Teaching and Learning

5.1 Teaching formats

The programme is designed to be completed in four years of full-time study (approximately 30 weeks per year). Study is undertaken at four levels, Foundation year plus the FHEQ; Level four, five, and six (one for each year of study).

A credit system is used to ensure a balanced workload across the programme, with each credit point requiring approximately f 10 hours of student work. Thus a 15-credit module will require a notional input of 150 hours of work, and a complete academic year of 120 credits will require 1200 hours of work, or approximately 40 hours per week.

The programme will be delivered using the RAU (Royal Agriculture University) blended learning approach that is designed as an efficient and effective method of teaching large classes, by allowing students to work individually, at their own pace, as well as in group settings. You will be expected to watch pre- recorded lecture sessions online which can:

  • Giving information
  • Providing an opportunity to listen to specialist guest lecturers
  • Showing how to deepen your knowledge
  • Explaining difficult concepts and theories
  • Offering different perspectives on a subject
  • Stimulating interest in the subject matter
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Student practical activity, visits and demonstrations will take a variety of forms on farms, at agricultural businesses and in laboratories. They form an important part of overall programme provision and help to reinforce and apply the subject principles received in the lecture room. You will also be expected to undertake independent study as an important learning method within the programme. This will normally involve reading to explore the breadth and depth of the syllabus, preparation of tutorial/seminar work, preparation of coursework, case study submissions and preparation of major projects. The use of the RAU’s e-library is very important for the effective use of independent study time. 

5.2 Seminars

You must also attend face to face seminars and tutorials which allow you to

  • Express your views
  • Enables academic interaction
  • Facilitates discussions
  • Provides opportunities to practice in making presentations.
  • Encourages structured research.
  • Enables Sharing and diversification of information and experience
  • Introduces group work.

5.3 Assessment of performance

Modules include formative assessments which are not used in grading a module but to identify strengths and weakness in subject knowledge and to provide opportunities to become accustomed to different techniques used to summatively assess each module.

The assessment methods include

Formal (time constrained) examinations

Essays • Reports – either academic research or professional • Case studies • Group work exercises • Oral presentations • In-class / in-lab / in field tests – e.g., multiple choice, short answer • Practical assessments – e.g., livestock performance assessments, health and welfare diagnosis, analysis of agricultural crops, produce and animal feed, laboratory analytical and diagnostic experiments

Coursework is normally set at the start of modules with a date for submission before the end of the module. Students are responsible for ensuring that coursework assessments are submitted on time. Any non-submission or non-attendance should be recorded as zero and a note placed against the individual assessment and against the module.

Students who are unable to complete coursework to the appropriate standard by the due date because of exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness, family bereavement) must submit a request to the IAU (International Agriculture University) Registry for an extension for ten working days or for a deferral to the next assessment period, together with appropriate supporting evidence. Once a claim for an extension has been accepted, work will be assessed without prejudice (as if for the first time) and marks will not be capped at 40%.

5.4 The grading system

Each module is assessed by one or more pieces of coursework &/or examinations, which are designed to assess the skills students should acquire within each specific module. To gain credits for (i.e., to pass) a module, students must achieve an overall grade of 40% or greater for that module. The opportunity to refer (resit an exam or resubmit coursework) is available to students who have failed a module to allow them to reach an overall pass mark of 40%. (Where a module has more than one piece of assessment and a student fails one element of assessment but has an average grade of 40% or more they will not be required to retake the failed piece of assessment.) A maximum module mark of 40% is available following referral. RAU regulations stipulate those students can be referred in up to a maximum of 50% of their module credits within a single academic year (i.e., 60 credits per year).

Programmes are structured through the accumulation of credit, where 1 UK credit represents 10 notional learning hours.

The normal basis for awards will be the overall average score in the final assessment, graded as follows