Assistant Prof. Dr. Nicola Huson

German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech)

Current: German Jordanian University, School of Applied Humanities & Languages (GJU)

OQNHE Conference 2015

Muscat 24 – 25 February

Quality Management & Enhancement in Higher Education

1

How Do We Know We Are Doing Well?

Quality assurance –

looking beyond formal course/teacher evaluation

towards a culture of quality.

A good practice example.

Forecast

2

Introducing an example for a lived HEI culture of

quality - showing it from a “bottom-up” perspective,

and hereby will:

Focus on quality assurance tool: course/teacher

evaluation

Question the tool’s qualitative depth

Look at the “wider picture” for quality teaching

Define Quality culture

Discuss its enhancement at institutional level and the

support for quality teaching initiatives, to then...

To then...

3

reflect on the approach of a teaching initiative which

was incited by formal course/teacher evaluation

feedback,

which at that time lead to a period of uncertainty

about the efficiency and the necessity of German

language courses at the German University of

Technology in Oman (between 2009 – 2012),

and developed into a good practice example for an

institutional enhancement of quality culture.

Motivation

4

Professional profile influenced strongly by GUtech

and by Oman’s commitment to quality

Why this presentation?

To encourage OQNHE participants to

be adventurous within their institutions

Overview

5

1. Introduction

Background

Quality culture

Quality teaching

2. Case reflection

Institutional setting (GUtech)

Quality teaching initiative (German at GUtech)

Survey

Institutional inclusion – culture of quality

3. Conclusion

4. Outlook

1. Introduction

Background

6

ADRI – Review (monitoring and evaluating)

Approach - Deploy – Review – Improve. According to Curtin University quality assurance

model. See: http://quality.curtin.edu.au/quality_curtin/adri_quality_cycle.cfm

7

Formal course/teacher

evaluations standard tools for

quality assurance (EvaSys or

EduWave etc.)

Review and feedback on what

is happening in the classroom,

i.e. teaching skills, attitude,

outcomes

Lack of qualitative depth

Negative feedback possible

indicator for other underlying

factors

The wider picture!

Oman’s commitment to quality in HEI

8

Oman is committed to quality assurance in higher

education development (OAC 2001, Quality Plan

2006, OAAA 2010)

HEIs undergoing institutional accreditation in 2

stages:

Institutional quality audit inspired by ADRI

Institutional standard assessment beginning in

2015/16

Ensures HEIs commitment to quality

1. Introduction

Quality culture

9

9 years later Bologna shows:

implementation of formal quality assurance tools

through automation software, i.e. EvaSys, EduWave,

etc. quick and successful (Bologna)

however, lack of staff and student attachment

formal structure no guarantee for concept of quality

being “lived”, implemented or continuously

improved

Quality Culture?

Definition of Quality Culture (EUA 2006)

10

“[…] quality culture refers to an organisational culture that intends

to enhance quality permanently and is characterised by two distinct

elements: on the one hand, a cultural/ psychological element of

shared values, beliefs, expectations and commitment towards quality

and, on the other hand, a structural/managerial element with

defined processes that enhance quality and aim at coordinating

individual efforts.” (EUA 2006)

Reference: Loukkola, T. and Zhang, T. (2010)

The Quality Culture concept of the European

University Association (EUA 2006)

Reference: Loukkola, T. and Zhang, T. (2010)

11

Quality teaching

Reference: 1. and quotes: Hénard, F. (2010)

12

OECD study (2010)1 on Institutional Management in

Higher Education found “vast majority of

initiatives supporting teaching quality are empirical and

address the institutions’ needs at a given point in time”

Suggests quality culture at institutional level

“better achieved through diverse initiatives” (bottom-up,

small-sized experiments, replication of success stories

etc.)

Institutional policy

1. Hénard, F. (2010)

2 . Hénard, F. and Roseveare, D. (2012) 13

“Institutional policy to support quality teaching remains

an adventurous, lengthy but potentially rewarding

project”1 requiring a multi-level endeavour:

Institutional-wide level

Programme level

Individual level

Support at “programme level is key [...] to ensure

improvement in quality teaching”2 at discipline and

institutional level.

OECD case studies holistic approach

Model following: http://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/supportingqualityteachinginhighereducationphase2.htm

14

Environment

University

Quality teaching initiatives

Environment

International setting

National context

Regional inclusion

University

Mission

Strategies

Specialities

Quality teaching

initiatives

Decision makers

Operators

Beneficiaries

2. Case reflection

15

2. Case reflection

Institutional setting

16

German University of Technology in Oman

established 2007

Affiliation with the RWTH Aachen

English language of tuition

German compulsory (3-5 semesters) in course

Language and Cultural Skills

ADRI approach as reflective management system

EvaSys quality management tool – regular

course/teacher evaluations

EvaSys

17

GUtech EvaSys evaluation – categories assessed

every semester:

Course, Instructor, Educational resources, General

information, Self-evaluation, Overall evaluation

Space given for Additional comments, where

students are able to comment in detail on what they

Like, Dislike, and suggestions for Improvement.

High level of student satisfaction in courses (OAAA

Audit Report 2013)

Quality teaching initiative – German at GUtech

Quotations extracted from EvaSys results academic year 2010-2011

Picture via: http://insertmedia.office.microsoft.com

18

Contradictory German EvaSys results causing headaches:

What did you dislike?

“...nothing actually but the pressure that I get sometimes from the other courses, gets in the way of this course and it would be better if it was optional”

“its large effect on my GPA”

“The additional effort apart from what is needed to do my own course. The fact that it is not related to my own course”

“i dislike the fact that this course is compulsory and its just an overload to us students. the fact that this course is compulsery, and its included in the grade which causes to effect our GPA”.

Two aspects

19

Summary: 2 claims from a minority of students:

German classes are influencing the GPA and

distracting students from their core subjects.

Triggered bottom-up initiative by teaching team to

reflect on last 3 years and discuss:

what and how they were teaching,

why they were teaching, what they were teaching, and

what needed to be improved or changed?

Students expectations and factors influencing their

motivation?

Survey

20

Questionnaire

50 questions covering 4 areas of interest:

Intrinsic motivation

Professional/career motivation

Cultural relevance

Academic/study programme motivation

162 questionnaires distributed – 123 returned

German Survey GUtech 2012

Overall importance of German courses at GUtech

21

40%

39%

22%

I think …

learning German for three/five Semesters is adequate.

I would like/would have liked to continue my German classes as electives after the 3rd year.

German is/was not helpful.

German Survey GUtech 2012

22

0,00%

20,00%

40,00%

60,00%

80,00%

100,00%

16 Knowing German is a

personal enrichment.

17 Learning German is

important and has value for me.

18 Learning German strengthens

my academic self-confidence.

19 What I learn in this course is more important to me

than the grade I get.

20 I use German outside class (with professors/interns, internet, music, …)

23% 37% 35%

49% 58%

71% 61% 57%

39% 38%

agree

disagree

n.o.

How strongly do you disagree/agree with the following statements?

Intrinsic motivation, personal relevance

German Survey GUtech 2012

23

0,00%

20,00%

40,00%

60,00%

80,00%

100,00%

26 German is a necessary prerequisite

if I want to do an academic course /

internship / Bachelor thesis / Master

program in a German speaking country.

27 German will increase my

employment chances in Oman/in my home

country.

28 Knowing German increases my capability

to compete in the international / global

job market.

29 The German classes help me become a

successful team player in a multinational

working environment.

27%

42%

18%

33%

68% 50%

75% 54%

How do you evaluate the role German may play in your future academic and/or professional life?

agree

disagree

n.o.

German Survey GUtech 2012

Professional/career motivation

Cultural relevance

German Survey GUtech 2012 24

0,00%

20,00%

40,00%

60,00%

80,00%

100,00%

30 In my German classes, I am

encouraged to think and talk

about my language and cultural background

31 In my German classes, I learn

about and discuss the different cultures at GUtech.

32 The German classes help me develop a better understanding of how our German professors teach and what they

expect from me.

33 The German classes help me become more

open and tolerant towards others.

34 The German classes help me understand how

cultural backgrounds can

be different.

24% 31% 32% 32%

18%

68% 66% 62% 58%

81%

How strongly do you disagree/agree with the following culture linked statements?

agree

disagree

n.o.

Academic/study program motivation

25

0,00%

20,00%

40,00%

60,00%

80,00%

100,00%

35 The German classes are a

positive diversification to my other subjects and study routine.

36 The German lessons keep me from working in my subject area.

41 The study load for my German classes is well manageable.

45 The German lessons do not connect to my

subject.

46 My grades in German lower my

overall GPA.

40% 38% 40% 38% 38%

48% 55% 55% 56% 55%

How strongly do you disagree/agree with the following possible benefits and challenges of your German classes at GUtech?

agree

disagree

n.o.

German Survey GUtech 2012

Survey results

26

Support EvaSys indications

Implications of survey were asking for further

investigation into coexistence of major study

programme and mandatory language programme.

Bringing it to the attention of the

university management as a challenge

relating to the institutional strategy was

the next logical step.

2. Case reflection

Institutional inclusion

27

University management chose to be supportive and

adventurous

Guiding the initiative towards an institution-wide

level

Stimulating a more inclusive approach within the

university context

Enabling a multi-level reflection on the factors

influencing language learning at the university

Triangulation approach to “Reflection on 4 years of

LCS at GUtech”

28

Workshop

29

In May 2012 a half-day workshop was conducted

and the above collected data presented under the

titles:

Justification for LCS courses

Facts about Cultural Skills, German Language, and

English Language courses

Feedback from Students, Staff, MoHE

Provocative and hypothetical questions

Extracted from unpublished presentation “Four years of LCS. Time to reflect”. Dr. Barbara Stäuble.

Gutech 2012 30

Do we need LCS courses?

Do they need to be the same across all Bachelor

programmes?

Does German Language need to be compulsory?

Would it be possible to allow weak students to

choose between English and German courses in

Semester 3 and 4?

Do we need an English Language Support Centre? If

yes, how would this integrate with the LCS and other

courses?

Workshop results

31

Results of the workshop documented and discussed

between the university management and the heads

of the language departments

Key factors identified, action points framed and

procedures of improvement implemented

Workshop results and action points were

communicated to all staff

3. Conclusion

32

Detailed results and procedures of improvement

relevant for the university alone and for further

research on teaching German as a Foreign

Language after English in transnational university

projects

GUtech currently re-discussing the LCS courses

(German and English) related to the growing student

numbers & challenges with “soft-skill courses”

Integration of “Entrepreneurial skills“ in LCS

“So, how do we know we are doing well?”

33

Summary:

Looking beyond formal

course/teacher evaluation

Taking bottom-up initiative

Supported by university

management

Communication and participation within

the university context was fostered and Trust between the

involved stakeholders promoted

Sharing values and expectations, thus

taking the concerns of the lecturers

seriously

Acknowledging the feedback of even the smallest percentage

of students

We are doing well if we are...

34

not paying attention solely to formal evaluation

results,

enhancing the inter-relationship between formal

quality assurance processes and quality

commitment,

acknowledging each other’s responsibility to

encourage communication, participation, and trust,

sharing the institutional values and taking initiative

in order to promote a positive teaching and learning

culture.

4. Outlook

35

Teaching about the concept of quality culture a

necessary challenge in teacher training

Teachers – depending on their education, cultural

background, personal skills, and previous

experience - may or may not (yet) be

reflective thinkers

perceptive or not to ideas of an individual institutional

commitment or loyalty that goes beyond their

immediate area of responsibility, and

there is a whole complexity of power distribution within

an institution to be considered.

http://insertmedia.office.microsoft.com 36

References

37

Hénard, F.: Learning Our Lesson: Review of Quality Teaching in Higher Education. OECD

Publishing 2010. DOI: 10.1787/9789264079281-en (accessed 22/11/2014)

Hénard, F. and Roseveare, D.: Fostering Quality Teaching in Higher Education: Policies and Practices. An IMHE Guide for Higher Education Institutions. 2012.

http://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/QT%20policies%20and%20practices.pdf

(accessed 9/12/2014)

Loukkola, T. and Zhang, T.: Examining Quality Culture: Part 1 – Quality Assurance Processes in Higher Education Institutions. Brussels © European University Association 2010

http://www.eua.be/pubs/Examining_Quality_Culture_Part_1.pdf (accessed 21/12/2014)

OECD website: Supporting Quality Teaching in Higher Education – Phase 2.

http://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/supportingqualityteachinginhighereducationphase2.htm (accessed 22/11/2014)