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At St Mary’s we aim to provide a high quality learning
environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and
best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable
students to achieve their full academic potential. On the BA (Liberal
Arts) degree programme we do this by providing a range of learning
experiences which enable our students to engage with subject and
professional experts. Students are supported in developing attributes
and perspectives that will equip them for life as professionals,
while enhancing their development as independent, lifelong learners.
The results of the National Student Survey have consistently shown
that students rate the quality of teaching and learning in the
College very highly. The College has recently completed an extensive
refurbishment of the Student Centre, providing welcoming areas
for students to meet and socialise. Additionally, the College
has on its compact campus a modern, well-stocked library, an IT
Open-Access Suite, dedicated workshop areas, a fitness suite and
a specialist PE Centre. As St Mary’s students are also students
of Queen’s University Belfast they have access to facilities
at Queen’s, including the Students’ Union, libraries,
IT facilities, Chaplaincy, Queen’s PEC and the Student Guidance
Centre. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on
this course are:
- Lectures: Lectures are used to provide students
with essential information and an understanding of topics often
as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.
Lectures also provide students with opportunities to ask questions
and gain some feedback and advice on assessments (often delivered
in large groups to all year group peers).
- Seminars/Tutorials: Significant amounts of
teaching are carried out in seminars and tutorials with small
groups (typically 8-20 students). These provide an opportunity
for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist
knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess
their own progress and understanding with the support of peers.
Students should also expect to make presentations and other
contributions to these groups.
- Workshops/Practical Work: Students will have
opportunities to develop competences in communication skills
in practical sessions. Where students have chosen a specialist
subject with a strong practical component (such as PE), much
of the associated learning will take place in practical classes.
- Self-directed Study: This is an essential
part of life as a St Mary’s student, when important private
reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on
feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work
is carried out.
- Work related learning: In years 2 and 3
of the degree programme, individual placements are arranged
for students in a range of work environments (public sector,
private sector, voluntary sector) so that students have the
opportunity to develop employability skills through shadowing
management and/or working on allocated projects. Placements
are arranged by the College’s WRL Co-ordinator in consultation
with the student to support the student’s career aspirations.
By means of assessment instruments, the student is encouraged
to relate their work experience to issues raised in college
courses.
- E-Learning Technologies: Information associated
with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE), using the College Intranet site.
A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree
through, for example, interactive group workshops, sessions
on the use of ICT in the work place, web-based learning activities,
etc.
- Supervised Projects: In final year, students
are offered the opportunity across a range of modules to undertake
a supervised project which requires them to carry out a significant
piece of research on a topic that they have chosen. They receive
support from a supervisor who will guide them in terms of how
to carry out their research and who will provide advice during
the write up stage.
- Personal Tutor: Undergraduates are allocated
a Personal Tutor on entry to the programme. The Personal Tutor
is available to meet with them and to give advice throughout
their time at St Mary’s, in support of their academic
development and to help students find appropriate support where
required.
- Writing Centre and Peer Tutoring: St Mary’s
operates the first Higher Education writing centre to be established
on the island of Ireland. Through this students are assisting
in developing their writing skills. For example, students may
bring writing assignments to the Writing Centre to work with
other students or “peer tutors” who function in
a collaborative role, helping the students to discover what
they want to write and how to develop as university-level writers.
Incoming students have found the Writing Centre a valuable resource
and often continue visiting the Centre throughout their university
career.
- Field Trips/Study Tours: Study visits and
field trips are integrated into several of our subject modules.
The purpose of these is to help students understand the real-life
context of their studies and to exercise critical thinking and
interpretation.
- Study Abroad Opportunities: Students have
the opportunity to spend time studying in one of over 40 European
and North American universities and colleges with which the
College has developed links. For example, this could take the
form of a semester’s study in Norway, Belgium, Spain,
etc, (for which credits are transferred back to your degree
here in St Mary’s) or a one year placement in a North
American college as part of the Study USA initiative.
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