Session Information
11 ONLINE 51 A, Quality of higher education: Students' perception
Paper Session
MeetingID: 924 2827 8203 Code: 5sZdVt
Contribution
In modern socio-economic conditions, one of the main indicators of the effectiveness of a university is satisfaction of stakeholders with the quality of services provided. Administration of processes in universities more and more lean on feedback of students, faculty staff and external stakeholders, they are irreplaceable part of PDCA cycle. Effectiveness of all processes and procedures is assessed by Education Quality Assessment and Assurance center (QA center) in Yerevan State Medical University. In strategic plan of university importance of student-centered education is highlighted, therefore collection and analyses of students' opinion is conducted periodically. There are several procedures which are aimed to involve students in QA processes, e.g. different surveys, focus group discussions, presence of students in all councils and commissions acting in the university.
Method
One of the methods for collecting feedback from students and graduates is a regular (2 times a year) study conducted by the QA Center in the form of surveys to identify their degree of satisfaction with the quality of education. Surveys are conducted using an electronic anonymous questionnaire (http://ysmu-dua.am/). Students of all faculties of YSMU take part in the survey. The questionnaire includes three sections, the first of which evaluates the activities of lecturers. In the second section of the questionnaire, students are invited to assess the department and formulate their wishes for optimizing the work. And the third section includes the free expression of ideas, suggestions and comments. All questions using the scaling method (1-5). 2500-3000 students are taking part in survey each semester (participation rate is 50-60%) who evaluating activities of more than 850 lecturers and 70 departments. After multilateral analysis of results they are being discussed and reported in several organizational units such as Rector’s council, Educational-methodical council, scientific council of university. Specific questions raised by students are subject for discussions in subject-specific methodical commissions. As a result new approaches and methodology are developed or corresponding changes are offered by above mentioned units. As shown in results this kind of system allows to periodically improve the processes organized in university.
Expected Outcomes
The survey data showed, in general, high student satisfaction with the quality of education and the effectiveness of the educational process. More than 90% of university departments and teachers are with high satisfaction ratings. Based on these analyzes, over the past three years, the number of departments with low marks has sharply decreased (in 2020-2021 I and II semesters - 0%, 2019), which was the result of a number of measures taken after 2017-18 (9.6%). An annual comparison of the values of satisfaction with the quality of education, not only in the general sample for the university, but also for all faculties and departments, makes it possible to identify a decrease or increase in this indicator in specific educational units of the university. Based on the survey data, a comparative analysis of the information received is carried out, and dynamics is permanently revealed in a wide range of indicators. Indicators with a low score are studied first (the dynamics of percentage of students assessed low indicators with low marks is as follows: Educational resources (2015-30%, 2021-2%), Contact with patients (2015-16.7%, 2021-1.3%), availability of literature (2015-13.6%, 2021-3%), MCQs (2015-4.5%, 2021-2%)) There have been a number of changes over the years based on this survey as a result of which we observe above mentioned improvement of situation. More than 10 years of practice of periodical conduction of surveys shows that they are highly important in assurance of education quality, however better results can be achieved if results of these surveys underlie beneath development of strategy of university and PDCA cycle of processes: a dynamic study of those aspects of the educational process that were initially identified by students as the weakest aspects of the university and methodological work in this direction, from planning to implementation and further control, showed a positive trend.
References
1.Tricia Ryan, Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Review of Literature, Higher Learning Research Communications 5(4)., Volume 5, Num. 4 | December 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v5i4.257 2.Elassy, N. (2013). A model of student involvement in the quality assurance system at institutional level. Quality Assurance in Education, 21(2), 162–198. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09684881311310692 3.Durdas A. Assessment of higher education quality: models, principles and approaches. 2020, N 41-2 (41), 33-37. 4.Andrade, H. Students as the definitive source of formative assessment: academic self-assessment and the self-regulation of learning, in Handbook of Formative Assessment, eds H. Andrade and G. Cizek, 2010, New York, NY: Routledge, 90–105. 5.Trust Nyenya, Gift Rupande, The Role of Students in Quality Assurance in an ODL Institution: The Case of Zou, International Journal on Managerial Studies and Research (IJMSR) Volume 2, Issue 4, May 2014, PP 19-29 ISSN 2349-0330 (Print) & ISSN 2349-0349 (Online)
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