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

2. External systems for quality assurance
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, expected outcomes
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
As partners sharing 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 qualified and 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. SWOT analysis of the institution :
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. The quality of leadership
Characteristics of a leader
To have vision
To be charismatic
To have power
Functions of a leader
To indicate goals
To coordinate actions
To built trust and support initiative
To assure balance between the central management 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. Z External systems for quality assurance
Quality culture
Internal systems for quality assurance

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