International QualityAssurance Programme

12-16 November 2018 Agenda

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The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786

www.qaa.ac.uk

@QAATweets

Welcome

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I am delighted to welcome you to the eighth International Quality Assurance Programme.

Over the years we have welcomed delegates from over 35 different countries to take part in lively and perceptive discussions about the quality of higher education. There are issues and concerns that affect us all, internationally, whichever country we work in. While we are pleased to be able to share our experiences and understanding with you, this programme is also about enabling us all to learn from each other, to help shape and improve the learning experiences of students worldwide.

Higher education is more globally connected than ever before. We see new and evolving partnerships between the UK and other countries, and ever-increasing collaborations between other countries. That is why a shared understanding of the principles of good quality assurance is so important - to facilitate this cooperation and build trust. As part of this programme, you will also visit institutions, awarding bodies and other organisations to learn more about higher education quality practice in the UK.

I hope you have a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking week.

Douglas Blackstock Chief Executive QAA

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The International Quality Assurance Programme objectivesIQAP provides you with opportunities to:

• learn from other colleagues from around the world who are working in similar roles but different contexts

• reflect on your own roles and practices within a wider context of contemporary thinking about higher education and quality assurance

• learn about current issues in the strategic management of higher education assurance

• develop new skills relevant to the improvement of quality assurance processes and practice in your own context and to identify areas for further development.

Learning outcomesBy the end of the programme you should:

• be able to comment more effectively on the major contemporary issues facing quality improvement in education globally

• have acquired comparators to your own experiences by working with colleagues from other countries

• have acquired knowledge and new skills that you will be able to use when planning the improvement of quality assurance within your organisations.

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OverviewThe focus of each day is as follows.

Day 1: Embedding quality in higher education• Principles of quality and quality assurance in higher education.

• Comparisons of UK higher education with international contexts.

Day 2: Working with quality in higher education • Quality assurance reference points, including the European Standards and Guidelines and the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.

• An introduction to the week's developmental task which will underpin activities during the programme.

Day 3: Evaluating quality in higher education • Peer review processes in internal and external quality assurance.

• Action planning.

Day 4: Observing quality in higher educationVisits to:

• the London Metropolitan University.

• BBP University.

Day 5: Reflections and presentations from the programme developmental task• Reflections on visits.

• Delegate presentations and discussions.

• Conclusions and award of attendance certificates.

Social activitiesSocial activities will take place during the week with some lunchtime walking opportunities and at the end of Day 3, delegates will enjoy a traditional English afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason.

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AgendaDay 1: Monday 12 November

Time Title

09.30 Welcome

§ Housekeeping

§ Outline of the day

10.00 Embedding quality in higher educationIncluding:

§ Understanding the quality landscape in higher education

§ Introduce main terminologies, principles and fundamentals of quality and quality assurance in higher education to ensure a common understanding among participants throughout the programme

§ Define quality from different stakeholders perspectives

11.00 Coffee

11.15 Embedding quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Understanding the quality landscape in higher education

§ Introduce main terminologies, principles and fundamentals of quality and quality assurance in higher education to ensure a common understanding among participants throughout the programme

§ Define quality from different stakeholders perspectives

§ Drivers for implementing quality assurance systems

§ Designing internal quality assurance systems

12.30 Lunch including local walking opportunity

14.00 Embedding quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Elements of internal quality assurance

§ Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of your internal quality assurance

§ Creating a culture of quality enhancement

§ Key issues and challenges to consider when developing internal quality assurance and how to overcome them

§ Policies, structures, processes and instruments

§ Stakeholder involvement

16.15 Learning points

17.00 Finish

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Day 2: Tuesday 13 November

Time Title

09.30 Welcome

§ Outline of the day

09.45 Working with quality in higher educationIncluding:

§ Core values and beliefs of a quality culture

§ Linking internal quality to strategic priorities and institutional mission

§ Strategies, processes and structures to support a quality culture

§ Documenting quality experience: providing evidence of practice

11.00 Coffee

11.15 Working with quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Core values and beliefs of a quality culture

§ Linking internal quality to strategic priorities and institutional mission

§ Strategies, processes and structures to support a quality culture

§ Documenting quality experience: providing evidence of practice

12.30 Lunch including local walking opportunity

14.00 Working with quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Evaluating the effectiveness of your internal quality assurance system

§ Reinforcing QAA’s key principles and ways of working before beginning to look at the European framework for quality assurance and how the UK fits into that

§ Applying an understanding of how internal and external higher education quality assurance is delivered internationally, with a focus on the UK and ENQA

16.15 Learning points

17.00 Finish

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Day 3: Wednesday 14 November

Time Title

09.30 Welcome

§ Outline of the day

09.45 Evaluating quality in higher educationIncluding:

§ Introduce participants to the UK higher education sector

§ Introduce participants to QAA and to the changing models of external quality assurance in the UK

§ Comparison between cyclical and risk-based review

11.00 Coffee

11.15 Evaluating quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Introduce participants to the UK higher education sector

§ Introduce participants to QAA and to the changing models of external quality assurance in the UK

§ Comparison between cyclical and risk-based review

12.00 Douglas Blackstock - Chief Executive, QAA

13.00 Lunch and networking opportunity with Douglas Blackstock

14.00 Evaluating quality in higher education continuedIncluding:

§ Vocational and work-based higher education

§ Interacting with participants to find out how they feel their own experience of quality assurance will fit with the European framework and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality

§ Reinforcing QAA’s key principles and ways of working before beginning to look at the European framework for quality assurance and how the UK fits in

15.15 Learning points

16.15 Visit to Fortnum and Mason

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Day 4: Thursday 15 November

Delegates may wish to find their own way to the visit but any delegates who wish to meet and travel to the visit with the facilitators will meet at the IQAP venue (facilitators will confirm a time on Wednesday)

Time Title

09.30 Quality in practice

Visit to London Metropolitan University

12.30 Lunch

14.00 Quality in practice

Visit to BPP University

16.30 Finish

Day 5: Friday 16 November

Time Title

09.30 Welcome

§ Outlines of the day

09.45 Review of visits to universities

Learning points

10.00 Presentation development

11.30 Coffee and cake

11.45 Presentations

13.15 Reflections

Certificates - Presented by Will Naylor, Director of Colleges and Alternative Providers, QAA

14.15 Lunch

15.00 Finish

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SpeakersIan Welch - Programme Co-LeaderIan Welch has accumulated over thirty years of experience across the further education and higher education sector, in particular around vocational education and widening participation.

Ian currently has responsibilities within a number of initiatives which are at the forefront of UK HE quality assurance developments, including the Teaching Excellence Framework, Quality Review, and Higher Apprenticeship Review. These focus on the move from cyclical review methodologies to data and risk-based processes. This builds on Ian’s leadership of a range of review methods at QAA, including Higher Education Review and Integrated Quality Enhancement Review, and his management of enhancement projects both in the UK and abroad.

Ian has delivered workshops in the United Arab Emirates, the Lebanon, Israel and Egypt and training alongside HEC in Pakistan and NCAAA in Saudi Arabia. Before joining QAA, Ian worked in the sector as both a teacher and a senior manager.

Janet Bohrer - Programme Co-LeaderDr Janet Bohrer has been the Director of Academic Quality and Enhancement at London South Bank University (LSBU) since June 2015. At LSBU she is responsible for the team that provides the professional advice about academic quality and standards of the awards the university makes. Janet is also responsible for reviewing and maintaining the University’s academic regulations and the associated procedures that are used to assure the integrity of the awards the University makes.

Prior to her appointment at LSBU, she was an Assistant Director in the Standards, Quality and Enhancement team at QAA. While at QAA she primarily worked on the development of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education and was responsible for developing the Quality Code Chapters about research degrees, student engagement, enabling student development and achievement, and the Chapters about programme design, approval, monitoring and review. She was also responsible for reviewing a number of Subject Benchmark Statements and overseeing the work of the QAA Postgraduate Advisory Group. She has acted as a QAA Review Manager on a number of Higher Education Reviews.

Janet has a combined studies degree (Psychology and Sociology), a master’s degree in Occupational Psychology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and a Doctorate in Education (EdD). Before working at QAA, Janet worked at the University of North London and at Sheffield Hallam University.

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Douglas BlackstockDouglas has been QAA’s Chief Executive since October 2015. His work includes leading QAA’s contribution to the current changes to the policy, regulatory and quality landscape in England and across the UK, and QAA’s role in developing the Teaching Excellence Framework alongside other sector partners. He has been with QAA since 2002 as Director of Resources, Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary and also led QAA’s work on student engagement for a number of years. He is active in the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

Will NaylorWill Naylor is Director of Colleges and Alternative Providers At QAA. He leads on QAA’s relationships with further education colleges and alternative providers and their representative bodies. He is also responsible for Degree Awarding Powers scrutiny, the regulation of Access to Higher Education Diplomas, reviews for specific course designation and educational oversight and the delivery of some of the contracts which QAA has been awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Will joined QAA in 2006, became a Deputy Director in 2011 and was appointed as Director of Quality Assurance in autumn 2014. Before QAA he worked for the Higher Education Funding Council for England as senior policy officer for research funding and leadership. He holds a master’s degree in Advanced Historical Studies from Newcastle University.

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