Diapositiva 1

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WP.1 - Deliverable 1.1 Standards for Quality
Assurance of Study Programmes DoQuP standards
for quality assurance of study programmes in
partner countries Final Proposal Alfredo
Squarzoni Project Coordinator
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• Items of the presentation
• Quality and quality assurance (QA) of study
  programmes (SPs)
• Standards and Guidelines for QA in the European
  Higher Education Area (ESG)
• DoQuP approach to the definition of standards for
  QA of SPs in partner countries (PCs)
• DoQuP requirements for quality of SPs in PCs

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Quality and Quality Assurance of Study
Programmes Quality of SPs is certainly one of
the objectives of the Bologna process.
According to the ISO definition, for SP
quality we should intend the grade (level) of
fulfilment of the objectives established
coherently with the needs and expectations of all
those who are interested in the education service
provided, that is the interested parties ,
or, in other words, the level of
accomplishment of the standards/quality
requirements established coherently with the
needs and expectations of all the interested
parties.
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In this context, quality assurance is the
instrument to make programme quality transparent
and trustworthy for students and employers.
Always according to the ISO definition, for
study programme quality assurance we should
intend the activities (processes) in the
framework of a quality management system aimed at
ensuring trust in meeting the standards
/quality requirements to all interested parties.
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To assure its quality first of all a SP should
establish learning outcomes (i.e. what a student
is expected to know, understand and/or be able to
demonstrate after completion of the learning
process) which meet the needs and expectations of
society and labour market. In particular
learning outcomes should ensure personal
development and be aligned with the competences
necessary to carry out the roles expected for the
graduates in the labour market.
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Then the SP should implement academic strategies
suitable for achieving the declared aims and
promoting the improvement of its quality.
Finally the SP should document learning
objectives, educational process, learning
context, results and management system, in order
to provide evidence of its quality.
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Standards and Guidelines for QA in the European
Higher Education Area Today the definition of
suitable academic strategies in order to promote
SP quality can rely on the standards and
guidelines for internal QA established in the
document of the European Association for Quality
Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Standards
and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the
European Higher Education Area (ESG), adopted by
the European Ministers of 45 countries in the
Bergen meeting on May 2005 and which has found a
generalised acceptance in the European context.
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• The standards are in three parts covering
• internal QA of Higher Education Institutions,
• external QA of higher education and
• QA of external QA agencies.
• The European standards for internal QA within
• Higher Education Institutions are reported in the
• following table.

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1.1 Policy and procedures for QA Institutions should have a policy and associated procedures for the assurance of the quality and standards of their programmes and awards.
1.2 Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodic review and monitoring of their programmes and awards.
1.3 Assessment of students Students should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and procedures which are applied consistently.
1.4 QA of teaching staff Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualified and competent to do so. They should be available to those undertaking external reviews, and commented upon in reports.
1.5 Learning resources and student support Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support of student learning are adequate and appropriate for each programme offered.
1.6 Information systems Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevant information for the effective management of their programmes of study and other activities.
1.7 Public information Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objective information, both quantitative and qualitative, about the programmes and awards they are offering.
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These standards refer to the key aspects that,
according to ENQA, characterise the quality of a
SP and that have to be considered in order to
assure SP quality. Then the ENQA document
associates each standard the guidelines, which
provide additional information about good
practice and in some cases explain in more detail
the meaning and importance of the standards.
Although the guidelines are not part of the
standards themselves, the standards should be
considered in conjunction with them.
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It is important to note that the purpose of these
standards and guidelines is to provide a source
of assistance and guidance to Higher Education
Institutions in developing their own QA system,
as well as to contribute to a common frame of
reference, which can be used by institutions.
It is not the intention that these standards
and guidelines should dictate practice or be
interpreted as prescriptive or unchangeable.
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• DoQuP approach to the definition of
• standards for QA of SPs in PCs
• According to DoQuP approach, QA of a SP requires
• the adoption of a management system for
• quality
• the management of a documentation process.
• A management system for quality must identify the
  processes to be managed and how they should be
  managed.

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Consistently with the ESG and with the models for
the quality assessment and accreditation of SPs
adopted by the European agencies, the DoQuP
approach to the definition of standards for QA of
SPs in PCs (and of the associated quality
requirements) assumes that a SP may be said of
quality when it complies with the national
standards and requirements and
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• it establishes educational objectives (i.e.
  professional profiles and/or roles/activities
  students are to be prepared for and/or
  competences to be developed during the learning
  process by the students) consistent with the
  mission of the Higher Education Institution and
  the educational needs of society and labour
  market of reference, and learning outcomes
  consistent with the educational objectives

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• it designs and implements an educational process
  adequate to accomplish the learning outcomes,
  takes under control its development, assures a
  correct assessment of students learning and
  establishes appropriate criteria for students
  studies progression
• teaching staff, facilities, financial resources,
  student support services and partnerships with
  businesses, research institutions and other
  Higher Education Institutions are adequate to
  accomplish the programme outcomes and are taken
  under control

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• it monitors the results of the educational
  process
• it adopts an adequate and effective management
  system able to promote programme quality and
  guarantees the publicity of the information on
  the study programme.

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• These principles must inspire design, development
• and control of a SP and correspond to the
  following
• five DoQuP standards for QA of SPs in PCs
• Needs and objectives
• Educational process
• Resources
• Results
• Management System.

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The correspondence between ENQA and DoQuP
standards is shown in the following table.
ENQA Standards DoQuP Standards
1.2 Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards A. Needs and Objectives B. Educational Process E. Management System
1.3 Assessment of students B. Educational Process
1.4 Quality assurance of teaching staff 1.5 Learning resources and student support C. Resources
1.6 Information systems D. Results
1.1 Policy and procedures for quality assurance 1.7 Public information E. Management System
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Then in the context of each standard the DoQuP
approach identifies the processes considered
fundamental for a management for quality of SPs
in PCs. They are
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Standard A Needs and Objectives A1 -
Identification of the educational needs of the
labour market A2 - Definition of the
educational objectives A3 - Definition of the
learning outcomes
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Standard B Educational Process B1 - Definition
of the requirements for SP entrance B2 - Design
of the educational process B3 - Planning and
development of the educational process B4
- Assessment of students learning and criteria
for students studies progression
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Standard C Resources C1 - Identification and
put at disposal of the teaching staff C2 -
Identification and put at disposal of facilities
(in particular lesson rooms,
laboratories, libraries) C3 - Identification and
put at disposal of financial resources C4 -
Organisation and management of student support
services (in particular orienteering,
counselling and tutoring services) C5 -
Establishment of partnerships with national and
international businesses, research
institutions and other Higher Education
Institutions for the development of
students external education and mobility
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Standard D Results D1 - Monitoring of the
entrance students D2 - Monitoring of the
students learning D3 - Monitoring of the
students studies progression D4 - Monitoring of
the students opinion on the educational
process D5 - Monitoring of the graduates
placement
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Standard E Management System E1 - Definition of
the processes for the SP management and
of the associated structural
organisation E2 - Adoption of initiatives for the
quality promotion E3 - Re-examination and
improvement E4 - Publicizing of information on
the SP
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DoQuP requirements for quality of SPs in PCs
Finally, the DoQuP approach identifies the
expected behaviours and results of the SP
associated to each process to be managed, i.e.
the DoQuP requirements for quality of SPs in
PCs.
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Standard A - Needs and Objectives The study
programme should identify the educational needs
of the labour market of reference, establish
educational objectives coherent with the mission
of the Higher Education Institution and the
educational needs of society and labour market of
reference, and learning outcomes coherent with
the established educational objectives.
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Quality Requirement A1 - Educational needs of the
labour market The SP should identify the
educational needs of the labour market of
reference. The educational needs should be
identified in terms of professional profiles or
roles/activities expected for the graduates
and/or required competences. Competences
represent a dynamic combination of knowledge,
understanding, skills (i.e. learned capacities,
according to the Tuning glossary) and abilities
(i.e. acquired or natural capacities, according
to Tuning glossary). This definition is in line
with the international ISO 9000 norm which
defines competences as demonstrated ability to
apply knowledge and skills.
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Quality Requirement A2 - Educational
objectives The SP should define professional
profiles of the graduates and/or professional
roles/activities students are to be prepared for
and/or competences to be developed and obtained
during the learning process by the students
consistent with the mission of the Higher
Education Institution and the educational needs
of society and labour market of reference.
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Quality Requirement A3 - Learning outcomes The
SP should define learning outcomes consistent
with the established educational objectives.
Learning outcomes are statements of what a
learner is expected to know, understand and/or be
able to demonstrate after completion of a process
of learning. According to Tuning, learning
outcomes have to be expressed in terms of the
level of competence (knowledge, understanding,
skills and abilities ) to be obtained by the
learner. Consequently, the programme learning
outcomes should align with the programme
competences, not necessarily on a one to one
basis, but overall.
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Standard B - Educational process The SP should
assure students educational activities able to
accomplish the established learning outcomes
through contents, methods and times adequately
designed and planned, take under control their
development, assure a correct assessment of
student learning through suitable assessment
methods and establish appropriate criteria for
students studies progression.
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Quality Requirement B1 - Requirements for SP
entrance The SP should define requirements
needed for the access to the SP adequate for a
profitable participation of the students to the
established educational activities, in particular
of the first year course.
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Quality Requirement B2 - Design of the
educational process The SP should design a
curriculum and characteristics of the modules
consistent with the established learning
outcomes. In particular learning outcomes
specific of the module and consistent with the
established learning outcomes of the study
programme contents typologies of educational
activities (theoretical lessons, practical
lessons, laboratories, projects, etc.) also in
terms of number of hours/credits for each
typology.
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Quality Requirement B3 - Planning and development
of the educational process The SP should plan
the development of the educational process in
such a way that students are able to achieve the
programme learning outcomes according to a
gradual process and activities coherent and
coordinated with each other. The SP should also
control the development of the educational
process, in order to check its correspondence
with the designed and planned development.
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Quality Requirement B4 - Assessment of students
learning and criteria for students studies
progression The SP should define assessment
methods which guarantees a correct assessment of
the students learning and control the adequacy
of the assessment tests to the learning outcomes
and the correctness of the evaluation of the
students learning. The SP should also establish
appropriate criteria for students studies
progression. For instance Written
examinations (Essays, Multiple choice questions,
Problems to solve, Analysis of cases/data/texts,
Reports), Oral examinations, etc., and
associated criteria for measuring students
learning. For instance number of credits to
be acquired for the passage to the successive
course year rules for working students etc..
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Standard C - Resources The SP should have at
disposal teaching staff, facilities, financial
resources, student support services and
partnerships with businesses, research
institutions and other Higher Education
Institutions adequate for the accomplishment of
the programme outcomes and able to make students
studies progression easier.
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Quality Requirement C1 - Teaching staff The SP
should have at disposal teaching staff adequate
for the accomplishment of the established
learning outcomes. The teaching staff also
includes teaching support staff (i.e. persons in
charge of practical lessons, persons in charge of
laboratory activities, etc.).
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Quality Requirement C2 - Facilities The SP
should have at disposal facilities, with the
associated equipments, quantitatively and
qualitatively adequate for the development of the
established educational activities and able to
carry out the established didactic methods.
In particular lesson rooms, laboratories and
libraries.
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Quality Requirement C3 - Financial resources The
SP should have at disposal financial resources
adequate for the development of the educational
process according to the designed and planned
activities.
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Quality Requirement C4 - Student support
services The SP should have at disposal student
support services relevant to the educational
process and able to make students learning and
studies progression easier. In particular
orienteering, counselling and tutoring services.
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Quality Requirement C5 - Partnerships The SP
should have at disposal partnerships with
national and international businesses, research
institutions and other Higher Education
Institutions quantitatively and qualitatively
adequate for the development of students
external education and mobility.
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Standard D - Results The SP should monitor the
results of the educational process at least with
respect to entrance students, students learning,
students studies progression, students opinion
on the educational process, graduates placement,
in order to check the adequacy and effectiveness
of the educational service provided.
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Quality Requirement D1 - Entrance students The
SP should monitor the entrance students in order
to check their possession of the entrance
requirements and the SP attractiveness.
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Quality Requirement D3 - Students studies
progression The SP should check the students
studies progression in order to check the
effectiveness of the educational process. In
particular drop-outs, number of credits acquired
at the end of each course year, time to
graduation.
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Quality Requirement D4 - Students opinions on
the educational process The SP should monitor
the students opinion on the educational process
in order to check the perceived adequacy and
effectiveness.
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Quality Requirement D5 - Graduates
placement The SP should monitor the graduates
placement in order to check the correspondence of
the SP educational objectives to and the adequacy
of the SP learning outcomes for the educational
needs of the labour market.
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Standard E - Management system The SP should
adopt an adequate and effective management
system, able to promote the SP quality and the
improvement of the effectiveness of the processes
for the SP management and of the associated
results, and should assure its continual adequacy
and effectiveness. Furthermore the SP should
guarantee the publicity of the information on the
SP.
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Quality Requirement E1 - Processes for the SP
management and organisational structure The SP
should identify the processes for the SP
management and define an organisational
structure adequate for an effective management
of the SP. The processes should include all
the processes associated to the DoQuP standards.
That is, persons, committees, etc. in charge
of the identified processes.
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Quality Requirement E2 - Initiatives for the
quality promotion The SP should commit
explicitly to the development of a culture which
recognises the importance of quality and QA, and
adopt initiatives suitable for the quality
promotion of the SP . For instance
appointment of a person in charge of the SP
quality appointment of a Management Board with
the participation of representatives of the
labour market of reference to provide a
periodical self-assessment of the SP to provide
a periodical external assessment of the SP etc..
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Quality Requirement E3 - Re-examination and
improvement The SP should periodically
re-examine needs and objectives, educational
process, resources, results and management
system, so to guarantee their constant adequacy
and effectiveness, and promote the improvement of
the effectiveness of the processes for the SP
management and of the associated results.
The process of improvement of the effectiveness
of the processes for the SP management and of the
associated results should be based on the
analysis of the results of the educational
process.
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Quality Requirement E4 - Publicity of information
on SP The SP should make public full, up to
date, easily acquired information, both
quantitative and qualitative, on programme
objectives, educational process, resources and
result.
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The identified requirements for the quality of
SPs in PCs are the starting point for the
identification of the information and data to be
documented in order to assure the SP quality.
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Thanks for your attention