England¡¯s higher education regulator has identified seven areas of?concern on?the University of Northampton¡¯s computing courses in?its latest investigation.

The Office for Students (OfS) began conducting ¡°boots on?the ground¡± investigations in?2022 to?look at?standards across universities following ministerial directives, and the latest probe found that Northampton¡¯s computing courses are?¡°not effective for the nature of?the undergraduate student cohort¡±.

A also highlights that ¡°the quality of information available to students about assessment is limited¡± and ¡°it is not clear or consistent¡±.

Course completion rates stood at 71.6?per cent, below the OfS threshold of 75?per cent, the report says. It also finds ¡°significant differences in attainment¡± between different socio-economic groups, with 58?per cent of white students achieving a first-class honours degree, compared with 19?per cent of black or Asian students between 2019 and 2022 on full-time first-degree courses.

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The report finds that the university¡¯s adoption of a ¡°semesterised¡± teaching model ¨C where modules are taught and assessed within a single 13-week term rather than over 26?weeks ¨C has had a?¡°negative impact on student outcomes¡±. Students consequently had ¡°little time to reflect on one topic before starting the next¡±, and were purposely not?submitting assessments with the intention of resitting at a later date because of time pressures.

Further concerns centred on Northampton¡¯s ability to support student engagement. The OfS outlines that ¡°students have insufficient access to specialist learning resources¡± and that there are ¡°ineffective systems and processes impacting the effectiveness of academic support for students¡±.

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The report notes that the decision to move computing to its Waterside campus in 2018 had a negative impact on resources, resulting in a reduction in dedicated computing facilities and students having to ¡°fight for space¡±. The move also spurred ¡°a loss of student community¡± because study space and on-site equipment were lacking.

However, a spokesperson from the University of Northampton rebutted the report¡¯s findings, claiming that ¡°the data used is up to seven years old and views were gathered immediately after the pandemic and following a criminal cyberattack that disproportionately affected computing courses¡±.

¡°This report does not represent the considerable investment and comprehensive improvements that have been made in the years between this stale data being gathered and the report being published.¡±

The spokesperson added that the university would explore where ¡°further enhancements can be made¡± and would build on its Teaching Excellence Framework results.

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Previous investigations by the OfS found five ¡°areas of concern¡± at Buckinghamshire New University ¨C where it highlighted that a student ¡°appeared asleep¡± during one class ¨C and one at the University of Wolverhampton. Scrutiny of London South Bank University found ¡°no?areas of?concern¡±.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com