From a Year-long Delivery Pattern to a One Semester Delivery Pattern, the Impact on Student Performance in a UK University

Abstract

Increasingly UK universities are adopting a more US-based approach of teaching subject- matter in modules across semesters This means that the teaching of a particular subject across a whole academic year is now changing to the same subject-matter being compressed into a single module taught in one semester across twelve weeks This study examines the effects of a transition over four years on 2 612 students at a UK university changing teaching methods from a year-long two semesters method of teaching to a more compressed US-style of only one semester long module method The main findings are that overall pass rates stay approximately the same but there is concern that the number of awards at a first class and upper second level has been diminished This is potentially due to the students not having the time to assimilate the course-material develop a deeper learning and understanding of the course materials