Setting internal Quality Assurance systems

1. Setting internal Quality Assurance systems Jadwiga Mirecka Jagiellonian University Medical College AMEE Executive Committee, Group of the Bologna Experts AMSE 2008

2. QA initially built around the External systems for quality assurance but now we face a switch towards Internal systems for quality assurance

3. Characteristics of the internal QA • direct responsibility of universities for the quality of education • fulfill demand for accountability towards stakeholders • better accommodate experiments and innovations

4. Characteristics of the internal QA cont. • adapted to local needs • help to demonstrate effectiveness of the own programmes • more focus on continuous quality improvement • allow more openness in revealing weaknesses

5. Prerequisites for institutional QA are: • Autonomy • Clearly defined mission and goals • Proper leadership • Sufficient facilities and competent staff • Adequate financial resources

6. Quality in University embraces: • Education • Research • Management • Development and infrastructure • Leverage of funds • Marketing • Woźnicki W-wa 2007

7. ENQA* Part 1.” European standards and guidelines for internal quality assurance within higher education institutions” 1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance 2. Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards 3. Assessment of students 4. Quality assurance of teaching staff 5. Learning resources and student support 6. Information systems 7. Public information * + EUA, ESU, EURASHE

8. 1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance: The strategy, policy and procedures should have a formal status and be publicly available. They should also include a role for students and other stakeholders.

9. Strategy for QA: Plan: • What– general goals, priorities, expectedoutcomes • Why– prerequisites for change • How– specific actions, budget • Who– identify persons and groups (QA Unit) • When– dead-lines for particular actions The plan should be SMART: (Specific - Measurable - Accurate - Realistic –Timebound) UCC

10. The role of students • As “clients”of institution : Students satisfaction, evaluation of final outcomes • As„objects” of the process : evaluation of teaching and teachers • Aspartnerssharing responsibility : participation in all decision taking bodies

11. 2.Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards: Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodic review and monitoring of their programmes and awards

12. Suggested actions… • Re-structure curricula towards: - students centred, - outcome based • Establish links with: - the National Qualification Frameworks - results of the Tuning project • Monitor educational effectiveness: - outcomes achieved - feedback from graduates and employers

13. Assessment of students Student should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and procedures which are applied consistently

14. Suggested actions… • Requirements for exams and passing criteria should be defined in advance • Methods of assessment should reflect learning objectives, • Assessment should be objective and standardized • The entire process of students’ evaluation should be transparent

15. Quality assurance of teaching staff: Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualifiedand competent to do so.

16. Suggested actions… • Policy for competitive hiring of staff • Continuous feedback on quality of teachers • Staff development programmes • Unit for Medical Education • Rewarding teaching excellence (career promotion)

17. Learning resources and student support: Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support of student learning are adequate and appropriate for each programme offered

18. Suggested actions… • Optimal re-distribution and use of existing resources • Transparency of financial decisions • Provision of counseling and learning support • Career office

19. Information systems: Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevant information for the effective management of their programmes of study and other activities

20. Suggested actions… • Use of computer-based data collection systems • Improvement of intra-institutional communication • Current monitoring of educational effectiveness • Current analysis of needs (of students and staff – Satisfaction tests) • Comparison with other similar institutions

21. Public information: Institutions should regularly publish up to date, objective information, about the programmes and awards they are offering

22. Suggested actions… • Make publicly available accreditation reports • Publish data concerning university and faculty in form of reports not advertisements • Print study catalogues in other languages • Present programmes and study offers on web sites

23. Where to start ? SWOT analysis of the institution : • strengths, • weaknesses, • opportunities, • threads Define mid-term and long term goals………

24. What else should be considered ? ECTS as an accumulation system: - reflected in study rules - allowing recognition of achievements obtained elsewhere - used as a measure of workload for curriculum planning - linked to learning outcomes

25. Characteristics of a leader • To have vision • To be charismatic • To have power The quality of leadership Functions of a leader • To indicate goals • To coordinate actions • To built trust and support initiative • To assure balance between the centralmanagement and collegial responsiveness

26. What should be remembered ? • To preserve diversity • To built on local tradition • To avoid over bureaucratisation • To involve all players • To keep the process going on ..........

27. Quality culture Z External systems for quality assurance Internal systems for quality assurance

28. Implementation of the internal quality systems will cost But not implementing them might costeven more