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How can/should quality assurance feature in the design of discipline-specific learning outcomes?

This article discusses the role of quality assurance in designing discipline-specific learning outcomes. It explores the principles of QA, the importance of stakeholders in determining quality, the difference between QC and QA, and the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.

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How can/should quality assurance feature in the design of discipline-specific learning outcomes?

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  1. How can/should quality assurance feature in the design of discipline-specific learning outcomes? Dr. Norma Ryan Director, Quality Promotion Unit University College Cork Irish Bologna Expert

  2. Quality Assurance • Quality assurance (QA) refers to planned and systematic production processes that provide confidence in a product's suitability for its intended purpose. It is a set of activities intended to ensure that products (goods and/or services) satisfy customer requirements in a systematic, reliable fashion. QA cannot absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes this more likely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_assurance HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  3. Principles of QA • Two key principles characterise QA: • "fit for purpose" (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose); and • "right first time" (mistakes should be eliminated). • QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components; services related to production; and management, production and inspection processes. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  4. Quality and Stakeholders • It is important to realise also that quality is determined by the intended users, clients or customers, not by society in general: it is not the same as 'expensive' or 'high quality'. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  5. Quality Control vs QA • Whereas Quality Control (QC) emphasises testing and blocking the release of defective products, quality assurance is about improving and stabilising production and associated processes to avoid or at least minimise issues that led to the defects in the first place. • However, QA does not necessarily eliminate the need for QC: some product parameters are so critical that testing is still necessary just in case QA fails HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  6. Bologna Process • European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) • Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area • Adopted in Bergen 2005 HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  7. 1. Policy and Procedures for Quality Assurance Standard: • Institutions should have a policy and associated procedures for the assurance of the quality and standards of their programmes and awards. • They should also commit themselves explicitly to the development of a culture which recognises the importance of quality, and quality assurance, in their work. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  8. To achieve this, institutions should develop and implement a strategy for the continuous enhancement of quality. • The strategy, policy and procedures should have a formal status and be publicly available. • They should also include a role for students and other stakeholders. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  9. 1. Policy and Procedures for Quality Assurance Guidelines Policy statement contains the statements of intentions and the principal means by which these will be achieved. - expected to include: the relationship between teaching and research in the institution; the institution’s strategy for quality and standards; the organisation of the quality assurance system; the responsibilities of departments, schools, faculties /units and individuals; the involvement of students; the ways in which the policy is implemented, monitored and revised. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  10. The realisation of the EHEA depends crucially on a commitment at all levels of an institution to ensuring that • its programmes have clear and explicit intended outcomes; • staff are ready, willing and able to provide teaching and learner support; • That there is full, timely and tangible recognition of the contribution to its work by staff who demonstrate excellence, expertise and dedication. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  11. 2. Approval, Monitoring and Periodic Review of Programmes and Awards • Standard • Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodic review and monitoring of their programmes and awards HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  12. 2. Guidelines QA of programmes and awards expected to include: development and publication of explicit intended learning outcomes; careful attention to curriculum and programme design and content; specific needs of different modes of delivery; availability of appropriate learning resources; formal programme approval procedures by a body other than that teaching; HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  13. monitoring of the progress and achievements of students; • regular periodic reviews of programmes (including external panel members); • regular feedback from employers, labour market representatives and other relevant organisations; • participation of students in quality assurance activities. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  14. 3. Assessment of students • Standard • Students should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and procedures which are applied consistently. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  15. 3. Assessment of students Guidelines Student assessment procedures are expected to: be designed to measure the achievement of the intended learning outcomes; be appropriate for their purpose, whether diagnostic, formative or summative; have clear and published criteria for marking; be undertaken by people who understand the role of assessment; where possible, not rely on the judgements of single examiners; HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  16. take account of all the possible consequences of examination regulations; • clear regulations covering student absence, illness / other mitigating circumstances; • assessments conducted securely in accordance with stated procedures; • subject to administrative verification checks to ensure accuracy • students should be clearly informed about assessment strategy, what assessment methods they will be subject to, what is expected of them, and the criteria applied to the assessment. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  17. 4. Quality assurance of teaching staff • Standard Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualified and competent to do so. They should be available to those undertaking external reviews, and commented upon in reports. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  18. 4. Quality assurance of teaching staff Guidelines Teachers have Full knowledge and understanding of subjects taught Necessary skills and experience to transmit their knowledge and understanding effectively in a range of teaching contexts, Access to feedback on their own performance. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  19. Institutions should ensure • Recruitment procedures ensure minimum necessary level of competence. • Teaching staff given opportunities to develop their teaching capacity • Teaching staff encouraged to value their skills. • Poor teachers given opportunities to improve skills to acceptable level • Means to remove them from teaching if demonstrably ineffective. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  20. 5. Learning Resources and Student Support • Standard Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support of student learning are adequate and appropriate for each programme offered. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  21. 5. Learning Resources and Student Support Guidelines Additional to teachers, students rely on other resources to assist learning. physical resources such as libraries or computing facilities to human support in the form of tutors, counsellors, and other advisers. Learning resources and other support mechanisms should be readily accessible to students, designed with their needs in mind and responsive to feedback from users. Institutions should routinely monitor, review and improve the effectiveness of the support services available to their students. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  22. 6. Information systems • Standard Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevant information for the effective management of their programmes of study and other activities. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  23. 6. Information systems Guidelines It is important that institutions have the means of collecting and analysing information about their own activities to know what is working well, what needs attention, or the results of innovatory practices. The quality-related information systems required by individual institutions will depend to some extent on local circumstances, but it is at least expected to cover: HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  24. student progression and success rates; • employability of graduates; • students’ satisfaction with their programmes; • effectiveness of teachers; • profile of the student population; • learning resources available and their costs; • the institution’s own key performance indicators. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  25. 6. Information systems - Guidelines There is also value in institutions comparing themselves with other similar organisations within the EHEA and beyond. This allows them to extend the range of their self-knowledge and to access possible ways of improving their own performance. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  26. 7. Public information Standard Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objective information, both quantitative and qualitative, about the programmes and awards they are Offering. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  27. 7. Public information – Guidelines HEI’s have public responsibility to provide information re programmes: the intended learning outcomes of these, the qualifications they award, the teaching, learning and assessment procedures used, and the learning opportunities available to their students. Published information might also include views and employment destinations of past students and the profile of the current student population. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  28. This information should be accurate, impartial, objective and readily accessible and should not be used simply as a marketing opportunity. • The institution should verify that it meets its own expectations in respect of impartiality and objectivity. HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  29. Key Question: • How does one apply all these standards to the issue of implementing a learning outcomes approach? • Have you satisfied yourself and the students on the transparency and clarity of the information and its application to the teaching and learning and assessment processes? HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  30. Web Resources • http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.htm • www.eua.be • www.hea.ie • www.bologna.ie • www.nqai.ie • http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/ • http://www.cepes.ro/information_services/sources/on_line/lisbon.htm HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  31. www.ucc.ie • www.ucc.ie/quality HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

  32. Thank you HEA Bologna Expert Workshop, Dublin

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