Course monitoring
Schools annually monitor taught courses following University principles.
Schools are responsible for annually monitoring:
- all undergraduate courses
- all courses for taught postgraduate Masters degrees
- the taught element of postgraduate research degrees
This is done using a process that is agreed by, and reported to, the relevant school committee.
In accordance with the University’s devolved guidance and quality assurance ethos, schools have responsibility within a set of University principles for designing and maintaining a monitoring system which meets their needs.
University principles
The University has four major principles for course monitoring.
Stage above Course Organiser
There must be a stage above the Course Organiser where there is responsibility for a whole programme or group of programmes.
External comment
There must be a stage at which people distinct from those responsible for the delivery of the course, yet adequately informed about it, are able to comment on the quality assurance procedures and their outcome.
At each stage there must be a link with the external examiners’ reports.
Procedure for action
There must be a procedure for ensuring that action is taken following any issues that arise from quality assurance, including from reports from professional, statutory and regulatory bodies.
Such action may involve parts of the University other than those directly concerned.
Reporting
A report on major issues and action taken must ultimately be made to the College Quality Assurance Committee.
Onward reporting, where appropriate, will be to the Senate Quality Assurance Committee, with both bodies having the right to take any appropriate further action.
Formal report
Course organisers normally produce a formal report for consideration by the School Teaching Committee or equivalent body.
These reports subsequently inform the school’s annual quality assurance report to the College Quality Assurance Committee.
Course monitoring information may also be required for internal subject review (Teaching Programme Review and Postgraduate Programme Review), and professional and satutory regulatory body visits or accreditation exercises.
The minimum requirements for annual course monitoring are:
- summary and analysis of final marks, with comment on grade profiles
- summary and analysis of the views of all staff involved in teaching the course
- summary and analysis of comments (positive and negative) made by external examiners
- issues that arise or proposals for change
Reports must highlight both good practice and any areas requiring attention.
Reflection on the outcomes of the course monitoring in the context of previous years makes explicit the effectiveness of the monitoring process.
The Head of School must approve in advance the production of a single monitoring report covering more than one course.
Student feedback
Student feedback must be documented and included in annual monitoring.
This may be done in a variety of ways, including through electronic questionnaire and via staff-student liaison committees.
This article was published on Oct 22, 2010