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HEQC’S QUALITY SYSTEMS RESTRUCTURING PROJECT: QUALITY PROGRAMMES, QUALITY MATERIAL

Learn about Unisa's diversity, programs, and quality systems restructuring project to enhance student success. Explore how the Finnish research project contributes to developing a robust quality assurance framework in open-distance learning. Discover key steps and challenges in course design improvement.

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HEQC’S QUALITY SYSTEMS RESTRUCTURING PROJECT: QUALITY PROGRAMMES, QUALITY MATERIAL

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  1. HEQC’S QUALITY SYSTEMS RESTRUCTURING PROJECT:QUALITY PROGRAMMES, QUALITY MATERIAL • Prof Louie Swanepoel • Directorate Quality Assurance and Promotion • (012) 429-2674 • swanelm@unisa.ac.za

  2. Towards the African university in the service of humanity

  3. Recognition of Unisa and its qualifications • On 1 January 2004 the Technikon of Southern Africa merged with Unisa incorporating the distance education leg of Vista University to form the new Unisa

  4. Diversity of Learners • The UNISA student population comprises students from South Africa, the African continent and the rest of the world. • The average age of a UNISA student is 30 years of age. • At present, UNISA students represent a total of 23 languages.

  5. Location • Two main campuses • Pretoria Campus • Florida Campus • Five Hubs • Coastal Hub • Gauteng Hub • KwaZulu-Natal Hub • Midlands Hub • North Eastern Hub

  6. Formal Headcounts, 2004-8 to date (Prov.)

  7. Absolute Formal Headcount Distribution by College, 2004 - 2008 to date

  8. Formal registrations by regional office 2007

  9. Unisa students in Africa 2007

  10. Registrations by continent 2007

  11. Formal headcount registrations by degree level 2007 5 570 students 20 053 students 7.5% 128 students 88.9% 236 320 students

  12. Demographic profile 2007

  13. Registrations by age group 2007

  14. Qualifications • Both career-focused and university type. • From certificate programmes up to doctoral studies. • Housed in the 5 colleges • College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) • College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS) • College of Human Sciences (CHS) • College of Law (CLAW) • College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET)

  15. RegistrationAbsolute Formal Headcount Distribution by College, 2004 - 2008 to date

  16. Purpose of Finnish Project • To establish and embed a QA framework of continuous improvement within academic programmes through a well-conceptualised, integrated course design and development and delivery process, taking cognizance of the critical principles of ODL.

  17. Contribute to the transformation of Unisa by establishing effectively contextualized ODL best practices through:developing an appropriately contextualized ODL model for Unisa through: • Interrogation of current ODL best practice internationally and • Assessment of the current approach and practice at Unisa. • Introducing change initiatives to establish a relevant ODL culture and practice throughout the university • Impacting directly on the effective access, retention and success of students through establishing an appropriate service and learning environment

  18. FINNISH RESEARCH PROJECT: • FINNISH RESEARCH PROJECT:to develop QA management system for integrated course design and development process within ODL • Trial process for the development of a QA framework in other areas of the value chain of service delivery within a ODL context.

  19. Registrations by employment type 2007

  20. ODL • Focuses on removing barriers to access learning, flexibility of learning provision, student-centeredness, supporting students and constructing learning programmes with the expectation that students can succeed

  21. DEFINITION OF ODL • Open distance learning is a multi-dimensional system aimed at bridging the time, geographical and transactional (communication and educational) distance between: • student and institution, • student and lecturers/tutors, • students and courseware, and • student and peer.

  22. UNISA’S ODL MODEL

  23. UNISA STUDENTS • Are at the centre of the learning process

  24. STUDENT WALK

  25. FINNISH PROJECT • Focus in on one of the core distinguishing characteristics of an ODL institution: • DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE LEARNING RESOURCES -

  26. Research Process: Phase 1: • Situational analysis • Interviews • For a understanding of current practices, procedures and processes and future expectations of key stakeholders • Gap analysis

  27. Quality improvement project • Key steps in design and development process were identified and agree upon • Each key step needs to be informed by policy and/or procedure as well as quality standards

  28. KEY STEPS • An overview of the key steps in the materials design and development process : • Design • Development • Delivery

  29. Three key isseus: • Lack of an integrated system for planning and monitoring of the entire programme and materials development process from design to review • No mechanisms to enforce policies and procedures • Staff might need training to fully understand and implement policies • Need to articulate more fully in guidelines for programme development

  30. Power course • Prototype – part of the new ODL model will ensure team approach and that systems are integrated • ICLD – worked on 10% of study guides • Team approach – time-consuming • Lecturers – staff-student ratios 1:4000.

  31. Key question • What do we need to know & understand about the nature of • Students • Courses in order to design and implement high-quality, highly relevant & successful ODL-oriented power courses?

  32. Power courses • Developing courseware for modules or programmes to integrate student profile, stakeholder needs, orientation and counseling needs, tutoring, multi-media, formative assessment etc. • Large enrolments or used in many different programmes • Tied to a new tutor-marker-system and integrated IT, HR and Finance infrastructure.

  33. TUITION POLICY • An agreed-upon and planned process of course design, development, production and delivery with a view to integrating and co-ordinating Unisa’s system. • Team approach to course programme design will be mandatory with flexibly composed course teams whose specific roles and responsibilities are clearly delineated. • No such system is consistently applied.

  34. Focus should be on programme design and the ways in which individual courses and study guides contribute to the achievement of programme outcomes. • Planning teaching and learning support activities and an assessment strategy – important element of design • Improve internal and external liaison in the design process – working with stakeholders

  35. Need for greater focus on issues of articulation, progression and NQF levels • Piloting and/or external critical peer review of programmes, modules and materials • Programme review processes should be built into planning cycles

  36. STEP 2: Protocol for programme design and materials development • Draft guidelines for instructural Design and Learning Development agreed upon by early February 2008. • Unisa systems – to be aligned with ODL principles underpinning power courses

  37. Monitor and review • Surveys to measure the efficacy, understanding and development process for the first series of piloted power courses • Inform the power course project and ensure some degree of triangulation and closure to process. • 4 surveys

  38. Results • Entire process of quality programmes and materials development, which involves design, development and delivery (with feedback loop) – not captured in any single document in any single locations • Process not supported by a common digital system • However, staff know the key steps

  39. Course Design and Development • UNISA courses are primarily developed by teams consisting of a number of specialists. • These teams are flexible and are constituted according to specific course design needs. • UNISA offers innovative delivery systems (e.g. interactive videoconferencing and online delivery) and student support in the form of • Learning centres • Tutors • Contact • Counseling

  40. Course Design and Development (cont) • Delivery systems • Technology support • Online learning • Print-based materials • Teleconferencing • Videoconferencing • Tutors

  41. Course delivery • Innovative delivery systems (e.g. interactive videoconferencing and Online delivery) • Student support • Learning centers • Tutors • Contact • Counseling

  42. Distance Learning Delivery Systems • Print based materials • Tutors • Technology support • Teleconferencing • Videoconferencing • On-Line Learning

  43. Tutoring • Ideally, students need to be linked to a tutor at registration; a new relationship has to develop between lecturers and tutors; tutors have to mark students’ assignments giving detailed feedback and support and mark the work of the same student each time (and there have to be at least two formative assessment opportunities as part of the learning mediation); and tutor-markers have to keep contact with students through tutorials (or other media if students do not attend tutorials). In this way the transactional distance between the student, the institution and teachers will be bridged.

  44. Challenges • Is policy realistic? • Does the development of study material receive appropriate recognition and is adequate time provided? • Many still to give through to overall programme design issues. • Give thought to the development of appropriate language and learning skills as part of the programme and module design process. • Assessment policy – assignments for assessment can be improved.

  45. Close the quality loop • Directorate QAP – responsible for promotion of QA to effect improvement • Monitor of quality outcomes of designed, developed and delivered courses.

  46. UNISA 2015: AN AGENDA FOR TRANSFORMATION QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM RESOURCE ALLOCATION CAPACITY BUILDING GOVERNANCE PLANNING STRATEGIES PROCESSES Refinement and continuous improvement PROCEDURES Refinement and continuous improvement POLICIES INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT IMPACT BENCH-MARKING SATIS-FACTION SURVEYS SELF-EVALU-ATION PEER REVIEW SERVICE LEVEL AGREE-MENTS

  47. FRAMEWORK FOR QUALITY AT UNISA Bits and pieces INTEGRATED APPROACH 48

  48. All improvement involves change, not all change is an improvement.

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