MALAYSIAN QUALIFICATIONS AGENCY ROADSHOW MQA 2008 : KOD AMALAN AKREDITASI PROGRAM (CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION, COPPA) 16 OKTOBER 2008 – 13 NOVEMBER 2008 SESI 2 : KERTAS 1 SECTION 2 : GUIDELINES ON CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR PROGRAM ACCREDITATION (AREA 1, 2, 3 AND 8) I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you who are our distinguished and esteemed partners in Quality assurance of higher education a very good morning . My task today is to brief you on the standards provvided in the code of practice. MALAYSIAN QUALIFICATIONS AGENCY

OUTLINE What is COPPA? THE STANDARDS – Benchmarked and Enhanced GUIDELINES ON THE STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR THE NINE AREAS OF EVALUATION FOR PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION Vision , Mission, Educational Goals and Learning Outcomes Curriculum Design and Delivery Assessment of Students Student Selection and Support Services Academic Staff Educational Resources Programme Monitoring and Review Leadership, Governance and Administration Continual Quality Improvement The outline of my presentation will touch on what is COPPA and define the two key standards and cover four of the nine areas of evaluation that’s highlighted in red on this slide.

WHAT IS COPPA? It is a Code of Practice dedicated to quality assurance of programmes using the nine areas of evaluation to assist HEPs attain at least benchmarked standards for obtaining accreditation and continuously improve the quality of the programme It is a code of practice dedicated to quality assurance of prorammes which uses the nine areas of evaluation and assist the HEPs in achieving all the benchmarked standards to obtain accreditation.

The Standards Benchmarked Standards Standards that must be met and its compliance demonstrated during programme accreditation exercise. Are usually expressed as a ‘must’ Enhanced Standards Standards that should be met as the institution strives to improve itself and usually expressed as a ‘should’ There are two standards i.e. benchmarked and enhanced where the first is expressed by a must and the second is by a should

AREA 1- VISION, MISSION, EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES Area 1 - has 7 benchmarked standards and 4 enhanced standards Guides the higher education provider (HEP) in its academic planning and implementation and Produce graduates through : the provision of knowledge, skills, a quest for life long learning, and inculcation of values, and nurturing of the ability to analyse and solve problems and consideration of other relevant issues Area 1 has 7 BS and 4 ES and guides the HEP in academic planning and implementation of the programme as well as to produce graduates with the necessary competencies(attributes).

AREA 1.1: Statement of Programme Aims and Objectives PROGRAMME AIMS , OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES Must reflect key elements of outcomes of higher education Must be consistent with and supportive of HEPs Vision & Mission Must be developed in consultation with principal stakeholders Should encompass qualities in areas of expertise /specialisation Should be periodically reviewed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders Must be defined and made known to stakeholders Programme aims and objectives must be defined, made known, reflect the learning outcomes and be developed in consultation with principal stakeholders . The learning outcomes must be consistent and supportive of the vision and mission. The department should encompass quaaities in areas of expertise. It should be periodically reviewed with wider range of stakehloders..

AREA 1.2 Learning Outcomes The Programme must show how the component modules contributes to fulfilment of programme learning outcomes The Programme should specify the link between competencies expected upon completion and those required after completion of studies The Programme must define the competencies students should demonstrate upon completion of a programme Must show how the student is able to demonstrate the learning outcomes via assessments

AREA 2 : CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DELIVERY AREA 2 is on curriculum design and delivery (used interchangeably with programme design and delivery). It has 19 benchmarked standards and 11 enhanced standards . It is divided into 5 subsections: academic autonomy; programme design & teaching and learning methods; curriculum content and structure; management of the programme; and linkages with external stakeholders .

Area 2.1 Academic Autonomy Sufficient autonomy must be given to: * design the curriculum and to allocate resources for implementation * also cover (where applicable) programmes franchised to, or from, other HEPs in line with national policies * the academic staff to focus on areas of his expertise The department should : * have a clear policy on conflict of interest * continually expand its boundary of academic autonomy and reflect its intellectual maturity

Area 2.2 -Programme Design & Teaching - Learning (T-L) Methods The Department must have its defined process for curriculum establishment , review and evaluation The Process must involve department’s academic & administrative staff The Programme must only be considered after a needs assessment must be considered only after resources to support it identified The Programme Content , approach & T-L Methods must be appropriate, consistent , and support the achievement of programme learning outcomes Teaching-learning methods - there must be variety to achieve the eight domains of learning outcomes The Curriculum should encourage multi-disciplinary approaches to enhance personal development of students The needs analysis should involve external sources feedback Co-curricular activities should be there to enrich student experience

Area 2.3: Curriculum Content & Structure The programme must incorporate the core subject matters essential for understanding concepts, principles and methods that support programme outcomes fulfil the discipline requirements by recognising appropriate standards and international best practice be periodically reviewed to keep abreast of developments of the discipline and for needs of society The Department should establish mechanisms to access to real time information through use of technology and global networking and to identify up to date topics of importance for inclusion in the curriculum and its delivery

Area 2.4 - Management of the Programme The Students The Programme Team The Programme The Students must : be provided with the most current information of programme aims, out-line, learning outcomes and assessment methods The Programme must : have a coordinator and a team of appropriate staff have authority and established procedures be given adequate resources - for implementation and evaluation for quality improvement The Programme Content & Delivery must be regularly reviewed and evaluated and its results utilised to assure quality (must involve external examiners – for MQF level 6 and above )

Area 2.4 - Management of the Programme - cont The Department must provide the student a conducive learning environment where scholarly and creative achievements are nurtured Innovations to teaching and learning should be developed, supported and evaluated be done in consultation with principal stakeholders and Review and evaluation involve external expertise nationally and internationally

Area 2.5 Linkages with External Stakeholders The Department must have linkages with all levels of stakeholders outside the department - for the purpose of curriculum development - planning, implementation and review The Programme team should obtain feedback from employers for curriculum improvement, student placement, training and workplace exposure Students should be given the opportunity to develop linkages with external stakeholders

AREA 3 – ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS Area 3 is on assessment of students and has 11 benchmarked standards and 5 enhanced standards. It is a crucial aspect of quality assurance and One of the most important measures to show the achievement of learning outcomes.

Assessment & Learning Outcomes Area 3.1- Relationship between Assessment and Learning Assessment Assessment principles, methods and practices must be aligned with learning outcomes and programme content Assessment must be consistent with the levels defined in the MQF, 8 domains of learning outcomes and programme standards Assessment & Learning Outcomes The link between assessment and learning outcomes should be reviewed periodically to ensure its effectiveness

Area 3.2- Assessment Methods Frequency, methods, & criteria of student assessment must be documented and communicated to students on commencement of the programme Assessment must be summative and formative a variety of methods and tools must be used to assess learning outcomes Mechanisms must be there to ensure validity, reliability, consistency and fairness of assessment methods

Area 3.2- Assessment Methods - cont Assessment System must be reviewed periodically Methods of Assessment should be comparable to international best practices Review of Assessment System should be done in consultation with external experts, both local and international

Area 3.3 - Management of Student Assessment Student assessment results - must be communicated within reasonable time Student assessment methods - must follow established procedures and regulations -changes must be communicated prior to implementation Mechanisms -must be there to ensure security of assessment documents and records Grading, assessment and appeals - policies and practices must be publicised

Area 3.3 - Management of Student Assessment - cont The department and its academic staff should have sufficient autonomy in management of student assessment Independent external scrutiny should be there to evaluate and improve the student assessment management – formal certification of the processes

AREA 8 – LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Area 8 is on leadership, governance and administration. It has 11 benchmarked standards and 6 Enhanced Standards. There are many ways of administration and it may differ from one HEP to another but Governance that reflects an academic organization must emphasise excellence and scholarship. At the departmental level it is crucial that leadership provides clear guidelines and direction, builds relationship, forges partnerships and dedicates itself to academic and scholarly activities

The Depart ment’s policies and practice s Area 8.1-Governance The Depart ment’s policies and practice s must be consistent with the statement of purpose of the HEP The Department Mechanisms must clarify its - governance structures and functions, - the relationships within them and - impact on the programme and it must be communicated to all parties involved - based on the set principles Board must be an active policy making body with an adequate degree of autonomy * must be established for programmes conducted in geographically separated campuses ( functional integration & comparability of quality)

The Governance Principles Area 8.1 – Governance - cont The Department should have a committee system responsible for programmes that consider: -internal and external consultation, - feedback, - market needs analysis and - employability projections The Governance Principles should reflect the representation and participation of academic staff, students and other stakeholders

Area 8.2 - Academic Leadership of the Programme Criteria for Appointment and responsibilities of academic leadership must be clearly stated The Academic Leadership must be held by those with appropriate qualifications and experience and with sufficient authority for curriculum design, delivery and review Mechanisms and Processes must be in place to allow communication between programme and HEP leaderships on -staff recruitment and training, -student admission, - allocation of resources

The Academic Leadership Area 8.2 - Academic Leadership of the Programme - cont The Academic Leadership should be evaluated at defined intervals with respect to performance of the staff. should be responsible for creating a conducive environment to generate innovation and creativity.

Administrative Staff of The Department Area 8.3 Administrative and Management Staff Administrative Staff of The Department must be appropriate and sufficient - to support programme implementation - to ensure good management and deployment of resources The Department must conduct regular performance review of academic and management staff should have an advanced administrative and management staff training scheme

The Department Policies and Practices Area 8.4 Academic Records The Department Policies and Practices must be consistent with that of the HEP – concerning student and academic staff records The Department must implement HEP policies on rights of individual privacy and confidentiality of records should continuously review policies on security of records and safety systems.

Next Session on Section 2 will touch on the following areas: Student Selection and Support Services Academic Staff Educational Resources Programme Monitoring and Review Continual Quality Improvement

Thank You