QELTA targets for academic year 2008-09 21 Oct 2008 Updated February 2009 Quality Enhancement of Learning, Teaching

and Assessment Implementation Plan 2008/9

GOALS Primary Goal 1: Maximising Potential Through Learning We will: Design During AY 2008/9

1.1 Design educational programmes both to satisfy a range of professional and

vocational needs (for entry level, postgraduate and professional development) but also to develop individuals for a broader role, both in future employment and society. programmes that will maximise the potential of the individual, irrespective of their background, to ensure sought-after graduates and postgraduates, who are flexible and with a range of academic, multidisciplinary and transferable skills, who have an enthusiasm for lifelong learning, and who are creative, independent, and reflective citizens. This will be done through programmes that have a balance of fitness for purpose, generic attributes and creativity. 1.2 Place the student at the centre of the educational provision. Programmes will recognise and engage with learning strategies that support diversity in the student body, inclusive of those students with disabilities, and will encourage exploration, experimentation and will provide a variety of learning experiences exploring the strengths of active learning and other student centred strategies.

Integrate benchmarking against graduate attributes to validation and review process (QEU) Embed Employability and Disability Equality within programmes coming forward for review {cross reference Employability Project} (Schools, CAP, SS) Audit delivery of SFC sustainability goals in QMUC programmes under review through Graduate Attributes project (EPC, QEU).

Implement revised procedures for addressing equality and diversity through validation and review (QEU) Ensure assistive technology is fit for purpose, delivered through assistive technology room and issue of laptops (IS/Library Services) incorporate monitoring into review/validation/monitoring processes (QEC, Schools)

Implementation of Equality Proofing toolkit to all programmes and to

Quality Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Assessment Implementation Plan 2008/9

GOALS During AY 2008/9

Cross reference 1.3 for equality and diversity dimension (timetable

policy and process) 1.3 Recognise the need for flexibility in patterns of attendance and the needs of all learners, be they full-time, part-time, on-campus, off-campus, engaging in an initial award, undertaking a postgraduate programme or engaged in lifelong learning. To achieve this, there will be a flexibility and innovation of design and delivery of programmes that allows learners to step-on and stepoff programmes and with pro-active articulation links with external organisations to ensure the smooth transition of students into, through and from our programmes in line with their chosen goals.

Extend checklist/guidance to encourage panels to reflect more Provide seamless access to resources off campus through Remote Refinement of timetable policy; consultation with range of
stakeholders, including students, on problems/solutions for timetable; modelling of timetable data to ensure pedagogic outcomes and student friendly timetables (Schools, E&F, IS, ASUC); Development of Procurement Specification for timetable software to support pedagogical developments (ASUC) Engage fully in the SFC funded ELRAH project, maximising potential for partnership with FE colleges in Edinburgh and Lothians Implement a programme of staff development related to PDP and eportfolios and training for those students who are engaged in PDP, including sessions on reflection and personal development (CAP) Develop PDP framework for PG research students (CAP, Schools) o Development of student portal with access through enquiry, admissions, matriculation and graduation (IS) Audit provision of AV technology in all teaching rooms to minimise equipment downtime and disruption to students (ERC) Pilot and evaluate Personal Response System (CAP, Schools). Develop technical abilities in use of IT systems thorough training, documentation and drop-in surgeries (IS) Pilot the use of electronic voting systems (CAP, Schools, ERC Desktop (IS) explicitly on this through validation and review (QEU)

1.4 Develop academic and pastoral support structures appropriate to the needs of learners and to support the learner at all stages from pre-entry, entry, progression, graduation and post-graduation and in support of initiatives such as the personal development plan (see also Student Retention Strategy and SFC Employability Project). 1.5 Exploit the appropriate use of information resources and learning technologies.

1.6 Develop and evaluate strategies for assessment that ensure: that all learning outcomes are assessed appropriately; that we utilise diverse, creative and innovative methods of assessment to ensure that all learners, including those students with disabilities, can demonstrate their achievements; and that we ensure the elimination of over-assessment.

Review of impact of revised assessment regulations (ASQC) Further advise and develop eAssessment and eSubmission through student portal and deliver eAssessment software via thin-client (IS/CAP)

Primary Goal 2: QMU as a Community of Learners We will: 2.1 Create a learning organisation that is prepared to innovate, to experiment and to take risks and that will learn collectively from these experiences. Pilot induction programme for new collaborative partners (QEU, CAP) Deliver training to staff on copyright and plagiarism (Library Services) Training for new and existing staff on use and operation of AV system ERC/CAP) See 3.6 below

2.2 Recognise that staff development is the key to developing and sustaining a learning community that has a passion and commitment to learning, which includes a commitment to widening access and flexible learning which involves all staff of the institution and the promotion of excellence in the facilitation of learning. 2.3 Support the development of staff to become critical and reflective thinkers who can: utilise scholarship and research to inform their teaching; design and facilitate appropriate learning, including multi-disciplinary approaches; use evidence to evaluate their teaching, and who are skilled and informed lifelong learners and who contribute to their relevant professional bodies, associations and communities and who take up external roles, such as that of public service, eg External Examiner. 2.4 Build and identify new partnerships and collaborations, with employers, professional bodies, FE and HE and our communities (professional bodies, employers, social communities and other educational providers). We will have an outward and international outlook, especially in relation to Europe. Contribute to the debate on the Bologna Declaration.

Audit the use of enhancement themes as a focus for the sharing of good practice through the annual monitoring process and the academic committee structure (EPC, QEC, CAP) Audit Activity planning process [HR]

Provide access to all electronic resources regardless of student location through the Remote Desktop (S) Build local partnerships with local schools for delivery of Information Literacy; work with ELISA by participating in Edinburgh Libraries Festival; work with East Lothian Libraries to promote Bibliotherapy, supporting students with mental health problems (library Services) The deployment of Video Conference capability to all lecture theatres and the delivery of training in VC use (ERC)

Primary Goal 3: Quality Assurance and Audit We will: 3.1 Ensure that our courses are of a high academic quality, of practical value to the professions, of relevance to the roles of individuals in society and flexible enough to ensure access, through quality assurance and quality audit of all of our educational provision. 3.2 Ensure that educational philosophy, aims, programme specifications, learning outcomes and assessments are in alignment to ensure the achievement of programme aims and that student satisfaction with the whole learning experience is fully evaluated and appropriate action taken. Review of annual monitoring process in time for 2008-2009 round of reports (EPC) Revise student survey and review other mechanisms for collecting and responding to student feedback (EPC project) Review student progression and retention rates in light of the revised assessment regulations introduced for Session 2007/2008 to ensure

that there are no unintended consequences. Work with the Students Union to make student representation more effective for the University and rewarding for the student Review outcome and implement proposals arising from User Group discussions on staff/student interaction on the Craighall campus, evaluating and sharing best practice.

3.3 Ensure that programmes conform to the requirements of the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework, QAA Codes of Practice, subject benchmark statements and the specific needs of professional and statutory bodies (PSB); we will anticipate developments such as Personal Development Plans and European educational policy developments, such as the Bologna Declaration. 3.4 Develop a set of performance indicators that are suitable for internal assessment/audit purpose and provide the data-set required for external audiences. 3.5 Ensure the appropriate involvement of students, employers, external peers and other stakeholders in programme design, monitoring, assessment and audit. 3.6 Develop an awareness and understanding among staff, students and other stakeholders of quality enhancement and assurance, through staff development, communication, documentation and document control; and the active participation in the sector-wide development of quality enhancement. These three primary goals are facilitated by the allocation of appropriate resources. We will: 4.1 Develop programmes that are resourceable, deliverable and auditable, with an infrastructure to support learning developments, particularly those that reflect the changing nature of our students. We will ensure that there are close links between programme approval and learning support and that there is a congruence of academic planning decisions and decisions on resource allocation. 4.2 Take the opportunity of the new campus development to create a health improving university both for staff and students, which is environmentally

Formal review of PDP in 2008-2009 and implementation of any actions arising (EPC)

Cross reference to Student Retention project Appoint a short-term project officer to work with QMU records and IS staff to develop meaningful web-based management reports Review this in respect of validation and review (ASQC) Work with Student President and colleagues to boost student involvement in validation and review (QEU, CAP, SU) Work with Student President and colleagues to raise awareness and increase student participation in QA and QE related activities as appropriate (QEC, CAP, SS) Review and enhance mechanisms for staff training in respect of QA processes(QEU, CAP)

Develop mechanisms for validation and review that include full consideration of support services as per SFC circular 30/08 (QEC, SS, EPC) Provide technical infrastructure that underlies learning developments through network infrastructure that is resilient and fast, provision of EduRoam wireless access and resilient links to internet (IS) Support Health Promotions Group (Library Services)

friendly, with an integration of culture, policies, buildings, learning and research. The quality of the environment will lead to a feeling of well-being and will be a mixture of educational development and quality of life. The campus will be welcoming and friendly, with adequate free space for social activities. 4.3 Develop a learning resource strategy that will support learning, teaching and assessment, through the development of learning resources and managed learning environments which are of an appropriate quality and fit for purpose and which take account of collaborative/cross-sectoral library and IT initiatives.

Further develop reading group and book swap (Library Services) Review outcome and implement proposals arising from User Group discussions on staff/student interaction on the Craighall campus evaluating and sharing best practice Further development of student portal to facilitate enquiries and admissions (IS) Investigate use of federated search system (Library Services) Implement Identity Management software to support Shibboleth authentication (IS/Library Services)