QUALITY ASSURANCE Is the Quality Assurance Process just another Academic Bureaucratic Burden? Professor Alfredo Moscardini University of Sunderland, UK

BACKGROUND Bologna Process ECTS (European Credit Transfer System ) Diploma Supplement Quality Assurance

DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE HOLDER OF THE QUALIFICATION INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE QUALIFICATION INFORMATION ON THE LEVEL OF THE QUALIFICATION INFORMATION ON THE CONTENTS AND RESULTS GAINED INFORMATION ON THE FUNCTION OF THE QUALIFICATION CERTIFICATION OF THE SUPPLEMENT

DEFINITION The ‘Quality of an Education System’ describes the interaction between a system that provides the opportunity to learn and its recipients. To be effective it must take into account both the giver and the receiver recognizing the rights and the responsibilities of both. It is independent of culture although its measures may reflect national systems It does not require a rigid global autocracy imposing rules and regulations

A QUALITY PROCESS IS All decisions are transparent and the reasons for them can be proved Certain agreed targets are met Regular meetings are held where feedback from all concerned is considered and acted upon An essential but minimal set of performance measures are agreed Regular and impartial monitoring of these measures is carried out Quality results are not measured in percentage marks but where the learners are satisfied with their advancement in knowledge

TARGETS It is well recognised that targets by themselves are no guide to quality. If the people trying to reach the targets do not believe in them or there are too many targets then the human spirit will devise measures to counteract the targets and thus make them poor indicators of success. It is similar for results. Many people are getting high marks are not a guarantee of a quality system. It may be that the standards are low and that the achievement is thus diminished.

IMPORTANT ASPECT It is for this reason that the most important aspect of a quality system is that the ‘heart and the minds ‘of people are won over

MY DEFINITION ‘one where a process and its performance measures ( including targets ) are agreed by all stakeholders and implemented efficiently and effectively by people who believe in the process.’

DETAILS The usefulness of the degree. Expertise of the Staff Assessment Procedures

STAFF EXPERTISE Constant upgrading in skills. Most western universities have a staff retraining programme but this has a financial aspect to it. Supervision of student placements Staff research. The more Quality assurance procedures, the less time there is for staff retraining which means less quality.

Assessment The Bologna Process does not lay down any preferences but it is important that whatever method is chosen should be transparent. Learning Outcomes.

LEARNING OUTCOMES and the ability to do the following: A1.develop independently models suitable for exploitation by the technologies studied; A2. devise and construct independently, a variety of valid and rational models which lead to the solution of a range of problems;

LEARNING OUTCOMES On successful completion of this programme, students will have acquired the following knowledge: K1. a substantial understanding of the theory, methods and applications currently at the forefront of of intelligent systems; K2. a critical and comparative understanding of the scope, methods and applications of intelligent systems, especially in scientific, industrial and commercial problem solving;

UKRAINE The position of Quality in the Bologna Process Establishing a Quality Structure in the University

PROCESS The Design of a Quality Process including Handbooks Feedback Assessment Monitoring Quality Internal External