Presentation given jointly - with David Lines - to the Heads of Educational Development Group in 2006 on the shift from Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement within Scottish Higher Education

1. From Quality Assurance to
Quality Enhancement
Professor David Lines
Head of CELT
and
James Dunphy
Academic Affairs
The Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen

2. Essential Reading
• Lee Harvey & Jethro Newton (2004)
‘Transforming Quality Education’ in
Quality in Higher Education 10.2
July

3. Some Background
Roger Cook (Napier) and THES
(2002):
TQA covered more than 2000
University departments over a 7-
year period.
Cost: >£300m. One department
permanently failing (0.05% of all
provision inspected).

4. From Accountability to
Enhancement
• Tension between ‘accountability’
and ‘transformation’ or
‘enhancement’ of learning and
learners.
• Between ‘assurance’ and
‘enhancement’

5. External Evaluation

6. External Evaluation:
alternative research-based model

7. Introduction to the Quality
Enhancement Framework
• Five Pillars
–Enhancement-led Institutional
Review
–Internal subject review
–Student involvement in quality
processes
–Public information
–Quality Enhancement Themes

8. Student Involvement
• The Quality Enhancement
Framework
–A partnership model
–Qualitative and involved
–Learner involvement in internal
quality systems
–Student Participation in Quality
Scotland (sparqs)

9. Enhancement-led Institutional Review
• Institution prepares a Reflective
Analysis.
• Focusing on QA (with a confidence
statement), Student Experience
and QE.
• Team comprises 4 reviewers, one
of whom is a student.
• Underpinning philosophy one of
reflection, partnership and no
surprises.

10. Group Work:
role-play

11. Questions:
• What was different about the
experience of small group review
and a traditional audit?
• Could an ELIR-type mechanism
work in your context?
• What are the strengths and
weaknesses of this type of
review/audit?

12. Key Messages emerging from the
ELIR:
• Generally institutions have been
honest and open, one has had a hard
time even gaining ‘broad confidence’
and there are questions regarding the
balance between assurance and
enhancement.
• Has prompted an engagement with
the student journey: teaching, the
support of learning and
enhancement.

13. ELIR continued:
• Clarity required regarding Case
Studies.
• Tendency to say ‘we’re going to
do it’ and that’s enough to satisfy
the reviewers – what will happen
in the second cycle?
• Late comers have to take into
account more QE themes; early
ones didn’t know what was
coming.

14. Key Messages: Internal Subject
Review
• Prompted reflection on
processes
• Has taken enhancement to the
subject level.
• Student panel members.

15. Key Messages: Public Information
• Now have agreed public information
set.
• Universities Scotland Publication
Scheme is in operation.
• Role of the Public Services
Ombudsman and the public
information set.

16. Key Messages: Student
Involvement
• Engagement of students becoming
the norm. However, the debate is
shifting and engagement is now
being analysed further to look at
efficacy and levels of involvement.
• Involvement of non-traditional
learners versus part-time/distance
learners.
• Success of sparqs – additional
funding, extended life.

17. Key Messages: QE Themes
• Have engaged the sector - but
tendency to speak to the converted.
• International flavour and injection
of ideas - confirmation that Scotland
is in fact up with the game.
• Resource overload? How do we
engage with the themes and the
publications which they produce?

18. QE Themes continued
• Have been restructured to allow
shorter, more focused themes to be
set-up.
• Has potential to link better with HEA
– particularly with the subject
centres which would provide
grassroots-level dissemination.

19. Preparation for ELIR
• Project team and Steering Group
• Away Day and interviews with key
informants
• Focus groups
• Reflective Analysis and supporting
documentation
• Preparing the University

20. From Quality Assurance to
Quality Enhancement
Professor David Lines
Head of CELT
and
James Dunphy
Academic Affairs
The Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen