Craig McDonald © 2007
Quality, by design
Quality – some views
Craig McDonald © 2007
Quality is not a thing-in-itself
it is a judgement of the attributes of something
Quality =//= QA (Quality Assurance)
QA is an part of “professional” work, it is about
quality cycle :
plan – act – review – learn –plan – act – review ….
explicating that we put a ‘floor’ under what we do
“evidence-based" work
work process, product and impact in terms of work aims (ISO9000)
There should be no ‘quality assurance system’ separate from the work itself
ACS accreditation:
no quality portfolio,
very light quality intro with pointers into the quality attributes of the work
AUQA ?
QA – ‘Professional’ Context
Contrast between:
amateur, craft, trade, profession
In terms of :
Qualifications
Process
Knowledge Creation
Knowledge Transfer
Organization
Codes of Ethics
Market activity
Craig McDonald © 2007
QA - Education
Craig McDonald © 2007
Where the rubber hits the road ?
Wiggins, G & J. McTighe (2006) Understanding by Design Merrill p.273
QA - Software Engineering
Craig McDonald © 2007
Rubber hits the road
Where the rubber hits the road
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-5-2005-68117.asp
QA – UC T&L
Craig McDonald © 2007
CEQ
Course DCP
CELTS survey
Unit outline
? Unit design ?
Learning assessment
T&L Event
Rubber hits the road
Where the rubber hits the road
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-5-2005-68117.asp
Craig McDonald © 2007
ISE Unit Design
Team Unit Development: 3 or 4 academics - to provide a sounding board, backup, a succession path,
a quality check (eg. on subject scope), etc.
Unit Design: (complements the unit outline)
1. Time: How students will spend 150 hours (3cp) estimate how much time you expect the normal
student to spend in order to get a credit grade. Included in your estimate would be class contact,
tutorial preparation time, assignment creation, study, self-paced lab time, etc.
2. Scholarship: How your unit is based in either in current research and/or current professional
practice. As our unit designs develop we should start to explicitly say what 'warrant' the
knowledge being presented has - it may be based in particular research articles or projects,
Australian Standards, case studies with external partners (like ABS) or our own experiences,
consultancies, etc.
3. Relevance: What industry contact & participation happens in the unit.
4. Use of ICT: What IT is being used, both for content (eg modeling tool in SAM) and for teaching (eg.
WebCT)
5. Teaching: What pedagogical techniques are being tried or used.
6. Generic Skills: How the design of the unit satisfies the generic skills specified at
http://teaching.ise.canberra.edu.au/acs/
7. QA: How the learning outcomes are met and specifically assessed.
Information Systems Projects
Craig McDonald © 2007
Project
1
2
analysis
options
3
4
requirements
spec.
design
build
design
spec.
4 broad
Designs &
evaluation
accept
system
implement
Human
Activity
System
input/output
feedback
Where the rubber hits the road
QA – Information Systems
Governance
Craig McDonald © 2007
Investment
Decision
Management:
time, scope, cost,
milestones, people
Benefit
Realisation
plan
review
monitor
PROCESS: Resources
Development Context:
staff knowledge - attitudes
policy / procedures / standards
history (precedents)
tools & Techniques
PRODUCT
system of which the task is a part
organization / power structures
responsibility / authority
culture & networks
Development
task
(eg. ‘Design’)
product
specification
Fitness for Use for stakeholder:
What do they do with it?
Impact on them ?
Quality
1
2
3
QA – T&L Systems
Governance
Craig McDonald © 2007
Investment
Decision
Management:
time, scope, cost,
milestones, people
Benefit
Realisation
plan
review
monitor
PROCESS: Resources
Development Context:
staff knowledge - attitudes
policy / procedures / standards
history (precedents)
tools & Techniques
PRODUCT
system of which the task is a part
organization / power structures
responsibility / authority
culture & networks
Teaching
activity
product
specification
Fitness for Use for Students:
What do they do with it?
Impact on them ?
Quality
1
2
3
QA – Influences & improvements
Governance
Craig McDonald © 2007
Investment
Decision
Management:
time, scope, cost,
milestones, people
Benefit
Realisation
plan
review
monitor
PROCESS: Resources
Development Context:
staff knowledge - attitudes
policy / procedures / standards
history (precedents)
tools & Techniques
PRODUCT
system of which the task is a part
organization / power structures
responsibility / authority
culture & networks
Teaching
activity
product
specification
Fitness for Use for Students:
What do they do with it?
Impact on them ?
Quality
1
2
3
Quality, by design
Craig McDonald © 2007
Quality Audits:
Australian Computer Society Accreditation
AUQA audit
Quality Ideas from:
Software Engineering
Information Systems
Education
Quality =//= Quality assurance
subjective quality – organized QA
QA must be a part of, not an addition to, action (where the rubber hits the road)
The ISE ‘unit design’
a QA measure on the design side
potential to demonstrate the actualization of
UC policy, good practice, meeting aims, etc…