Catherine Elliott, Education and Skills Manager, Engineering Council
Given the current situation in parts of the Middle East, and noting that governments in some countries have instructed universities to move learning and teaching online, the Engineering Council recognises that higher education providers with accredited provision in impacted countries may need to make temporary adjustments to programme delivery and/or assessment.
This may be particularly relevant to providers with franchised, transnational or other international provision, as well as those with students or staff directly affected by disruption.
We would therefore like to draw colleagues’ attention to Section 8g of the Engineering Council’s Programme Recognition Handbook (available from the Education and Skills section of the Engineering Council website), which sets out the requirements relating to changes to recognised programmes in exceptional circumstances.
The full wording of Section 8g is reproduced below for ease of reference:
8g Changes to recognised programmes – in exceptional circumstances
The Engineering Council and Licensed PEIs are aware that exceptional events (such as industrial action, disruption to access to buildings, and medical incidents) may affect delivery and/or assessment of recognised (approved or accredited) programmes, including degrees, apprenticeships and other qualifications.
Where adjustments are made, Licensed PEIs, awarding organisations and providers must remain confident that students completing a recognised programme will have achieved the required learning outcomes (and competences if recognised as delivering competences). Licensed PEIs must see evidence that all decisions are carefully thought through and documented, and that a comprehensive audit trail is maintained.
It is expected that providers and awarding organisations will aim to maintain delivery of full programmes, but events outside of the control of providers (including employers in the case of apprenticeships and other work-based programmes) may sometimes result in disruption to delivery and assessment. This may result in the need to make changes, for example, to:
- The delivery format
- The order in which modules are delivered
- Assessment methodologies
- Scheduling of learning and assessment (sometimes into holiday periods or later years of study)
- End dates to enable work or assessment that has had to be suspended to be completed.
Although the circumstances may differ, education providers and Licensed PEIs adapted to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and may find some of the processes, guidance and changes introduced as a result useful when adapting to other changes that impact education programmes and assessment. For example, Licensed PEIs may already have processes to enable providers to report changes to programmes, and providers may have provisions in their regulations for determining when and how students can progress in the event of teaching and/or assessment being disrupted.
Poential measures education providers and/or awarding organisations might consider taking to support student progression may include:
- Clear communication to students of any changes to teaching and/or assessment activities and/or timings
- Prioritising activities that may have greater impact upon students if delayed, for example laboratory work, any work-based activities, presentations and vivas
- Prioritising activities required to provide assurance that students will demonstrate required learning outcomes and/or competences before completing their programme. This may be informed by reviewing which learning outcomes and/or competences have already been assessed and, where possible, prioritising assessment of those which have not. Module mapping presented for recognition purposes should be reviewed and, if necessary, updated to enable the Licensed PEI(s) to assure themselves that the required learning outcomes and/or competences will have been demonstrated by all students.
- Considering where postponing credit, modules or assessment to a later year of study may be an appropriate solution
- Additional measures, perhaps suggested by Licensed PEIs, education regulators, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), or other bodies, that help students to progress while continuing to complete expected learning and demonstrate required learning outcomes
The Engineering Council is not prescriptive regarding mode of delivery or assessment, although some Licensed PEIs may set specific requirements. For an individual to be considered to have achieved a recognised programme, they are usually only required to achieve a threshold pass. A threshold pass means a pass at or above the minimum for the programme, which must be a pass with honours for an accredited honours degree. Conditions of recognition must be met, including in relation to compensation and condonement.
Where a student is unable to complete or be assessed for a piece of work that delivers the required learning outcomes and/competences, the awarding organisation or provider will need to set out the alternative mechanisms for assessing the achievement of those outcomes and/or competences. If unavoidable, students who are not in their final year of study when a programme is impacted by unavoidable changes may be permitted to make up any missed credit, learning outcomes and/or competence during later years of study. This should be avoided if possible as it may put students under extra pressure if having to complete additional work in later years.
If interruption to programme delivery or assessment leads to a reduced number of credits or the awarding of a degree or other qualification with some assessments not being complete, Licensed PEIs would need to:
- Determine the scope of the evidence they would need to assure themselves that all graduates would still achieve all of the learning outcomes at the applicable level, taking account of the changes
- Assure themselves that students do not graduate from accredited degree programmes with compensation or condonement of credit beyond that permitted by Engineering Council policy.
It is understood that students may, in exceptional circumstances, for example following industrial action and through no fault of their own, be awarded a qualification or apprenticeship or permitted to graduate with some assessments or marking of assessments being incomplete. This is not an approach we would encourage if it is possible to delay the award of a qualification or apprenticeship until all assessments have been marked. If degrees, qualifications or apprenticeships are awarded prior to marking of all assessments, Licensed PEIs must be informed. Ideally, such awards will be provisional with any incomplete or unmarked assessments addressed at a later date.
If assessments which demonstrate required learning outcomes/and or competences are expected to be incomplete or unmarked at the point when a student is awarded a qualification or apprenticeship, the awarding organisation and/or providers must provide Licensed PEIs with information as to where else (if anywhere) attainment of the learning outcomes and/or competences has been demonstrated by students. This may refer to other modules or assessments that address the learning outcomes and/or competences and may include updates to the module mapping that was considered during the recognition process. In exceptional circumstances, Licensed PEIs may consider whether less formal mechanisms for assessing learning outcomes and/or competences can be accepted. For example, if regular interactions between staff and students or interim assessments during a module or project can provide confidence that learning outcomes have been achieved despite an assessment being incomplete or unmarked.
If it is identified that students or apprentices will complete a programme with gaps in assessed learning outcomes and/or competences, this must be clearly recorded by Licensed PEIs on the Engineering Council course search database. It should be specified which learning outcomes and/or competences may be missing, and for which student cohort(s). This should be exceptional and may affect future recognition of the programme, including internationally, for the cohorts concerned. Licensed PEIs will need to seek evidence during professional review that applicants for registration from affected cohorts are able to demonstrate any missed learning outcomes and/or competences.
Early engagement and assurance
The Engineering Council’s position is not to be prescriptive about delivery methods, but to ensure that recognised programmes continue to meet the required learning outcomes and standards that underpin registration as Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Providers anticipating disruption that may affect recognised provision — including international or franchised arrangements — are strongly encouraged to engage early with their relevant Licensed Professional Engineering Institution. Clear documentation, transparent decision-making and a robust audit trail will be essential in maintaining confidence and recognition.
We remain committed to working constructively with the sector to uphold standards while recognising the challenges that exceptional circumstances may present.
