the quality assurance agency for higher education he-ness

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

HE-ness

Key elements of Higher Education Review

• peer review

• management of standards, quality, information and enhancement

• evidence-based

• reference to UK Quality Code for Higher Education

• scope and coverage: programmes of study leading to awards at levels 4-8 of the FHEQ

• involvement of students

• core and theme

Basic review process

What Higher Education has told us about Colleges.

IQER: 94% success rate

IRENI outcomes compared to RCHE outcomes

Colleges Institutions

Commended

Meets

Requires improvement to meet

Does not meet

HER: Academic Standards Judgements

Meets

Requires improvement

HER: Quality of Learning Opportunities Judgements

Commended

Meets

Requires improvement

Does not meet

HER: Information Judgements

Commended

Meets

Requires improvement

Does not meet

HER: Enhancement Judgements

Commended

Meets

Requires improvement

Does not meet

Some common issues in Higher Education Review recommendations

• The potential for confusing Enhancement with Enrichment and the subsequent need to be clear about the definition of Enhancement

• The participation of students in contributing to information that informs Enhancement strategy and in directly shaping Enhancement activity

• The strategic implementation of Enhancement initiatives as part of an effective and informed overview of HE provision

• The ineffectiveness of the overview of HE programmes

• The absence of good information, informed by the Quality code , to facilitate good decision making

• The need to acknowledge their particular responsibilities to HE students

• A lack of general engagement with the Quality Code

Themes from HER that might contribute to an HE ‘ethos’

• Strong oversight of HE programmes facilitated by good information and informed by the Quality Code

• Use of good information to enhance HE provision

• An approach to teaching, learning and resourcing that recognises the needs of all HE students

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• Effective relationships with Awarding bodies

• Mechanisms to engage and respond to student voice and the involvement of students in decision making

• Strong support for staff and students to improve teaching, learning and assessment, including the use of the Quality Code

• Employability used to contextualise teaching and learning leading to the enhanced engagement of students

• Support for staff development for professional updating and scholarly activity which is strengthened by strong relationships with awarding bodies

• HE that is delivered in partnership with all HE staff,

all HE students

• A clear and accurate overview of HE

• The Identification and addressing of HE student

needs

• The use of the Quality Code as a tool for

management

Task:

What are the specific needs of HE students?

What can you do to address these needs?

qaa.ac.uk

enquiries@qaa.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1452 557000

© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2014

Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786