UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY
TEACHING COMMITTEE: MINUTES
A meeting of Teaching Committee was held on Wednesday 20 May 2009 at 2.00 pm in Room 209.
Documentation relating to Items 7 and 8 had been available in room 411A in advance of the meeting.
PRESENT
Sue Hamilton Chair, MA Field Archaeology Tutor
Mark Lake Deputy Chair, MSc GIS and Spatial Analysis in Archaeology Tutor
Judy Medrington Secretary, Disabilities Co-ordinator
Cyprian Broodbank Graduate Tutor
Kent Cao Undergraduate Student Rep
Emily Esche Student Faculty rep
Roxana Ferllini MSc Forensic Archaeological Science Tutor
Dorian Fuller MSc Environmental Archaeology Tutor
Andrew Gardner Deputy Undergraduate Admissions Tutor
Elizabeth Graham Undergraduate Tutor Year 3, Deputy Graduate Tutor
Dafydd Griffiths Chair of Examiners
David Jeffreys BA Egyptian Archaeology co-ordinator
Robert Kirby Librarian
Louise Martin Joint Chair of Staff/Student Consultative Committee (staff), Equal
Opportunities Liaison Officer
Norah Moloney Undergraduate Tutor Year 1
Elizabeth Pye MA Principles of Conservation Tutor
Miljana Radivojevic Research Student Rep
Corinna Riva AWS Tutor, Tutor to Qualifying Year students
Naomi Russell Undergraduate Student Rep
Stephen Shennan Director, Chair of Facilities Committee
Ulrike Sommer MA Artefact Studies Tutor
Dietz Stout Undergraduate Admissions Tutor, Affiliate Tutor
John Tait MA Egyptian Archaeology Tutor, AHE Tutor
Jeremy Tanner BA Classical Archaeology Tutor, AHA Tutor,
David Wengrow MA EMME Tutor
Karen Wright Chair of Library Committee
The new student reps: Miljana Radivojevic, Naomi Russell and Kent Cao, were welcomed to the
meeting.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE had been received from Paul Basu, Cyprian Broodbank, Ethan
Cochrane, Lisa Daniel, Joe Flatman, Andrew Garrard, Ashley Hayes, Simon Hillson, Kris
Lockyear, Kevin MacDonald, Marcos Martinon-Torres , Tim Schadla-Hall, Clare Stevens,
Ignacio de la Torre
2. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
The minutes of the last meeting, held on Wednesday 11 February, were confirmed and signed.
3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Minute 3.9. Common Timetable
It was confirmed that the UCL Common Timetable was being implemented for 2009-10.
Minute 9. National Student Survey
It was confirmed that a new webpage would be added to the IoA Intranet, giving advice on
careers.
Minute 11. Use of Turnitin for dissertations
It was noted that in 2009-10 undergraduate (but not Master’s) students would be asked to submit
dissertations to Turnitin.
4. REPORT ON UCL INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT 2009
The Chair thanked Mark Lake, Judy Medrington, Cyprian Broodbank and Lisa Daniel for their
work preparing documentation for the audit. It was noted that one member of staff and three
students had met with the auditors: Sue Hamilton, Graham Isted, Andrew Shapland and Clare
Stevens. All were thanked. The official report had not yet been received, but informal feedback
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had been positive.
It was noted that, in the course of preparations for the audit, it had become clear that many
teachers had not followed the recent guidance with regard to the removal of common material
from handbooks. This would be re-circulated. The common material would also be issued
separately in hard copy to interdepartmental and intercollegiate students attending IoA courses,
and is also available in Degree Handbooks and the IoA Intranet.
It was also agreed that the summary of IoA good practice that had been produced for the audit
should be circulated to all staff.
5. MA/MSc ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT 2007-8
The Annual Monitoring report for the IoA’s MA and MSc degrees for 2007-8 (filed with these
minutes) had been circulated in advance of the meeting. The generally positive nature of this
review was noted. It was noted that 29% of students had gained their degrees with Distinction,
and that 84% of courses had achieved a score of 4 or higher in the course evaluations. It was
noted that UCL does not normally expect courses or degrees to run with fewer than 10 students,
but some exceptions are made if significant numbers normally proceed to research degrees or
significant number of overseas students enrol.
6. AVAILABILITY OF BA/BSc COURSE OPTIONS 2009-10 (list attached)
The list of BA/BSc course options which would be running in 2009-10 had been circulated in
advance of the meeting. This was noted.
7. COURSE EVALUATION FORMS 2009
A summary of scores and returns of evaluation forms for each IoA course had been circulated in
advance of the meeting (attached). It was noted that the great majority had scored 4 or higher.
The teachers of the following courses were congratulated on achieving a score of 4.8 or higher:
2014 Zooarchaeology
2022 The prehistoric Mediterranean
2023 Investigating Egyptian artefacts
2036 Archaeological illustration and imaging
2040 Studies in African field archaeology
2042 Digital imaging in archaeology
3009 Intermediate Middle Egyptian Texts
3033 Bronze and Iron Age Britain
3051 Archaeology of Mesopotamia
3060 Ancient societies of Amazonia
3082 Late Bronze Age Aegean in the Mediterranean world
G034 Museum and Site Interpretation
G053 Rethinking Classical Art: sociological & anthropological approaches
G091 Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology II
G107 Technology and analysis of archaeological materials
G108 Archaeometallurgy: mining and extractive technology
G111 Glass, glazes, pigments and beads
G113 Lithic analysis
G114 Archaeological ceramics and plaster
G117 Spatial analysis in archaeology
G127 Managing archaeological sites
G140 Conservation in practice: preventive conservation
G144 Variation and evolution of the human skull
G147 Evolutionary archaeology
G160 Underwater archaeology: techniques and methods
G161 Global issues in maritime archaeology
G175 Cultural memory
G129 Arch of pre-modern humans in Eurasia
G181 Evolution of Palaeolithic and Neolithic societies in the Near East
G182 Languages, genetics and archaeology
G187 Resources and Subsistence
G188 Environmental Archaeology in Practice
G195 The Aegean from first farmers to Minoan states
G196 The Late Bronze Age Aegean
8. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: ARCL2037
It was agreed that the method of assessment for ARCL2037 should be changed from one
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examination and two essays to one examination and one essay.
9. SOCRATES/ERASMUS STUDENTS
It was reported that Julia Shaw would be taking over from Dietz Stout as Affiliate and
Socrates/Erasmus Tutor with effect from July 2009.
It was noted that there was much concern that some Erasmus students currently have a very
limited grasp of English. Although it is evidently not normal practice to do so, it was agreed
that the Institute should insist upon receiving evidence of a satisfactory level of English
before accepting these students.
10 RECENTLY PUBLISHED LEAGUE TABLES
It was noted that the Institute had recently come second in The Guardian league table for
Archaeology Departments in the UK (having been first in 2008), and fourth in The
Independent table. Mark Lake had conducted an analysis of how different league tables are
calculated and had also noted that there is a correlation between research excellence and
high scores for teaching. It was also noted that the Institute achieves high scores for
spending per student, staff/student ratio, satisfaction with assessment, and value added.
The ranking overall naturally depends upon the weighting given to these and other factors in
the different league tables. Whilst it is pleasing to note the Institute’s generally high scores,
it was agreed that there was no room for complacency, particularly with regard to the
provision of feedback, tutorials and careers advice. The matter was referred to SCTC
Concern was expressed about the likely negative impact on the satisfactory provision of
feedback if, in the future, UCL requires coursework to be marked anonymously.
11 MATTERS RELATING TO MASTER’S DEGREES
(a) MA IN MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY
It was reported that this degree would not run in 2009-10.
(b) MA IN FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY
It was reported that this degree would not run in 2009-10 and would cease to be offered in its
current format. This is due largely to the difficulty finding sufficient placements in the current
economic climate. The possibility of offering an option in this area was under discussion
(Action: Sue Hamilton, Dominic Perring, Tim Schadla-Hall)
(c ) PROPOSED CHANGES TO STRUCTURE OF MA IN MUSEUM STUDIES
Possible changes to the structure of the MA in Museum Studies would be discussed at a
meeting to be held on 24 May.
(d) MA IN CLASSICAL ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
It was reported that an MA in Classical Art and Archaeology is currently offered by the
Department of Greek and Latin, but that it had been agreed that with effect from 2010-11 the
Institute would become the parent department. Students would take either the MA
Archaeology Core Courses G193 and G194, or the Core Course for the MA in Comparative
Art and Archaeology, G067.
(e) BLOCK TEACHING OF MASTER’S COURSES
It was reported that G111 Archaeological glass and glazes, and G101 Archaeobotanical
analysis in practice would be block-taught in Reading Weeks 1 and 2 respectively in 2009-
10. G101 would also be open to paying short course students from outside the Institute.
This development was welcomed.
12. FUNDING OF PGTAs
It was reported that it is no longer permissible to use AHRC funding for PGTAs. The funding
available for TAs in 2009-10 is therefore significantly less than in the past, so it will only be
possible to support courses for which TA support is essential.
13. PEER OBSERVATION OF TEACHING 2008-9
It was reported that all but 45 out of 48 members of teaching staff (94%) had undertaken peer
observation of teaching in 2008/9.
14. STAFF TRAINING COURSE
Liz Pye reported that a well-attended in-house staff training course on the use of Portico, Turnitin
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and Silva had been beld on 19 May. This had been very useful. Mark Lake, Ash Rennie,
Audrey Reed, Andrew Gardner and Sonja Van Praag were thanked for their contributions.
15. REPORT FROM FACULTY TEACHING COMMITTEE MEETINGS held on 17 March and 5
May
Sue Hamilton reported that:
(a) The AMRs had been approved
(b) The IoA justifications of courses running with fewer than 10 students were considered and
forwarded to PDExSCo for endorsement
C) The placing of AMR’s on Departmental Intranets versus the UCL web was discussed. There
is some variation in procedures between departments. It was decided to clarify best practice and
establish a common approach at the next FTC.
16. REPORTS OF INSTITUTE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
(a) STAFF/STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE held on 7 May
The minutes of the meeting are available on the IoA Intranet. Louise Martin highlighted the
following matters which had been discussed:
(i) The newly-elected SAS reps were welcomed to the committee
(ii) It was noted that 69% of finalists had completed the 2009 NSS survey – the highest return
in UCL
(iii) received a report on the new arrangements for peer assisted learning (PAL), which is
undertaken by the student mentors. It was also reported that 8 new mentors had been
appointed for 2009-10
(iv) The Dean of Students’ new Code of Conduct had been discussed and welcomed. The link
is given here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dean-of-students/code-of-conduct.html This would be
included in all handbooks (for both students and staff) in future
(v) Wordlimits for essays
A request had been received from a final-year undergraduate student that, in the interests of
fairness, consideration be given to the imposition of penalties for the submission of over-length
coursework. There was much discussion, and it had been agreed that this should be supported.
It was felt that adherence to word limits was a useful transferable skill, and would ensure that
those who do adhere to wordlimits are not disadvantaged. It had also been noted that this
would enable staff to mark and return work more quickly.
It was agreed to endorse this suggestion and forward it to Teaching Committee with the
recommendation that:
(i) an additional heading should be added to all coversheets requiring students to
indicate not only the actual wordlength, but also the official wordlimit.
(ii) those setting titles should ensure that each coursework topic can be adequately
treated within the wordlimit.
Concern was expressed about the policing of wordlimits, and it was agreed that some flexibility
should be allowed.
After much discussion Teaching Committee endorsed these recommendations, which would be
forwarded to Staff Meeting and SCTC for precise resolution.
(b) FIELDWORK SUB-COMMITTEE held on 7 May
It was reported that
(i) arrangements were in hand for the West Dean training course
(ii) the archive training courses were taking place during May
(iii) ACCA students may now claim funding for 70 days if they wish
(iv) with effect from September 2009, Mark Roberts was taking over the Chair of the
committee, as well as responsibility for course ARCL3056, the undergraduate surveying
course, the West Dean training course and the archive archaeology course.
(c) FACILITIES COMMITTEE held on 11 March
It was reported that
(i) there would be major disruption in the building during the summer, due to the installation
of a new heating system.
(ii) the computers in the Masters and research student study rooms would in future be
included in the ‘cascade’ system.
(d) LIBRARY COMMITTEE meeting held on 19 February
It was reported that the following matters had been discussed
(i) stockpiling of books on desks – which is no longer allowed.
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(ii) opening on the second May Bank Holiday – the library would be open from 11-6
17. NEW BA IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
This degree would have its first intake in September 2009. It was noted that, following
consideration of aspects of this degree at Fieldwork Committee, course ARCL1006 (Field
methods and techniques) would be a compulsory (in lieu of ARCL1007 Interdisciplinary
approaches) (Action Norah Maloney and Kris Lockyear to meet to consider any necessary
adjustments to the content of these courses resulting from these changes.
David Wengrow, who was leaving the Institute at the end of the 2008-9 session, was thanked for
his work setting up this degree. Dorian Fuller would now be taking on the IoA Co-ordination of
this degree programme
18. REPORTS ON JOINT DEGREES
(a) BA ANCIENT WORLD STUDIES (AWS) DEGREE
All was well with this degree.
(b) BA ARCHAEOLOGY, CLASSICS AND CLASSICAL ART (ACCA) DEGREE
All was well with this degree. The Steering Group had met on 12 December.
(c) BA ANCIENT HISTORY AND EGYPTOLOGY (AHE) DEGREE
All was well with this degree.
(d) BA ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF ART (AHA) DEGREE
All was well with this degree.
(e) MSC IN PALAEOANTHROPOLOGY AND PALAEOLITHIC ARCHAEOLOGY (PAPA)
All was well with this degree.
19. DATES OF MEETINGS 2009-10
Wednesday 2 December 2009, 2pm
Wednesday 10 February 2010, 2pm
Wednesday 19 May 2010, 2pm
20 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
MAJOR INCIDENT PROVISION
UCL requires all Departments to have a ‘major incident plan’. The views of Teaching
Committee were invited with regard to provision that should be made to deal with issues that
might arise from a major incident. It was agreed that the matter should be referred to SCTC
and with particular respect to clarifying the lines of communication in the circumstance of a
major incident.
The Chair thanked Clare Stevens and Emily Esche (student reps) for their helpful
contributions to the Committees proceedings throughout the year.
The Chair noted that both Dietz Stout and David Wengrow were leaving the Institute at the
end of the session. They were thanked for all that they had done for teaching at the Institute.
The Chair thanked Mark Lake and Judy Medrington for their support during the year.
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UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY
PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF COURSE EVALUATION FORMS 2008-2009 as at 14/06/09
BA/BSc COURSE-UNITS
Code COURSE % Return Nos. of Score
forms/ (out of 5)
students
1002 Introduction to Roman archaeology 74% 17/23 4.2
1003 Past societies. 59% 19/32 4.5
1004 Introduction to Greek archaeology 63% 14/22 4.0
1005 Introduction to Egyptian archaeology 56% 30/54 3.8
1006 Introduction to archaeological field methods and 76% 34/45 4.0
techniques
Experimental archaeology course 91% 41/45 4.6
1007 Interdisciplinary approaches to arch problems 65% 29/45 4.2
1008 Introduction to social anthropology: Lectures 76% 32/43 3.8
Tutorials 4.2
1009 Peoples and societies of the Ancient Near East 86% 12/14 4.5
1010 Introduction to European prehistory 67% 8/12 4.3
1011 Texts in archaeology 96% 22/23 4.4
1013 Ancient Egyptian writing and inscriptions 97% 30/31 4.5
2001 Roman coinage 54% 7/13 4.7
2003 Conservation for archaeologists 71% 15/21 4.6
2007 Greek art and architecture 90% 18/20 4.5
2008 Roman art and architecture 88% 15/17 4.4
2009 Plants and archaeology 100% 7/7 4.8
2012 Archaeology of ancient Egypt 89% 16/18 4.5
2014 Zooarchaeology 81% 26/32 4.8
2017 Geoarchaeology 100% 13/13 4.6
2018 Early medieval archaeology of Britain 80% 15/19 4.7
2019 Public archaeology 91% 39/43 4.5
2020 Pyrotechnology 86% 6/7 4.7
2021 Archaeological surveying 85% 11/13 4.7
2022 The prehistoric Mediterranean 100% 22/22 4.8
2023 Investigating Egyptian artefacts 86% 6/7 4.8
2024 Middle Egyptian Language and Texts 100% 9/9 4.7
2026 The emergence & spread of modern humans 85% 23/27 4.1
2028 Current issues in archaeological theory 65% 34/52 4.2
2029 Archaeology of Mesoamerica 79% 15/19 4.5
2035 Archaeological photography 96% 39/30 4.7
2036 Archaeological illustration and imaging 93% 14/15 4.8
2037 Interpreting archaeological data 71% 34/48 4.0
2038 Research and presentation skills in archaeology 52% 23/44 3.8
2040 Studies in African field archaeology 100% 13/13 4.9
2041 Organic materials in prehistory 75% 9/12 4.6
2042 Digital imaging in archaeology 68% 15/22 4.8
3009 Intermediate Middle Egyptian Texts 91% 11/11 4.9
3025 Egyptian scripts 50% 6/12 4.7
3030 Egypt in the world 100% 11/11 4.6
3033 Bronze and Iron Age Britain 71% 12/17 4.8
3045 The Aztecs 90% 19/21 4.7
3051 Archaeology of Mesopotamia 100% 17/17 4.9
3052 Archaeology of the African Diaspora 70% 7/10 4.3
3056 Field archaeology 81% 38/47 3.7
3060 Ancient societies of Amazonia 80% 4/5 4.8
3062 Art and archaeology of Ancient China 60% 3/5 3.5
3063 Art and archaeology of Early Imperial China 80% 4/5 4.3
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3064 Pacific island archaeology 48% 6/14 4.3
3065 Archaeology of the Later Roman Empire 73% 11/15 4.5
3071 Archaeology of Neanderthals & their ancestors 100% 27/27 4.6
3075 Understanding complex societies: Egypt and 90% 26/29 4.6
Mesopotamia in 3rd millennium BC
3082 Late Bronze Age Aegean in the Mediterranean 100% 20/20 4.8
world
6002 Ancient Egypt in London Term I 100% 16/16 4.3
Term II 100% 11/11 4.5
MA/MSc COURSES
No. COURSE % Nos. Score
Return (out of 5)
G034 Museum and Site Interpretation 75% 15/20 4.8
G051 Forensic Archaeological Science 100% 11/11 4.6
G053 Rethinking Classical Art: sociological and 100% 4/4 4.8
anthropological approaches
G055 Model building in archaeology 71% 5/7 4.6
G056 Public Archaeology follows
G057 Cultural Heritage 72% 31/43 4.1
G209 Cultural heritage and development
G064 History and Theory of Museums 73% 24/33 3.9
G065 Managing Museums 83% 38/46 4.3
G067 Art: interpretation and explanation 83% 5/6 4.6
G090 Geographical Information Systems in 80% 12/15 4.3
Archaeology I
G091 Geographical Information Systems in 100% 7/7 4.8
Archaeology II
G092 Archaeology and ethnicity 79% 11/14 4.5
G104 Geoarchaeology; methods and concepts 1 100% 7/7 4.4
G105 Geoarchaeology; methods and concepts 2 75% 6/8 4.7
G107 Technology and analysis of archaeological 91% 11/12 4.9
materials
Strand C 88% 8/9 4.6
G108 Archaeometallurgy: mining and extractive 81% 13/16 4.8
technology
G109 Archaeometallurgy: metallic artefacts 83% 15/18 4.1
G111 Glass, glazes, pigments and beads 75% 14/18 5.0
G112 Interpreting pottery 90% 19/21 4.3
G113 Lithic Analysis 87% 13/15 4.9
G114 Archaeological ceramics and plaster 86% 12/14 4.8
G116 Arch approaches to the human use of space 82% 9/11 4.7
G117 Spatial analysis in archaeology 83% 5/6 4.8
G118 Research skills for spatial analysis 83% 5/6 4.2
G120 Approaches to artefact studies: Strand A 100% 16/16 4.2
G121 Conservation Processes 88% 7/8 3.9
G122 Conservation Studies 100% 7/7 4.0
G123 Conservation: materials science 100% 8/8 4.0
G127 Managing archaeological sites 74% 14/19 4.8
G128 Archaeology of Late Pleistocene and Holocene 78% 7/9 4.3
hunter-gatherers
G139 Conservation in practice: conservation 88% 22/25 4.6
management
G140 Conservation in practice: preventive 100% 24/24 4.8
conservation
G141 Issues in conservation: context of conservation 96% 28/29 4.4
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G142 Issues in conservation: understanding objects 75% 24/32 4.5
G143 Morphology & palaeopathology of the human follows
skeleton
G144 Variation and evolution of the human skull 76% 19/25 4.9
G145 Dental anthropology 67% 16/24 4.7
G146 Methodology and issues in bioarchaeology and 85% 11/13 4.6
palaeoepidemiology
G147 Evolutionary archaeology 80% 4/5 5.0
G148 Collections management and care 92% 23/25 3.9
G149 Digitisation and museums follows
G151 Forensic anthropology 100% 10/10 4.5
G155 Themes and issues in the archaeology of the 90% 7/8 4.3
Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East
G160 Underwater archaeology: techniques and 100% 6/6 5.0
methods
G161 Global issues in maritime archaeology 100% 7/7 4.8
G166 Art and archaeology of the Silk Road 80% 4/5 4.3
G168 Ethnoarchaeology 100% 9/9 4.3
G175 Cultural memory 67% 12/18 5.0
G176 Archaeology of human evolution in Africa 86% 6/7 4.7
G129 Arch of pre-modern humans in Eurasia 100% 9/9 4.9
G179 Themes in Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic 85% 11/13 4.4
Archaeology
G180 Cultural Environments 88% 7/8 4.7
G181 Evolution of Palaeolithic and Neolithic societies 91% 10/11 4.8
in the Near East
G182 Languages, genetics and archaeology 100% 3/3 5.0
G183 Evolution of Human Cognition 100% 18/18 4.3
G184 Zooarchaeology in practice follows
G185 Antiquities and the law 88% 29/33 4.3
G186 Archaeology and education 100% 15/15 4.6
G187 Resources and Subsistence 100% 8/8 4.8
G188 Environmental Archaeology in Practice 100% 8/8 4.8
G189 N East from Later Prehistory to end of the Iron 79% 11/14 4.2
Age
G190 Museum Communication 54% 14/26 4.3
G191 Museum Communication Practice 83% 10/12 4.3
G192 Collections Curatorship 78% 18/23 3.9
G193 Themes, Thought and Theory in World 87% 34/39 4.0
Archaeology: Foundations
G194 Themes, Thought and Theory in World 100% 20/20 4.3
Archaeology: Current Topics
G195 The Aegean from first farmers to Minoan states 89% 8/9 4.8
G196 The Late Bronze Age Aegean 100% 9/9 4.8
G197 The Archaeology of Early Egypt and the Sudan, 75% 9/12 4.7
c. 10,000 to 2500 BC
G198 Egyptian Landscapes: Archaeological 100% 16/16 4.6
Perspectives
G199 Egyptian Writing as Material Culture 100% 13/13 4.2
G200 Egyptian Archaeology: an Object-Based 92% 11/12 4.4
Theoretical Approach
G201 Aztec archaeology: codices and ethnohistory. 100% 13/13 4.6
G202 Mediterranean World in the Iron Age 100% 10/10 4.3
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