Barriers to comparability

Sustainable Offshore Delivery

Hilary Winchester25 July 2012

h.winchester@internode.on.net

Sustainable Offshore DeliveryAustralia a leader in international education and offshore delivery Offshore delivery a roller-coaster rideNow in a phase of rebuilding and repositioning and regulation International activities seen as a prime area of risk

Importance of comparability

Provider Registration Standards4. Primacy of academic quality and integrity • The higher education provider maintains

academic quality and integrity in its higher education operations.

4.3 ‘ensure that the awarding of multiple awards, including higher education awards offered in conjunction with another entity, protects the integrity of the higher education awards offered by the higher education provider’

Importance of comparability The higher education provider ensures there are safe, well-maintained physical and electronic resources and infrastructure sufficient to enable the achievement of its higher education objectives, across all its locations in Australia and overseas.

Where the higher education provider has an arrangement in place with another entity to manage or deliver some or all of a course of study on its behalf, the higher education provider has effective mechanisms to manage and quality assure all aspects of the arrangement

Provider Standard Requirements• Admission requirements• Student support• Student learning outcomes• Courses• Facilities• Staffing• Infrastructure – including access to

electronic resources

AUQA Audits of Universities – Cycle 2

25 universities Internationalisation a mandated theme

Total International theme

Related to TNE On-shore

Recommendations 74 50 (5 urgent)

32 (3 urgent)

Commendations 49 28 24

Affirmations 56 28 32

TNE main areas of concernArea of concern Number of recommendations Quality assurance 22 (1 urgent)Partnerships 8 (4 urgent)English language 6Staff 4

PartnershipsAUQA recommends that…

take steps to improve communication with partner providers on academic and student matters

(urgent) the University investigate and remedy the causes of the breakdown in relationship with Overseas University and with the students at that location

PartnershipsAUQA recommends that…

end its educational collaboration with Quickbuck College

take steps to have its name removed from testamurs issued by the Dodgy Brothers Institute

English language

consider the implementation of some form of diagnostic testing of the English language proficiency of International College graduates articulating into or enrolling in University programs, with a view to using the results to determine how the English language preparation of these students can be improved

strengthen the English language entry pathways for the admission of students to ensure that these students have adequate language competencies to participate effectively in their studies.

English language

develop a more systematic, university-wide approach to improving English language proficiency and learning support for international students which transcends a focus on IELTS levels.

much greater English Language development support, by appropriately qualified professionals, for teaching staff and students

Staff

introduce formalised induction, including cross-cultural awareness training, for all staff who are teaching offshore.

ensure more engagement between the academic staff in Australia and those responsible for teaching and tutoring programs offshore.

Quality Assurance - general

Overarching issues of strategy and policies to manage TNE interactions

Specific issues about courses taught in languages other than English

Issues specific to particular regional contexts – e.g. Malaysia, Middle East

Quality Assurance (a) Academic Standards

‘review the effectiveness of academic quality assurance for the Faculty offshore and teaching partners’‘policies and procedures for the approval and operation of new and existing transnational education programs’ ‘an effective mechanism for systematically assessing the quality of teaching in programs taught through partner providers’‘an external review of the adequacy of thesis supervision and associated risks to academic standards’‘equivalence of laboratory provision’

Quality Assurance (b) Monitoring and managing risk

• Measurable KPIs that will enable the Senior Management Group to monitor progress

• Develop an academic policy on dual/ combined awards

• Awareness of risk … • Greater oversight in identification and mitigation

of potential reputational risks

Quality Assurance (c) Comparability

• Provide for regular moderation examined by local academics• More robust processes for moderation • Monitoring the implementation of recommendations from

quality reviews and implementing a University-wide moderation standard

• Moderation using input other than academics involved in the teaching of the course

• Resolve apparent inconsistencies in course curricula and teaching arrangements

TNE areas of commendationArea of commendation Number of

commendations Good TNE relations 7

Withdrawal from TNE/ Risk Management 3

Student support 3

Research 3

How to overcome barriers to comparability?

Vision and strategy Backed up by good policyAwareness of riskOverarching Quality Management System Commitment to student experience – outcomes and quality

Sustainable Offshore Delivery

Questions and Discussion

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