THE MERIT OF SANDWICH DEGREES IN COMPARISON WITH POST GRADUATE CONVERSION COURSES Michael Jayne Property Management Division Nottingham Trent University

THE MERIT OF SANDWICH DEGREES IN COMPARISON WITH POST

GRADUATE CONVERSION COURSES

Michael JayneProperty Management DivisionNottingham Trent University

BEECON September 2006

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/

• In the UK, first degree predominant Real Estate qualification route.

• Recent years seen apparent shift to postgraduate entry,

especially conversion courses.

• Facilitated by the Government’s drive to increase participation in University education

• Resulted in increased numbers of graduates with non vocational first degrees.

• Some real estate employers have also been active in

encouraging post graduate into employment.


Issues

• Are they producing distinctly different property professionals?

• What educational role, if any, does the sandwich have?

• Is it merely work experience?

• If not does it provide academic/intellectual skills above a non sandwich degree?

• Does it go someway to meeting the learning outcomes of a master’s course?


• UK students achieving 1ST OR 2.1 honours degrees increased by 20 per cent over the six years to 2001-2.

• Postgraduate education is the fastest growing sector in higher education.

• 21 per cent growth in new entrants over the seven years up to 2004.

• Nearly 500,000 Postgraduate students in UK universities

• Postgraduates nearly a fifth of all students.(Sastry 2004 )

Background


• Growth been dramatic

• Demand for Postgraduate education rose by 21% from 1995/6 to 2002/03.

• Growth for Professional qualifications overall was 2%

but within this

• Taught master’s courses grown by 42%.

• Post Graduate numbers rose fastest in the ‘new

universities and colleges’ 65% for the same period


• Perception most graduates come straight from their undergraduate courses is misleading”.

• Most entrants to all types of Postgraduate course are older than 22

• More first-year Postgraduates above the age of 30 than below 25

• Over 30s a substantial majority among part-time students

starting every type of Postgraduate course.


Postgraduate Student Characteristics

• Research degrees students more likely to have a first-class degree than others

• ...those studying for taught postgraduate qualifications by contrast have a similar profile to the general graduate population

• “...the possession of a taught postgraduate qualification is a poor indicator as to general ability....”


• To support the assertion that there is something special about postgraduate students,

• Their salaries, six months after qualification are almost 18%

higher than even those for holders of first class honours degrees.

• “may be in part due to the fact that,...postgraduate qualifications are strongly associated with entry into professional occupations” (Sastry 2004)

However..


Future demand

• Between 2002/03 and 2010/11 in England could be up to 50,000 more postgraduate students.

(HEPI)• “…postgraduate qualification may become the

norm ...where ...not previously been the case”

• “…because of the delay between graduating and entering postgraduate education …may be some time before the full impact of increases … postgraduate population is felt.” (Sastry 2004).


What is the role of the sandwich year in the education of the undergraduate?

Where it is properly integrated and developed within the degree...

• Does if provide more than work experience?• Does it provide some of the learning outcomes required by

a master’s student?


QAA ( 2001) state:

Where placement learning is an intended part of a programme of study, institutions should ensure that

• The responsibilities for placement learning are clearly defined;

• the Intended learning outcomes contribute to the overall aims of the programme; and

• any assessment of placement learning is part of a coherent

assessment strategy.


Current Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programme Formats

Year Standard Full time Degree

Activity

1 Level 1 Graduate learning

2 Level 2

3 Level 3

4 APC year 1 Work experience

5 APC year 2


Year Standard Sandwich Degree

Activity


2 Level 2

3 Placement APC year 1 (work experience)

4 Level 3** Graduate learning


** Placement (work) experience taken as a totality before final year of taught education


Year Non Cognate Masters Full time

Activity


2 Level 2

3 Level 3

4 Masters** Post graduate learning


6 APC year 2

** Placement (work) experience taken as a totality after final year of taught education


Year Non Cognate Masters Part time

Activity


2 Level 2

3 Level 3

4 Masters year 1 Post graduate learning

5 Masters year 2**

APC year 1 Work experience


** Placement (work) experience taken during final years of taught education


Descriptor for a qualification at (HEQAA)

Honours Masters

Honours degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated:

Masters degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated:

A A systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of study, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline;

A systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice;


Descriptor for a qualification at

Honours Masters

B an ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a discipline;

a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship;


C conceptual understanding that enables the student:" to devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of a discipline; and" to describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in the discipline;

conceptual understanding that enables the student:" to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline; and" to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses


Honours Masters


D the ability to manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (e.g. refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline).

originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline


Honours Masters


E Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to: apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects;

Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences


Honours Masters


F critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem;

demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level;


Honours Masters


G communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiencesand will have:

continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level;and will have:


Honours Masters


H the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring:" the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;" decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts; and“the learning ability needed to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring:" the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;" decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations; and" the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.


Honours Masters


Research

• Students on the final year following their placement targeted

• Hyperlinked on line questionnaire sent to their university email address

• Real Estate Management, Building Surveying, Planning and Property Development

• Students would be well into their dissertation


Questions

• Addressed the identified QAA Master’s learning outcomes where they exceeded undergraduate outcomes as explained earlier.

• These outcome statements broken down into their constituent skills

• Written as a statement

• Students were then asked to express their agreement with the statements using a5 point Likert scale.

• 1 strong agreement 5 strongly disagree


For example Deal with complex issue both systematically and creatively,

make sound judgements in the absence of complete data and communicate ... conclusions clearly to specialist and non specialist audiences”

was broken down in to

"I did not always have the data I needed, but I was still able to make a judgment"

and

"I communicated my conclusions to other professionals/specialists/public/non professionals”


Questions did not follow the order of the learning outcomes.They were placed in to a context for the student, to make

them more relevant.

1. About your placement2. How you feel about the placement3. How you think the placement has influenced you4. Things you had to do in your placement, and5. Things you learned on your placement.


A …knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice

Mean Standard deviation

2.22 1.070

2.388 0.903

1.917 1.994

Mean of means 2.175


B...a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship;


1.9722 1.135


C... evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline; And ... to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses


2.833 1.082


D...originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline


2.833 1.082

2.75 1.626

3.375 0.976

3.094 0.993

2.65 1.01

Mean of means 2.940


E...deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences


2 0.956

2.056 0.860

1.89 1.022

2.129 1.0185

2.514 1.42

1.417 0.770

1.694 0.749

Mean of means 1.957


F...demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level.


1.570 0.698

1.778 0.898

1.640 0.723

1.861 0.961

1.890 0.854

1.890 0.979

2.134 0.867

1.694 0.749

Mean of means 1.807


G....continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level;


1.8286 0.9230


H…decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations; and...the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development


2.194 1.037

1.7428 0.950

2 1.014

2.139 0.990

1.89 0.979

Mean of means 1.993


Relative strength of agreement by rank means

Rank Section Mean

1 F...demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level.

1.807

2 G...continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level;

1.8286

3 E...deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences

1.957

4 B B...a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship;

1.9722


5 H...decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations; and" the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.

1.993

6 A...knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice

2.175

7 C...to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline; And " to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses

2.833

8 D D...originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline

2.940


Conclusions

• All aspects supported• Section D weakest. (where

most academics would expect intellectual development in the post graduate arena)

• Could students who have not graduated, know if they were being original?

• Section C next least supported

• figures skewed by the fact that Planning and Property Development students would not have been undertaking a dissertation


• implications - sandwich students are obtaining an enhanced learning experience above and beyond work experience.

• Sandwich courses may even warrant their own benchmark statements, above and beyond those of a diploma in professional practice and usual honours degree.

• As students are paying an increased contribution towards their degree and

employers increasingly looking for post graduate qualities these could be important issues.


THE MERIT OF SANDWICH DEGREES IN COMPARISON WITH POST

GRADUATE CONVERSION COURSES

Michael JayneProperty Management DivisionNottingham Trent University

BEECON September 2006


Documents

THE MERIT OF SANDWICH DEGREES IN COMPARISON WITH POST GRADUATE CONVERSION COURSES Michael Jayne Property Management Division Nottingham Trent University