This is the second post in the ‘Spotlight on ELIR’ series, which will chart the Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR) that will be taking place in autumn 2020. In this post, Professor Tina Harrison introduces the first draft chapter of the Reflective Analysis, and outlines how staff and students can provide comments…
WHY START WITH CHAPTER 4?
This chapter has been drafted and released first as it covers a lot of our existing processes that we regularly review and reflect upon. Some of the other chapters cover more wide ranging areas and topics and so will take more time to develop. The aim of releasing this chapter first was to provide students and staff with an example of what a Reflective Analysis chapter looks like before we release further chapters. Chapter 4 is still in draft form and is a working document so you will see ‘markers’ where, for example, we need to gather more information or update the text nearer the time we finalise the Reflective Analysis.
WHAT IS CHAPTER 4 ABOUT?
This chapter covers academic standards and quality processes. So it details the policies, processes and practices we use to make sure that our programmes and courses are of an appropriate standard and are continually enhanced. Processes like programme and course approval and management, annual monitoring and periodic review of programmes and courses, the management of assessment, and how we review student support services and the impact of these processes are outlined. The chapter also covers how we use data in all its forms, including student feedback, to make decisions. It is important to provide evidence supporting what we have written in the Reflective Analysis so there will be lots of links to documents, reports, webpages, and committee papers.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN CHANGES SINCE THE LAST ELIR IN 2015?
The main change has been to the process we use for annually monitoring our programmes and courses. In response to staff perceiving that annual monitoring took up a disproportionate amount of time and effort in relation to its value, changes were made to create a consistent, streamlined process that allows for greater University-level oversight of the outcomes. Feedback on the changes was positive and a survey of School Directors of Quality found that the aims of changes (streamlining the process whilst deriving maximum benefit, encouraging wide engagement from across the School, and helping the development of clear actions) had been met. We also made some enhancements to how we annually review student support services and our thematic review process.
HOW CAN I COMMENT?
We welcome comments from students and staff on the draft chapter. These can be emailed to ELIRsupport@ed.ac.uk. We would ask you to reflect on the following prompt questions to help you respond:
- Does the chapter reflect current practice and experiences across the University? Does it adequately reflect your School, College, Department?
- Looking at the draft chapter, what do you think we might be commended on? What evidence would support this?
- Do you have any examples of good practice that could be included in the chapter?
- Is there anything missing from the chapter?
The draft Chapter 4 can be found on the Academic Services’ website (under EASE login).
The deadline for comments on Chapter 4 is Thursday 31 October 2019.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
We will consider all the comments received and use them to develop the chapter. We will release two more chapters in November: one on enhancing the student learning experience; and one on strategy and practice for enhancing learning and teaching. The final chapter on collaborative provision will be released in December. We will use the comments received on these chapters to develop a draft Reflective Analysis by February 2020 which we will invite all students and staff to comment on. A final version of the Reflective Analysis will then pass through University committees for approval in June 2020.
FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT
If you have any comments, queries or ideas about the review, we would love to hear from you: ELIRsupport@ed.ac.uk.
Tina is Assistant Principal Academic Standards and Quality Assurance and Professor of Financial Services Marketing and Consumption. Tina joined the University in 1993 and continues to maintain an active academic role in the Business School. She has had overall responsibility for the University’s quality assurance framework as Assistant Principal since 2009. She plays a key role in the Scottish HE quality landscape as a member of QAA Scotland’s Advisory Board, chair of the sparqs University Advisory Group, and member of the Quality Arrangements for Scottish Higher Education (QASHE) group.
