Programme Specification for Information and Communication Technologies in International Development BSc (Hons)
This programme is no longer recruiting.
|
Final award |
BSc (Hons) |
|
Intermediate awards available |
Cert HE, Dip HE |
|
UCAS code |
G503 - Level 1 entry (3 Year full time route) |
|
Details of professional body accreditation |
None |
|
Relevant QAA Benchmark statements |
Draws on Computing, Sociology, Politics and International Relations, Economics |
|
Date specification last up-dated |
June 2012 |
Profile
The summary - UCAS programme profile
BANNER BOX:
This exciting new course gives a unique opportunity for students to engage in the study of the relationship between technology and development with a focus on the debates around the potential of ICTs to facilitate international development goals.
If you are concerned about the position of less developed/Third World countries in these debates and of the poor in a world that is increasingly dominated by Information and Communication Technologies, and you would like to explore the potentials and threats that these powerful technologies offer and develop up-to-date knowledge and skills, including IT skills, then this is the degree for you.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The minimum requirements for entry for Level 1 entry is 240 UCAS tariff points from: A/AS level (Including 2 A2 passes), GNVQ, AVCE, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate. European Baccalaureate, BTEC / SCOTEC Diploma or Relevant Access Course. Other qualifications, including overseas, may be considered.
We also welcome applicants from mature students who do not have formal qualifications but may have relevant experience. Students applying to this programme will be expected to demonstrate a specific interest in this area of study and should have a commitment to engaging with the subject. Applicants may be invited for interview.
Overseas Qualifications
The number of overseas qualifications which are accepted for entry are too numerous to list, but you can get advice from the British Council or our admissions unit on 020 8223 2835. You must be able to understand and express yourself in both written and spoken English and some evidence e.g. for level 1 entry a TOEFL score of 550 or an IELTS score of 6.0 (no skill level below 5) would be required.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
What is ICTs in International Development?
ICT in International Development investigates the relationship between technology and development with a focus on the debates around the potential of ICTs to facilitate international development goals and the existence of a global information society and its claimed ability to accelerate global development.
The programme is unique and global in outlook, exploring the opportunities, perspectives policies and challenges of ICTs in a global context. It draws on a combination of interdisciplinary approaches and techniques to provide theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between ICTs and development and the social, economic and political forces that shape ICTs and development processes.
The programme also provides an opportunity to develop the skills and technical knowledge required to design and implement ICT based systems and initiatives within an international context as it includes modules from the IT and the International Development programmes.
ICTs in International Development at UEL
- Combines ICT and International development studies into one unique programme.
- Incorporates interdisciplinary study of theories and concepts concerning the relationship between technology, society and development
- Provides social and technical knowledge required to work for local, national and international organisations in the new knowledge based economy
- Provides transferable skills (such as critical analysis, oral and, written presentational skills and the ability to work both independently and as a team) which are central to employment
Programme structure
The ICTs in International Development programme may be studied as a Single honours or combined honours degree for a duration of 3 years full time. It can also be studied for a longer duration in part time mode. The curriculum progressively builds key practical and technical skills combined with analytical and theoretical understandings of the relationship between technology and society and development through the 3 levels of study.
Learning environment
Learning is structured around a combination of lectures, seminars and practical workshops in which the content of the lectures as well as the result of independent learning and research is debated and practiced. We also have invited speakers and visiting scholars who give lectures on the programme.
The programme is also supported by use of a virtual learning environment for provision of all module information/material and course delivery for some modules. The programme sets high standards and provides students support and guidance to enable them to achieve their potential.
Assessment
A wide range of assessment methods are used. Course work includes group work, Individual work, presentations, and a research project; some modules include formal examination for assessment. Students are informed of the mode of assessment for each module at the beginning of the semester.
Project work
Students on the BSc ICTs in International Development Single Honours, Major and Joint combined honours programmes have the opportunity to produce an independent piece of work in form of a research project in their final year of study. This project worth 40 credits combines the students’ knowledge and understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of ICTs in development gained in the modules taken. Each student will be assigned a supervisor who will help them in their research on a one to one basis. The project gives the students the opportunity to develop and research a specific area of interest in ICTs and development and leave the University with a showpiece of work for potential employers.
IS THIS THE PROGRAMME FOR ME?
If you are interested in...
- National and international ICT Policies
- Technology Transfer
- Sustainable development
- Development of databases and web pages
- Technologies of networks and the Internet
- Development theory and practice
- The political economy of International Development
- Gender and ICTs
- Innovation
- Regulation of ICTs
- Basics of programming and scripting
If you enjoy...
- Interdisciplinary study
- Intellectual challenge
- Working with ICT applications
- Learning about development theory and practice
- Exploring how ICTs can support and hinder development
- Problem solving with Information and Communication Technologies
- Working independently and in groups
- Evaluating cases of ICT development in different areas of the world
- Meeting new people and making friends from a variety of backgrounds
If you want...
- A programme that offers an international dimension
- A programme that will be enjoyable and challenging
- A mix of social, political, cultural and economic study of ICTs globally
- An open and flexible choice of modules from different disciplines
- Specialist knowledge of ICT and International Development issues
- To spend three years in a culture of research, knowledge and inquiry
- The opportunity for a February start
- To develop skills for working on International, local and national projects involving IT
Your future career
The ICT in International Development can provide you with knowledge and skills to pursue a career in ICT Policy work locally, nationally and internationally. There are also advisory, management, administrative and research positions in specialised technology industries, international organisations that mainstream ICTs in development, international NGOs, and national or local organisations that use ICTs.
Further study is also available by moving on to the MSc in NGO and Development Management or the MA in Innovation both of which are provided by the University of East London for those who would like a career in development related management or governance of innovation in organisations.
How we support you
- A personal tutor to advise you about your individual engagement with the programme
- Study skills in a wide range of areas including information retrieval, academic writing, research skills to obtain up-to-date information etc.
- A student handbook that gives advice and help on the structure of the degree programmes, an overview of university wide and school based regulations, and information on all modules on offer within the school including their content, recommended reading and aims and objectives.
- Provision of individual module guides which contain details of weekly lectures, seminars and workshops, reading lists, module assessment, and marking schema.
- Medical, counselling and financial support and advice to all students
- Career days to assist you in choosing your professional career
- A wide range of student societies to enrich your degree experience
Bonus factors
The modern UEL campus is positioned in the new commercial and financial development of London Docklands. New on campus Students Flats, new Learning Resources Centre and a new students’ union building have been added during 2006/7.
The Docklands Light Railway, Cyprus stop, is immediately adjacent to the campus. There are great views of the docks, City of London Airport and the Isle of Dogs development.
The School boasts a vibrant research culture with 9 research centres and over 100 PhD Students. Students wishing to pursue further studies and research are well catered for.
There are several Masters programmes in the school that could be taken following completion of this degree including: MA Innovation Studies, MSc NGO and Development Management, MA Refugee Studies, Masters of Research (MRes), MA Global Media.
Outcomes
Programme aims and learning outcomes
What is this programme designed to achieve?
This programme is designed to give you the opportunity to:
- Examine the debates around ICTs for development within both a historical and contemporary context
- Explore the theoretical and conceptual approaches from the social studies of ICT and Development and to relate these to practice.
- Develop skills and technical knowledge required for implementing ICT related development projects and initiatives
- Analyse the social, economic, political and technical factors shaping ICTs internationally
- Explore critical questions about globalisation and an Information Society.
What will you learn?
Knowledge
- The of the relationship between technology, society and development
- Current policies and practices relating to ICTs in development
- Theories, concepts and approaches applied to the study of ICTs and Development and discuss these within the context of globalisation and development practices
- The knowledge required for development and implementation and use of ICTs in an international context.
Thinking skills
- Analyse, economic, social and technical factors which shape the development and implementation of ICT s
- Synthesise and apply relevant theoretical concepts and perspectives to the study of ICTs in development
- Critically analyse the processes of globalisation of ICTs as they relate to International development
- Demonstrate ability to identify principles of good practice by examining ICTs for Development projects from a variety of different global settings
- Reflect critically on the nature of ICTs and the concept of development and ability to relate this to own experiences and others’ experiences in an international context
- Evaluate various approaches to systems design
- Evaluate approaches to the implementation of ICTs for development projects
Subject-Based Practical skills
- Use commercial/professional computer applications effectively
- Design and write computer programmes and scripts
- Plan, analyse, design and Implement IT and web-based information systems
- Use a virtual learning environment effectively
- Conduct independent research
Skills for life and work (general skills)
- Interactive and group skills
- Competence in written, oral and visual presentations
- Planning and management of individual and group project work
- Problem solving
- Working within time and resource constraints
Structure
The programme structure
Introduction
All programmes are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study that is needed.
One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you do e.g. lecture, seminar and private study).
Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels:
- 0 - equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare students for year one of an undergraduate degree programme
- 1 - equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- 2 - equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- 3 - equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- M - equivalent in standard to a Masters degree
Credit rating
The overall credit-rating of this programme is 360 credits.
Typical duration
The expected duration of this programme is 3 years when attended in full-time mode or 4.5-8 years in part-time mode. It is possible to move from a full-time mode of study to a part-time mode of study and vice-versa, to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments. Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period.
How the teaching year is divided
Students can start this programme in either semester A or B. For students who begin in semester A, the academic year begins in September and ends in June. For semester B students it begins in February and ends in January. A student, normally registering for 6 modules in one year (3 modules in each Semester) would do so in a full-time attendance mode of study and a student registering for up to 4 modules in one year (2 modules in each Semester) would do so in part-time attendance mode of study.
What you will study when
This programme is part of a modular degree scheme. A student registered in a full-time attendance mode will take six 20 credit modules per year. An honours degree student will complete six modules at level one, six at level 2 and six at level 3.
It is possible to bring together modules from one field with modules from another to produce a combined programme. Subjects are offered in a variety of combinations:
- Single - 120 credits at levels one, two and three
- Major - 80 credits at levels one, two and three
- Joint - 60 credits at levels one, two and three
- Minor - 40 credits at levels one, two and three
Modules are defined as:
- Core - Must be taken
- Option - Select from a range of identified modules within the field
- University wide option - Select from a wide range of modules across the University
The following are the core and optional requirements for the single and combined pathways for this programme
Level 1 Entry
|
LEVEL |
TITLE |
CREDITS |
STATUS |
STATUS |
STATUS |
STATUS |
|
1 |
Poverty, Inequality and International Development |
20 |
Core |
Core |
Core |
Core |
|
1 |
Study Skills and ICT |
20 |
Core |
Core |
Core* |
|
|
1 |
Understanding Technologies |
20 |
Core |
Core |
Core |
Option |
|
1 |
Political Economy of International Development |
20 |
Core |
Option |
|
|
|
1 |
Introduction to Web Page Production |
20 |
Core |
Option |
Option |
Option |
|
1 |
University Wide Option |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
ICTs in a Global Context |
40 |
Core |
Core |
Core |
Core |
|
2 |
Development Theory, Practice and Employability |
20 |
Core |
Core |
Core* |
|
|
2 |
Networking: Technologies, Applications and Issues |
20 |
Core |
Option |
Option |
Option |
|
2 |
Information Systems Development |
20 |
Core |
Option |
|
|
|
2 |
Planning & Resourcing |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
|
2 |
Refugees, Migration & Development |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
|
2 |
Programming & Scripting |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
|
2 |
No Logo, No Debt, No Sweat |
20 |
Option |
Option |
|
|
|
2 |
Sustainable Development |
20 |
Option |
Option |
Option |
Option |
|
2 |
Gender and Development |
20 |
Option |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Global Information Society |
20 |
Core |
Core |
Core |
Core |
|
3 |
Research & Dissertation Workshop |
40 |
Core |
Core |
Core* |
|
|
3 |
Dynamic Content for the WWW |
20 |
Option |
|
||
|
3 |
Systems Design, Work & the User |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Innovation & Regulation of ICT |
20 |
Option |
Option |
Option |
Option |
|
3 |
Surveillance, Technology and Society |
20 |
Option |
Option |
Option |
Option |
|
3 |
University Wide Option |
20 |
Option |
|
|
|
* This is a skills curriculum module. Joint Honours students must take this module unless an equivalent is being undertaken in the other half of their programme
Requirements for gaining an award
In order to gain an honours degree you will need to obtain 360 credits including:
- A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
- A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
- A minimum of 120 credits at level three or higher
In order to gain an ordinary degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 300 credits including:
- A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
- A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
- A minimum of 60 credits at level three or higher
In order to gain a Diploma of Higher Education you will need to obtain at least 240 credits including a minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher and 120 credits at level two or higher
In order to gain a Certificate of Higher Education you will need to obtain 120 credits at level one or higher.
In order to gain a Foundation Degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 240 credits including:
- A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
- A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
(A foundation degree is linked to a named Honours degree onto which a student may progress after successful completion of the Foundation degree.)
Degree Classification
Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree, and has gained a minimum of 240 UEL credits at level 2 or level 3 on the programme, including a minimum of 120 UEL credits at level 3, the award classification is determined by calculating:
|
The arithmetic mean of the best 100 credits at level 3 |
× |
2/3 |
+ |
The arithmetic mean of the next best 100 credits at levels 2 and/or 3 |
× |
1/3 |
and applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the following classification
|
70% - 100% |
First Class Honours |
|
60% - 69% |
Second Class Honours, First Division |
|
50% - 59% |
Second Class Honours, Second Division |
|
40% - 49% |
Third Class Honours |
|
0% - 39% |
Not passed |
Assessment
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching and learning
Knowledge is developed through
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Workshops
- Tutorials
- Reading and Research for assignments and projects
Thinking skills are developed through
- Discussions in seminars and individual and group tutorials
- Reading and research for assignments and projects
- Application of critical analysis to a variety of issues
Practical skills are developed through
- Workshop activities and exercises
- Continual independent practice and use of technologies
- Assignment work with a practical element
- Individual projects
Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through
- Individual and group presentations
- Information technology workshops
- Researching and writing of essays and projects
- Presentation of written assignment work
- Solving problems through real life scenarios
Assessment
Knowledge is assessed by
- Essay and report based coursework
- Interim tests and examinations
- Technical report based coursework often associated with an IT practical element
- Presentations
- Online assessment of group collaboration
Thinking skills are assessed by
- Essay based coursework
- Interim tests and examinations
- Case study research and analysis
- Individual research project
Practical skills are assessed by
- Assignments demonstrating the ability to use software and hardware
- Production of an end product (database, CDROM, computer program, web page etc)
- Demonstration of ability to analyse existing information systems
- Demonstration of competency in workshop tasks
Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by
- Quality of written work in assignments
- Adherence to strict assignment deadlines
- Group assignments
- Quality, appropriateness and clarity of presentations
Quality
How we assure the quality of this programme
Before this programme started
Before this programme started, the following was checked:
- there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
- adequate resources would be in place;
- the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
- the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
- the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
- the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.
This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.
How we monitor the quality of this programme
The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:
- external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
- statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
- student feedback.
Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation. The process is monitored by our Quality and Standards Committee.
Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists. The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions. The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.
The role of the programme committee
This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff). The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality. The programme committee plays a critical role in the quality assurance procedures.
The role of external examiners
The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner. External examiners have two primary responsibilities:
- To ensure the standard of the programme;
- To ensure that justice is done to individual students.
External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including:
- Approving exam papers/assignments;
- Attending assessment boards;
- Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks;
- Ensuring that regulations are followed;
- Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future.
Listening to the views of students
The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme:
- Module evaluations
- Student representation on programme committees (meeting 2 times a year)
- Personal Tutors
- Student Enquiry Desk and Student Support Office
Students are notified of the action taken through:
- circulating the minutes of the programme committee
- School Website
- providing details on the programme notice boards
- Providing information at Student Enquiry Desk
Listening to the views of others
The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties:
- Questionnaire to organisations involved in ICT for development activities
- External lecturers
- Consultations with relevant NGOs and international development organisations regarding curriculum content
Further Information
Alternative locations for studying this programme
| Location | Which elements? | Taught by UEL staff | Taught by local staff | Method of Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Where you can find further information
Further information about this programme is available from:
- The UEL web site (http://www.uel.ac.uk)
- The programme handbook
- Module study guides
- UEL Manual of General Regulations and Policies http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
- UEL Quality Manual http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
- Regulations for the Academic Framework http://www.uel.ac.uk/academicframework/
- UEL Guide to Undergraduate Programmes
- School of Law and Social Sciences website (http://www.uel.ac.uk/lss/)
Or Contact:
ICTs in ID Programme Administrator
School of Law and Social Sciences
University of East London
4-6 University Way
London E16 2RD
Tel: +44(0)208 223 4257
- Current External examiners
- External examiner reports (available from UEL virtual learning environment (UELPlus or Moodle))
