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Review of the Quality Assurance Framework for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

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Review of the Quality Assurance Framework for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education October 2006/45 This document sets out the outcomes of phase two of Core funding/operations the review of the Quality Assurance Framework for learning and teaching in higher education. It includes Report on review and recommendations and plans to improve the Teaching next steps Quality Information and National Student Survey initiatives. These have been endorsed by HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE, the sponsoring bodies of Actions for institutions are given in the review. paragraphs 5 and 6 45 October 2006/ Review of the Quality Assurance Framework Phase two outcomes Free Alternative formats This publication can be downloaded from the HEFCE web-site (www.hefce.ac.uk) under Publications. For readers without access to the internet, we can also supply it on 3.5'' disk or in large print. Please call 0117 931 7035 for alternative format versions. © HEFCE 2006 The copyright for this publication is held by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The material may be copied or reproduced provided that the source is NTALLY FR E IE NM ND RO L VI Y acknowledged and the material, wholly or in part, EN is not used for commercial gain. Use of the material TM for commercial gain requires the prior written permission of HEFCE. Review of the Quality Assurance Framework: phase two outcomes To Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges Heads of universities in Northern Ireland Of interest to those responsible for Learning and teaching; Quality assurance; Information management Reference 2006/45 Publication date October 2006 Enquiries to At HEFCE Emma Creasey tel 0117 931 7225 e-mail [email protected] At GuildHE Helen Bowles tel 0207 387 7711 e-mail [email protected] At Universities UK Fiona Hoban tel 0207 419 5484 e-mail [email protected] Executive summary Purpose 1. This document sets out the outcomes of phase two of the review of the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). It includes recommendations and plans to change and improve the Teaching Quality Information (TQI) and National Student Survey (NSS) initiatives. Key points 2. The QAF Review Group has completed its evaluation of TQI and the NSS. The group concluded that these initiatives can make a valuable contribution to student choice, but that a number of improvements are needed to ensure they achieve this objective. In particular, the group recommended re-focusing the TQI site on the needs of applicants and their advisers, and removing from the site the qualitative materials currently provided by institutions. 3. The sponsoring bodies fully endorse the recommendations, and plan to relaunch the TQI site in summer 2007, in line with the group’s recommendations. HEFCE 2006/45 1 4. In paragraphs 7-24 below we describe the background to the review, how HEFCE proposes to implement the recommendations, and the implications for institutions. This is followed by the review group’s full report. Action required 5. Higher education institutions (HEIs): a. Are not expected to publish any further qualitative information – that is, summaries of external examiners’ reports, summaries of learning and teaching strategies, summaries of periodic reviews and summary descriptions of employer links – on the TQI site. b. Should make any adjustments to existing qualitative materials published on the site by December 2006, as it will not be possible to edit them after this time. c. Should prepare to share external examiners’ reports as a matter of course with the institution’s student representatives, for example through staff-student committees. d. Should review the information they make publicly available, in the light of the removal of qualitative information from the TQI web-site. This should include consideration of Annex F of this document. 6. In parallel with this report, HEFCE has issued Circular letter 23/2006, ‘Development of TQI and the NSS’. Both HEIs and further education colleges are asked to consider and respond to the detailed proposals and plans in that letter. 2 HEFCE 2006/45 Background and should review how they make information about quality and standards available to the public 7. In 2004, HEFCE, Universities UK and the then through other means. A summary of the Standing Conference of Principals (now renamed recommendations can be found at Annex C. GuildHE) jointly established a review group to evaluate the revised Quality Assurance Framework 13. HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE fully (QAF) that has been in place since 2002. The group endorse the group’s findings and recommendations, conducted its work in two phases, focusing first on and welcome this clear steer about how to take institutional audit by the Quality Assurance Agency forward TQI and the NSS into a new phase, to (QAA), and then on the public information aspects ensure that these initiatives provide a resource that of the QAF – that is, Teaching Quality Information is truly valuable to applicants and their advisers. (TQI) and the National Student Survey (NSS). 8. In July 2005, HEFCE published ‘Review of the Implementing the review Quality Assurance Framework: phase one outcomes outcomes’ (HEFCE 2005/35), which set out the 14. This section outlines how HEFCE will QAF Review Group’s conclusions and implement the review outcomes, and the recommendations about institutional audit. HEFCE, implications for institutions arising from the review. Universities UK and GuildHE endorsed those recommendations, and in the light of them the QAA Relaunching the TQI site has revised its methodology for institutional audit. 15. Following a competitive tendering exercise, HEFCE has appointed UCAS, the body that deals 9. This document includes the review group’s with university admissions, to redevelop the TQI report on phase two of its work, with its web-site and launch a new site in summer 2007. conclusions and recommendations about TQI and Key changes will be as follows: the NSS (see page 7). In paragraphs 14-24 below, we outline HEFCE’s plans to implement the a. The site will focus specifically on informing outcomes. prospective students and their advisers, and its design will be driven by their needs. UCAS will 10. Several strands of research were commissioned test the site with users throughout the to inform the review; the findings are summarised at development stage, and the TQI/NSS Steering Annex D, and the full reports can be accessed on Group will oversee the redesign. the HEFCE web-site, www.hefce.ac.uk under Publications/R&D reports. b. The new site will publish the data that have been recommended by the QAF Review Group 11. The group concluded that TQI and the NSS (see Annex F). This focuses on data that are of can make a valuable contribution to student choice, interest to users; the qualitative material but that a number of improvements are needed to currently provided by institutions will not be ensure they achieve this objective. This will involve published on the site. re-focusing the TQI site on the needs of applicants to higher education and their advisers, presenting c. The site will be re-branded, marketed directly the information in a more user-focused format, and to applicants and their advisers, and made removing from the site the qualitative materials more readily accessible to them through links currently provided by institutions. with UCAS and other relevant web-sites. 12. The qualitative materials were found to be of d. UCAS will provide institutions with facilities to little value to users compared with the costs of preview data before publication, to add preparing them. In the light of this change to the commentaries on their data and links to their TQI site, the review group recommended that own web-sites, and to monitor use of the institutions should share external examiner reports TQI site. as a matter of course with student representatives, HEFCE 2006/45 3 16. Following the launch in summer 2007, UCAS Implications for institutions will host the site, provide user support, and 19. During the period up to the relaunch, the continue to develop and improve the site in current site will be maintained by HERO Ltd. It has response to user feedback. recently been updated with some presentational improvements, and the results of the 2006 NSS Consultation on developments were added during August 2006. 17. The TQI/NSS Steering Group has begun to 20. Qualitative materials previously uploaded by consider how to take forward the recommendations institutions onto the current site will remain addressed to it, and to make other technical published, until the new site is launched (without improvements to TQI and the NSS. Alongside this the qualitative materials) in summer 2007. document, HEFCE has published Circular letter Institutions need not add any further qualitative 23/2006 ‘Development of TQI and the NSS’, which materials to the current site.1 sets out plans and proposals for consultation, on the following issues: 21. Institutions will continue to be able to edit existing material as normal, or add further material a. Proposals for improving the subject should they wish to, through the content classification used on the site. management system until December 2006. After b. Proposals for lowering the publication December 2006, no further changes will be possible threshold that is applied to the NSS results, and to these documents. They will remain on the TQI for aggregating data across years where site, which will be ‘frozen’ until it is replaced in necessary. summer 2007.2 Institutions should thus ensure that c. Defining a summary of key statistics to be their published materials are, by December 2006, fit presented on the site. to remain on the site until the new site is launched in summer 2007. d. Defining student profile data to be published on the site, to provide contextual statistics about 22.
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