1. Plenary session 1: How do institutions develop strategies to link/inform teaching with research?
Case of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics: Student Assessment of the Quality of Education in Universities
Prof. Elena Gorbashko,
Vice Rector for Research,
Doctor of Economics

2. St. Petersburg State University of Economics:
students;
1130 PhD students;
3100 staff, including 1300 professors;
9 faculties
54 chairs
28 Research centers
32 Scientific schools
250 foreign education partners
15 buildings in St. Petersburg;

3. Relevance of the research:
Student-centered learning first mentioned in 1905 developed into the central concept of contemporary education and was fully taken into Bologna process since 2009.
According to the Federal Law on Education in Russian Federation students’ opinion should be taken into account during the process of quality assurance and accreditation.
Student-centered learning has a long and inspirational history. Arisen as an alternative educational concept at the beginning of 20th century it became the core concept of education in 21th century and is actively used nowadays across universities in Europe.
Student-centered learning (SCL) is an approach to education that overcomes some problems of traditional forms of education by focusing on the learners and their needs, rather than being centered around the teacher's input.  
State Federal law of Russian Federation enacted in 2012 sets student-centeredness [centednes] as a prior principle for the sustainable development of education.

4. Student Centered Learning
views students as co-producers of knowledge;
regards students as a part of the academic community;
Increases their motivation in learning;
gives them real choices, autonomy and responsibility in their learning process;
ensures their voices are heard in the decision-making and feedback mechanisms.
It makes students to be ready to take on the world
after the graduation of University
SCL provides benefits to all, not only students but the institution staff involved, higher education staff unions, students’ unions and society as well. SCL is not limited to certain methodology; it is rather a cultural shift in the institution.
What we have to understand is that the shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered education to be implemented properly requires the transformation of the whole system.
We need not only to be provided with relevant information on students requirements and the degree of their satisfaction with educational process. We need special procedures and structures that enable us to use this experience in order to improve the quality of education. So what we need is to develop a system of student assessment as a prior element of quality management system.

5. The purpose of the research:
Development of recommendations for the improvement of methodological and organizational approaches aimed at the assessment of student satisfaction in order to improve the quality of education in Russian Higher Education Institutions.
The research aimed at developing such type of the system is conducted at our University.
It started in 2011 and still goes on being improved every year.
I want to share our experience and tell a few words about the objectives, procedures and the results of the research.
I want to mention, that the strategy of SPbSUE requires the results of research to be used in educational process. So we are always updating and improving our teaching methods according to research results.

6. The objectives of the research are to
study the domestic and international experience devoted to student satisfaction analysis and student assessment of the quality of education;
develop and approve the mechanism of students' participation in the quality assessment process of Higher Education in Russia;
formulate a calculation procedure for the complex indicator of student assessment of the education quality;
develop a model for student assessment of the quality of education.
The achievement of the goal implies the solution of the tasks are presented on the slide.
Firstly, of course we had to study existing experience. Than - to define and specify methods (ways) enabling students to play active role in quality assessment and improvement. Than - to develop criteria and calculation methods. Finally – to develop a specific model that enables us not only to get information, but also to use it in order to improve the quality of education.

7. Research methods and stages:
Literature analysis;
Focus-groups and expert evaluation:
to develop criteria for student assessment;
to develop the questionnaire;
Questioning aimed at recognizing students' opinion on the educational process.
Interpretation of the results.
This slide lists research methods and stages.
Based on the results of literature analysis our research team developed the methodology of the research. We may divide the investigation into two main stages – qualitative and quantitative. At first, in order to develop the set of criteria we orgonised focus-groups, than expert evaluation was used to estimate the significance of proposed criteria. Qualitative stage resulted in the development of the questionnaire aimed at measuring students opinion on educational process.
Than, our research team conducted the survey. In fact there were several series of survey and every year we updated the questionnaire and research techniques and this process of continuous improvement is still going on.
For us it is very important to use and disseminate the results. We are always improving our research activity and enforce its influence on the educational process.

8. Research results Student standard compiled of specific criteria;
Methods for assessing the quality of education;
Model for student assessment;
Student structures that monitor and solve identified problems in the educational process in conjunction with the leadership of the educational organization.
One of the main outcomes was the development of a framework of criteria for conducting surveys aimed at measuring student satisfaction.
So Student standard – a structured set of criteria was developed. Every year we come back to qualitative stage and update the standard. But I have to mention that it doesn’t change much. Usually experts change wording, but the sense stays almost the same.
It is very important that we have not only developed assessment methods, but also described them in a proper way in order to make our experience replicable and easy to diffuse.
Also we developed and implemented the model for student assessment that is also easy to replicate in other institutions. It is very important that this model was designed according to requirements of Russian educational system. In the frames of developed model we proposed and of course orgonised specific student structures aimed at monitoring and also solving identified problems.
Following slides detail the concept of Student Standard and the assessment model.

9. Student standard 1st set “Educational Activity”
2nd set “Scientific Activities”
3rd set “Extracurricular Activities”
4th set “Educational process support”
The student standard shown on the screen was formed according to the proposals of the participants of the project "All-Russian student's school for quality in education" in , and also according to the proposals of representatives form student organizations in St. Petersburg. So at least 60 educational organizations participated in the general discussion of this standard.
The standard compiles four major sets of criteria:
The first set includes students’ requirements to educational process, the organisation of lectures, practical studies and, of course, methods of teaching.
The criteria of the second set are aimed at the evaluation of students’ engagement in research activity. Also we study the relevance of the conditions made for their involvement.
The third set evaluates whether students are provided with specific types of activities for the harmonized development of their personality.
The fourth set covers mainly infrastructure that supports educational process.

10. Higher Education Quality Assessment model based on students opinion.
Student commission for
the quality of education
Audit department - problem identification and feedback
Questioning
Student commissions for assessment
Correctional department (project department) – solving problems
Educational department - conducting training programs, workshops
Student commission for the quality of education includes three main departments to ensure the usage of research results in educational practice.
The activity of the Audit department is aimed at identifying the main problems in the educational process, it includes quality monitoring and uses such methods as: questioning, student reception, group in the social network, "Living Cabinet" and so on.
The activity of project department is aimed at solving the identified problems, through the formation and implementation of projects and programs aimed at optimizing the educational process.
Educational department is formed in order to improve the process of education, teaching methods and technologies.

11. Dissemination of the results
Methodological recommendations on the introduction of student assessment of the quality of education in Russia have been developed and approved.
Methodological recommendations on teaching technologies and educational methods were drawn up.
The system of student quality education assessment is implemented in more than 200 Higher Education Institutions.
It is very important, that we diffuse the results of our work, we make recommendations replicable, easy to understand and we show the ways they can be implemented. Also we discuss the problems that may occur during the process of replication.
I want to mention again that our goal is not just to carry on a research, but to use its results and to disseminate our experience. Only such an approach allows us to be continuously improving.
And this approach and our strong believe in usefulness and helpfulness of our recommendations made it possible to embrace 200 Higher Education Institutions by 2016.

12. Educational activities within the framework of the project "ALL-RUSSIAN STUDENT SCHOOL FOR QUALITY IN EDUCATION "
Purpose: to include students in the process of improving the quality of education.
ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSIONS / COUNCILS ON QUALITY OF EDUCATION
PROBLEMS IDENTIFICATION (CONSIDERING STUDENTS OPINION)
SOLVING PROBLEMS
The main purpose is to
Indentify the problem, solve it and show others how to do it!

13. “ALL-RUSSIAN STUDENT SCHOOL FOR QUALITY IN EDUCATION" 2011-2017
ALL-RUSSIAN STUDENT SCHOOL FOR QUALITY IN EDUCATION is a very important part of the student-centered system in Russia.
During it is conducting researches, uses its results in its own activity and disseminates best practices across Russia for continuous improvement of quality in Higher Education.

14. 70+ regions 200+ 3200+ trained students HEIs participants
THE RESULTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
“ALL-RUSSIAN STUDENT SCHOOL FOR QUALITY IN EDUCATION“:
3200+
trained students
70+ regions
200+
HEIs participants
SUPPORTED BY:
What we have now is 70 regions, more than 200 HEIs, 3200 trained students that support the research work and use its results.

15. 21, Sadovaya street, St. Petersburg, 191023, Russia.
Contacts:
21, Sadovaya street, St. Petersburg, , Russia.