Programme Specifications

• To equip students with a range of knowledge, understanding and skills to a level that will enable them to take advantage of career opportunities in a variety of professional posts concerned with the management of archives and records
• To develop skills relating to the management of records throughout their life-cycle and in particular in identifying, acquiring, organising, retrieving, preserving and disseminating information regarding archives.
• To enhance academic abilities developed at undergraduate level or equivalent and apply these to research in archives and records management

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

A1 An understanding of the core elements of the discipline and how itinteracts with its technological, social, political, professional and economic environments

A2 An awareness of professional, legal and ethical concerns connected with record and archive-keeping

A3 The ability to identify, analyse and evaluate the information needs of different groups and make informed decisions to satisfy them, including methods of user education.

A4 A knowledge of legal and regulatory issues and, where relevant, of statutory requirements and an ability to identify and apply appropriate measures to the creation, capture, storage, dissemination, retrieval and destruction of information within the statutory and regulatory framework.

A5 Familiarity with the information sources, in an appropriate range of media and formats, and the ability to identify and use relevant ones effectively. This will include a knowledge of the structures that have created them and of the techniques necessary to access them, whether these be linguistic or technical skills

A6 The ability to create and use finding aids or retrieval tools and a knowledge and understanding of the techniques and standards for their creation

A7 The ability to select and acquire materials appropriate to the needs of the users, and the skill to make informed decisions about what should be retained and what can be safely discarded without jeopardising the knowledge base of future generations

A8 An understanding of both the measures that are necessary to preserve information and materials and how to implement those measures to ensure the future availability of resources

A9 An awareness, where appropriate, of the particular demands of proprietary information, and the responsibility for its creation, authentication and security

A10 A clear understanding of the principles of Information and Communications Technologies and their application within an appropriate professional context. Effective interaction with technologies applicable to a wide range of professional tasks, and the ability to evaluate systems, and to explain to technical experts requirements in relation to perceived needs

A11 A grounding in research methods to provide the ability both to undertake independent projects and to evaluate the work carried out by others

A12 An understanding of the historical context and development of the discipline

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be  achieved and demonstrated

1. Documentation provided to each student for each course, including course requirements, copies of relevant articles (subject to copyright clearance), and pointers to useful learning resources

2. Formal and time-tabled contact with course tutors, module tutors, lecturers and personal tutors as necessary

3. Lectures, seminars and tutorials.  Presentations by practitioners and study visits and tours

4. Independent time for searching, reading, thinking and writing, as well as for group project work

5. Wide range of types of assignments

6. Practical experiments with documents of all kinds in a variety of media to exercise their skills particularly the on the use and interpretation of archival material

7. Consistent and constructive feedback throughout the course

8. Appropriate distance learning techniques

9. Use of computers for, for example, archive management software, Web searching, Web page design, database creation, access to online hosts, CD ROMs, OPACs, digitised archives, electronic journals or for other information-related projects

10. Intensive use of archives. These will be viewed as more than just the standard resource used by all students. They will be used wherever possible as a controlled environment laboratory where students can undertake a variety of practical work or projects

Assessment

1. Oral presentations

2. Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work, (including listing exercises and the use and interpretation of archival material)

3. Essay assignments of various lengths

4. Collaborative project work

5. Reports on work placements

6. Reports of laboratory-based work, including, for example, the creation of small databases

1 Oral presentations
2 Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work, (including listing exercises and the use and interpretation of archival material)
3 Essay assignments of various lengths
4 Collaborative project work including practical exercises in cataloguing archives,

A student should demonstrate an ability to:

D1Study in a systematic, effective and purposeful way using a wide range of appropriate resources

D2 Link and integrate theory, practice and work experience

D3 Undertake independent research

D4 Reflect critically on his or her own learning

D4 Seek and make effective use of all manner of feedback

D5 Work to deadlines

D6 Interact effectively with tutors and peers

A student should demonstrate an ability to:

D7 Make an appropriate selection and application of principles and procedures for the solution of a range of issues

D8 Recognise and define problems, and identify suitable resources that can assist in their management or solution

D9 Act independently in time management and planning a programme of work or study

A student should demonstrate an ability to:

D10 Communicate in a clear, systematic and concise way for a range of different purposes and audiences in the language of study

D11 Write fluently and effectively

D12 Give effective oral presentations in a range of contexts

D13 Engage in discussions in a professional and cogent manner

D14 Work in groups or teams as a leader or participant in a way that contributes effectively to the group's tasks

D15 Negotiate

D16 Interact effectively and impartially with individuals and groups in particular communities

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

A student should demonstrate an ability to:

D17 Create, manipulate and format documents using appropriate software

D18 Design a multimedia presentation using appropriate software

D19 Use a range of electronic information systems such as Web browsers, Internet search engines, OPACs and online hosts

D20  Communicate electronically

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

A variety of assessment methods, including the following:

1 Planning, carrying out and reporting of computer-based project work

2 Word-process essay assignments of various lengths and formats

3 Apply computer technology in coordinating collaborative project work

4 Generate reports of laboratory-based work, including, for example, the creation of small databases or electronic catalogues using appropriate archive management software

5 Use electronic resources to research a subject area and present the findings in the form of a Dissertation (15,000 words). This might include both word-processed, database/spreadsheet and graphical components

6 Use of specific pieces of bespoke software in the workplace and its application in addressing the outcomes of 10.1 and 10.3

7 Practical exercises in the application of computer software as research tools.

8 Use of specialist skills to read, list and interpret archival material