"What changes we have done in all our units since last year?" It has been a few years now that this question is puzzling me without been able to find a way to have a satisfactory detailed answer, neither at programme nor at Department or Faculty level. I am afraid that programme directors and Heads of Departments, although they can list a number of things out of their minds, they do not have a detailed account too.
All of us write a course report at the and of a semester for every unit we lead. Such report is supposed to be self-reflective (see here for a related blog post). In principle, a lecturer should start with the last year's unit report and implement the changes suggested. In the meantime, there have been other developments, e.g. new textbooks, new articles, revision of a unit's role within the curriculum, new lecturer, new ideas on teaching, learning and assessment etc. Thus, we have a (hopefully) revised (i.e. better, more current, more engaging etc) syllabus.
There are few questions that we must be able to answer at unit, programme, Department and Faculty level:
I feel that there is a gap in the so called "quality assurance and enhancement loop". In the QSEC meeting last week, we agreed to apply a simple, yet effective process, that will help us justify all the above in the long term. We have developed an online google form in which unit leaders will record the changes that they plan to do in the syllabi for the forthcoming semester. The form can be accessed here.
It should take a unit leader only a few minutes to complete the form. Further discussions about the units will take place during the two semester preparation meetings already scheduled.
Petros Kefalas
IF Director of Learning & Teaching
All of us write a course report at the and of a semester for every unit we lead. Such report is supposed to be self-reflective (see here for a related blog post). In principle, a lecturer should start with the last year's unit report and implement the changes suggested. In the meantime, there have been other developments, e.g. new textbooks, new articles, revision of a unit's role within the curriculum, new lecturer, new ideas on teaching, learning and assessment etc. Thus, we have a (hopefully) revised (i.e. better, more current, more engaging etc) syllabus.
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There are few questions that we must be able to answer at unit, programme, Department and Faculty level:
- How do we know what changes have been implemented in the syllabus (including content but also aims, learning outcomes, teaching and assessment methods, etc) of each unit?
- How do we know what changes have been implemented in a programme and how these affect the interaction of units within this programme?
- Are we confident that there is a thorough revision that goes beyond trivial formatting changes (e.g. change of date, textbook edition etc.)?
- Are we able to have an overall picture of the development of the curriculum components (i.e. syllabi) as years progress (audit trail)?
I feel that there is a gap in the so called "quality assurance and enhancement loop". In the QSEC meeting last week, we agreed to apply a simple, yet effective process, that will help us justify all the above in the long term. We have developed an online google form in which unit leaders will record the changes that they plan to do in the syllabi for the forthcoming semester. The form can be accessed here.
It should take a unit leader only a few minutes to complete the form. Further discussions about the units will take place during the two semester preparation meetings already scheduled.
Petros Kefalas
IF Director of Learning & Teaching
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