That’s Quality!

23rd September 2014Mike WilliamsonHannah ClarkeSimon Varwell

sparqs

We work with colleges, universities and students’ associations.

We have four strategic aims:– Supporting students.– Supporting institutions.– Supporting the sector.– Developing a culture.

Objectives

By the end of the day you will:•Have a better understanding of quality processes.•Be able to explain the wider quality context. •Be able to relate this knowledge to your role.

What is ‘Quality’ and why does it matter to your students?

Robert Foster - NUS Scotland VP Education

What is the Student Learning Experience?

Task – 2 minutes

Think about a learning experience you have had. Individually, write down 3 things that were good or bad about that experience. Write them on separate post-its.

Eg. For my literature course, there weren’t enough copies of the books in the library.

The Student Learning Experience

What is Quality?

Mike Williamson

The Student Learning Experience

Task (10 minutes)

Pretend you are the Scottish Funding Council. You want to make sure that the quality of education in universities in Scotland is as high as possible.

What systems and mechanisms might you come up with to make sure quality is as high as it can be? What would you do?

Remember what we said about quality assurance and quality enhancement.

2 main parts:

• UK Quality Code

• Scottish Quality Enhancement Framework (but this has 5 sections)

UK Quality Code

A list of standards that should be met, processes that should be followed, and information which should be published.

•Used across the whole of the UK.•Very much a starting point.

On the QAA website

Quality Enhancement Framework for Universities

Student Engagement

Institution-Led Review Enhancement-

Led Institutional

Review

Public Information

Enhancement Themes

Institutional-led Review

• University itself is responsible

• Review each department or subject area at least every 6 years

• Put together a panel which has internal and external peers, and a student (which could be you!)

Enhancement-Led Institutional Review (ELIR)

External review, led by QAA Scotland.

Checking to make sure that internal quality mechanisms are working, and that there is a culture of Quality Enhancement.

Panel of peers, a student, and an international member.

Universities take this very seriously.

Public Information

• Internal and External, eg:• National Student Survey• Internal survey results• Key Information Set• Success rates• Quality reports

Why is this important?

Enhancement Themes

• Managed by QAA Scotland

• All universities focus on the same topic during each Theme, run projects to do with that Theme, and then share what they’ve done.

• Student Transitions is the new Theme (until 2017)

Student Engagement

YOU ARE THE

EXPERT!

5 Key Elements

1. Students feeling part of a supportive institution.2. Students engaging in their own learning.3. Students working with their institution in shaping the direction of learning.4. Formal mechanisms for quality and governance.5. Influencing the student experience at national level.

6 Features of effective engagementA) A culture of engagement.B) Students as partners.C) Responding to diversity.D) Valuing the student contribution.E) Focus on enhancement and change.F) Appropriate resources and support.

That’s quality!

Board Game Rules• In turns, throw the dice and move forward that number of

squares.• If you land on a Challenge Square another player must pick up a

Challenge Card from the pile in the middle of the board and ask you the question.

• If the question is an anagram or missing letter write it down on a piece of paper.

• If your answer is correct you can move forward the number of moves given on the card.

• If your answer is wrong you must move back the number of moves given on the card.

• The first person that lands on the Quality Master square at the end is the winner.

• If someone lands on the Quality Master square having not answered a question they must move back 15 moves.