Developing teaching and learning standards in a new

regulatory environment

Elizabeth Deane, Kerri-Lee Krause and Geoff ScottUniversity of Western Sydney, Australia

The international context

Global focus on demonstrating benchmarked achievement of student learning outcomes:

AHELO; EU Tuning; Qualifications Frameworks; Exit testing; Moderation/External examination

Increasing accountability for quality and relevance of student learning experience:

Government oversight; regulation/registration and funding; Surveys

Counter drivers of research based rankings and global competiveness of Universities; Private providers

Standards = ?

The language and complexity of standards:Contentious Defined by disciplineThe concept of “threshold”Teaching versus Learning Standards

Inputs: course design; learner support and resource provisions; teacher skills and qualityOutcomes: level of attainment of skills + knowledge +..

(assessment and grading)

Qualifications Frameworks, Registration and Regulation

QFs: Defines learning expectations for level of award; move to international alignments (already exist in some professions); facilitate broad benchmarking

Registration and Regulation: Defines operating parameters; levels of investment , infrastructure and support; policy and process frameworks for educational quality. Substantial powers

The Australian context

New Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)Ten levels defined by Learning Outcomes and

Volume (=) Duration of Learning

Establishment of Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency “replaces” Australian Universities Quality Agency

Regulator versus Reviewer TEQSA regulates using:

a standards-based quality framework, and; under principles relating to regulatory

necessity, risk and proportionality

Higher Education StandardsDeveloped by HE Standards Panel who advise Minister and TEQSAFrom former National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes and the

AQF

The Threshold Standards consist of:Provider Registration Standards Provider Category Standards Provider Course Accreditation Standards * (descriptors relate to T&L)Qualification Standards (AQF).

Plus ‘Non-Threshold’ Standards (still evolving):Teaching and Learning Standards Research Standards Information Standards.

The project

Funded by the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT);Eleven Australian Universities; Aligned with ambitions and ambiguities of Teaching and Learning Standards;Based on inter-institution, discipline based peer-review across twelve discipline areas, including creative arts; Contextualised in subject (s0metimes program) learning outcomes material, discipline expectations and assessment rubrics

The process

• High commonality final year subjects identified• Materials from “home” uni collected and sent to

discipline reviewers in two partners • Materials included: – four de-identified and cleaned assessment artefacts in

each grade band; – Subject outlines, all assessment tasks, marking criteria

and if available program level outcome expectations• Responses required: – Remarked assessments; comments on suitability/validity

The findings

• Broad agreement on grades• Analysis of subject materials and levels of

agreement on: – Appropriateness of curriculum content 89.4%– Relationship assessment to LO 76.5%– Assessment to program LOs 63.5%– Explanation of grade expectations to students 54.1%– Clarity grading guidelines 68.3%– Suitability of tasks 84.6%

Participants perspectives

Feedback collected from reviewers regarding overall process; written comments during process and follow up focus groups

– Positive benefits in seeing what others are doing; getting to know discipline expectations and previously unknown peers;

– Professional development and validation;– Diversity is good!

Implications

Peer review that works and has value add for participants is characterised by: – Targeted to final year agreed “common” subjects– Blinded of student and comment details– Sampled at grades– Contextualised in discipline and institutional

expectations of learning outcomes**

Could be managed as cyclical process to minimise academic burdenWould satisfy HE Standards expectations