Date post: | 21-Dec-2015 |
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The Student at the Heart of the Quality Assurance Process
Introductions and Aims
• Discuss the importance of listening to the student voice
• Present the UWIC context
• Student evaluations
• Student representation
• Further developments
Why is listening to the student voice central to the QA process?Responding to students’ views can:• help improve the quality of learning, teaching
and assessment;• aid retention;• improve student satisfaction levels into the
future (potential impact on student engagement, standards, programme/institutional reputation; recruitment etc.);
Why is listening to the student voice central to the QA process?• help ensure that there is parity of student
experience across the institution;• help ensure that all students’ needs are being
met (e.g. mature students; students with disabilities etc.);
• contribute to students’ perceptions of value for money;
• satisfy requirements of QAA, professional bodies etc.
External Drivers
• Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)(E.g. ‘Listening to Learners’ agenda)
• QAA (expects to see active student involvement at all levels)
• Professional bodies and the inspectorate (Estyn in Wales)
• National Student Survey (NSS)
National Student Survey (NSS)
• Survey for all final year undergraduate students.
• Results are in the public domain.
• Used by prospective students to select appropriate programmes/HEIs.
• Indicator of the quality of learning, teaching, assessment, resources etc.
Institutional Commitment
• Commitment to listening to the student voice at institutional level.
• Genuine opportunities for students to have an impact at:
strategic level; operational level.• Intentions embedded in policy documents (e.g. Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Strategy) and the constitutional framework.
UWIC Context
• Academic programmes and the student population are distributed across five academic Schools.
• Five Schools distributed across four campuses.
• Collaborative provision.
UWIC Context
• Schools often contain several discipline areas and a large number of programmes.
• Schools are subdivided into Departments. • Some Schools are split between campuses.• Some programmes are delivered across
academic Schools.
Challenges
Establish processes and mechanisms that:
• are embedded across the Institution;• are meaningful and useful;• provide all students with equal
opportunities to put forward their views; • are flexible enough to be tailored to
different contexts.
Student Evaluations: Overview
• Students are encouraged to evaluate various aspects of their experience at:
Module level Programme level Institutional level
Student Evaluation Mechanisms
• School level: Module evaluations Programme evaluations Evaluations of work-based learning
• Across UWIC: Surveys, audits and focus groups The Diary Room
Focus of Module and Programme Evaluations
• The quality of teaching• The learning experience • Assessment and feedback• The structure and content of
programmes/modules• Resources/facilities
Students are asked to be honest, realistic and professional in their responses.
Design, Format and Completion of Evaluations
• Consider avoiding a five-point scale (tendency to select the mid point)
• Quantitative data are useful indicators but qualitative comments provide greater detail.
• Useful to arrange completion during a taught session so that the tutor can give an overview (purpose, importance, use of outcomes etc.).
Design, Format and Completion of Evaluations
• Electronic forms can encourage completion and make analysis easier.
• Students who have had a negative experience tend to be most vocal.
• Student responses are often influenced by their most recent experiences (encourage them to reflect on the module/programme as a whole).
Analysis and Impact of Evaluations
• Analysis of data to identify key strengths and issues.
• Software available to aid this.
• Further dialogue with students as necessary.
Mid-module Evaluations
• Evaluations do not have to be restricted to the end of the module.
• The advantage of mid-module evaluations is that improvements can be made while the module is still underway.
Evaluations: Final Steps
• Programme action plans produced to address issues (incorporated into UWIC’s Annual Programme Monitoring process).
• Feedback to students on action taken in response to issues identified.
Challenges Relating to Evaluations
• Encouraging student engagement (survey fatigue?).
• Possible bias in results (e.g. students who wish to make a negative point are often keen to complete the evaluation).
• Student views can be expressed inappropriately.
• Students can be unrealistic or subjective.
Challenges Relating to Evaluations
• Encouraging staff engagement (staff time).
• Defensive attitudes of some staff.
• Management of feedback to students on actions taken.
UWIC-wide Surveys, Audits and Focus Groups
For example:• audit of all new students (e.g. exploring
expectations);• Student Satisfaction Survey;• survey of all students who have withdrawn
from UWIC.
These are undertaken by UWIC Units (e.g. the Learning, Teaching and Development Unit).
The Diary Room
• Approximately 100 students volunteered to take part.
• Students were asked to focus on six key questions.
• Analysis took place to identify specific areas for improvement.
• Incentivising participation: entry into a prize draw.
Student Representation
• Process managed by UWIC’s Students’ Union (UWICSU) in conjunction with academic staff.
• Programme Representatives are nominated or elected at the beginning of each academic year.
• Representative plus a deputy.• Training provided (UWICSU supplemented by
Programme Director).• Use of VLE (Blackboard)/UWIC email to reach the
student body.
Student Representation
• Programme representatives are known as StARs (Student Academic Representatives).
• StARs in each School are supported by a School Representative.
School Representatives
• Recent initiative for UWIC.
• School Reps are appointed (application and
interview) and receive payment.
• Each School has one School Rep.
• The role is undertaken for a year.
School Representatives
SRs are:• responsible to the School and UWICSU;• represent the views of students and StARs;• provide a ‘bridge’ between the student body
and academic staff;• assist in the recruitment and training of
StARs;• feed back outcomes to students.
Encouraging Students to be Representatives
Benefits of student representation include:
• development of a range of skills (e.g. leadership, communication, organisation, problem solving etc.);
• CV enhancement;
• employability.
Student Representation on UWIC Committees and Boards
L&T Board
Programme Committee
L&T CommitteeStaff/Student
Liaison Committee
Further Potential for Student Involvement
• Members of revalidation and periodic review panels.
• Members of QAA audit panels.
• Working alongside staff to contribute to programme re-design/modification.
Outcomes
• Points incorporated into action planning at programme and School level.
Impact on:
i) learning, teaching and assessment strategies;
ii) programme development;
iii) resources, staffing and accommodation
Outcomes
• Issues raised could result in: staff development, learning and teaching workshops, in-house research projects, programme modifications/re-design etc.
• Student perspective offers a different point of view on issues and can influence UWIC-wide strategy.
Further Developments
• Refine mechanisms for feeding back outcomes to students.
• http://www.uwicsu.co.uk/content/138065/membership_services/you_said_we_did/
• More detailed analysis of the effectiveness of student representation structures and processes across the Institution.
• Continue to develop mechanisms to increase student engagement.
Further Developments
• Enhance communication between the student body and StARs; between StARs and the School Representative; between staff and students.