Transcript Sarah Butler - QAA - Engineering Council

Accreditation and its relationship
to quality assurance
Sarah Butler
Assistant Director, Development and
Enhancement Group
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
Education
National reference points for
academic standards and quality
• The Academic Infrastructure
• The framework for higher education qualifications
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ)
• QAA Subject Benchmark Statements
• QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of
academic quality and standards in higher
education
• http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHE
Q/default.asp
Standards of programmes
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Qualification descriptors of the FHEQ
Subject Benchmark Statements
Programme outcomes
Programme Specifications
Also the Higher education credit
framework for England
Qualifications and Bologna
• Verification of the FHEQ against the
Framework for Qualifications of the European
Higher Education Area (November 2008)
• The advisory Group concluded that Master's
degrees and by extension Integrated Master's
degrees are compatible with completion of
the second cycle within the overarching FQEHEA
Academic standards and quality
of learning opportunities
• QAA Code of Practice for the assurance
of academic quality and standards in
higher education:
• Section 4: External examining
• Section 6: Assessment of students
• Section 7: Programme design, approval
monitoring and review
Programme design and approval
• Process of peer evaluation and approval with
external input
• Relationship of programme outcomes to relevant
Subject Benchmark, qualification descriptor in the
FHEQ and PSRB requirements
• Structure and content
• Learning and teaching methods and assessment
strategy
• Resources
Annual monitoring of
programmes
• Multi-layered reflective process
• External Examiners’ reports and action plans
• Student progression and award data
• Student feedback
• Module
• Programme (internal surveys and NSS)
• Staff reflection/evaluation
• Document review
Periodic Review of Programmes
• Broader review of continuing validity and relevance of
a portfolio
• Analysis of external examiner reports and effectiveness of
responses over time
• Engagement with PSRBs
• Trend analysis of progression and award data
• Synoptic review of student feedback (internally and
externally derived)
• Currency of programme outcomes in relation to FHEQ,
Subject Benchmark and PSRB requirements
• Effectiveness of teaching and assessment
QAA Institutional Audit
• Independent scrutiny of institutions on a six year
cycle
• Evidence-based process of peer review of
institutional management of quality and standards
• Effectiveness of QA and E processes
• Use of the Academic Infrastructure and other reference points
• Effective means of ensuring that standards of qualifications are
consistent with the FHEQ
• Effective means of assuring the quality of learning opportunities
• Accuracy and completeness of information published by the
institution
Transparency and accountability
• Publication of QAA Institutional Audit
reports
• Judgements
• Recommendations
• National Student Survey (NSS)
• Causes for Concern
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/causesforconcern/concern.pdf
Future Developments
• Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS)
Select Committee Report
• Thematic Enquiries Project
• HEFCE Teaching Quality and Student Experience
(TQSE) Sub Committee Report
• National consultation on future quality assurance
arrangements
• New institutional audit method
• Guidelines on the QA of employer responsive
provision
Leading to:
• Review of the external examiner system
• More public–facing audit reports for
stakeholders
• More flexible and responsive audit method
• Provision of publicly available information by
HEIs on assessment methods, contact and
learning hours and their rationale
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786