progress Regulations at

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/10PGTProgress.pdf).

4. Missing one session for a module is not seen as a major issue, although if it

becomes a pattern across all of your modules it will be viewed as more of an

issue. We do get concerned if you miss two or more sessions on any individual

module. If you miss two study days, for example, out of a module with three study

days, you will be contacted by email to inform you that your progress on the

programme is currently deemed to be unsatisfactory due to attendance

issues. You will be invited in this email to contact the programme administration to

arrange to meet with the Degree Programme Director to discuss your

progress. This can be done over the phone.

5. If you miss three or more sessions for a module, this is serious and you will be sent

a formal letter from the Degree Programme Director. This letter will also cover

whether you have submitted for your assignment deadlines, and whether you have

participated in e-learning module strands (if applicable). If you miss all the

teaching for a module, or participate in none of the strands for the e-learning

module, please note that the programme team may not allow you to submit for

your assignment deadline. If this is the case, it will be stated in the formal letter,

which will also give you a deadline of usually one month from the date of the letter

to contact us and organise a meeting with the Degree Programme Director to

discuss your progress issues (this can also be done over the phone).

6. If you do not respond to the first letter, you will be sent a second letter. If you do

not reply to this letter by the stated deadline, again usually one month from the

date of the letter, then, as stated in the programme, you will be withdrawn.

It is very important that you let us know as early as possible if you are having any

issues that prevent you being able to fully engage with the programme. If you

make sure that we are aware of anything that is going on, we can support you so

that serious progression issues are prevented. The contact details for the full

programme team are in appendix A (pages TO BE CONFIRMED) of this document,

and you have been allocated a personal tutor whose contact details you have been

given. You can also email the programme administration on [email protected].

The University provides a Student Charter (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/pre-

arrival/assets/documents/6437NcleUniStudentCharter2016.pdf) indicating what is

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/10PGTProgress.pdfmailto:[email protected]


expected of all students at this University and what all students have a right to

expect. Please see the requirements on attendance stipulated in this.

Booking your Teaching Sessions on MENU

There will be a number of different teaching sessions taking place throughout the

year. Some sessions have set dates and you will be booked onto these by the

programme administration. However, for many other sessions you will be able to

choose which day you attend from a number of options.

You will be asked to book yourself onto your sessions through our Learning

Support Environment, MENU. You will be given information on how to do this at

induction.

Diploma module ‘Utilising Technology in Clinical Education’ is an e-learning

module so it has no attendance requirements. The information below therefore

does not apply to this module apart from the section on surgeries.

Study days

For the Diploma and Masters modules the study days are set days.

For each of the Certificate modules; ‘Teaching and Learning in the Classroom’,

‘Teaching and Learning in the Workplace’ and ‘Understanding Programmes of

Learning’; you will have a choice of six options for each study day.

You will need to book yourself onto one option for each study day – for example,

just book one of the six options for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom Day

One.

For Certificate students, we ask you to provide us with your study day choices for

semester one prior to induction, and the programme administration will book you

onto these. However, your semester two study days should be booked by yourself

through MENU. The system will open for you to book sessions in late September.

Tutorials

There will be a group tutorial available for the ‘Scholarship in Medical Education’

Diploma module and one for the ‘Advancing Teaching and Learning’ module. You

will need to book yourself on to one instance of each tutorial.

Surgeries

Unlike study days and tutorials, which you are expected to attend all instances of,

surgeries are optional sessions for you to discuss your assignments with an

academic on the programme team. You do not have to book them but we highly

recommend that you do.


Diploma surgeries last 45 minutes and can either be phone or face-to-face (apart

from for ‘Utilising Technology in Clinical Education’, where all surgeries are phone

surgeries). Masters surgeries last an hour and can be either phone or face-to-face.

You are entitled to one surgery per module, providing that that module has

surgeries.

Submission of Coursework for Assessment

You are expected to submit work by the due submission date and should plan

your work to be able to achieve this. Deadlines are imposed in order to encourage

good time management and ensure fair and consistent treatment of all students.

All submitted work should be anonymised, so always put your student number on

scripts and not your name.

Students who fail to submit an assignment by the appropriate deadline will be

deemed to have failed that assignment through non-submission, but will be

entitled to a resit providing that the criteria stated in the Support for students after

a failed submission section (page 30) are met.

All resit attempts will lead to a maximum grade of ‘Satisfactory’ for the module (i.e.

it is not possible to gain a ‘Merit’).

Unless there are exceptional circumstances we will not make changes to the

assessment or curricular arrangements once an academic year has commenced.

To submit an assignment, access MENU using the URL http://menu.ncl.ac.uk. On

the homepage, click on ‘Modules’ under your course title in the left-hand menu,

then click on the relevant module title.

This will take you into the specific module area for this module. You will see a

number of tabs along the top of the screen. Click on the ‘Assessment’ tab. When

you are in the ‘Assessment’ area, you will see links for any assignments that you are

due to submit. Click on the ‘View’ button beside the specific assignment to access

the upload area.

In the upload area: -

Click the ‘Choose File’ button and browse to find your file.

Read the ‘Declaration’ and enter your email address to confirm that you

accept it. You will not be able to submit without doing this.

If you do not want your assignment to be used as a past example on

MENU, please un-tick the ‘Past Example’ box. This box is ticked by default.

Click the ‘Save and Complete Form button to submit your assignment. The

alternative ‘Save’ button just saves what you have written on the form.

http://menu.ncl.ac.uk/


Your assignment will not be submitted if you click this button instead of

clicking ‘Save and Complete Form’.

Please note that: -

All assignments should have your student number marked clearly on the

front of the assignment.

All assignments, unless specifically stated, should be saved as one single

document and should be saved in a format compatible with Word, version

2003-2013.

It is recommended that the file size should not exceed 10Mb.

If images are included only Jpeg (JPG) or GIF images should be used.

The checklist below is designed to help you before submission of your assignment.

It is not a requirement that you hand it in with your assignment.

Checklist Done

The work has been drafted, and checked against the module criteria

and/or descriptors.

All parts of the assignment are included in one document in Word

format. (Please do not submit documents in pdf format, as we annotate

assignments).

Harvard style referencing has been used throughout.

I have worked through the online tutorial on plagiarism and referencing

(on MENU).

The work has been checked against the University’s plagiarism guidance

(see http://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/)

A cover sheet is included, outlining the module title, module code, and

student number.

The work is divided into appropriate sections, and a contents page is

included.

Page numbers are included.

Clear and appropriate language/grammar/spelling conventions have

been used.

The work is within the required word count parameters, and word count

number is included. (Failure to observe the word count will be penalised,

in that examiners are instructed to ignore any material in excess of the

given word count for any relevant section or assignment).

Work is anonymised (i.e. student number, names on observation

feedback).

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/


Coursework Assignment Deadlines

Students will be reminded of the deadlines for submission of coursework

assignments at the beginning of each module, as well as being given guidance on

other important milestones via MENU. All first submission deadlines are stated in

the module study guides. Resit deadlines for Certificate and Diploma have been

set at: -

3.30 pm, Wednesday 6th April 2016, for resubmissions of semester one

assignments.

3.30 pm, Tuesday 23rd August 2016, for resubmissions of semester two

assignments.

Resit deadlines for the Masters module are set by the Degree Programme Director

in communication with the individual student.

All modules are assessed by just coursework bar the following: -

Scholarship in Medical Education which is assessed by means of an

examination and written coursework. This examination will take place in

late January 2017. The date is stated in your timetable. Any students who

have to resit the exam will do so in April 2017.

Advancing Teaching and Learning and Current Educational Issues, which

are assessed partly through submission of a piece of written coursework,

and partly through a presentation in June 2017.

Only the Degree Programme Director has the authority to approve changes in

coursework submission deadlines or examination dates once they are published. If

a deadline does change, you will be given at least a month’s notice and a reason for

the change.

Students are expected to attend all relevant study days and group tutorials in order

to be eligible to submit a coursework assignment, or attend an examination, at the

appropriate time.

Only under exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of the Degree

Programme Director, will a student not fulfilling these obligations be allowed to

submit an assignment for examination.

Late submission of Assessed Work: Extensions, Concessions and

the role of the PEC Committee

Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control – illness, personal problems

etc. If things start to affect your work on the programme, you need to let someone

know. There are people and processes to help you.

Where medical, personal or other circumstances affect work on assignments,


students should carefully consider the following options. Options generally take the

form of extensions or submissions to the PEC committee (committee that considers

and approves concession request, including requests for extensions longer than

the maximum that the Degree Programme Director can approve - four weeks for

PT students and two for FT).

Students who develop difficulties during the course, because of illness or other

issues which affect preparation for assessments, should discuss their difficulties with

their tutor, module leader or the Degree Programme Director as soon as possible.

This will be taken into account when decisions on requests for extensions, leave of

absences or concessions are made.

They will be able to advise you about the various University procedures and

signpost you to other sources of support. It can be confusing, as there are a few

different procedures, but they depend on your particular circumstances. Some

things can be dealt with by your Degree Programme Director or School. Others will

be referred to a central point within the University.

Current University guidance can be found at

www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/. More information

about University policies on coursework submission and the return of feedback is

available at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/quilt/assets/documents/qsh-assmt-assessedwork-

policy.pdf.

Extensions

Extensions will normally be granted only in the following situations: -

Debilitating personal illness supported by a medical certificate.

Serious illness or death of a close relative.

In the case of PT or work-based students, unplanned and unavoidable

work commitments (evidence should include supporting letter from

employer or representative e.g. clinical director).

If a student has a legitimate reason (e.g. debilitating personal illness) that makes

him/her unable to submit a piece of summative assessed work (including a

dissertation) by the published deadline, a ‘Personal Extenuating Circumstances

(PEC) Form’ (together with supporting evidence) should be submitted to the

Degree Programme Director, via [email protected], before the submission

deadline (always 3.30 pm on the relevant date). We prefer to receive these forms

at least a week before the deadline. PEC forms will not be accepted after the

original assessment deadline.

The form can be downloaded from the Student Progress website at

www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/. You can also download

a copy of the PEC procedure, and guidance notes on completing a PEC form, from

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this website – we recommend that you do so and read them through thoroughly

before completing your form.

The maximum allowable extension will be two weeks for FT students and four

weeks for PT students, after which a concession must be sought. If extension

requests are granted, the normal extension for most modules will be for a

maximum of four weeks. The length of extension granted will vary according to

individual circumstances and may be much less than the possible maximum.

Extension requests for more than the maximum stated above cannot be approved

by the Degree Programme Director, but are at the discretion of the School-based

PEC Committee.

Where an extension request is based upon an illness for which the student must

self-certificate, the maximum extension granted will be seven calendar days, which

is the current limit of self-certification allowed by the NHS. A revised submission

date will not exclude vacations.

In some circumstances, an additional fee may be payable for students on

extensions.

Late submission without good cause or without the granting of an extension will

lead to a penalty for the assessment in question (i.e. students would not be able to

gain a ‘Merit ‘grade). Non-submission of work will result in an ‘Unsatisfactory’

grade. This applies to all assessed work, whether it constitutes all or part of the final

mark.

A piece of work is regarded as late if it is not submitted by the published deadline

(3.30 pm on the specified deadline day, unless otherwise stated) for the

assessment in question. The period of late submission thereafter will be for a

maximum of seven days if no extension is granted, after which the grade awarded

for the piece of work will be ‘Unsatisfactory’. Work submitted after the late

submission period of seven days will be deemed a non-submission. The seven day

late submission period only applies for first submissions – University policy

prohibits us from being able to accept late submissions for resubmissions.

There may be pieces of coursework for which no late work is allowed. You will

receive prior notification in these instances.

If you have a valid reason for submitting your work late (e.g. illness), you should

submit a PEC form, prior to the deadline, to request an extension. Computer

failures and transportation problems are not considered a legitimate excuse for

late submission (unless IT Services have confirmed a University-wide computer

failure).

PEC Submissions to PEC Committee

On rare occasions, students may ask for discretion to be exercised by the Board of

Examiners in respect of work already submitted for assessment, on the grounds of


medical or other mitigating circumstances. Evidence provided in connection with

such requests is considered in confidence by a School-based PEC Committee,

which indicates to the Board of Examiners the degree to which the committee

supports such requests.

Students who believe that they may fall into one of these categories should contact

their tutor or the Degree Programme Director as soon as possible to discuss their

situation and obtain guidance on how to proceed. A PEC form cannot change a

mark, but it may be used as justification for allowing a student to pass a module

with a lower mark than normal or it might mean that a student is considered for a

different degree classification.

Concessions

The PEC Committee also considers whether a PEC form is a concession request. A

concession is a request for permission to act outside the University Regulations, the

Degree Programme Regulations and/or the Examination Conventions. It is based

on personal circumstances with supporting evidence. Each case is considered on

an individual basis. The Degree Programme Director will advise you if an

application for a concession would be appropriate.

If you wish to have a concession, you should complete the PEC form and the PEC

Committee will decide whether or not to grant you the requested concession. All

concession applications are requests and as such should not be acted upon until

formal notification of the outcome has been received.

Please send all PEC forms through to [email protected]. Detailed guidelines on

how to complete a PEC form can be found on the Student Progress website

(http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/). Extension

request PEC forms must be submitted before the relevant assignment deadline,

and we would advise that concession requests are also submitted then. We will

consider late PEC forms in exceptional circumstances, but cannot accept any

submitted after 3.30 pm seven days after the deadline.

In short, a PEC form enables us to consider your case and, if possible, make an

adjustment. Possible adjustments will vary depending on the time of year, but

could include: -

An extension to the hand-in date for a piece of work.

An exemption for a minor item of coursework.

A deferral of the assessment to the next normal occasion.

A request to set aside attempts at assessments.

A request to sit an extraordinary examination – i.e. setting an examination

at an unusual time.

Permission to repeat a period of tuition, setting aside previous attempts

(e.g. re-doing a stage or semester from scratch).

mailto:[email protected]://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/


Recommending discretion at the Board of Examiners – e.g. potentially

allowing you to pass the stage despite having failed a core module;

allowing you to pass a module by discretion; altering your degree

classification.

Students successfully requesting an extension or concession may submit an

assignment at any time up until the end of an agreed deadline. Provisional marks

will then be awarded, to be ratified at the earliest possible Board of Examiners

meeting.

NB - personal extenuating circumstances cannot result in existing marks

being changed.

It is the student’s responsibility to report any significant personal or extenuating

circumstances that had a substantial impact on their performance in their studies

or in their assessments/examinations immediately and in advance of an

assessment deadline or by the school published deadline for consideration by a

PEC Committee or Board of Examiners.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide evidence to back up their PEC

application. Evidence should outline the problems faced and the period of

impact – e.g. doctor’s notes, a statement of support from a tutor, letter from

an employer etc. It is recognised that this can be difficult, but a request is more

likely to be approved if evidence is available – particularly evidence of the

impact on the specific module/assessment and at the time of the assessment.

Requests for adjustments that relate to the following, are not normally accepted as

the basis of a PEC application:

i. Instances where an appropriate adjustment has already been made.

ii. Retrospective report of illness or other extenuating circumstances, without

good reason.

iii. Ongoing medical conditions/disabilities including learning disabilities, or

mental health conditions for which the student is already receiving

reasonable adjustments via a Student Support Recommendation (SSR).

iv. Transport problems, excepting those where it can be shown that adequate

time had been allowed.

v. Unspecified anxiety or examination stress

vi. Minor infection such as coughs, colds, headaches or hay fever, unless

supported by specific medical evidence.

vii. Distress relating to family pet.

viii. Holidays, house moves, sporting or other social commitments.

ix. Known employment or financial responsibilities.

x. Problems with personal computers, printers or other technology.

xi. Where the circumstances could have been avoided, particularly due to poor

time management.


The PEC Procedures and Submission Guidance are available at

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/

PEC Appeals

If a PEC Committee has not approved any adjustment for a student in response to

a PEC application, the student has the right of appeal.

If the Board of Examiners has not yet reached a final decision on the

student’s case for that academic year, the student can either: -

o Submit a new PEC application, with additional evidence, to the

academic unit, OR

o Seek a review of the original PEC application by submitting an

Academic Appeal.

If the Board of Examiners has reached a decision on the student’s case, the

student should follow the Academic Appeals procedure.

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/SPS/appeals.htm.

The Student Academic Appeals Procedure is for appeals against the decisions of

the Boards of Examiners (excepting those relating to assessment irregularities),

Personal Extenuating Circumstance (PEC) Committees, and sanctions imposed

under ‘Unsatisfactory Progress’ procedures.

There are only three possible grounds for appeal: -

You were adversely affected by illness or other relevant factors, of which

you were previously unaware, or which for a good cause you were unable

to disclose to the examiners in advance.

Procedural irregularity on the part of the examiners.

Bias or prejudice on the part of an examiner or examiners.

Academic appeals must be submitted within 21 days of the decision of the Board

of Examiners.

NB. An appeal relates to the decision of the examiners and should not be used to

raise general complaints about tuition or support over the length of your degree

programme.

University Student Complaints Procedure

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/SPS/complaints.htm. This is

the University’s formal complaints procedure under the ‘Student Charter’. It is

intended to allow students to make a complaint about a service, a member of staff

or another student within the University. This complaints procedure should apply

to all formal complaints, including those related to harassment and racial equality.

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Impartial advice on both the complaints and appeals procedures may be sought

from the Student Progress Service ([email protected];

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/about/index.htm). Assistance with

submitting a formal complaint or an appeal may be sought from the appropriate

officer of the Students’ Union, from the Student Advice Centre (service of Students’

Union staffed by professionals who specialize in student concerns),

http://www.nusu.co.uk/welfare/sac/, or from a personal tutor.

Support for students after a failed submission

Students can expect written feedback for any failed module.

Failed students will be able to resubmit assignments on one further occasion,

providing that the following criteria are met, and will be entitled to one further

surgery session for any resit. In exceptional circumstances, additional support may

be available. As stated in the University regulations,

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/20161710XTaughtPGExamination.pdf,

A student has the right to one reassessment for each taught module failed at the

first attempt provided that: -

a) For a student on a Masters or Postgraduate Diploma programme, no more than 40

credits of the taught element of the programme is failed at the first attempt;

b) For a student on a Postgraduate Certificate programme, no more than 20 credits of

the taught element of the programme is failed at the first attempt.

A Masters or Postgraduate Diploma student who fails more than 40 credits, or a

Postgraduate Certificate student who fails more than 20 credits, at the first attempt

of the taught element of the programme, will not normally be permitted to

continue or be reassessed without the support of the chair of the board of

examiners.

Submission dates for resits are published on MENU. For additional information,

see programme regulations (Appendix B page 58).

Request for Suspension of Registration (Leave of Absence)

Applications to suspend studies for a period require proof of good cause. This

would usually be ill health or unexpected changes in personal circumstances,

meaning that students cannot complete the normal schedule of teaching or

assessment and which cannot be dealt with by simply granting an extension.

Normally, students should discuss such applications with their tutor and/or Degree

Programme Director before submitting a formal application in writing. The Degree

Programme Director will support such applications in all reasonable cases.

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In order to request a leave of absence, or other programme adjustment such as a

withdrawal or programme transfer, you would need to submit a DPD Request form

which you can download from http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-

resources/change/.

Standards of Academic Conduct

The University requires all students to maintain high standards of academic

conduct and, in particular, to avoid conduct amounting to plagiarism, cheating or

the fabrication of research results.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person’s ideas, words or works.

The work submitted by a candidate, if not his or her own, must make clear

acknowledgement of the work of others by means, for example, of bibliographic

notes or the use of quotation marks, or in accordance with guidance provided by

the course team. Plagiarism may embrace more than a candidate copying work of

others and presenting it as their own in dissertations, projects, essays or other

submitted work. It also covers copying material obtained via the internet, from

physical documents, and auto-plagiarism.

An online tutorial, on referencing and plagiarism, will be available on MENU, in the

‘Teaching and Learning in the Classroom’ and ‘Scholarship in Medical Education’

module areas, for your information. We highly recommend that you read through

this.

Plagiarism may be accidental, through poor standards of scholarship. Students are

sometimes not clear as to what use can be made of the work of others without

raising concerns about plagiarism. Any student who is in doubt should discuss it

with his or her personal tutor or supervisor. Students must always acknowledge

sources of ideas or data which are not their own and are not truly in the public

domain (for example because they are novel or controversial) or not widely held or

recognised. Students must take care to distinguish between their own ideas or work

and those of others.

Students must not copy large sections of text from other authors. Small sections

must be credited to the original author. Direct quotes should be appropriately

identified and referenced. Guidance on referencing to help avoid such concerns is

given in Appendix C. page 59.

Auto-plagiarism (self-plagiarism) applies when work has already been submitted for

an assessment at Newcastle or elsewhere. This may be considered an attempt to

gain double credit for the same piece of work and is unfair and dishonest. If you are

unsure whether or not you are auto-plagiarising, please speak to a member of staff

for clarity before submitting your work.

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More information on plagiarism and university regulations can be found here:

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/Assessment/.

Please note the following website that gives additional advice on correct

referencing.

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/

Each assignment, submitted electronically, will pass through plagiarism detection

software (electronic text matching software) called Turnitin

(https://www.turnitinuk.com). Your work will be checked against a database of web

pages, academic articles and books, and other students’ papers (from Newcastle

and other universities) and any matches between your work and those other

sources highlighted. Matching text does not necessarily mean that you have

plagiarised, since you may have correctly referenced text from other source.

When you submit your assignments, you will be told how you need to submit to

ensure they are checked. There are some file restrictions and file size restrictions,

and you will be given guidance on what you can and cannot submit. You should

always ask your module leader if you have any questions about a specific

assignment.

Any student suspected of using improper means to ‘get ahead’ in work submitted

for assessment will be dealt with under the University’s Assessment Irregularities

Procedure

(http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/SPS/assessment.htm) and

may be subject to disciplinary action and considered under Fitness to Practise

procedures (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/SPS/fitness.htm).

The University takes plagiarism and academic conduct very seriously, and you are

expected to know how to reference other sources correctly.

The University is committed to ensuring fairness in assessment and has established

a procedure for dealing with assessment irregularities. For the purposes of this

procedure, an assessment irregularity involves the use of improper means by a

candidate in the assessment process.

This includes, but is not limited to, the following: -

Copying from or conferring with other candidates or using un-

authorised material or equipment in an examination room.

Impersonating or allowing another to impersonate a candidate.

Introducing examination scripts into the examination process otherwise

than in the course of an examination.

Permitting another student to copy work.

The falsification (by inclusion or suppression) of research results.

Plagiarism. This is defined as the unacknowledged use of another

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person’s ideas, words or work either verbatim or in substance without

specific acknowledgement.

Using work submitted for another assignment.

You can expect to receive a briefing on academic conduct and the referencing

guidelines that you are expected to follow (Appendix C, ‘Guidance on Submitted

Work’, page 59). You are in turn expected to do the following: -

Maintain high standards of academic conduct.

Show a commitment to academic honesty in your work.

Be familiar with and apply the guidance provided by your school on proper

referencing and good academic practice.

Avoid plagiarism.

For Advanced Study Module (Masters) students - Fabrication of

Research Results

This includes:-

Claims, which cannot reasonably be justified, to have obtained specific or

general results.

False claims in relation to experiments, interviews, procedures or any other

research activity.

Omission of statement in relation to data, results, experiments, interviews or

procedures where such omission cannot reasonably be justified.


University Library, Reading Lists,

Resource Materials

The University Library

The University library is available to support your information needs for the course.

The main Robinson Library has most of the general education stock, and the Walton

Library, which is based in the Medical School, has a wide range of medical material,

including material concerning medical education. The stock of both libraries is listed

on the online catalogue which is available via the Library home page

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/.

Try to find time to register with the library early in your course. The Walton Library

is open on Mon -Thurs 8.30am -10pm, Fri 8.30am - 9pm, Sat and Sun 10am – 9

pm in term time. Vacation opening hours vary according to the time of year -

details may be found at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/about/opening/walton/,

including information on when full or limited desk services will be available.

The library also offers a 24x7 online chat service. To ask a library-related question,

go to http://libhelp.ncl.ac.uk/.

To arrange for a brief tour and introduction to the Walton library, contact Alex

Inskip at [email protected] tel. 0191 208 8108. Of course, as a postgraduate

student, you should also access the Robinson library, where most resources for

education are held.

The library has a wide range of electronic resources to support your studies at a

distance. A significant amount of the literature that you need will be available via

the programme’s Learning Support Environment, MENU. Full information about

the resources available from Newcastle University can be found on the library

home page at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/.

The two most important links from that page are Electronic Resources (databases)

and E-Journals, (which are available through the ‘e-resources’ menu at

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/resources/e-resources). To access these resources you

may need to log in using your Campus ID and password. This is the same ID and

password that you use to log in to the University computers, your University email

account, and MENU. This link can also be used to access e-books.

Electronic books (e-books) are full text books which can be accessed via the

internet 24 hours a day, and seven days a week. Over 100,000 e-books are

available through the library catalogue. The full catalogue of e-books that the

University possesses can be found at http://ml-

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/about/opening/walton/http://libhelp.ncl.ac.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/resources/e-resources


44new.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/V/?func=find-db-1-locate&mode=locate&F-

WCL=&F-WPB=&F-WFL=&F-WRD=&F-WTY=Electronic+Book&restricted=all.

Requests for individual articles to be photocopied can be made at

http://libguides.ncl.ac.uk/content.php?pid=349307&sid=2857594 (provided that

they fall within current copyright regulations).

Most of the databases and electronic journals can be accessed from any PC

connected to the Internet if you have your Campus ID and password, but some are

only accessible from the campus network because of technical or licence

restrictions. The campus network can be accessed remotely using the Remote

Application Server (RAS) (http://ras.ncl.ac.uk). Further information on how to access

this can be found at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/software/ras/helpandfaqs/. You

can find out which software you can access as students through RAS by going to

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/software/ras/. We would recommend that you use

RAS when accessing MENU.

When you log in to RAS, click on the ‘+’ symbol on the left hand side of the page,

then on ‘Communications and Browsers’ and choose a browser. An icon will

appear for that browser. Click on it to open the browser and in the new window

that opens you will be impersonating your on-campus web access. Accessing

applications through RAS makes your computer think that you are logged on to a

University computer. Use this new browser window to search for and access

MENU.

All library computer cluster rooms have black and white A4 printers; larger rooms

also have colour and A3 printers. Photocopying is available in the University

Libraries. All students are given a print and photocopying credit allocation of £37

at the start of each academic year. You can buy more credits online at

http://printing.ncl.ac.uk/ or buy a cash voucher from the Robinson Library main

counter. You will be provided with a printer credit account for copying and

printing. This facility is available to you by using your smartcard identification. For

further details regarding this service please see

www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/clusters/photocopying.

If you have any queries about any aspects of the library service, please contact the

Library, either by email to [email protected] or by telephone on 0191 208

7550.

Computing Facilities

You have access to computers on campus in the libraries and in computer clusters

based in teaching buildings (there are a number in the main Medical School

Building). The computer clusters are maintained by IT Services and any IT

http://libguides.ncl.ac.uk/content.php?pid=349307&sid=2857594http://ras.ncl.ac.uk/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/software/ras/helpandfaqs/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/software/ras/http://printing.ncl.ac.uk/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/clusters/photocopyingmailto:[email protected]


problems should be reported to them as soon as possible (0191 208 5999,

[email protected]).

IT Services provide face-to-face support in certain cluster rooms to assist users

with common problems or queries. Please contact the IT Service Desk Reception,

on the contact details given above, should you need any IT help. Further

information can be found at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/studentitservices/.

Students have free access to all cluster rooms, subject to building opening hours,

apart from at the times when classes are scheduled in them. You are encouraged

to use the machines to carry out your assessed work or for other personal study.

There are manuals available electronically via the University website and printed

versions are available via the IT Service Desk Reception in Claremont Tower.

In order to keep the networks available without unnecessary restriction, all

computers are installed with antivirus software. This software continually monitors

all files and programs. The University strictly enforces the rule that no games or

other private software of any kind are to be used on cluster machines. It is also

important to note that no food or drink is allowed in cluster rooms (apart from

sealed drinks).

E-Portfolio

You are able to make use of the e-Portfolio tool to record, reflect and evidence the

skills, knowledge and abilities which you develop during your time at Newcastle

University. By using e-Portfolio you will give yourself a definite advantage when it

comes to applying for jobs or further study. This electronic tool enables you to

collate your thoughts, plans and achievements and build on them for the future.

You can also use it to record your personal tutorial meetings.

This facility is secure and private; only you have access to the information

contained here, unless you make it available to others. The only exception to this

is the information that you provide to your Personal Tutor which is available to you

both and no one else. You can log in to e-Portfolio via https://portfolio.ncl.ac.uk/.

Writing Development Centre

Location: Level 2, Robinson Library

Website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: 0191 208 7659 or 0191 208 5650

mailto:[email protected]://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/support/itservicedesk/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/itservice/studentitservices/https://portfolio.ncl.ac.uk/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/mailto:[email protected]


The Writing Development Centre offers tuition, guidance and support for students

wishing to improve their writing skills for study purposes. Help is available with the

following: -

Understanding assignment and examination questions.

Planning, structuring and revising assignments.

Using reading sources without plagiarism.

Developing an argument.

Writing critically and analytically.

Using an appropriate authorial voice.

Writing different types of assignment (e.g. essays, reports, reviews,

reflective pieces).

Writing theses and dissertations.

Answering examination questions.

Using grammar and punctuation accurately and effectively.

Using appropriate vocabulary and style.

Learning from feedback on previous assignments.

They run a series of lectures, seminars and workshops throughout the academic

year. Some are open to all students, and others have been developed for specific

programmes or modules. More information about these sessions is available on

the ‘Group Teaching’ pages of their website:

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/group/generic/book-generic.htm.

They also offer a one-to-one support service. You can have an individual

consultation with an academic writing tutor to discuss any difficulties that you may

have with writing, seek feedback on your written work, or gain a better

understanding of academic writing conventions and the standards expected at

University. They recommend that you book a session in advance via their online

booking system: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/support/. For more

information, see opening hours below.

They have a blog to help you keep track of study tips and ideas about writi

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