Commonality with a Difference

Jim O’DwyerHead of Department of Computing

Background• Computing is a rapidly evolving discipline• Explosive growth in application areas• Corresponding growth in course diversity &

course titles;• Software Development• Web Development• IT management• Computing Forensics• Cloud Computing

Confusion• Students may be confused by choice• Parents find it hard to assist in making a choice• Add a lack of practitioners known to students• Students can make a poorly informed choice• Retention can suffer as a consequence

Decision Deferral Delay final course choice and hopefully

improve the the quality of the decision. Two distinct approaches:

Common entry (undenominated)Denominated entry to a common start

The Two Approaches

Undenominated entry: A separate intake from the denominated courses and students join the desired

course at a later stage;

Student may have to do some “catch up” depending on path choosen

Denominated entry to common: All courses share the same modules in stage 1

Transfer is easy and no “catch up” is required

Computing Stage 1

Maths Misc

Probl. Solving & Prog 1

Web Dev Fund.

Computer Hardware

Network Fund. I Ess. Maths CIT

Probl. Solving & Prog 2 Web Pub.

Computer Architecture

Network Fund. II

Statistics & probability HCI

Programming/Web Hadware/Systems/Networks

Transfers

A level 8 entrant has free choice of courses. A level 7 entrant has some restrictions:

Can change to another level 7 If s/he has the entry requirements may move to a level 8

The first intake to the new arrangement was September 2012

Course Boards will review its operation annually

Thank You