Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it, did I complain at times? Yes. I think like all universities there are good lecturers and bad lecturers, thankfully the really bad left during our stay, so you’ll be okay. Lecturers like Barry and Ross are amazing and will bend over backwards to help you – I highly recommend all their modules! Your course mates will be the most diverse bunch of people you’ll ever meet and you’ll learn to love all of them – even the really irritating ones. Graduating last week was bittersweet for me. I was happy to have finally made it but devastated to be leaving. Enjoy it!
Assessments All modules have two or three assessment pieces:
For example my first year was:
Perspectives in Education – Essay (60%), Group Presentation & Supporting Paper (40%) Historical and Contemporary Issues – Essay (60%), Group Presentation (20%) and Supporting Paper (20%) Teaching and Learning in the Primary Sector – Poster (30%), Group Presentation (30%), Essay (40%) Children and Childhood: Current Issues (I think it’s now Social Justice) – Report (40%) Essay (60%)
The 2nd year module “Development of the Individual Child” had a group Wiki as did some of the third year modules. This is the only module that has a formal exam (they added it our year) which put a lot of people off it, I don’t like exams and I found it okay.
3rd year had a lot more variation: the norm plus: micro teaches, discussion boards, seminar papers, portfolios, films etc.
Next move I’ve just been accepted on to a Primary PGCE at University of Leicester, hopefully I live to tell tale. I’d say 50% of the course has gone the teacher training route, a lot of the others are doing masters at various universities and the rest have taken a year out to TA.