29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Quality assurance and enhancement at the K.U.Leuven

Veerle Hulpiau

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Legal framework

• Since 1991: universities responsible for the internal and external quality assurance

• involvement of students, alumni and external experts

• common and regular external assessment

→ each university organises its own system of IQA

→ the VL.I.R. coordinates EQA (peer review at the level of the discipline)

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

• decree 2003: introduction of a accreditation system– report of the visiting committees serve as

input for accreditation (programme level)– collaboration with the Netherlands: dutch-

flemish accrediting body– accreditation depends upon the presence of

general quality standards

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Educational quality: general framework

Implemen-tation-Curriculum development-…

Educational concept:-GIL-Educational framework

Quality assessment:-evaluation courses-evaluation programmes

Follow-up:-professional development

- Educational innovation

Educat. quality

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Quality assessment

Internal quality assurance External quality assurance

External peer review

+report

External peer review

+report

Evaluation of curriculaEvaluation of curricula

Evaluation of particular coursesEvaluation of particular courses

Ad hoc evaluationsAd hoc evaluations

Self-eval.

report

Self-eval.

report

accountabilityaccountability

Ad hoc evaluationsAd hoc evaluations

Periodical evaluationsPeriodical evaluations

AccreditationAccreditationimprovementimprovement

00

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Quality assessment

• Guiding principles

• Periodic evaluation of curricula

• Periodic evaluation of courses (what do staff members expect?)

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Guiding principles

• Quality assessment initiatives are embedded in the concept of GIL

• Responsibility lies at the level of the permanent curriculum committees and the staff members

• QA stands or falls with the actual follow-up of the evaluation initiatives

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Evaluation of curricula

• Every 8 years

• Permanent curriculum committee

• Accordance with external evaluations:– timing– content: internal ev. prepares for the

external

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

• University wide procedure with room for local adjustments

• supported by the Educational support office

Evaluation of curricula

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

• Broad consultation of the academic community– Goal:

gain a clear understanding of the expectations of faculty members and students of the new evaluation system

– How?• Hearings

• Individual web-based questionnaire

• Questionning PCC’s

Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

– Topics:• goals (quality improvement and/or accountability)• periodicity• evaluation instruments• submission of evaluation instruments

(electronically/on paper; before/after exams, …)• follow-up• (de)centralization

Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

– Results: what does the academic community expect?

• disconnection of quality improvement and accountability

educational quality should be taken into account• frequency: different opinions, not on a yearly basis;

maybe more frequent in the case of accountability• instruments:

– improvement: flexible, up to the PCC to decide– accountability: certain degree of standardization, but at the

level of the faculties/departments

Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

• more enthousiasm for electronic evaluation than before

• communication with regard to the results– Improvement: faculty member, PCC– Accountability: faculty member, PCC, dean, appraisal

committees

• decentralization (esp. improvement) with central support

Evaluation of coursesa new approach – policy determination

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

• Decision?– Two tracks– Evaluations aiming at quality improvement

• every 4 years• flexible• PCC• no direct link with tenure and promotion

– Evaluations aiming at accountability• every 4 years• degree of standardisation

Evaluation of coursesa new approach – decision

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

General reflections

• Tension:– Centralised vs. decentralised approach?

• Curricula: universitywide procedure• Courses:

– Accountability (certain degree of standardisation)– Improvement (up to the PCC)

– External and internal QA

• IQA: or own system?

• Staff involvement in the design of IQA

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

GIL: Characteristics

• Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept- Defines goals for university teaching, roles

and responsibilities of students and faculty members

- It is referred to in all decisions with educational consequences

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

GIL: Characteristics (2)

• Guided Independent Learning is a comprehensive concept

• GIL does not reject particular instructional approachesStill there are guidelines:

- education has to be functional

- participation in research activities is highly valuable

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

GIL: Goals of university teaching

Critical scientific attitude: students should- assimilate discipline specific research findings and frameworks- acquire insight in the coming about of these findings- be able to acquire information independently- be able to contribute themselves to the development of knowledge- be able to use the knowledge acquired in solving new problems and in developing independent and articulated viewpoints

Graduates should be able to take responsibility in society: able to develop an articulated viewpoint in societal matters

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Professional development

• Varied offer and different ‘providers’

• Voluntary participation

• Group sessions and instruments for individual teachers

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Educational innovation

• Ad hoc university-wide policy

• 3 levels– individual staff member (competitive)– faculties (educational development plans)– central services

• Main focus– GIL– Internationalisation

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Curriculum development

• Responsability of PCC

• Last years: BaMa– Fase 1: proposels from all faculty members– Fase 2: proposels supported by dean– Fase 3: implementation = now

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Decision structures and support systems

Executive Committee[Vice-President Educational Affairs]

Academic Council

Faculty

Programmes

Permanent Program Committee

Council of EducationExpert Center for Educational Support

29 November 2005

Educational quality at the K.U.Leuven

Until 1993:- IQA = permanent concern of PCC- ad hoc curriculum evaluations- ad hoc evaluations of subjects

ad hocPCC

ad hocfaculty

Improvement

Evaluation of curricula

Evaluation of subjects

periodicPCC

ad hocPCC

ad hocfaculty

Improvement & accountability

Improvement

tenure and promotion

external QA

Evaluation of curricula

Evaluation

of subjects1993-2000:- IQA = permanent concern of PCC- ad hoc: curriculum and subjects- 4-yearly curriculum and subjects

tenure and promotion

periodicPCC

ad hocPCC

Improvement & accountability

Improvement

external QA

Evaluation of curricula

Evaluation

of subjects

periodicPCC

ad hocfaculty

2003-2004:- IQA = permanent - concern of PCC- ad hoc: curriculum and subjects- yearly subjects- 8-yearly curriculum

A shortcut to more than 10 years of IQA