Manchester TRAFFIC - Mark Stubbs

There once was a project at Manchester Met
To transform curriculum was the goal that we set
Rewriting every module was the name of the game
Enhancing assessment for learning, our overall aim

An online web form we chose to adapt
So every outcome and assessment had to be mapped
Enter once and re-use wherever it’s needed
Was the call that our system developers heeded

Precise definitions of every assignment
Should allow us to check constructive alignment
But not quite yet as 800 new modules reviewed and approved
Meant “nice-to-haves” just had to be moved

Good news for this project: we’ve lots on which to build!
Bad news: module specs for levels 5 and 6 now need to be filled

Influencing this wholesale re-write is too good to waste
But under this pressure all efforts require haste
Written, approved and timetabled to deliver in September
Brief windows of opportunity from last year we remember
So we’ll make the most of ‘em and try to stay merry
As implementation gives our second bite at the cherry

Mainstreaming innovations will give our biggest return
So we’ll be on the lookout for all we can learn

We’re hoping that our staff will be using their noodle
And doing some innovative assessment with Moodle
We already show students when coursework is due
But there’s so much more our staff want to do:
E-submission, Mahara and Turnitin plug-ins
Extending our core VLE will be a key job for muggins!

Don’t tell Myles, but full-blown BI can come later
We just need assessment practice and outcomes data
Our aim is to include A&F in a module health metric
So that we move continuous improvement beyond normal rhetoric

Our pitch is nearly over, I sense the timer
So I’ll summarize TRAFFIC with this one liner:
We’ll influence the curriculum re-write and support implementation
By mainstreaming assessment and feedback innovation
Mark Stubbs (20th century) England