Tempus Workshop Zagreb Quality Assurance Procedures and Activities at Ghent University

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Joke Claeys Ghent University Department of Educational Affairs Division of Quality Management

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Internal Quality Management - Procedures: since Student evaluation - Structures: since about Central division for quality management. Each faculty has a quality cell

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation - The evaluation of education is considered as an essential part of the quality system. - The users of the education, namely the students, are ideally placed to judge it.

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation: what about ? (1) - An impression of the satisfaction of students with the services offered by the university - Specific: the perception of several aspects of the teaching and learning activities, namely:

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation: what about ? (2) - The teaching process itself - The examinations - Supporting services: study guidance, library, electronic learning environment - Infrastructure: audiences, laboratories, buildings,…

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Objectives of student evaluation (1) - Gives feedback upon a teacher/ course/ program in order to change or improve it - Supports decisions about nomination and promotion

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Objectives of student evaluation (2) - Is required in the external assessment - Is a means for students to systematically mention problems and complaints - The information can be used for comparative analyses inside the institution

Tempus Workshop Zagreb When does student evaluation take place ? - At the start of a new semester /academic year:. All activities (also examination) have finished. Possible time gap between the experiences and the report. Possible influence of the examination

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Methods of student evaluation Fase 1: Questioning the students - Questionnaires: prestructured answers or open ended questions anonymous - Interviews - Focus groups: panels of students talking about the course, the teacher,…

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Fase 2: Composing action plans for change and improvement Fase 3: Evaluation of the realisation of the action plans

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Role of the students For long term cooperation, it’s important that they are aware of the 2nd and 3rd phase of the cycle. No awareness of any follow up has a negative impact on cooperation

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation: initial characteristics - Startup in One uniform questionnaire with prestructured and open ended questions is set up for the entire institution. Processing of the results was done centrally

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation: initial characteristics. Results were sent to the respective professors and the deans of the faculties concerned. Each faculty had an evaluation commission, composed of the dean, 3 professors and 2 students, which had an obligation of discreteness

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Student evaluation: initial characteristics. Tasks of this commission: - take note of the results of the Qs - make evaluation files - make a synthetic report of each course, containing recommendations and corrections of the educational practice - in a next round, follow the evolution of the results and the adaptations made

Tempus Workshop Zagreb The main points of the initial questionnaire 1.Teaching 2.Course content 3.Practical training, laboratory work 4.Teaching and learning material 5.Examination 6.Coaching

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Evolution 1. Since 1994, frames of reference are made: cumulations of the results of all the courses in a one year program The result of a course is compared to the whole of the study year

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 2. Divergence in method and questioning From 1996 faculties have asked to change and add to the questionnaire for several reasons. Adding specific questions for specific courses/programs. Wanting a more detailed feedback upon all the facets of teaching. Wanting more information about the functioning of the teacher in the totality of the study year,…

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Consequences: - A variety of questionnaires has emerged, from the very detailed to the very general -> comparability -> validity - Acceptance is improved

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 3. Establishment of the Quality Cells in the faculties(11 in total), Goal: support in all areas of quality management - Composition: one director of education (prof), at least one staff member, representants of professors and students - They take over the role of the evaluation commission

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 4. Method of questioning - Originally: pen & paper, during a populous course (1 hour) - From 1999: electronic version; the answering of the questions is an individual affair, computer needed - Now: 6 faculties pen & paper, 5 electronic

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 5. Rate of participation - Participation has never been obliged. - This remains a problem in some study programs - The electronic form has a negative impact on participation rates - For , the mean participation rate for the whole institution was about 50 %. Some programs score worse, some better.

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 6. Frequency of the evaluation per course/teacher - Initially all courses were evaluated every 2 years - Now, every teacher has to be evaluated at least once in 3 years

Tempus Workshop Zagreb 7. Use of the results Since 1998 it’s practically an obligation to use the results of the 3 phases in the nomination/promotion files of professors. Use is made with great care.

Tempus Workshop Zagreb Examples of questions - A word version of an English questionnaire is attached - Recently a summary of all the questions for over 10 years has been made: the next powerpoint presentation contains some examples.