File Ref: F68748
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
9 September 2015
MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) as Chair (Professor Alec Cameron)
Dean, Coursework Studies as Deputy Chair (Professor Grady Venville)
Chair of Academic Board (Professor Cara MacNish)
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Innovation) (Ms Roz Howard for Professor Gilly Salmon)
Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) (Mr Iain Watt)
Dean of Graduate Research and Postdoctoral Training (Professor Alan Dench)
Deans of Faculties, or nominee:
Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts (Professor Simon Anderson)
Dean, Faculty of Arts (Professor Jenny Gregory for Professor Krishna Sen)
Dean, Faculty of Business (Professor Phillip Dolan)
Dean, Faculty of Education (Professor Helen Wildy)
Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (Professor Michael Johns for Professor John Dell)
Dean, Faculty of Law (Associate Professor Natalie Skead for Professor Erika Techera)
Nominee of Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (Professor Wendy Erber)
Nominee of Dean, Faculty of Science (Professor Brendan Waddell)
Dean, School of Indigenous Studies (Professor Jill Milroy)
Acting Director, Student Services (Dr Judy Skene)
Director, Academic Policy Services (Ms Sue Smurthwaite)
President of the Guild of Undergraduates (Ms Elizabeth O’Shea)
President of the Postgraduate Students’ Association (Mr Vikraman Selvaraja)
Co-opted member (Hon Dr Elizabeth Constable, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow)
Academic Secretary as Executive Officer (Dr Kabilan Krishnasamy)
STANDING OBSERVER
Ms Ginger Ridgeway, Senior Policy Officer, Academic Policy Services
EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING – MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2015
This is to confirm that the next meeting of the Education Committee will be held from 9:00am to 11:00am on
Monday 14 September in the Senate Room.
Members are advised that this agenda has been formatted to be ‘electronic device friendly’ by including
bookmarks to provide easier navigation throughout the document. Click here for details.
Part 1 of the agenda consists of items for communication. Part 2 of the agenda relates to items for decision
to be dealt with en bloc by motion by the Chair. Part 3 is for discussion. A member may request the transfer
of an item from Part 1 or Part 2 to Part 3.
Relevant background information has been provided for each item on the agenda, but if members require
further details they are welcome to contact the Executive Officer.
Dr Kabilan Krishnasamy
Executive Officer
Academic Policy Services
AGENDA
WELCOME
The Chair will welcome members including the following to the meeting of the Education Committee:
 Ms Roz Howard, Assistant Director (Centre for Education Futures) for Professor Gilly Salmon (Pro
Vice-Chancellor (Education Innovation));
 Associate Professor Natalie Skead (Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching) for Professor Erika
Techera (Dean, Faculty of Law);
 Professor Michael Johns (Deputy Dean (Education)) for Professor John Dell (Dean, Faculty of
Engineering, Computing and Mathematics)
 Acting Director, Student Services (Dr Judy Skene)
APOLOGIES
The Chair will record any apologies. Members are reminded that apologies should be forwarded to the
Executive Officer prior to the meeting. Members representing the faculties are reminded that if unable to
attend a meeting, an alternative nominee of the Dean should be organised prior to the meeting.
Members are also reminded that the meetings are usually scheduled for two hours, if members are unable
to attend for the whole meeting would they please advise the Executive Officer prior as this may have an
impact on the Committee proceeding inquorate.
DECLARATIONS OF POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT OR PERCEIVED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The Chair will invite members to declare potential for conflict or perceived conflicts of interest, if applicable,
with regard to items on the agenda.
1.
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
Confirmation of the minutes of the meeting of the Education Committee held on 24 August 2015.
Minutes are available from the Committee’s website.
PART 1 – ITEM(S) FOR COMMUNICATION TO BE DEALT WITH EN BLOC
2.
ITEMS/BUSINESS IN PROGRESS
ITEM/BUSINESS IN
PROGRESS
ACTION
Request from the then
Teaching and Learning
Committee, December
2014 – F27641
Formulation of a generic Good Practice Guide to
support the use of other than text matching
software, in consultation with the Associate
Deans network and the Education Futures
Strategy Group.
International Student Barometer - to undertake a
trend analysis and that this analysis be
presented to the Education Committee at a
future meeting.
Request from the
Education Committee,
March 2015 – F60700
RESPONSIBLE
STATUS
Pro Vice-Chancellor
(Education
Innovation)
In progress.
Director, Planning
Services
In progress.
For noting.
3.
PROJECT BLACK SWAN: PROGRESS REPORT – REF F70456
As part of the reporting requirements and governance of Project Black Swan, a regular report is referred to
the Education Committee for its information (Attachment A).
PART 2 – ITEM(S) FOR DECISION TO BE DEALT WITH EN BLOC
No items
PART 3 – ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND DECISION
4. REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT: REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT WORKING GROUP REPORT AND
UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ASSESSMENT - Ref F70940, F74883
Changes at the sector level and within UWA over recent years, in particular the introduction of new courses
in 2012 and the first graduating cohort in 2014, make it timely to conduct a comprehensive review of
assessment policy and practices within UWA. Members will recall that in March 2015, the Dean,
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Coursework Studies, within the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education), initiated a review of the
University’s assessment policy, practices and related activities.
This review, aims to ensure internationally benchmarked assessment practices are meeting the needs of
domestic and international students. It is also an important component of the evaluation of the success of
NC2012 and the roll-out of the Education Futures Vision, with a particular focus on transformative teaching.
Members will note that proposed parameters for the Review of Assessment, including the review
framework, objectives, scope and membership were broadly disseminated University-wide, via the
University’s Committee system, in March 2015 to inform the University community about the impending
review.
The Review of Assessment Working Group, convened by the Dean of Coursework Studies, has completed
its review and draft copies of both the report and the new University Policy on Assessment were circulated
widely as part of University-level consultation, as follows:
 Open Forums for faculty Teaching and Learning Committees conducted by the Dean of Coursework
Studies on the following dates: Tuesday, 1st September 2015 (1pm – 2pm), Friday 4th September 2015
(1pm – 2pm) and Friday, 4th September (2pm - 3pm);
 Feedback sought from the University Executive, Faculty Deans and Chair, Academic Board and
members from the University Staff Association;
 Feedback from the Education Futures Strategy Group (comprising wide ranging members including
Associate Deans, Faculty Teaching and Learning/Education) (Attachment B1); and
 Feedback sought from the Curriculum Committee (Attachment B3)
Feedback provided by the above groups has now been incorporated into the final versions of the report and
policy. Members are asked to note that the following documents, attached for members’ consideration,
have been revised considerably in response to the feedback received:
 Attachment C: Review of Assessment Working Group Report (revised); and
 Attachment D: University Policy on Assessment (revised)
The Dean of Coursework Studies will be invited to speak to this item and subsequently, the Education
Committee will be asked to consider the following recommendations as contained in the revised report and
the revised University Policy on Assessment for implementation from 2016:
1.
A Comprehensive University Policy
That the University develop a comprehensive University Policy on Assessment to establish
common academic principles and administrative procedures to be applied in all coursework courses
taught by all faculties and that any current assessment-related policies, at school, faculty and
University-level, subsequently be rescinded.
2.
Assessment Parameters
That the parameters around the following specific aspects of assessment (as set out in Appendix 3)
are included in the new University Policy on Assessment: Minimum requirements for assessment
within a unit; Weighting of assessment items; Marking; Grades; Word limits and penalties;
Feedback; and Examinations.
3.
Digital First Strategy
1) By utilising the Blackboard Learning Management System, that the University:
a) Move to a ‘digital first’ strategy for assessment submission, feedback, marking, grading and
submission of marks; and
b) Further investigate and develop the use of the unit outline facility for the provision of
uniform unit outlines University-wide.
2) That the UWA Business School share the outcomes of the trial of ProctorU, an online
proctoring system, with other faculties in due course.
4.
Criterion-referenced assessment
That assessment at UWA is strongly oriented towards criterion-referenced approaches with explicit
assessment criteria linked to learning outcomes that are used to determine marks and grades.
5.
Consideration of an alternative WAM calculation
That the Dean of Coursework Studies investigates the viability of :
a) calculating the UWA students’ undergraduate degree WAM from their 20 best unit marks
rather than all unit marks; and,
b) using deciles to rank students within each unit to include on their academic transcript;
and make a recommendation to the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education).
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6.
Assessment Moderation
That assessment in all units employs a process of moderation, which may take several appropriate
forms, to ensure consistent marking and alignment with the assessment criteria. Adjustment of
marks may be employed as part of moderation.
7.
Proportions of grades awarded
That the new University Policy on Assessment includes parameters on the proportions of grades
that can be awarded within units.
For consideration, endorsement and recommendation to the Academic Council.
5. TEACHING AND LEARNING INDICATORS - Ref F7622
The University is committed to improving the quality of the student learning experience and states, amongst
the core values articulated in the Strategic Plan, that it is committed to “a culture of high performance and
continuous improvement, designed to achieve international excellence”.
Consistent with this key value, the University advocates the proactive use of student evaluation/indicators
to improve, support and disseminate good teaching practices at all levels (faculty/school/individual). The
University’s Executive Information System (EIS) provides a range of indicators of performance, in particular
the Teaching and Learning Indicators which are published and disseminated in two parts:
Part 1 – UWA Internal
This report shows the University’s teaching and learning performance over time by Faculty, course and
major and provides an analysis of Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) comments.
Part 2 – UWA vs Australia
This report compares the performance of the University with other Australian institutions by fields of
education based on national data.
The EIS also provides the following data sets for use by staff University-wide: Student Unit Reflective
Feedback (SURF); University Experience Survey (UES); Course Experience Questionnaires (CEQ);
Graduate Destinations (GDS); Enrolment and Load; Completion and Pass Rates; and Performance
Reporting.
As part of the annual review of the Teaching and Learning Indicators and SURF data sets, the Deputy ViceChancellor (Education) and the Dean of Coursework Studies are visiting each faculty to address and
discuss issues associated with student satisfaction as evidence by these data. As part of this process all
Faculty Deans have been requested to submit a report addressing their areas of strength and weakness
and provide information on ways in which the Faculty informs students on changes brought about by
student feedback. Reports have been received from Deans of the following Faculties and are attached
(Attachment E3-E21) for consideration and discussion: Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts; Business;
Education; Engineering, Computing and Mathematics; Law; Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences;
Science; and School of Indigenous Studies (nil submission received from the Faculty of Arts).
The Dean of Coursework Studies will be invited to introduce this item and the Chair will also invite the
Faculty Deans or nominees to briefly discuss (3-5 minutes) their faculty’s key strengths, weaknesses and
student feedback processes with a view to sharing good practice and ideas for improvement. Input from the
student representatives will also be welcomed.
Members will note that at its meeting held on 7 August 2015, the Education Futures Strategy Group
resolved by R10/15 to forward its discussion and the Faculty reports to the Education Committee for further
discussion, actions for improvement and sharing of good practice (Attachment E1-E2).
For discussion.
6.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Education Committee will be held on Monday 12 October 9:00am in the Senate
Room. The cut-off date for submission of items for the committee’s agenda is Monday 28 September 2015.
Please refer any issues for discussion to the Executive Officer, Dr Kabilan Krishnasamy (eoaps@uwa.edu.au ).
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