Quality assurance and enhancement at the K.U.Leuven

1. Quality assurance and enhancement at the K.U.Leuven Veerle Hulpiau Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

2. Legal framework • Since 1991: universities responsible for the internal and external quality assurance • involvement of students, alumni and external experts • common and regular external assessment → each university organises its own system of IQA → the VL.I.R. coordinates EQA (peer review at the level of the discipline) Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

3. decree 2003: introduction of a accreditation system • report of the visiting committees serve as input for accreditation (programme level) • collaboration with the Netherlands: dutch-flemish accrediting body • accreditation depends upon the presence of general quality standards Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

4. Educational concept: • GIL • Educational • framework Follow-up: -professional development - Educational innovation • Implemen-tation • Curriculum development • … Educat. quality Quality assessment: -evaluation courses -evaluation programmes Educational quality: general framework Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

5. Quality assessment External quality assurance Internal quality assurance Evaluation of curricula Self- eval. report Periodical evaluations External peer review + report 0 Ad hoc evaluations Evaluation of particular courses accountability improvement Accreditation Ad hoc evaluations Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

6. Quality assessment • Guiding principles • Periodic evaluation of curricula • Periodic evaluation of courses (what do staff members expect?) Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

7. Guiding principles • Quality assessment initiatives are embedded in the concept of GIL • Responsibility lies at the level of the permanent curriculum committees and the staff members • QA stands or falls with the actual follow-up of the evaluation initiatives Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

8. Evaluation of curricula • Every 8 years • Permanent curriculum committee • Accordance with external evaluations: • timing • content: internal ev. prepares for the external Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

9. Evaluation of curricula • University wide procedure with room for local adjustments • supported by the Educational support office Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

10. Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination • Broad consultation of the academic community • Goal: gain a clear understanding of the expectations of faculty members and students of the new evaluation system • How? • Hearings • Individual web-based questionnaire • Questionning PCC’s Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

11. Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination • Topics: • goals (quality improvement and/or accountability) • periodicity • evaluation instruments • submission of evaluation instruments (electronically/on paper; before/after exams, …) • follow-up • (de)centralization Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

12. Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination • Results: what does the academic community expect? • disconnection of quality improvement and accountability educational quality should be taken into account • frequency: different opinions, not on a yearly basis; maybe more frequent in the case of accountability • instruments: • improvement: flexible, up to the PCC to decide • accountability: certain degree of standardization, but at the level of the faculties/departments Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

13. Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination • more enthousiasm for electronic evaluation than before • communication with regard to the results • Improvement: faculty member, PCC • Accountability: faculty member, PCC, dean, appraisal committees • decentralization (esp. improvement) with central support Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

14. Evaluation of coursesa new approach – decision • Decision? • Two tracks • Evaluations aiming at quality improvement • every 4 years • flexible • PCC • no direct link with tenure and promotion • Evaluations aiming at accountability • every 4 years • degree of standardisation Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

15. General reflections • Tension: • Centralised vs. decentralised approach? • Curricula: universitywide procedure • Courses: • Accountability (certain degree of standardisation) • Improvement (up to the PCC) • External and internal QA • IQA: or own system? • Staff involvement in the design of IQA Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

16. GIL: Characteristics • Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept • Defines goals for university teaching, roles and responsibilities of students and faculty members • It is referred to in all decisions with educational consequences Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

17. GIL: Characteristics (2) • Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept • GIL does not reject particular instructional approaches • Still there are guidelines: • education has to be functional - participation in research activities is highly valuable Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

18. GIL: Goals of university teaching • Critical scientific attitude:students should • - assimilate discipline specific research findings and frameworks • - acquire insight in the coming about of these findings • - be able to acquire information independently • - be able to contribute themselves to the development of knowledge • - be able to use the knowledge acquired in solving new problems and in developing independent and articulated viewpoints Graduates should be able to take responsibility in society: • able to develop an articulated viewpoint in societal matters Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

19. Professional development • Varied offer and different ‘providers’ • Voluntary participation • Group sessions and instruments for individual teachers Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

20. Educational innovation • Ad hoc  university-wide policy • 3 levels • individual staff member (competitive) • faculties (educational development plans) • central services • Main focus • GIL • Internationalisation Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

21. Curriculum development • Responsability of PCC • Last years: BaMa • Fase 1: proposels from all faculty members • Fase 2: proposels supported by dean • Fase 3: implementation = now Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

22. Executive Committee [Vice-President Educational Affairs] Academic Council Council of Education Expert Center for Educational Support Faculty Programmes Permanent Program Committee • Decision structures and support systems Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

23. Until 1993: • - IQA = permanent concern of PCC • ad hoc curriculum evaluations • ad hoc evaluations of subjects • 1993-2000: • - IQA = permanent concern of PCC • ad hoc: curriculum and subjects • 4-yearly curriculum and subjects external QA tenure and promotion • 2003-2004: • - IQA = permanent - concern of PCC • - ad hoc: curriculum and subjects • yearly subjects • 8-yearly curriculum external QA tenure and promotion Evaluation of curricula Evaluationof subjects Evaluation of curricula Evaluation of curricula Evaluationof subjects Evaluationof subjects Improvement & accountability periodic PCC periodic PCC ad hoc PCC ad hoc faculty Improvement Improvement & accountability periodic PCC Improvement ad hoc PCC ad hoc faculty ad hoc PCC ad hoc faculty Improvement A shortcut to more than 10 years of IQA Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven