Annual programme monitoring procedure – 2015/16
1.
Overview
1.1.
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) requires institutions to annually monitor their programmes. It
regards this as a key procedure by which institutions assure the standards of their awards and the
quality of their students’ learning experiences. Annual monitoring also helps to maintain the currency
of programmes after initial approval.
1.2.
The School’s ‘Strategy for managing academic standards and quality’ therefore asks departments1 to
produce annual monitoring reports about their programmes. The purpose of annual programme
monitoring is to provide a ‘health check’ for programmes. It allows departments to look at the
currency and validity of a programme in light of developments in the relevant discipline(s), and
practice in its application. It also allows them to look at the effectiveness of the curriculum and of
assessment in helping students to achieve the programme's intended learning outcomes. It is
primarily a process whereby people appraise their own performance at the end of an academic year.
1.3.
Departments can take corrective action where the evidence that underpins the exercise suggests
that this is necessary. The exercise also allows departments to share best practice between its
programmes, and the School to do so between departments.
1.4.
The Teaching Quality Assurance and Review Office (TQARO) uses departmental annual programme
monitoring reports to produce the School's overarching 'annual monitoring' report for the Academic
and Student Affairs Committee (ASC). In this way, the School – as the awarding body – can assure
the quality and standards of its degrees.
1.5.
The template for the report is given below. It aims to help departments produce their reports and to
be proportionate in its demands. Reports for individual programmes need be no longer than two
sides of A4. Departments may complete individual reports for each of their programmes.
Alternatively they may complete a single report for groups/clusters of programmes that either exist
under current departmental management structures or for cognate programmes for which it would be
sensible to do so. Please refer to TQARO for further advice on the grouping of programmes and for
any queries about producing the reports.
1.6.
The completed form should: list actions taken in response to the previous year’s action plan; identify
any key themes in the current year’s student feedback or performance data; give any further
comments about the running of the programme; and set a new action plan for the year ahead.
1.7.
Completed forms should be made available to students – via departmental websites and through
Staff-Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs) – so they can see the themes from the previous cohort’s
feedback, and planned departmental responses to them.
2.
Annual monitoring objectives
2.1.
To scrutinise the effectiveness of assessment methods, especially in relation to intended learning
outcomes.
2.2.
To monitor student performance and achievement, including the extent to which they are attaining
learning outcomes.
2.3.
To integrate student input and feedback about their courses into the School’s quality assurance
procedures.
2.4.
To identify, promote and disseminate good practice found within the School.
2.5.
To make use of relevant statistics and management information in assuring quality and standards.
2.6.
To elicit reflection on course and programme strengths, weaknesses, currency and distinctive
features, so as to both identify opportunities for development and make suggestions for change.
2.7.
To ensure that any recommendations/actions are followed in a timely and appropriate fashion, and
the effects of any changes made are monitored.
1
‘Departments’ is used to imply both departments and institutes.
1
Thomas Hewlett, TQARO, x6387, t.w.hewlett@lse.ac.uk
3.
Instructions for completing annual monitoring forms
3.1.
When completing annual monitoring reports, departments2 are asked to:
3.1.1.
respond to all substantive issues raised in relevant external examiner reports for the year;
3.1.2.
integrate relevant feedback from Departmental, Teaching and other relevant local committees;
3.1.3.
respond to issues students raise through the School’s teaching surveys and through the National
Student Survey (NSS) where relevant;
3.1.4.
comment on the statistical information TQARO supplies, with particular regard to how the most
recent year’s results compare to previous years, and any longitudinal trends that might be emerging.
Concerns about the accuracy of the information should be raised with TQARO in the first instance;
3.1.5.
comment where appropriate on programme (or individual course) development and strategy, and on
curriculum and programme (or individual course) quality;
3.1.6.
review follow-up activity to the issues raised and action planned from the previous year’s exercise;
and set a new action plan for the year ahead.
3.1.7.
Doctoral Programme Directors or other relevant staff should complete those sections of the template
that relate to the taught 'training', 'skills' or 'methods' element of research degree programmes, i.e.
comment on the role, quality and effectiveness of 500-level courses in the overall programme.
3.2.
Departments may include additional information to reflect the nature of their discipline(s).
3.3.
Reports for inter-departmental or internal joint programmes should be completed by the ‘lead’
department, or else by the small steering group or committee overseeing such programmes, which
will include members from all participating departments. Reports for the 'LSE year' of collaborative
programmes (i.e. run in partnership with other institutions) should normally be completed by the
Programme Director.
3.4.
Completed templates for all programmes (i.e. UG, PGT and PGR) should be submitted to TQARO by
24 March 2016. TQARO will send the data sets for use in the annual programme monitoring
exercise to departments by mid-January 2016.
3.5.
Completed forms should be returned to the Departmental Manager, who should then make them
available for review by the post-holder responsible for the department’s/institute’s portfolio of taught
courses (e.g. Chair of Teaching Committee; Head of Department). Concerns about any programmes
or their constituent courses should be followed-up with the relevant Programme Director/Course
Convener.
3.6.
Departmental Managers should also make the completed forms available to the department’s
Teaching Committee and to the SSLCs.
3.7.
Departmental Managers should collate completed departmental forms and submit them to TQARO.
3.8.
TQARO will review all completed forms. If any of the forms – or accompanying statistical data or
management information – give cause for concern, TQARO will contact the Programme Director in
question on behalf of the Pro-Director (Teaching and Learning).
3.9.
TQARO will produce a summary report of the completed forms for ASC. ASC will sign-off on the
annual programme monitoring process, although it is open to it to ask actions of certain departments
as a condition of doing so.
3.10.
The summary report will be sent to Teaching Committee chairs to share good practice.
2
Departments will have their own local arrangements for overseeing their participation in the School's annual programme monitoring
exercise. In some departments individual Programme Directors will be responsible for this activity. In others, annual programme
monitoring will be co-ordinated through Teaching Committees. Administrators can play a role in analysing student performance and
feedback data and other primary evidence.
2
Thomas Hewlett, TQARO, x6387, t.w.hewlett@lse.ac.uk
Annual programme monitoring template – 2015/16
1.
Title of programme(s)
2.
Programme Director
3.
Response to issues raised and action planned in the 2014/15 report.
4.
Changes that have been made to the programme(s) and relevant courses since the last monitoring
report, e.g. changes to teaching delivery, assessment or student learning support (with reference to
questions 5, 6 and 7 below). How have these changes resulted in amendments to learning
outcomes, and to the relevant programme specification(s)? How have relevant external reference
points been considered when making these changes (e.g. subject benchmark statements, the
qualifications framework; or competitor Russell Group or other programmes)?
5.
Commentary on provided data set (e.g. progression, completion, mark distribution, teaching survey
scores, comparisons between ‘LSE only’ and collaborative programmes). Comments should note
any trends in the data and any departmental concerns, e.g. outlying performance in a particular
course.
6.
Main issues students raised about the programme and its modules (through feedback, internal
surveys, NSS, via staff/student liaison committees, PSRBs) and departmental responses.
7.
Main issues – if any – external examiners raised in their 2014/15 reports, and how these are being
addressed.
8.
Service teaching – comment on the student experience on compulsory courses taken as part of their
degree but which are provided outside of the department. What steps have you taken to
discuss/raise issues with the provision with the providing department?
9.
Areas of good practice/enhancement to share within the department and across the School.
10.
For collaborative programmes delivered in partnership with other institutions – what particular issues
have been encountered in the operation of the partnership and how have these been addressed?
3
Thomas Hewlett, TQARO, x6387, t.w.hewlett@lse.ac.uk
11.
If the programme is accredited by a Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB), please
include the following information:
-The name of the PSRB
-The date (month/year) of the most recent accreditation of the programme
-The main outcomes of the most recent accreditation review/exercise
-The expected date (month/year) of the next accreditation of the programme
12.
Action planned for next teaching round.
Please return your completed form to your Departmental Manager.
4
Thomas Hewlett, TQARO, x6387, t.w.hewlett@lse.ac.uk