Craig McDonald © 2007 Quality, by design

Craig McDonald © 2007 Quality is not a thing-in-itself it is a judgement of the attributes of something Quality =//= QA (Quality Assurance) QA is an part of “professional” work, it is about quality cycle : plan – act – review – learn –plan – act – review …. explicating that we put a ‘floor’ under what we do “evidence-based" work work process, product and impact in terms of work aims (ISO9000) There should be no ‘quality assurance system’ separate from the work itself ACS accreditation: no quality portfolio, very light quality intro with pointers into the quality attributes of the work AUQA ? Quality – some views

Craig McDonald © 2007 Contrast between: amateur, craft, trade, profession In terms of : Qualifications Process Knowledge Creation Knowledge Transfer Organization Codes of Ethics Market activity QA – ‘Professional’ Context

Craig McDonald © 2007 QA - Education Wiggins, G & J. McTighe (2006) Understanding by Design Merrill p.273 Where the rubber hits the road ?

Craig McDonald © QA - Software Engineering Rubber hits the road Where the rubber hits the road

Craig McDonald © QA – UC T&L Rubber hits the road Where the rubber hits the road Course DCP CELTS survey Unit outline CEQ T&L Event Learning assessment ? Unit design ?

Craig McDonald © 2007 ISE Unit Design Team Unit Development: 3 or 4 academics - to provide a sounding board, backup, a succession path, a quality check (eg. on subject scope), etc. Unit Design: (complements the unit outline) 1. Time: How students will spend 150 hours (3cp) estimate how much time you expect the normal student to spend in order to get a credit grade. Included in your estimate would be class contact, tutorial preparation time, assignment creation, study, self-paced lab time, etc. 2. Scholarship: How your unit is based in either in current research and/or current professional practice. As our unit designs develop we should start to explicitly say what 'warrant' the knowledge being presented has - it may be based in particular research articles or projects, Australian Standards, case studies with external partners (like ABS) or our own experiences, consultancies, etc. 3. Relevance: What industry contact & participation happens in the unit. 4. Use of ICT: What IT is being used, both for content (eg modeling tool in SAM) and for teaching (eg. WebCT) 5. Teaching: What pedagogical techniques are being tried or used. 6. Generic Skills: How the design of the unit satisfies the generic skills specified at 7. QA: How the learning outcomes are met and specifically assessed.

Craig McDonald © 2007 Information Systems Projects requirements spec. 4 broad Designs & evaluation implement design spec. options design analysis system acceptbuild feedback input/output Human Activity System Project Where the rubber hits the road

Craig McDonald © 2007 Development task ( eg. ‘Design’) product PRODUCT specification Management: time, scope, cost, milestones, people plan review monitor staff knowledge - attitudes policy / procedures / standards history (precedents) tools & Techniques PROCESS: Resources system of which the task is a part organization / power structures responsibility / authority culture & networks Development Context: Investment Decision Benefit Realisation Governance QA – Information Systems Quality Fitness for Use for stakeholder: What do they do with it? Impact on them ? 1 23

Craig McDonald © 2007 Teaching activity product PRODUCT specification Management: time, scope, cost, milestones, people plan review monitor staff knowledge - attitudes policy / procedures / standards history (precedents) tools & Techniques PROCESS: Resources system of which the task is a part organization / power structures responsibility / authority culture & networks Development Context: Investment Decision Benefit Realisation Governance QA – T&L Systems Quality Fitness for Use for Students: What do they do with it? Impact on them ? 1 23

Craig McDonald © 2007 Quality Fitness for Use for Students: What do they do with it? Impact on them ? 1 23 Teaching activity product PRODUCT specification Management: time, scope, cost, milestones, people plan review monitor staff knowledge - attitudes policy / procedures / standards history (precedents) tools & Techniques PROCESS: Resources system of which the task is a part organization / power structures responsibility / authority culture & networks Development Context: Investment Decision Benefit Realisation Governance QA – Influences & improvements

Craig McDonald © 2007 Quality, by design Quality Audits: Australian Computer Society Accreditation AUQA audit Quality Ideas from: Software Engineering Information Systems Education Quality =//= Quality assurance subjective quality – organized QA QA must be a part of, not an addition to, action (where the rubber hits the road) The ISE ‘unit design’ a QA measure on the design side potential to demonstrate the actualization of UC policy, good practice, meeting aims, etc…