QAAET Conference - Internal Quality Assurance - Bader Aboul-Ela

1

INTERNAL QUALITY

ASSURANCE:

LESSONS LEARNED

Quality Education & Training:

Towards a Better Future Sunday, February 13, 2011

• Exceptionality (Excellence)

Exceeding high standards / passing

required standard

• Consistency: Exhibited through zero

defects

• Fitness for purpose: Product or service

meets the stated purpose


Towards a Better Future

• Ensure Effective Operation

• Accountability, to external parties (value for

money)

• Control: Achievement of quality with existing

resources

• Competitiveness

• Basis for Continuous Improvement (most used by

HEIs)

• Required for External Evaluation of QAA



QA is about Fitness for Purpose

Are we doing what we supposed to be doing in an

acceptable way?

Does the HEI function in a way that enables it to

achieve its set goals & objectives?

Mission-driven Operation



• Ensure the utilization of assessment results in adjusting institutional plans

• Importance of assessing outcomes against target levels



Clearly defined Mission, Goals, Objectives, and

KPIs (as appropriate), and defined measurable

learning outcomes for academic programs

Internal Feedback Mechanism : Pervasive, involving

All stakeholders

All programs & Services

All academic units & Admin, academic and student

support units



Internal Feedback Mechanism : Pervasive,

involving

All stakeholders

All programs & Services

All academic units & Admin, academic and

student support units



External feedback Mechanism:

Means to collect feedback from experts,

employers, and alumni, for future

development & improvement



Internal Reflection Mechanism:

Means to react to internal & external

recommendations for improvement



• Evidence-Based:

Documentation of information

Data gathered

Results of analysis

Actions taken



Effective means of data collection, analysis and

storage

Involve: Heads of units

Database Expert

IT experts

Statistician



Develop mechanism for utilizing results

• Formulation of recommendations

• Developing APPROVED Action Plan with

resources, timeline, and individual

responsibilities (involve unit heads) •

• Monitoring of Progress



• Review the QA SYSTEM ITSELF

• Are we asking the right questions?

to the right stakeholders?

frequent enough?

• Is the QA system easily implementable?

MAKE IT SIMPLE





Service 1

Very poor

2

Poor

3

Satisfactory

4

Good

5

Excellent

1 Classrooms and laboratories

2 Library

3 Sports facilities

4 Academic advising

5 Food Services

6 Health Services

To indicate your satisfaction with university services, please mark

the appropriate box in response to each of the items below.



Service 1

Very poor

2

Poor

3

Satisfactory

4

Good

5

Excellent

1 Library space

2 IT availability within library

3 Adequacy of books & references

4 Currency of books & references

5 Adequacy of databases and

periodicals

6 Access to library resources from

off-campus

7 Printing & photocopying facilities

8 Help provided by library staff

Please indicate your satisfaction with various library services, by

putting () in the appropriate boxes below

Establish QA Unit within Organization Structure

to report directly to the CEO

Develop QA MANUAL , describing:

• What to be evaluated ?

• When?

• By whom?

• How ?

Effective utilization of results (Closing the loop)

Continuous monitoring of progress



Consider

Inputs,

Process, and

Outcomes







Area Procedure / Tool Time Frame Responsible Utilization to Improve

Effectiveness

Academic

Programs

Periodic Self-Assessment and

Internal Audits Annually Vice Chancellors Improve Curriculum and Services

Academic

Programs

National Accreditation by The

Ministry of Higher Education

and Scientific Research, UAE

Five years The Vice

Chancellors Improve Curriculum and Services

Curriculum External Evaluation / Report As needed Dean and Chair Develop Curriculum

Curriculum Program Advisory Board /

Meetings and Reports Annually Dean and Chair Develop Curriculum

Courses

Student Evaluation, Instructor

Evaluation, Review by Reports

and Forms

At the end of

every

Semester

Dean and Chair To Improve Delivery of Material &

Faculty Evaluation

Library Evaluation Form Annually Assessment

Committee Service Improvement

IT Services Evaluation Form Annually Assessment


Area: Inputs

Area Procedure / Tool Time Frame Responsible Utilization to Improve

Effectiveness

Students’ Files

Advisor

Evaluation/Advisor

Report

Every

semester Advisor

For advising & course plan

offerings

Advising services Student Satisfaction

/ Survey Annually

Dean and

Chair

For Improving Advising

Services

Student Services Evaluation Form Annually Assessment


Instructional delivery Student Evaluation /

Evaluation Form

At the End of

every

Semester

Dean and

Chair To Improve Delivery of Material

Research Projects and

Units Audit and Evaluation Annually

Chair and

Dean

College of Gradate Studies

and Research Evaluation,

Faculty Promotion

Website Quality Evaluation form Annually Assessment




Area: Process

Area Procedure / Tool Time

Frame Responsibility

Utilization to Improve

Effectiveness

Academic Programs

International

Accreditation

(ABET, AACSB,

WFME, etc.)

Five years Chairs and

Deans

Improve curriculum

and services

Graduate

Employment

Employer satisfaction

Follow-up

Survey Annually

CASTO, IR

Unit

Career advising/

Career Service Office

Graduate

Employment

Employer satisfaction

Employer

Satisfaction

Survey

Annually IR Unit Revision & Update of

Curriculum



Area: Outcomes

Semester 1

Sem. 2

Sem. 3

Sem. 4

Sem. 5

Sem. 6

Sem. 7

Sem. 8

Program Advisory Board

Alumni

Employers

An

aly

sis of o

utco

me a

chiev

emen

t (Institu

tion

al R

esearch

)

Phase I

Phase II

Dev

elo

pm

ent

of

ob

ject

ives

, cu

rric

ulu

m, te

ach

ing

& l

earn

ing

to

ols

& m

eth

od

s

Survey

Survey

Consultation

Summative Test

Formative Test

Element

Graduation Project

External Evaluation Reports

Student Exit Survey

Internship

Student Portfolio

Course Evaluation by faculty

Course Evaluation by Students

Midterm exam

Quizzes

Project

Report and Essay

Presentation

Tools of Assess/Evaluation



What Triggered Change

•Faculty dissatisfaction with the degree of engagement in policy making

•Complaints about chairperson selection

Action/Improvement

Introduce scheme for chairperson election by faculty

Assessment / indicators

•Faculty satisfaction with the process

•Chairperson performance

•Department performance

Faculty Engagement



Analyses & Follow up

Keys to Success

Commitment of

Upper Administration

Faculty



Keys to Success

Authority

• Ensure having well-staffed QA Unit

• QA unit report directly to CEO,

with appropriate authority



Keys to Success

Trust

Faculty & Staff need to be assured that

assessment is not a Threat to them.

It is rather means of improvement



Keys to Success

Pervasiveness across the institution

Involve ALL relevant Stakeholders in :

Setting goals, objectives

development of

Assessment tools

Feedback

Reflection on results & developing recommendations



Keys to Success

Planning

Based on strategic plan, and its related goals & objectives (for each program, service, unit):

Develop TIMED-ACTION PLAN with

Target levels & KPIs



Keys to Success

Technology

Increase use of technology

On-line standardized formats for feedback





X

Keys to Success

Timing & Frequency

Choose appropriate timing & frequency

For student feedback: make it a condition to

announcement of exam results



Keys to Success

Transparency

Conduct CRITICAL analysis

Do NOT hide Weaknesses

Present remedial actions taken



Keys to Success

•Closing the Loop

Making use of the results in

Planning & provision of resources, to ensure continuous improvement

Leading to

QUALITY ENHANCEMENT



Keys to Success

Documentation

• Ensure Documentation of Internal

QA Processes

Essential for External Review



Keys to Success

Continuity

• Continue monitoring as scheduled

• Do not do it just for Accreditation!!



Keys to Success

•Review the QA System itself

Are we doing it right?

Asking the right questions

to the right people

at the right time



Commitment

Authority

Pervasiveness

Trust

Communication

Simplicity

Technology

Transparency

Documentation

Continuity



Badr Aboul-Ela – [email protected]



mailto:[email protected]

Documents

QAAET Conference - Internal Quality Assurance - Bader Aboul-Ela