Improving your learning experience

This academic year the University has committed to improving your learning experience by introducing new entitlements which will make learning easier for all taught students.

The Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy will apply to students on all courses, and builds on good examples already set in some schools.

The new entitlements for taught students include:

• Course outlines and reading lists provided four weeks before the start of the course
• Prioritised reading lists
• Lecture outlines and key technical formulae made available at least 24 hours in advance of a lecture through your VLE (virtual learning environment)
• Email notification of announcements or changes to arrangements, such as room changes and cancellations
• Permission to audio record lectures and tutorials for personal purposes
• All teaching staff to wear microphones where available

Full details are available in the Teaching Arrangement and Materials section of the website:

Making timetabling easier

We are also introducing a new timetabling system. This means that you will be able to access a personalised, dynamic timetable via MyEd which will show all of your lectures and, in many Schools, tutorials and workshops too.

This will include information about class locations and real-time information about changes to planned teaching, meaning that you will always know where you are meant to be.

Enhanced web timetables will also mean that you can select the best course combinations for you. This will help us work to reduce timetable clashes in future.

Booking group study spaces

As well as personalised timetables, we are working to improve the study space room booking system across the University. The first step was the launch of our online room booking system last year, through which students can reserve a room for use as study space. Over 16,500 bookings were made using this system in 2012/13. We are now building on this by publishing a website containing details of each bookable room, such as its capacity and equipment. This will make it easier to find and book a study space that meets your needs.