Quality Assurance and Enhancement
Quality Assurance and Enhancement is a top priority in the School, ensuring that our teaching practices are at a high standard and continually improving.
Quality and standards
Quality and standards in UK Higher Education are overseen by an independent body called the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). In Scotland, responsibilities are devolved to QAA Scotland, whose distinctive approach features 'Enhancement Led Institutional Reviews' and 'Enhancement Themes'.
The University of Edinburgh adheres to the QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education. This set of expectations enables us to safeguard our academic standards while improving student learning opportunities.
Moray House School of Education and Sport's practices articulate with the University of Edinburgh's Quality Assurance structure and processes.
Our University’s quality assurance structure and processes
How we assure and enhance quality
At Moray House School of Education and Sport we gather information on teaching and learning through four principal channels.
- Student Views, through course evaluations and Staff Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs) and student survey
- Staff Views, through course monitoring and annual programme monitoring / reviewing
- External Examiner views, through their annual reports
- Teaching Programme Reviews (TPRs) and Postgraduate Programme Reviews (PPRs), which are formal, periodic reviews involving a panel comprised of external examiners, staff from other parts of the University, and current students
- Quality Assurance and Enhancement In addition to working with student reps, the Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement offers drop in sessions for Course Organisers and Programme Directors. These are opportunities for our COs and PDs to drop in to ask questions, make suggestions/share good ideas or request support for any of the QA processes on their programme or course. No appointment necessary. For latest dates contact the Quality Team.
Some programmes are also accredited by professional / statutory bodies.
Further to the above mechanisms for assuring the quality of teaching and learning, there are other ways that staff and students contribute to improving practice. For example:
- Individual student views are always welcomed by course organisers and programme directors
- Programme Reps gather views on behalf of the cohorts they represent and feed these back to programme directors
- Student Staff Liaison Committee meetings
- The School’s Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee (SQAEC) - comprises of a range of staff and student representatives who work together on such items as the School's annual QAE report
Annual report
Our most recent annual report is now available for download.
Practice Worth Sharing
Practice Worth Sharing, led by Dr Deborah Holt and Dr Paul Kelly, was founded with the aim of sharing effective teaching and learning practice between our staff. During our sessions, staff and PhD students involved with teaching in the school hold discussions on various topics and share advice on practice that has worked well. Information for staff members interested in joining can be found on our SharePoint.
Quality Assurance and Enhancement on the staff intranet
Quality Assurance and Enhancement staff intranet pages
Contact us
The Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement at Moray House is Dr Julie Smith. She welcomes your questions and comments regarding quality assurance and enhancement.
If you are a student who wishes to lodge a formal complaint or appeal to a body outwith the School of Education, please contact Academic Services.