Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 1

Managing Quality Assurance in

Transnational Education:

The UniSA Experience

Anna Ciccarelli

Kevin Brett

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 2

“AUQA commends UniSA for its quality assurance system for

transnational programs.”

UniSA’s Transnational profile

History of our Quality Assurance approach

Institutional Quality Improvement Projects

UniSA’s Forward Agenda

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 3

Clicks

Distance

Clicks & Mortar

Flexible Delivery

Mortar

Campus

Online learning platform

Support Services

UniSA

Bricks & mortar campus

Staff on site

UniSA’s Transnational Program Model

Online learning platform

Support Services

University staff and adjunct staff visit

Intensive teaching blocks

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 4

Fields of Education: Distribution of International StudentsFields of Education: Distribution of International StudentsAll Levels, OffshoreAll Levels, Offshore

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Science IT

Eng/Tech

Arch/B

uildAg/Envir

on

Health

Educatio

nBusin

ess

ArtsCrea

tive A

rts

AustraliaUniSA

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 5

Context – Growth in International Student Profile

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

TransnationalOnshore

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 6

Influences on the establishment of a quality system (1994- 2004)

• Uni company - academic partnership • Aid projects - management framework• Australian providers in QA systems• Global trends in QA. eg GATE• Literature on quality management in the

services industries• Regulatory environment• Business risks and analysis• HR considerations• Internationalisation a driver for• Whole of university engagement

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 7

Practice in establishing a quality system

• Introduction of a Project Quality System (PQS) for commercial activity, in R & D consulting, transnational activity

• Transfer of the PQS system into the University – mainstreaming

• Academic approval process and• Legislative & financial regulations• Accurate information about legislation in

new jurisdictions• University wide audit of international, then

transnational activity• Emphasis on follow up - closing the loop.

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 8

Transnational Education @ UniSAA culture of rigorous self assessment & continuous quality improvement; reviews from 1999 onwards

AUQA commendation for our quality assurance system for transnationaleducation

Preparing for ISO Accreditation of our Project Quality Management System for Transnational education

Managing national accreditation compliance and monitoring global business developmentsA strand in our Internationalisation strategy and market positioning

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 9

Transnational

Quality/Risk

Yield

Capacityto supply

Program development & delivery

Sustainability- HR strategies- modes & models of delivery- adjuncts and local staff\

Scalability- modes & models of delivery

Low volume/high cost >>> high volume /low cost

Full costing and appropriate pricing

Cost /benefit analyses

Workload (IR context)

Market research >>> new programs

Partner- choice- strategic fit & positioning- commercial vs. institutional

Student service delivery

In-country frameworks-legal-fiscal-linguistic-accreditation

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 10

Institutional Quality Improvement Projects • Transnational Administration & Management

– From School to Division– Uniwide committee oversights QA & Compliance

• Project Quality System– enhancement to the PQS system for use in managing the

quality of transnational programs

• Transnational Program Review Cycle– review framework using both self assessment audits and site

visits

• Transnational Student Evaluation Questionnaire– a confidential survey of transnational students comprising

two separate surveys – coursework and research

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 11

Excerpts from Dr David Woodhouse, Issues in Offering Programs Abroad, Hobart 23 January 2004 largely based on observations made during 2002 and 2003 AUQA audits.

Philosophy/Rationale • It is common to find either no definition of

internationalisation; or a reasonably broad definition, but in practice no international (teaching) work apart from educational export and possibly student import

AUQA Perspective

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 12

• Teaching– Language of instruction is an issue

Assessment– Moderation receives a good deal of

attention, but often is in need of improvement

• Values need to be explicitly stated, and the teaching model needs to reflect those values

• Institutions would benefit from a transnational teaching and learning QA plan

AUQA Perspective

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 13

Curriculum • Graduate attributes what do they mean

transnationally?

• Impact of cultural context?

• Little understanding by staff of the meaning of ‘internationalising the curriculum’

• Work-based learning – more difficult overseas and may be omitted

AUQA Perspective

Ciccarelli & Brett IDP 2004 14

• AUQA action plan

• AVCC transnational quality projects– Development and Evaluation Framework in

LOTE transnational programs– Professional Development Program for UniSA

staff teaching transnationally

• Development of a Mandarin Transnational Student Evaluation Questionnaire

• Next cycle of audits by the UniSA Audit team and improvement action plan

• Research & scholarship in TE

• Reflect on our current paradigm

UniSA’s Forward Agenda