Quality Assurance in

Higher education

Dr. Maysoon Al-Haideri Director of Directorate of Quality Assurance

Hawler Medical Universityquality.assurance@hmu.edu.iq

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What is Quality Assurance (QA):

Quality Assurance is the planned and systematic review process of an institution or program to determine whether or not acceptable standards of education, scholarship and infrastructure are being met, maintained and enhanced. The means by which an institution can guarantee with confidence and certainty, that the standards and quality of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced. Quality Assurance provide tools and processes to enable us to meet our goals.

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Accreditation:

“The recognition of an institution which can demonstrate that its programmers’ meet acceptable standards and that it has in place effective systems to ensure the quality and continuing improvement of its academic activities, according to the criteria published by the Agency.”

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Aim of QAThe aim of quality assurance in higher education is to guarantee the improvement of standards and quality in higher education in order to make higher education meet the needs of students, employers and financiers (Lomas, 2002).

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The Quality Assurance Directorate at Hawler Medical University was established in 2008- 2009, under the administration of the Vice President of Scientific Affair and Postgraduate Studies to:

• overlook issues related to quality assurance and accreditation in the educational system, • develop an overall strategic plan for quality

assurance and accreditation, and• assist in improving the quality of the academic

programs and that of their graduates.

Overview

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The Structure and Mechanisms of the Quality Assurance Management

The Ministry of Higher Education, is responsible for the overall education system, which took the initiative steps to develop an overall strategic plan for quality assurance and accreditation to assist Higher Education Institutions to improve the quality of their academic programs and that of their graduates.

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Board of Quality Assurance and Accreditation:

This board was established by the Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research in to assess and to work with the Directors of Quality Assurance at Universities that monitor the process of quality assurance. The process of the quality assurance is supervised by the Board of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in both public and private institutes of the higher education.

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Board members of Quality Assurance and Accreditation • Minister Advisor – President • General Director of the Quality Assurance and Research at the Ministry• Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation at the Ministry • Director of the Quality Assurance of the Private Universities • Four University Vice President for Scientific Affairs • One Institute Vice President

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The main role of this Board is to:

• Introduce quality management procedures.

• Review and manage the instructions which are released by the ministry of higher education

• Develop instructions and measurements of the process of quality assurance and accreditation.

•Assure the management of the quality assurance is in the best way.

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Assess and approve the admission plan for each department, college, and faculty of the public and private universities. - Decide on the accreditation and permission of opening a new department or college at the university, - Introduce corrective action procedures, and - without reviewing of the board no related proposal will be accepted by the ministry.

The main role of the Board is to, cont.

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The Directorate of Quality Assurance (DQA) has been established within the University and is headed by the Vice-President of the Scientific Affairs who is responsible for:

• strategic direction, • leadership of teaching and learning across the university, • managing and supervising Teaching Quality Assurance

(TQA) team, • planning, maintenance of academic standards, and • enhancement of the academic profile of the university

The Directorate of Quality Assurance and Curriculum Development at the University

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For the purposes of this initiative, a Quality Assurance Committee was established in each college to monitor and ensure that the process and achievement of quality are within the standard and that the quality of learning and research are appropriate .

The committees have important roles in developing, approving, monitoring and reviewing academic policies and guidelines.

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Objectives :

1. Annually facilitate self assessment of all academic programs. 2. Continuously monitors the quality of teaching at delivery points. 3. Annually conduct quality audit affiliate institutions as per the schedule. 4. Facilitate the review of all academic programs 5. Continuously validate/verify new academic programs as per academic quality assurance regulations.

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Aim of the Quality Assurance Directorate

-To enhance the effectiveness of the university’s core activities and, -To help in improving the teaching and research standards and quality of services at the university.

The Directorate of Quality Assurance is charged with the general duties of supervising and assessing quality of all services delivered at the university.

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Quality Assurance Processes and Tools The process of quality assurance is created to assess teachers and to protect student rights and this include different program such as: Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), and the Continues Academic Development (CAD).

Both of the mentioned programs have instructions issued by the General Directorate of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR).

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Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA)

The TQA program was announced by the Ministry of Higher education and Scientific research (MHESR) to pursue the goals set by the Ministry which are:

• Introduce confidence in the value of the certificates awarded to students by the universities and Institutes of the Kurdistan Region;

• Assure the public that the quality of education and lectures offered by our universities and Institutes are up to the level of those offered by international universities;

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•Support students during their courses of study;

•Writing reports, reviewing, following up, observing, filing, decision-making, and

• Sometimes examining the lecture contents and methodology.

Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), cont.

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In summary, one may say that quality assurance should answer the following questions:

• Is the higher education institution doing the right things?

•Is it doing the right things in the right way?

•Does it achieve what it wants to achieve?

Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), cont.

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Continuous Academic Development (CAD)

In order to establish and implement CAD in the universities and colleges, the Scientific Committees of these institutes will lay down a program periodically for the academic seminars. A list of seminars schedule must be submitted to the College Council at the beginning of each semester for approval. A copy of the list should be sent to the Directorate of Quality Assurance at the University Presidency for review.

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Quality Assurance Elements

Course Book

Student’s Feedback

External Assessor

Continuing Education

Elements of Quality Assurance process

Teacher Portfolio

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Course bookThe course book is a sort of summary of the subject that the student will be taking during the semester, or during the whole academic year. It should be provided to the student at the beginning of the semester or academic year. The course book should includes the main course topics, the number of hours for each topic, samples of question, list of text books and references, and the personal contact information of the teacher and the coordinator to help eases the connection between the teacher and the students.

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Student’s feedback Collecting feedback during the course provides information that can be useful right away, while teachers are still working with students that semester. Asking for student feedback during the course can:

• Identify features of the course that students find helpful, as well as students’ perception of obstacles to learning.

• Give you a more informed basis for making decisions while you are still teaching the course.

• Open lines of communication with students who might not otherwise volunteer their comments.

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Responding to Student Feedback: It is important to acknowledge and respond to students’ feedback, but responding does not mean simply fulfilling student requests. Rather, being responsive means considering student input and finding ways to help align student expectations with your teaching and course goals.

For example you might choose to make a change recommended by students, but you might also address student perceptions by helping them see the value or purpose of something that they identified as unhelpful.

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Your response to the feedback can also create opportunities to clarify your expectations for the class, and open doors for further dialogue with students about their learning.

After collecting and analyzing the feedbacks, a copy of the report should be submitted to the Quality Assurance Committee at the college which will therefore be submitted to the Directorate of Quality Assurance at the University.

Responding to Student Feedback:, cont.

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External Assessor

An external examiner is normally a senior academic person from another institution or organization who is specialists in the fields reviewed and knowledgeable about higher education in general. He/ she review and monitor the assessment process of an institution for fairness and academic standards.

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Every course has to have an external examiner who is appointed for a period of time. The external examiner reads and approves the course contents and the examination papers, may read some or all of the examination scripts, and generally monitors standards and reports formally on his/her findings. 

External Assessor, cont.

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Main purposes of having External Examiner are:

• to verify that academic standards are appropriate for the award or part thereof which the external examiner has been appointed to examine;

• to help institutions to assure and maintain academic standards across higher education awards;

• to help institutions to ensure that their assessment processes are sound, fairly operated and in line with the institution's policies and regulations.

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Teacher Portfolio

Teacher Portfolio is a description of an instructor’s major strengths and teaching achievements. It describes documents and materials which collectively suggest the scope and quality of an instructor’s teaching proficiency.

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Goal of teacher portfolio

The goal of teacher portfolio is to present your teaching skills, experiences and credentials in a meaningful positive package.

Teaching portfolios vary considerably depending on numerous factors, including personal preference. In fact, the items that an educator elects to place in a teaching portfolio often communicate much about that individual’s values with respect to teaching and learning.

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Teacher Portfolio contain two basic elements:

• evidence of teaching, and • reflections on that evidence.

The evidence begins with what is normally listed on curriculum vitae, lists of courses, lists of responsibilities, etc.; however, it extends beyond to include a variety of activities which have had an impact on your teaching. The addition of these other documents adds depth to your teaching curriculum vitae.

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Under QA programme each and every academic, regardless of his/her degree, is required to collect points by seeking knowledge and participate in various academic activities such as: • publications in scientific/ academic journals whether

local or international, • participation in conferences, workshops, symposiums, and training courses,

• supervision on different proposals, thesis and dissertations, with

• additional activities to enhance the teachers’ skills.

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Quality Assurance Model:

A model of assuring quality is by:

• Sets of regulations and guidelines formulated;• A self evaluation prepared by the institution;•The appointment of a peer group whose review of the institution or programme would start with a

review of the self evaluation• Site visits by the peer group.

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The Four main QA topics are :

1. Development of common terms, definitions and language.

2. Processes and tools to involve faculty, departments, institutions and the higher education system.

3. Methods for working with faculty to develop learning outcomes, measures, findings, actions.

4. Ideas to sustain improvement based on information.

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1- Development of common terms, definitions and language

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Development of common terms, definitions and language

Academic Program ReviewGoals

AssessmentCritical Thinking

Program OutcomesStudent Learning Outcomes

Direct MeasuresFindings/Action Plans

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2- Processes and tools to involve faculty, departments, institutions and the higher education system

System

Institution/

School

Department

Faculty

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3. Methods for working with faculty to develop learning outcomes, measures, findings, actions

Workshops Models, guides and examples Communication and resources

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4. Ideas to sustain improvement based on information

Outcomes

Measures

FindingsAction Plans

Re-evaluation

Develop cycles of

continuous improvement

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Setting Common Goals among faculty and administrators

1. Student learning2. Program improvement3. Faculty development4. New ideas for teaching & learning5. Inter-disciplinary communication6. Fulfilling requirements

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Assessment of a Program

Assessment is a systematic process of gathering,

reviewing and using important quantitative and

qualitative data and information from multiple

and diverse sources about educational programs,

for the purpose of improving student learning,

and evaluating whether academic and learning

standards are being met.

Essential Elements in Assessment

Teaching quality assessment looks at the quality of teaching and learning in specific subjects, especially students learning experience and achievement.

It covers: Curriculum design, content and organization Teaching, learning and assessment Student progression and achievement Student support and guidance Learning resources Department level quality management

Student progression and achievement

Curriculum should be evaluated to asses how appropriate is the content to each stage of an academic programme, and to the level of the award. The design of the curriculum must secure academic and intellectual progression by imposing increasing demands on the learner over time, in terms of the acquisition of:

knowledge and skills the capacity for conceptualization increasing independence in learning.

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Self-assessment of programs

Self-assessment is an assessment conducted by the institution / department to assess whether programs meet their educational objectives and outcomes with the purpose to improve program’s quality and enhancing students learning.

Self-evaluation should review the effectiveness of curriculum design and content in enabling the intended learning outcomes to be achieved.

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Desired outcomes of self assessment

To be proactive rather than reactive

Systematize the process of assessment

To be current and take a leadership role in the country

Assist in preparing good professionals of tomorrow

Initiate improvements to achieve academic excellence

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Elements of assessment

Purpose identificationOutcomes identificationMeasurements and evaluation design Data collectionAnalysis and evaluationDecision-making regarding actions to be taken.

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What happens after assessments?Action plans Action Plans Emerge from Assessment

Plans relate to findings and goals Plans include needed resources Plans include timeline Plans are feasible!

ReportingRe-EvaluationNew Assessment

Action Plans Emerge from Assessment

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OUTPUT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

University (College)

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Ensuring COMPLIANCE

Ensuring REGULAR IMPROVEMENT

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Concluding Remarks

Self assessment will:

provide feedback from employers and Alumni and will enable Universities to improve quality and respond effectively to market needs.

require dedication from faculty members and commitment from University Administration.

establish measurable objectives and evaluate their outcomes to assess if programs meet the educational objectives.

facilitate to enhance learning.

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Concluding Remarks, cont.

Quality Assurance is the responsibility of HEI itself

Overnight results not possible. So be patient but consistent in pursuing the agenda

Full support of the administration and cooperation of faculty essential to achieve the positive results

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Selective ideas

You have to have a willing to changeIf students are not so successful you must have an action planWebsite is the main communicatorNeed clear definitions of termsImportance of collecting data, compiling interpreting, and

processingGrades do not tell us good informationPull the data and build your own filesThe importance of do abilityVisions need to be realisticThinking in a broader sense

Curriculum design, content and organization

Self-evaluation should review the effectiveness of curriculum design and content in enabling the intended learning outcomes to be achieved.

Teaching, learning and assessmentSelf-evaluation should review the effectiveness of teaching and learning, in relation to programme aims, the intended learning outcomes and curriculum content:

Objectives of Self Assessment Improve and maintain academic standards

Enhance students’ learning.

Verify that the existing programs meet their objectives and institutional goals.

Provide feedback for quality assurance of academic programs.

Student progression and achievement

Curriculum should be evaluated to asses how appropriate is the

content to each stage of an academic programme, and to the

level of the award. The design of the curriculum must secure

academic and intellectual progression by imposing increasing

demands on the learner over time, in terms of the acquisition of:

knowledge and skillsthe capacity for conceptualizationincreasing autonomy in learning.

Faculty

Processes

Curriculum

Institutional Support

Laboratories, Computing and Library

Facilities

Institutional Facilities

Processing&

Delivery

Graduates thatPerform Outcomes

that Achieve Educational Objectives

Students

Inputs Output

Assessment/Feedback

Assessment Model

Concluding RemarksEstablishing measurable objectives and evaluating their outcomes

are difficult activities that are essential to assess if programs’ meet their educational objectives.

Conducting self assessment is expected to enhance learning.

Self assessment will provide feedback from employers and Alumni and will enable Universities to improve quality and respond effectively to market needs.

Concluding Remarks

Assessment will require dedication from faculty members and commitment from University

Administration. Assessing academic programs must be supported

by other types of assessment.

The Dean should take the lead in making faculty members and Administration aware of the big role assessment plays in Education.

Conclusion

Achieving Quality and Enhancing it by:

Continuous Improvement Through Self Assessment Which Forms The Basic for External Assessment.

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Questions ? / Comments