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Explore the role of students in audit processes, advantages, disadvantages, and ways to enhance quality in institutional audits. Understand quality enhancement, reports production, and improving student voice in evaluations.
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ENQA – QAA meeting8-9 December 2005Birmingham, UK 8 December, 13.30 – 14.30 Introductions to workshop themes
Student involvement in audit Nicola Channon Head of Operations, Institutional Review QAA
What role do students have at present? • students complete a ‘student written submission’ which is received at the same time as the institution’s self evaluation document • teams meet with elected student representatives at the briefing visit • teams meet with groups of students in the course of audits
Advantages • by having to complete a written document, students have a formal opportunity to help set the agenda for the audit • engaging with audit gives the students a better view of their role in the management of quality and standards • knowing that students will be sending a written document increases institutional recognition of the students’ role in the management of quality and standards
Disadvantages • the group of students who complete the document are not always those who meet the team because of the length of time between the two events • institutions are uneasy about students writing what could be a confidential document • not all student groups understand the role • the written submissions have become very long and based on expensive but inconclusive questionnaires
Conclusions • the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages • improve the guidance on the written submission • increase the understanding in student representative bodies about their role in the management of quality and standards
What next? • improve guidance • work with institutions • work with student groups BUT • how do we hear the student voice and not just an individual student voice or student political agendas? • are there other and better ways to improve student involvement in evaluation processes that increase their involvement in institutional processes?
Quality enhancement in institutional audit David Buckingham Assistant Director QAA
What is quality enhancement? • change that results in quality improvement? • continuous improvement of quality? • systematic improvement of quality? • planned improvement in quality? • improvement founded on assurance? • does it matter?
Quality enhanced Local enhancement Individual activity Quality assured
Quality enhanced Institutional enhancement Institutional quality enhancement policy Strategic activity Quality assured
Enhancement of what? • is it the quality of the student experience? • is enhancement of ‘student experience’ measurable? • is it the quality of learning opportunities? • is enhancement of ‘learning opportunities’ measurable? • can ‘enhancement’ be applied to the conversion of ‘learning opportunities’ into ‘student experience’?
Enhancement in audit Keywords to consider? • planned, systematic, deliberate • strategic, institutional • learning opportunities • building on quality assurance
What is quality enhancement? Enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR) in Scotland defines enhancement as • taking deliberate steps to bring about continuous improvement in the effectiveness of the learning experience of students
What is quality enhancement? Definition of enhancement for the proposed institutional audit method in England is • taking deliberate steps at institutional level to improve the quality of learning opportunities
Reports Who/what are the reports for? - Institutions? (confirmation, enhancement etc.) - Students? (new, current, information) - Others? (Government, public, assurance) How should they be written? - Who writes them? (Agency? Experts?) - How much input does the institution have? - How is it structured? - If it has a multiple audience/purpose, how can we make it fit for purpose?