1. Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Dr. Maysoon Al-Haideri
Director of Quality Assurance
Hawler Medical University

2. OUTLINE: Definition of Quality Assurance (QA) and Accreditation:
Aim of QA
Structure and Mechanisms of the Quality Assurance Management
Board of Quality Assurance and Accreditation
The Directorate of Quality Assurance and Curriculum Development at the University
Mission and Vision
Aim of the Quality Assurance Directorate
Quality Assurance Processes and Tools
Elements of Quality Assurance process
Quality Assurance Model
Main QA topics

3. What is Quality Assurance (QA):
Quality Assurance is the planned and systematic review process of an institution or program to determine whether or not acceptable standards of education, scholarship and infrastructure are being met, maintained and enhanced.

4. What is Quality Assurance cont.
The means by which an institution can guarantee with confidence and certainty, that the standards and quality of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced.
Quality Assurance provide tools and processes to enable us to meet our goals.

5. Accreditation:
“The recognition of an institution which can demonstrate that its programmers’ meet acceptable standards and that it has in place effective systems to ensure the quality and continuing improvement of its academic activities, according to the criteria published by the Agency.”

6. Aim of QA
The aim of quality assurance in higher education is to guarantee the improvement of standards and quality in higher education in order to make higher education meet the needs of students, employers and financiers (Lomas, 2002).

7. Overview
The Quality Assurance Directorate at Hawler Medical University was established in , under the administration of the Vice President of Scientific Affair and Postgraduate Studies to:
overlook issues related to quality assurance and
accreditation in the educational system,
develop an overall strategic plan for quality assurance and accreditation, and
assist in improving the quality of the academic
programs and that of their graduates.
INTRODUCION, OVERVIEW

8. The Structure and Mechanisms of the Quality Assurance Management
The Ministry of Higher Education, is responsible for the overall education system, which took the initiative steps to develop an overall strategic plan for quality assurance and accreditation to assist Higher Education Institutions to improve the quality of their academic programs and that of their graduates.

9. Board of Quality Assurance and Accreditation:
This board was established by the Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research in to assess and to work with the Directors of Quality Assurance at Universities that monitor the process of quality assurance.
The process of the quality assurance is supervised by the Board of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in both public and private institutes of the higher education.

10. Board members of Quality Assurance and Accreditation
Minister Advisor – President
General Director of the Quality Assurance and Research
at the Ministry
Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation at
the Ministry
Director of the Quality Assurance of the Private
Universities
Four University Vice President for Scientific Affairs
One Institute Vice President

11. The main role of this Board is to:
Introduce quality management procedures.
Review and manage the instructions which are released
by the ministry of higher education
Develop instructions and measurements of the process of
quality assurance and accreditation.
Assure the management of the quality assurance is in the
best way.

12. The main role of the Board is to, cont.
Assess and approve the admission plan for each
department, college, and faculty of the public and
private universities.
Decide on the accreditation and permission of opening
a new department or college at the university,
Introduce corrective action procedures, and
without reviewing of the board no related proposal
will be accepted by the ministry.

13. leadership of teaching and learning across the university,
The Directorate of Quality Assurance and Curriculum Development at the University
The Directorate of Quality Assurance (DQA) has been established within the University and is headed by the Vice-President of the Scientific Affairs who is responsible for:
strategic direction,
leadership of teaching and learning across the university,
managing and supervising Teaching Quality Assurance
(TQA) team,
planning, maintenance of academic standards, and
enhancement of the academic profile of the university
The Directorate of Quality Assurance and Curriculum development at the University

14. For the purposes of this initiative, a Quality
Assurance Committee was established in each
college to monitor and ensure that the
process and achievement of quality are
within the standard and that the quality of
learning and research are appropriate .
The committees have important roles in developing, approving, monitoring and reviewing academic policies and guidelines.

15. Objectives :
1. Annually facilitate self assessment of all academic
programs.
2. Continuously monitors the quality of teaching at
delivery points Annually conduct quality audit affiliate institutions
as per the schedule Facilitate the review of all academic programs 5. Continuously validate/verify new academic
programs as per academic quality assurance
regulations.

16. Mission and Vision
Ensure and enhance academic quality assurance in all
programs within the university;
Provides academic leadership for the university and
assures that the mission of the university is clarified,
pursued, and achieved through the programs of the
colleges.
Leads the faculty in developing the vision and inspiring
others to accept and extend the vision for the university. 1

17. Mission and Vision, cont.
Secures and maintains professional accreditation
for the university as well as assists in maintaining
regional accreditation for the institution; oversees
a strong assessment team, which collects and
interprets data to guide the decision-making
process in the university.

18. Mission and Vision, cont.
Sets priorities and sustains an environment of
academic excellence through review and
development of curricular, research and partnership
initiatives.
To enable the institute achieve its goals through
quality research for the enhancement of academic
standards and become a leader in the provision of
higher education systems nationally, regionally
and internationally

19. Mission and Vision, cont.
Advances a research environment aligned with the
mission of the university; enhances the effectiveness
and prominence of the college’s educational
programs, research activities, and outreach programs.
An ability to oversee appropriate student development
and placement programming as well as having
demonstrated commitment to students and diversity in
all its forms.

20. Aim of the Quality Assurance Directorate
To enhance the effectiveness of the university’s
core activities and
To help in improving the teaching and research
standards and quality of services at the university.
The Directorate of Quality Assurance is charged with the general duties of supervising and assessing quality of all services delivered at the university.

21. Quality Assurance Processes and Tools
The process of quality assurance is created to assess teachers and to protect student rights and this include different program such as:
Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), and
the Continues Academic Development (CAD).
Both of the mentioned programs have instructions issued by the General Directorate of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR).

22. Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA)
The TQA program was announced by the MHESR to pursue the goals set by the Ministry which are:
Introduce confidence in the value of the certificates awarded to students by the universities and Institutes of the Kurdistan Region;
Assure the public that the quality of education and lectures offered by our universities and Institutes are up to the level of those offered by international universities;

23. Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), cont.
Support students during their courses of study;
Writing reports, reviewing, following up,
observing, filing, decision-making, and
Sometimes examining the lecture contents and
methodology.

24. Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA), cont.
In summary, one may say that quality assurance should answer the following questions:
Is the higher education institution doing the right
things?
Is it doing the right things in the right way?
Does it achieve what it wants to achieve?

25. Continuous Academic Development (CAD)
In order to establish and implement CAD in the universities and colleges, the Scientific Committees of these institutes will lay down a program periodically for the academic seminars. A list of seminars schedule must be submitted to the College Council at the beginning of each semester for approval. A copy of the list should be sent to the Directorate of Quality Assurance at the university presidency for review.

26. Elements of Quality Assurance process
Quality Assurance Elements
Course Book
Student’s Feedback
External Evaluation
Teacher Portfolio
Continuing Education

27. Course book
The course book is a sort of summary of the subject that the student will be taking during the semester, or during the whole academic year. It should be provided to the student at the beginning of the semester or academic year The course book should includes the main course topics, the number of hours for each topic, samples of question, list of text books and references, and the personal contact information of the teacher and the coordinator to help eases the connection between the teacher and the students.

28. Student’s feedback
Collecting feedback during the course provides information that can be useful right away, while teachers are still working with students that semester Asking for student feedback during the course can:
Identify features of the course that students find
helpful, as well as students’ perception of obstacles
to learning.
Give you a more informed basis for making decisions
while you are still teaching the course.
Open lines of communication with students who
might not otherwise volunteer their comments.

29. Responding to Student Feedback:
It is important to acknowledge and respond to students’ feedback, but responding does not mean simply fulfilling student requests. Rather, being responsive means considering student input and finding ways to help align student expectations with your teaching and course goals.
For example you might choose to make a change recommended by students, but you might also address student perceptions by helping them see the value or purpose of something that they identified as unhelpful.

30. Responding to Student Feedback:, cont.
Your response to the feedback can also create opportunities to clarify your expectations for the class, and open doors for further dialogue with students about their learning.
After collecting and analyzing the feedbacks, a copy of the report should be submitted to the Quality Assurance Committee at the college which will therefore be submitted to the Directorate of Quality Assurance at the University.
Responding to Student Feedback:, cont.

31. External Assessor
An external examiner is normally a senior academic person from another institution or organization who is specialists in the fields reviewed and knowledgeable about higher education in general.
He/ she review and monitor the assessment process of an institution for fairness and academic standards.

32. Every course has to have an external examiner who is appointed for a period of time.
The external examiner reads and approves the course contents and the examination papers, may read some or all of the examination scripts, and generally monitors standards and reports formally on his/her findings. 
External Assessor, cont.

33. Main purposes of having External Examiner are:
to verify that academic standards are appropriate
for the award or part thereof which the external
examiner has been appointed to examine;
to help institutions to assure and maintain
academic standards across higher education
awards;
to help institutions to ensure that their assessment
processes are sound, fairly operated and in line
with the institution's policies and regulations.

34. Teacher Portfolio
Teacher Portfolio is a description of an instructor’s major strengths and teaching achievements It describes documents and materials which collectively suggest the scope and quality of an instructor’s teaching proficiency.

35. The goal of teacher portfolio
Is to present your teaching skills, experiences and credentials in a meaningful positive package.
Teaching portfolios vary considerably depending on numerous factors, including personal preference In fact, the items that an educator elects to place in a teaching portfolio often communicate much about that individual’s values with respect to teaching and learning.

36. Teacher Portfolio contain two basic elements:
evidence of teaching, and
reflections on that evidence.
The evidence begins with what is normally listed on curriculum vitae, lists of courses, lists of responsibilities, etc.; however, it extends beyond to include a variety of activities which have had an impact on your teaching.
The addition of these other documents adds depth to your teaching curriculum vitae.

37. Under QA programme each and every academic, regardless of his/her degree, is required to collect points by seeking knowledge and participate in various academic activities such as:
publications in scientific/ academic journals whether local or international,
participation in conferences, workshops, symposiums, and training courses,
supervision on different proposals, thesis and dissertations, with
additional activities to enhance the teachers’ skills.

38. Quality Assurance Model:
A model of assuring quality is by:
Sets of regulations and guidelines formulated;
A self evaluation prepared by the institution;
The appointment of a peer group whose review of the institution or programme would start with a review of the self evaluation
Site visits by the peer group.

39. The Four main QA topics are :
1. Development of common terms, definitions and language.
2. Processes and tools to involve faculty, departments, institutions and the higher education system.
3. Methods for working with faculty to develop
learning outcomes, measures, findings, actions.
4. Ideas to sustain improvement based on information.

40. 1- Development of common terms, definitions and language

41. Development of common terms, definitions and language
Academic Program Review
Goals
Assessment
Critical Thinking
Program Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes
Direct Measures
Findings/Action Plans

42. Introduction to an Academic Program Review Model Why Academic Program Review? Internal improvement Program improvement Student learning Faculty development Regional Accreditation Requirements

43. 2- Processes and tools to involve faculty, departments, institutions and the higher education system
School
Department
Faculty

44. 3. Methods for working with faculty to develop learning outcomes, measures, findings, actions
Workshops
Models, guides and examples
Communication and resources

45. Setting Common Goals among faculty and administrators
1. Student learning
2. Program improvement
3. Faculty development
4. New ideas for teaching & learning
5. Inter-disciplinary communication
6. Fulfilling requirements

46. Develop cycles of continuous improvement
4. Ideas to sustain improvement based on
information
Outcomes
Measures
Findings
Action Plans
Re-evaluation
Develop cycles of continuous improvement

47. Selective ideas You have to have a willing to change
If students are not so successful you must have an action plan
Website is the main communicator
Need clear definitions of terms
Importance of collecting data, compiling interpreting, and processing
Grades do not tell us good information
Pull the data and build your own files
The importance of do ability
Visions need to be realistic
Thinking in a broader sense

48. Assessment of a Program
Assessment is a systematic process of gathering, reviewing and using important quantitative and qualitative data and information from multiple and diverse sources about educational programs, for the purpose of improving student learning, and evaluating whether academic and learning standards are being met.

49. Self-assessment of programs
Self-assessment is an assessment conducted by the institution / department to assess whether programs meet their educational objectives and outcomes with the purpose to improve program’s quality and enhancing students learning

50. Desired outcomes of self assessment
To be proactive than reactive
Systematize the process of assessment
To be current and take a leadership role in the country
Assist in preparing good professionals of tomorrow
Initiate improvements to achieve academic excellence

51. Elements of assessment
Purpose identification
Outcomes identification
Measurements and evaluation design
Data collection
Analysis and evaluation
Decision-making regarding actions to be taken.

52. What happens after assessments?
Action plans
Reporting
Re-Evaluation
New Assessment

53. Action Plans Emerge from Assessment
Plans relate to findings and goals
Plans include needed resources
Plans include timeline
Plans are feasible!

54. Peer Observation Peer Observation
Assists in the improvement of teaching and evaluation of the teaching effectiveness
Peer Observation

55. QUALITY ASSURANCE NEED
QUALITY ASSURANCE DOES NOT HAPPEN
BY ACCIDENT:
IT HAS TO BE PLANNED
CONTINUING
IMPROVEMENT
QUALITY IS NOT ANY SINGLE
THING BUT AN AURA, AN ATMOSPHERE,
AN OVERPOWERING FEELING THAT
THE INSTITUTION IS DOING
EVERYTHING WITH EXCELLENCE

56. OUTPUT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE Ensuring REGULAR IMPROVEMENT
University (College)
Ensuring COMPLIANCE
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Ensuring REGULAR IMPROVEMENT

57. Concluding Remarks
Self assessment will:
provide feedback from employers and Alumni and will enable Universities to improve quality and respond effectively to market needs.
require dedication from faculty members and commitment from University Administration.
establish measurable objectives and evaluate their outcomes to assess if programs meet the educational objectives.
facilitate to enhance learning.

58. Concluding Remarks, cont.
Quality Assurance is the responsibility of HEI itself
Overnight results not possible. So be patient but
consistent in pursuing the agenda
Full support of the administration and cooperation of
faculty essential to achieve the positive results

59. Questions ? / Comments