Learning & Teaching

Policies and guidelines governing learning and teaching activity in the University are available here. The policies cover assessment and examination - including external examiner guidance - and approval of teachers/tutors/ programmes, courses and modules.

A wide range of documents, procedures, guidelines and forms relating to academic development are collected here to clarify Heriot-Watt's approach to examination assessment, student progresssion and awards. The information also covers approval procedures for the appointment of teachers, tutors and Approved Learning Partners, as well as the approval of programmes, courses and modules. The specification of programmes and curriculum design and the Common Assessment and Progression Systems (CAPS) are also explained. Details of the qualifications framework and academic structure as well as the Scottish Funding Council Higher Education part-time fee waiver scheme are also available.

The good standing of Heriot-Watt University is the result of sustained success in research and teaching over many years. High standards and quality are key features of this success and the University is committed to maintaining its standards and continually enhancing its quality in all areas. Quality assurance aims to provide our stakeholders - Government, students, employers, professional institutions and many others - with evidence that high standards are attained in all areas and that agreed processes in the University are operated correctly and professionally.

This is the report of an enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR) of Heriot-Watt University undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The ELIR method focuses on: the strategic management of enhancement; the effectiveness of student learning; and the use of a range of reference points.

This Reflective Analysis of the Enhancement-Led Institutional Review (ELIR) of Heriot-Watt by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education was prepared by a small Writing Group comprising the Deputy Principal (Learning and Teaching), the Deputy Registrar and the Assistant Registrar (Learning Strategies). They consulted widely across the University to ensure that the Reflective Analysis represented current practice.

Heriot-Watt will be introducing a new academic structure in 2008/9. We're changing our academic year from three terms to two semesters, running for 30 weeks from mid-September to the end of May. A series of guidelines and toolkits have been produced to assist Schools in the process of re-designing courses to incorporate the key requirements of Restructuring the Academic Year (RAY).