Tips for Academic Quality Assurance Hugh Starkey Tempus DO IT 2 nd Consortium Meeting Landau 13 March 2013

The basics Course specification Course delivery Course evaluation

Course specification Before the course: Formal approval from the university in a validation process (Committee of the Faculty) Complete the questionnaire TITLE OF MODULE COURSE(S) TO WHICH MODULE WILL BE ATTACHED RATIONALE What is the rationale for offering this module? Please identify the distinctive features of this module in relation to others on offer in the Institute.

Course specification 2 MODULE AIMS (Please ensure that these fit with the overall course aims.) LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the module participants should: SUMMARY OF MODULE CURRICULUM (Including outline session titles) NB: Please attach indicative reading list.

Course specification 3 STATEMENT OF LEVEL (See Guidelines.) Please list any pre-requisites (other than normal entry requirements) Credit Value e.g. ECTS Contact Hours Pattern of Delivery Mode of delivery (e.g. distance learning, e- learning, face to face, mixed-mode)

Course specification 4 TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT Teaching and learning methods (Please be as specific as possible. If seminars are to be student-led, please describe in some detail.) What consideration has been given to ensuring that the teaching and learning methods are appropriate to the needs of the students following the module? (Student diversity) Methods of Assessment (Please indicate how these relate to the stated Learning Outcomes.)

Course specification 5 CONSULTATION Please list all those who have been consulted during the planning stages of this module, both internal and external. Comments of External Consultant Comments of Student Services Librarian Comments of User Support Manager (Computing) Comments of Faculty QA Committee Approved by Dean of Faculty Approved by University Programme Board

Writing Objectives Ask yourself what the student should be able to do (or to do better) as a result of having completed the unit By the end of the unit you should be able to: outline the key reasons why knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is important for educators identify the implications of the UNCRC for schools discuss and critically evaluate ways in which teachers can promote children’s rights analyse the major obstacles to children achieving their rights in schools apply your knowledge to classroom practice

Writing Objectives 2 Objectives need to be SMART Specific Measurable Achievable through studying the course and activities Relevant to the subject and learner Time limited Use verbs that meet these criteria such as: explain, evaluate, compare and contrast, apply, analyse, synthesise Avoid using: understand, know, appreciate, be aware.

Activities and Assessment For each teaching unit (lesson) students might be asked to do any of the following alone or in pairs or groups: recall content or re-state it in their own words critique an argument or research study draw a diagram, flowchart or a poster fill in a table compare and contrast what they have read to their own experience identify advantages and limitations of a strategy apply what they have learned in a lesson plan

Activities and Assessment 2 Feedback is most important for helping learning. This can be by the teacher as SUMMATIVE (it counts towards the result) or FORMATIVE (the purpose is to help the student improve). PEER assessment is usually formative. Assessment should be seen to be fair by the students. Summative assessment of coursework or examinations should be double marked by Internal Examiners. The External Examiner sees a sample of the work to ensure that the process is fair and markers are applying the marking criteria

The Course Handbook Everything the student (and teachers) need to know such as: Timetable of teaching Timetable of assessment Assessment tasks Assessment criteria Reading lists Contact details of teachers and administrator How to make a complaint

Evaluation Formal evaluation (by student questionnaire) of each course / module Questionnaires studied by course leader and a summary sent to External Examiner External Examiner writes annual report. Formal response from the University. Report and response published and considered by QA committee. There is an annual Programme Review Meeting in the semester after the course