Implementing a Process for Measuring Student Support in the Faculty of Health

Science

Sara Booth, Justin Walls, Craig Zimitat, Ellen Ennever and Jo-Anne KelderUniversity of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia

The Origin of Standards in HE The overall HE student experience plays a critical role in student success

Student experience can be defined as; ‘All experiences of facets of the university experienced by an individual student’ (Baird and Gordon, 2009)

Difficult to identify ‘the student experience’ as a single construct→ Includes; pre-enrolment engagement, experience of first-year and subsequent

years of study, graduate studies and graduate outcomes

How do HE providers know students are receiving a quality experience? University Experience Survey (UES) Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) MyUniversity website Development of performance measurement instruments

→ Higher Education Standards Framework (TEQSA)

A standard may be defined as;‘A specification or other precise criteria designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline or definition of a level of performance or achievement’ (AUQA, 2007)

Provider Standards-Provider Registration, Provider Category, Provider Course Accreditation Standards

Qualification Standards

Teaching and Learning Standards

Research Standards

Information Standards

Domains

TEQSA will register and evaluate the performance of HE providers against the Higher Education Standards Framework

Increased transparency, accountability and monitoring of performance indicators and measures

→ transparency informs student choice→ Monitoring of standards improves student success and HE performance

Threshold Standards

HE Standards Framework

Current Research in HE Standards

Sector-wide standards projects: Macquarie University:

→ DISSRTE-funded development of a Teaching Standards Framework and online tool (Sachs, J et al. 2012)

→ Proposes teaching standards and data collection frameworks

University of Melbourne:→ Verification of standards project (Patterson, P et al.)

University of Sydney:→ Assessing and assuring graduate learning outcomes: Principles and practices

within and across the disciplines (Barrie, S et al. 2011)→ Investigation of types of assessment tasks and assurance processes that provide

evidence of student achievement

University of Western Sydney:→ A sector-wide model for assuring final year subject and program achievement

standards through inter-university moderation (Krause, KL and Scott, G 2011)→ 11 universities across 11 disciplines→ Inter-university peer review and moderation of coursework at unit and program

level

Current Research in HE Standards

Discipline-specific initiatives: Queensland University of Technology:

→ Navigating a pathway between the academic standards and a framework for authentic, collaborative, outcomes focused thinking in Engineering Education (Boles, W)

University of Adelaide:→ Harmonising higher education and professional quality assurance processes for

the assessment of learning outcomes in health (O’Keefe, M)

University of Technology Sydney:→ Curriculum renewal and inter-professional health education: Establishing

capabilities, outcomes and standards (Lee, A and Manidis, M)

Implementation of Standards at the Institutional Level

Australian HE Institutions developing and implementing a Standards Framework: Charles Sturt University

→ The next steps: Defining standards in learning and teaching, research and professional engagement (Burnett, P, Chambers, R and Gorman, L 2008)

→ Monitoring and promoting progress towards achieving CSU standards (Chambers, R 2008)

Curtin University→ Curriculum, Staff, Learning Environment, Students, Ethics, Equity and Social Justice

Macquarie University→ Teaching, Learning Environment and Curriculum

RMIT→ Academic Standards Framework

University of Canberra→ Teaching Quality, Research Quality, Administration & Management Quality

University of South Australia→ Institutional climate & Systems, Diversity & Inclusivity, Engagement & Learning Outcomes

and Assessment

University of Western Sydney→ Course Design, Support, Delivery and Impact

UTAS Academic Standards Framework (ASF)

UTAS Academic Standards Framework was approved by University Learning and Teaching Committee (UL&TC) in August 2011

Academic Standards Sub-Committee was established to: Develop the ASF Ensure that the ASF aligns with current HE practices nationally and

internationally Ensure that the ASF aligns to TEQSA requirements

A comprehensive framework has been developed that encompasses 6 key dimensions

Teaching

Learning

Curriculum

Student Support (aligns with HE Framework Provider Standards)

Research

Research Training

Dimensions- The Student Support Dim

ension is currently being trialled in the Faculty of

Health Science at UTAS

UTAS Academic Standards Framework (ASF)

ASF Student Support Dimension

Standard Performance Indicators Example Performance MeasuresStudents may enter the university on recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit transfer assessments

Approval mechanisms ensure that students who hold the requisite skills and knowledge are granted RPL

Number of admissions with RPL Number of requests for RPL denied

A range of pathways are provided to students to promote access and participation

Admissions policies and processes for alternative pathways are informed by progress and completion data for specific cohorts of students

Analysis of admissions data Number of flexible and integrated pathways for students through UTAS degree structure Number of students enrolling in pathway programs

Students are assessed and supported to progress in their learning, including modified teaching and learning arrangements for students with special needs

Reasonable adjustments to mode of delivery and assessment negotiated and included in Learning Access Plan (LAP)

Student results (success, completion) by cohorts and study locations Distribution of grade point averages Increased retention and completion rate Number of LAPs Special consideration process

Table 1: Examples of standards in the ASF Student Support dimension

Student Support Dimension: Important component of overall student experience

→ Encompasses pre-enrolment, undergraduate and graduate studies and graduate outcomes Composed of 14 standards

Indicators and performance measures of each standard have been developed based on their capacity to measure and improve practice

Faculty of Health Science (FHS) ASF trial

FHS is comprised of 5 Schools; Department of Rural Health Human Life Sciences Medicine Nursing and Midwifery Pharmacy

A FHS Academic Standards Working Group was established to oversee the monitoring of Student Support performance indicators and measures

Individuals within each School were designated responsibility for collecting and collating evidence against each performance indicator

ASF Evaluation and Benchmarking Tool was also developed: Web-based resource:

→ Hosted on UTAS server→ Secure MySQL

System to evaluate and benchmark current practices against a set of standards

Report

EvaluateBenchmark Institutional

Faculty

Course

Continual improvement and better outcomes across UTAS

ASF Online Evaluation and Benchmarking Tool

School

Type text

Reporting and Utilisation of Data

Data from each School was uploaded and utilised to generate a School Report: Department of Rural Health Human Life Sciences Medicine Nursing and Midwifery Pharmacy

ASF Reports; Identified areas;

→ of best practice→ for improvement→ for development

Highlighted areas where some Schools are performing better than others→ Provide an opportunity to share best practices

→ Leads to enhancement of Student Support practices across Faculty

School reports utilised to generate a Faculty Report

At School, Faculty and Institutional level

Project Findings

Areas of Best Practice across Faculty of Health Science: Accurate and timely information is provided to students on all aspects of a program Students admitted to the Faculty satisfy minimum entry requirements The range and quality of Support Services available is provided to students A range of pathways are provided to students to promote access and participation

Areas for improvement at School level: Training is required for information collectors to develop knowledge of what data is available and

how to access it Utilisation of data from external student surveys should inform practices

Areas for improvement at Faculty level: Design a Faculty student progression database template to be implemented across all Schools to

allow consistent tracking of student cohorts and demographic groups

Areas for improvement at Institutional level: Implement communication processes for reporting results of external student surveys to Faculties

and Schools (e.g. AGS, AUSSE, ISB, UES) Targets to be set for admission and completion of specific cohorts Provision of student demographic data (e.g. low SES, Indigenous or TSI origin, CALD) to Schools to

allow tracking of specific cohorts PASS reports to be provided to Heads of School

Next Phase

Final report to be presented to the FHS Academic Standards Working Group identifying operational recommendations and actions at the School and Faculty levels.

Student Support framework to be revised; Performance indicators and measures made more explicit Adjustment and further alignment of performance indicators and measures with

standards

A User Guide for the online ASF Evaluation and Benchmarking Tool is currently in development