quality assurance and enhancement at the k.u.leuven
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Quality assurance and enhancement at the K.U.Leuven. Veerle Hulpiau. Legal framework. Since 1991: universities responsible for the internal and external quality assurance involvement of students, alumni and external experts common and regular external assessment - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Quality assurance and enhancement at the K.U.Leuven
Veerle Hulpiau
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Legal framework
• Since 1991: universities responsible for the internal and external quality assurance
• involvement of students, alumni and external experts
• common and regular external assessment
→ each university organises its own system of IQA
→ the VL.I.R. coordinates EQA (peer review at the level of the discipline)
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
• decree 2003: introduction of a accreditation system– report of the visiting committees serve as
input for accreditation (programme level)– collaboration with the Netherlands: dutch-
flemish accrediting body– accreditation depends upon the presence of
general quality standards
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Educational quality: general framework
Implemen-tation-Curriculum development-…
Educational concept:-GIL-Educational framework
Quality assessment:-evaluation courses-evaluation programmes
Follow-up:-professional development
- Educational innovation
Educat. quality
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Quality assessment
Internal quality assurance External quality assurance
External peer review
+report
External peer review
+report
Evaluation of curriculaEvaluation of curricula
Evaluation of particular coursesEvaluation of particular courses
Ad hoc evaluationsAd hoc evaluations
Self-eval.
report
Self-eval.
report
accountabilityaccountability
Ad hoc evaluationsAd hoc evaluations
Periodical evaluationsPeriodical evaluations
AccreditationAccreditationimprovementimprovement
00
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Quality assessment
• Guiding principles
• Periodic evaluation of curricula
• Periodic evaluation of courses (what do staff members expect?)
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Guiding principles
• Quality assessment initiatives are embedded in the concept of GIL
• Responsibility lies at the level of the permanent curriculum committees and the staff members
• QA stands or falls with the actual follow-up of the evaluation initiatives
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Evaluation of curricula
• Every 8 years
• Permanent curriculum committee
• Accordance with external evaluations:– timing– content: internal ev. prepares for the
external
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
• University wide procedure with room for local adjustments
• supported by the Educational support office
Evaluation of curricula
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
• Broad consultation of the academic community– Goal:
gain a clear understanding of the expectations of faculty members and students of the new evaluation system
– How?• Hearings
• Individual web-based questionnaire
• Questionning PCC’s
Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
– Topics:• goals (quality improvement and/or accountability)• periodicity• evaluation instruments• submission of evaluation instruments
(electronically/on paper; before/after exams, …)• follow-up• (de)centralization
Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
– Results: what does the academic community expect?
• disconnection of quality improvement and accountability
educational quality should be taken into account• frequency: different opinions, not on a yearly basis;
maybe more frequent in the case of accountability• instruments:
– improvement: flexible, up to the PCC to decide– accountability: certain degree of standardization, but at the
level of the faculties/departments
Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
• more enthousiasm for electronic evaluation than before
• communication with regard to the results– Improvement: faculty member, PCC– Accountability: faculty member, PCC, dean, appraisal
committees
• decentralization (esp. improvement) with central support
Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
• Decision?– Two tracks– Evaluations aiming at quality improvement
• every 4 years• flexible• PCC• no direct link with tenure and promotion
– Evaluations aiming at accountability• every 4 years• degree of standardisation
Evaluation of coursesa new approach – decision
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
General reflections
• Tension:– Centralised vs. decentralised approach?
• Curricula: universitywide procedure• Courses:
– Accountability (certain degree of standardisation)– Improvement (up to the PCC)
– External and internal QA
• IQA: or own system?
• Staff involvement in the design of IQA
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
GIL: Characteristics
• Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept- Defines goals for university teaching, roles
and responsibilities of students and faculty members
- It is referred to in all decisions with educational consequences
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
GIL: Characteristics (2)
• Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept
• GIL does not reject particular instructional approachesStill there are guidelines:
- education has to be functional
- participation in research activities is highly valuable
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
GIL: Goals of university teaching
Critical scientific attitude: students should- assimilate discipline specific research findings and frameworks- acquire insight in the coming about of these findings- be able to acquire information independently- be able to contribute themselves to the development of knowledge- be able to use the knowledge acquired in solving new problems and in developing independent and articulated viewpoints
Graduates should be able to take responsibility in society: able to develop an articulated viewpoint in societal matters
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Professional development
• Varied offer and different ‘providers’
• Voluntary participation
• Group sessions and instruments for individual teachers
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Educational innovation
• Ad hoc university-wide policy
• 3 levels– individual staff member (competitive)– faculties (educational development plans)– central services
• Main focus– GIL– Internationalisation
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Curriculum development
• Responsability of PCC
• Last years: BaMa– Fase 1: proposels from all faculty members– Fase 2: proposels supported by dean– Fase 3: implementation = now
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Decision structures and support systems
Executive Committee[Vice-President Educational Affairs]
Academic Council
Faculty
Programmes
Permanent Program Committee
Council of EducationExpert Center for Educational Support
29 November 2005
Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven
Until 1993:- IQA = permanent concern of PCC- ad hoc curriculum evaluations- ad hoc evaluations of subjects
ad hocPCC
ad hocfaculty
Improvement
Evaluation of curricula
Evaluation of subjects
periodicPCC
ad hocPCC
ad hocfaculty
Improvement & accountability
Improvement
tenure and promotion
external QA
Evaluation of curricula
Evaluation
of subjects1993-2000:- IQA = permanent concern of PCC- ad hoc: curriculum and subjects- 4-yearly curriculum and subjects
tenure and promotion
periodicPCC
ad hocPCC
Improvement & accountability
Improvement
external QA
Evaluation of curricula
Evaluation
of subjects
periodicPCC
ad hocfaculty
2003-2004:- IQA = permanent - concern of PCC- ad hoc: curriculum and subjects- yearly subjects- 8-yearly curriculum
A shortcut to more than 10 years of IQA