TEQSA Higher Education Standards Panel AQF Discipline Scholars Network Some Reflections

1. Standards and Quality FrameworksStatus ReportThe NADLATE GroupGreg Heath, ALTC Discipline Scholar

2. TEQSA • Higher Education Standards Panel • AQF • Discipline Scholars Network • Some Reflections

3. TEQSA Current Standards • Provider Standards –Threshold • Qualification Standards (Currently AQF) – Threshold • Teaching and Learning Standards • Information Standards • Research Standards

4. TEQSA • Presentation to the NADLATE Group ACDE Conference 2012

5. Risk Framework

6. Risk Categories

7. Audits • Thematic Audits • From time to time areas where risk is indicated will be audited on a sector-wide basis • First thematic audit will be on all aspects of English language standards • Triggered by: • “decade long sector-wide concern” • and • In an ECU study, only two of 40 students beginning their courses with the sector-minimum IELTS score of 6.5 managed to reach the level 7.0 demanded by employers. Six students went backwards. • Of 134 students, 100 "demonstrated literacy skills that were seriously flawed or limited”

8. Audits • Self-Accrediting institutions will be audited on a a seven-year cycle • 3 months notice will be given of 5 specific areas of audit, usually courses or programs • Audits will be thorough and must demonstrate compliance with all threshold standards • Failure to comply could lead to; • provisional or restricted re-accreditation • deregistration of a course • or ultimately revocation of self-accreditation status.

9. Audits • Non Self-accrediting Higher Education Providers will have to apply for registration as and institution • Apply for individual course registration • Indications are that the process will be onerous and must demonstrate compliance with Threshold Standards

10. Audits -unscheduled • TEQSA can audit or investigate any aspect of an HE provider at any time in response adverse risk indicators

11. Higher Education Standards Panel • Established under the TEQSA Act to provide advice to the Minister (thence to TEQSA) on appropriate standards for the Higher Education sector. • HESP is independent of TEQSA and has separate reporting lines

12. HESP Membership • Professor Alan Robson, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Western Australia (Chair) • Professor Richard James, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Participation and Engagement) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne; • Ms Adrienne Nieuwenhuis, Director – Quality, Tertiary Education, Science and Research, South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology and Member, National Skills Standards Council; • Professor David Siddle, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Queensland; • Professor Joanne Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President: Academic, University of South Australia.

13. Developments HESP • HESP are engaged in a round of consultation, including discussion papers and commissioned reports, likely to extend well into 2013, with the sector as to the determination of: • “Threshold” standards, these have been interpreted as the minimum standard an HE provider must meet • what standards are appropriate for HE providers • what measures are appropriate to monitor, validate, assure and, ultimately, improve standards

14. Developments HESP • Likely developments are: • No further Threshold standards will be legislated • The non-threshold standards, T&L, Information and Research will be incorporated in the existing, but revised, Provider and Qualification standards. • The existing legislation has some detail about T&L that could be developed

15. Developments -HESP AQF • The AQF will continue as baseline guide to the sector but will need to be augmented with other measures • In particular discipline specific and otherwise contextualised statements of learning outcomes are likely to be incorporated in a schedule of standards to be referenced by HESP

16. AQF • Compliance with the AQF will become mandatory for HE providers from 2015 • Compliance will include not just program standards but pathways and issuance standards.

17. AQF • Most universities are busy reviewing and revising their courses in such a way as to meet the timeline • But there are some issues for education regarding alignment between the AQF and professional registration requirements • There are still issues around the 4 year education bachelors degrees and level 7/8 outcomes and pathways.

18. Discipline Scholars Network • The Discipline Scholars Network remains active • DS Network has been meeting and working with the HESP on the issues of discipline based contextualisation of standards, monitoring, validation and assurance of standards. • This work will require referencing back to discipline communities such as NADLATE for guidance

19. Discipline Scholars Network • A few discipline groups, such as Law, have commenced work on “Best Practice Guides”. These are envisaged by TEQSA as a way of assisting HE providers with implementation of the standards • There is the potential opportunity for NADLATE to undertake work on Best Practice Guides for education course design, delivery and QA measures. –An OLT project??

20. Discipline Standards on the WEB • Discipline scholars have established their own site with examples of Good Practice Guides • http://disciplinestandards.pbworks.com/w/page/52657697/FrontPage

21. Issues • Discipline based vs generic learning outcomes – a place for both? • What is an appropriate relation between discipline standards and professional registration standards? • Do measures of learning outcomes adequately reflect (either minimum or aspirational) standards in education –what else matters?

22. Thank you