Accreditation and its relationship to quality assurance

Sarah Butler

Assistant Director, Development and Enhancement Group

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

National reference points for academic standards and quality

• The Academic Infrastructure• The framework for higher education qualifications

in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) • QAA Subject Benchmark Statements• QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of

academic quality and standards in higher education

• http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/default.asp

Standards of programmes

• Qualification descriptors of the FHEQ

• Subject Benchmark Statements

• Programme outcomes

• Programme Specifications

• Also the Higher education credit framework for England

Qualifications and Bologna

• Verification of the FHEQ against the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (November 2008)

• The advisory Group concluded that Master's degrees and by extension Integrated Master's degrees are compatible with completion of the second cycle within the overarching FQ-EHEA

Academic standards and quality of learning opportunities

• QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education:• Section 4: External examining• Section 6: Assessment of students• Section 7: Programme design, approval

monitoring and review

Programme design and approval

• Process of peer evaluation and approval with external input• Relationship of programme outcomes to relevant

Subject Benchmark, qualification descriptor in the FHEQ and PSRB requirements

• Structure and content• Learning and teaching methods and assessment

strategy• Resources

Annual monitoring of programmes

• Multi-layered reflective process • External Examiners’ reports and action plans• Student progression and award data• Student feedback

• Module• Programme (internal surveys and NSS)

• Staff reflection/evaluation• Document review

Periodic Review of Programmes

• Broader review of continuing validity and relevance of a portfolio • Analysis of external examiner reports and effectiveness of

responses over time • Engagement with PSRBs• Trend analysis of progression and award data• Synoptic review of student feedback (internally and

externally derived)• Currency of programme outcomes in relation to FHEQ,

Subject Benchmark and PSRB requirements• Effectiveness of teaching and assessment

QAA Institutional Audit

• Independent scrutiny of institutions on a six year cycle

• Evidence-based process of peer review of institutional management of quality and standards

• Effectiveness of QA and E processes• Use of the Academic Infrastructure and other reference points • Effective means of ensuring that standards of qualifications are

consistent with the FHEQ• Effective means of assuring the quality of learning opportunities• Accuracy and completeness of information published by the

institution

Transparency and accountability

• Publication of QAA Institutional Audit reports• Judgements• Recommendations

• National Student Survey (NSS)

• Causes for Concernhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/causesforconcern/concern.pdf

Future Developments

• Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) Select Committee Report

• Thematic Enquiries Project• HEFCE Teaching Quality and Student Experience

(TQSE) Sub Committee Report• National consultation on future quality assurance

arrangements • New institutional audit method• Guidelines on the QA of employer responsive

provision

Leading to:

• Review of the external examiner system• More public–facing audit reports for

stakeholders• More flexible and responsive audit method• Provision of publicly available information by

HEIs on assessment methods, contact and learning hours and their rationale

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