New programme approval or revalidation

What is required

1. Engage with IDEAS 

Use IDEAS to structure your PDT process, ensuring each of the elements is fully integrated into your programme design.

2. Complete programme approval documentation 

Ensure that your submission documents reflect how you have used IDEAS to shape your programme.

3. Complete evaluation form 

Complete the IDEAS evaluation form to let us know how you used the model and what impact it had on your programme design.

1. Engage with IDEAS, 2. Complete programme approval documentation, 3. Complete evaluation form

The process of PDT development

The process of PDT development should be structured around detailed engagement with the question sets of the model and this should be reflected in the completion of the relevant quality enhancement documentation. The submission documentation templates provide prompts about where you should be demonstrating your engagement with IDEAS.

We also recommend that your responses to the question sets are included in student-facing documentation such as the Programme Handbook and Programme Specification.

In addition to the above, you should also complete the IDEAS Evaluation Form. This will ask you to detail how you used the model and where this is reflected in your programme design and Teaching and Learning strategy.

Support available to you

OCAED provides a suite of activities to support programme development teams (PDTs) in new programme development or the redesign of existing programmes. All activities utilise the IDEAS curriculum model and ensure that collaboration with students lies at the heart of programme design.

The offer includes:

  • Sprints: a three-day programme to collaboratively design (or re-design) an entire programme with students and internal stakeholders. 
  • Sprites: a shortened offer to PDTs of three 90 minute workshops focusing on engagement with the IDEAS model. Collaboration with students and staff remains central to these sessions.
  • DIY workshops: all resources relating to the Sprints and Sprites will be available online for PDTs to use as and when suits them. It is highly recommended that these are used in collaboration with students.

Programme Design Sprints

This three-day itinerary is ideal for programme teams who are designing a new programme, or wish to make substantial changes to an existing programme via the revalidation process.

To request a Programme Design Sprint, please contact OCAED on ocaed@brookes.ac.uk.

Please note that we need at least 5 weeks notice to organise a Sprint event. This is because they are collaborative events including student partners and multiple stakeholders from across the university.

Programme Design Sprint Lites ('Sprites')

This set of three 90 minute workshops are structured around the elements of IDEAS and use Design Thinking methodology to identify rapid, impactful changes that can be made to improve a programme or module. 

The Sprites are suited for PDTs engaging with a revalidation/Quinquennial review or the Annual Quality and Monitoring Process (AQMR). 

The Sprites are also suitable for individuals wishing to review their teaching.

Outcomes

By the end of the three Sprite sessions you will be able to:

  • Evaluate your curriculum and teaching practice using the IDEAS model and relevant data
  • Implement the principles of design thinking 
  • Develop an action plan for positive curriculum redesign.

Prework

Before attending the Sprite sessions you will need to complete the IDEAS self-assessment.

The dates are:

  • Wednesday 29 January 2025, 1.30 - 3.00pm
    Tuesday 4 February 2025, 1.30 - 3.00pm 
    Friday 7 February 2025, 1.30 - 3.00pm 
  • Thursday 1 May 2025, 2.30 - 4.00pm
    Thursday 8 May 2025, 2.30 - 4.00pm 
    Thursday 15 May 2025, 2.30 - 4.00pm

To book your place on one of these workshops, visit the IDEAS: Programme Design Sprites course on Staff Learning.


Self-help resources

This toolkit provides access to a wealth of resources, case studies and activities to support you in the process of programme design and development. We recommend you visit the How to use the IDEAS model page for guidance on structuring your design process, and the Students as Partners webpage for tips on collaborating with students. The individual element pages provide more detail about each element of the model, and resources to support you in embedding it in the curriculum.

Remember, you can request support from OCAED at any time via ocaed@brookes.ac.uk.