Quality Assurance
Procedures and Activities at
Ghent University
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Joke Claeys
Ghent University
Department of Educational Affairs
Division of Quality Management
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Internal Quality Management
- Procedures: since 1993-94
Student evaluation
- Structures: since about 1998
. Central division for quality
management
. Each faculty has a quality cell
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Student evaluation
- The evaluation of education is
considered as an essential part of
the quality system.
- The users of the education, namely
the students, are ideally placed to
judge it.
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Student evaluation: what about ? (1)
- An impression of the satisfaction of
students with the services offered
by the university
- Specific: the perception of several
aspects of the teaching and learning
activities, namely:
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Student evaluation: what about ? (2)
- The teaching process itself
- The examinations
- Supporting services: study
guidance, library, electronic learning
environment
- Infrastructure: audiences, laboratories,
buildings,…
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Objectives of student evaluation (1)
- Gives feedback upon a teacher/
course/ program in order to change
or improve it
- Supports decisions about
nomination and promotion
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Objectives of student evaluation (2)
- Is required in the external assessment
- Is a means for students to
systematically mention problems
and complaints
- The information can be used for
comparative analyses inside the
institution
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When does student evaluation take
place ?
- At the start of a new semester
/academic year:
. All activities (also examination)
have finished
. Possible time gap between the
experiences and the report
. Possible influence of the examination
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Methods of student evaluation
Fase 1: Questioning the students
- Questionnaires: prestructured answers
or open ended questions
anonymous
- Interviews
- Focus groups: panels of students
talking about the course, the teacher,…
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Fase 2: Composing action plans for
change and improvement
Fase 3: Evaluation of the realisation
of the action plans
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Role of the students
For long term cooperation, it’s
important that they are aware of the
2nd and 3rd phase of the cycle.
No awareness of any follow up has a
negative impact on cooperation
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Student evaluation: initial
characteristics
- Startup in 1993-94
. One uniform questionnaire with
prestructured and open ended
questions is set up for the entire
institution
. Processing of the results was done
centrally
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Student evaluation: initial
characteristics
. Results were sent to the respective
professors and the deans of the
faculties concerned
. Each faculty had an evaluation
commission, composed of the dean, 3
professors and 2 students, which had an
obligation of discreteness
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Student evaluation: initial
characteristics
. Tasks of this commission:
- take note of the results of the Qs
- make evaluation files
- make a synthetic report of each course,
containing recommendations and
corrections of the educational practice
- in a next round, follow the evolution of
the results and the adaptations made
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The main points of the initial
questionnaire
Teaching
Course content
Practical training, laboratory work
Teaching and learning material
Examination
Coaching
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Evolution
1. Since 1994, frames of reference are
made: cumulations of the results of
all the courses in a one year program
The result of a course is compared
to the whole of the study year
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2. Divergence in method and questioning
From 1996 faculties have asked to
change and add to the questionnaire for
several reasons
. Adding specific questions for specific
courses/programs
. Wanting a more detailed feedback upon
all the facets of teaching
. Wanting more information about the functioning
of the teacher in the totality of the study year,…
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Consequences:
- A variety of questionnaires has
emerged, from the very detailed to
the very general -> comparability
-> validity
- Acceptance is improved
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3. Establishment of the Quality Cells
in the faculties(11 in total), 1998
- Goal: support in all areas of
quality management
- Composition: one director of
education (prof), at least one
staff member, representants of
professors and students
- They take over the role of the
evaluation commission
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4. Method of questioning
- Originally: pen & paper, during a
populous course (1 hour)
- From 1999: electronic version; the
answering of the questions is an
individual affair, computer needed
- Now: 6 faculties pen & paper, 5
electronic
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5. Rate of participation
- Participation has never been obliged.
- This remains a problem in some study programs
- The electronic form has a negative impact on
participation rates
- For 2003-04, the mean participation
rate for the whole institution was
about 50 %. Some programs score worse, some
better.
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6. Frequency of the evaluation per
course/teacher
- Initially all courses were evaluated
every 2 years
- Now, every teacher has to be
evaluated at least once in 3 years
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7. Use of the results
Since 1998 it’s practically an
obligation to use the results of the 3
phases in the nomination/promotion
files of professors. Use is made with
great care.
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Examples of questions
- A word version of an English
questionnaire is attached
- Recently a summary of all the questions
for over 10 years has been made:
the next powerpoint presentation contains
some examples.
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