Key Information Sets – Briefing Session 03/09/2012 | Slide 1

Introduction to Key Information Sets Web Content Champion Briefing Session

6th March 2012

Michelle Spruce - Assistant Registrar (Public Information)

AQSS

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session 06/03/2012 | Slide 2

What is the Government’s ‘Key Information Set’ initiative

and why is it going to affect the University and me?

What information are we going to have to provide?

When are we going to have to provide this information?

Next steps

Questions?

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Why is the Government interested in providing

consumers of HE with more information?

Broad concern about poor information for students: • Cooke Report (HEFCE 2002); Coalition Agreement; NUS; the wider public; the

media; and Browne Review

Lack of information seen as ‘a barrier to progression’: • The ‘Four Cities’ report (HEFCE, 2007)

• ‘Widening Participation in higher education’ (NAO, 2008)

• Evaluation of Aimhigher: learner attainment and progression (NFER, 2010)

Perceived lack of information about types of provision: • 'Study of UK Online Learning‘ (University of Oxford, 2010)

……

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Ministerial interest …

‘I am committed to improving the information available to prospective students and their parents… it is in everyone's interest that students make well-informed decisions about what and where to study…we need to do better on careers advice and information’

David Willets, September 2010

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

‘The relationship between the student and

the institution will be at the heart of the

system.

There will be significant improvements in

the information and guidance given to

students when they are choosing courses’

Browne Review, October 2010

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Purposes of information about HE?

What the Government says: • We need to inform the public, especially prospective

students, about the quality of higher education and aid student choice

• We need the information to help provide evidence to contribute to quality assurance processes in institutions

• Publishing this information will enable institutions to enhance the quality of their higher education provision

06/03/2012 | Slide 6

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Purposes of information about HE?

What the Government says: • ‘We must put information we know prospective

students will find useful in places we know they will look for it … the Web’

• Information needs to be made more accessible

• Information published by every institution will be subject to judgement in the QAA’s new review method

06/03/2012 | Slide 7

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

QAA Review and ‘Public Information’

• UK Quality Code for Higher Education sets out the expectations UK

providers of higher education are expected to meet.

• Currently being developed – further detail expected later this month.

• Will replace the current set of national reference points known as

the ‘Academic Infrastructure’ from the 2012-13 academic year.

• Quality Code will be split into 3 parts A-C.

• As well as parts on Academic Standards and Academic Quality

there is a new Part C on ‘Information about higher education

provision’

06/03/2012 | Slide 8

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

QAA Review and ‘Public Information’

HEIs required to publish certain information about their HE

provision:

1. Key Information Set (KIS)

2. A Wider Information Set

3. Enhancements to the National Student Survey.

06/03/2012 | Slide 9

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

QAA Review and ‘Public Information’

The Wider Information Set (still under review)

Information available publically, internally and on request:

1. Information about the higher education provider

2. Information for prospective students

3. Information for current students

4. Information for students on completion of their studies

5. Information for assuring quality and standards

06/03/2012 | Slide 10

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

The Key Information Set (KIS)

• For the benefit of prospective students who plan to commence an

undergraduate programme in September 2013

• HEFCE is requiring that all HE providers produce (by September

2012) various institutional and ‘course’ statistics

• The relevant statistics must be easily accessible from the

institutional web pages dedicated to each course

• Will apply to all undergraduate courses of at least 120 credits

• Published data will have to be renewed annually

• KIS information published by the University will be subject to QAA

summative review

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

The Key Information Set (KIS)

06/03/2012 | Slide 12

Institution

Level

Course

Level

Year of

Course

Level

• Accommodation Costs

• National Scholarship Programme

• Students’ Union Information

• Student Satisfaction (NSS)

• Employment and Salary Information

• Professional Body Accreditation

• Tuition Fees

• Financial Support

• Teaching and Learning Information

• Assessment Information

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Where does the KIS data come from?

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From national data sets:

• Student Satisfaction – National Student Survey (NSS)

• Graduate Employment and Salary – Destination of Leavers in Higher

Education survey (DLHE)

Provided by each institution for its courses:

• Teaching & Learning and Assessment methods

• Tuition Fees and Financial Support available

• Course Accreditation

• Accommodation Costs (including the number of institution beds

available)

• Information to allow linkage to HESA and UCAS Course data

• URL webpage links to further institution and course related

information

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Web Content Required for KIS

HEFCE require us to provide publically available URL webpage links with

further information on:

Course (where widget hosted)

Teaching and Learning Methods

Assessment Methods

Financial Support

Careers and Employment

Prospects

Professional Accreditation

Accommodation

Cours

e L

evel

Institu

tion

Level

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

The KIS Widget

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• Will be provided by HEFCE once

the KIS data has been submitted

and finalised.

• To be placed on every course

page where a KIS is required

from September 2012.

• For Combined Honours will be a

‘Subject Level’ widget to be

placed on each combined

subject’s page.

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

The Renewed Unistats Website

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Will be live

from

September

2012

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

Comparing KIS data on Unistats

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Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

KIS 2012 Timescale

16/09/2011 | Slide 18

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Data should be uploaded to HEFCE extranet (29 Mar–22 Aug)

Site preview for institutions

(17 Sept)

KIS widgets should be available on all

HEIs’ web-sites (31 Oct)

Final technical guidance published

(29 March)

New website goes live (week commencing 24 Sept)

including KIS widgets on course sites

KIS and Unistats early evaluation

(Sept 2012 – Jan 2013)

NSS and DLHE data added to HEFCE

extranet

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session

The Key Information Set (KIS)

06/03/2012 | Slide 19

Michelle Spruce (Assistant Registrar: Public Information)

AQSS

Email: m.spruce@chester.ac.uk

Tel: 01244 512945

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session 06/03/2012 | Slide 20

Key Information Sets – Briefing Session 03/09/2012 | Slide 21

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