Management of Effective English Language Education QUALITY ASSURANCE Breakout Session QQI 22 November 2017, Dublin

Some Key Concepts QUALITY and ASSURANCE Quality: Standards against others / benchmark Assurance: Confidence of mind / No doubts Quality Control vs Quality Assurance Product vs Process Orientation Find vs Avoid problems Focus on the Process

Translated to Relevant legislation Institutional vision, mission Policies Procedures Systems Practices Activities Processes Informed by

Quality Assurance Model Plan Implement Evaluate Improve

Quality Assurance Processes in an Educational Institutions Structures, Systems, Practices, Activities Processes Curriculum and Course Design Teaching and Learning Student assessment Talent Management Resource generation and management Internal and external communication Documentation Clarity in systems/structures Guidelines Procedures Written reference documents Handbooks Standards Clarity of expectations (of Ts / Sts) External benchmarking Stakeholder Views and Participation: Feedback mechanisms (internal and external stakeholders) Periodic Reviews and Re-visit: Evaluation (external benchmarking) Analysis of and learning from data

Quality Assurance Model Documentation Plan Implement Evaluate Improve Standards Periodic review and re-visits Stakeholder views & participation

Culture of ‘Quality’ not Culture of ‘Audit’! Core ’values’ Accountability Focus on Continuous Improvement Culture of trust (internal / external stakeholders participation) Management by fact

Indicators of quality Completion rate (Drop-out rates) Teacher turn-over rate Test/Exam results (External benchmarking) Employability / Placeability of graduates

QUALITY ASSURANCE Processes in Educational Institutions Examples from my context (Structures, Systems, Practices, Activities) Processes Curriculum and Course Design Teaching and Learning Student assessment Talent Management Resource generation and management Internal and external communication Aligned with Mission and Vision of the institution? External benchmark? i.e. the CEFR levels / Clear SLOs BALEAP Teacher competency framework / Classroom observations / HTU system / Evaluation of learning surveys / Class-spokespersons Correlation studies TOEFL, IELTS / External exams TOEIC / Pre- Post Testing / External stakeholder views Teacher and other staff selection, development and evaluation) (BALEAP Teacher competency framework / Cambridge ICELT/DELTA in-service training/ EAP Cert program / Appraisal systems / CIDER events and conferences / Bonus for performance system) External projects with retired staff to finance additional teaching/learning needs (STUDENT WELFARE??) NftW / webpage / leaflets

Four Frame Model of Leadership to oversee Quality Assurance 4 distinctive frames from which people view their world Each frame has its own Concepts Metaphors Values GOOD TO GREAT Structural Organizations as machines Dummy Title 1 2 . 3 Symbolic Organizations as theatre 4 Political Organizations as competitions Human Resources Organizations as family

Some questions to kick off discussion: Does your institution have well-defined curriculum? Course / level objectives? Student learning outcomes? Does your institution have in-house produced tests, with ‘specifications’ closely linked to course objectives / student learning outcomes? Are there clearly specified quality expectations from your teachers / of their teaching? Mechanisms to evaluate this / give feedback to teachers? Classroom observations? Teacher appraisal schemes? Are there professional / staff development / training opportunities for teachers provided by the institution? Are there written handbooks, guidelines , documents to set standards and ensure common understanding? Are there systems for internal (students / teachers / other staff / parents) and external (recruiters / employers / next level of education administrators) stakeholders to provide feedback? Are there systematic data collection and analysis of indicators of quality? Are there systems to ensure teacher and student welfare?

Alternative type of questions to kick off discussion: How does your institution define curriculum? Course / level objectives? Student learning outcomes? Does your institution produce tests in-house, with ‘specifications’ closely linked to course objectives / student learning outcomes? How does the institution communicate its expectations from your teachers / of their teaching? How does it evaluate teaching and learning? give feedback to teachers on their performance? What professional / staff development / training opportunities are there for teachers provided by the institution? How does the institution set set standards and ensure common understanding? How does the institution get feedback from internal (students / teachers / other staff / parents) and external (recruiters / employers / next level of education administrators) stakeholders? How does the institution measure and evaluate the indicators of quality? How is the teacher and student welfare e?