UniSQ’s Evaluation System has achieved remarkable milestones and made a significant impact on the university’s culture of evaluation. One of the key strengths of the system lies in its collaborative and inclusive nature, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement.
The Evaluation System has successfully cultivated a collaborative environment where stakeholders from various academic and administrative units actively participate in the evaluation processes. Faculty members, program coordinators, staff, and students all contribute their perspectives and insights, creating a diverse and holistic evaluation culture. This collaborative approach ensures that evaluations are comprehensive, capturing a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
As Associate Dean LTSS when the Academic Quality framework was implemented, I found that my access to accurate data to understand the strengths and challenges of learning and teaching was enhanced. The introduction of the dashboards meant that I could easily access data to assist Schools to plan their Academic Plan projects.”
Associate Professor Associate Dean Learning, Teaching and Student Success (2018-2021)
The inclusive nature of the Evaluation System has had a profound impact on UniSQ’s decision-making processes. By involving underrepresented stakeholders, the system ensures that diverse voices are heard and considered when shaping the university’s policies and strategies. This inclusivity fosters a sense of ownership and engagement among stakeholders, as they recognize their role in shaping the institution’s future.
In my role as Associate Head (Learning, Teaching, and Student Success), I have found the Mid-semester Course Enhancement Conversations an extremely valuable addition to the course monitoring and quality assurance practices in the school. Having these externally scheduled and facilitated by the AQU ensures that critical discussion happens in a timely manner, with support to interpret the relevant data. The conversations are collegial and supportive, and importantly, assist in identify any potential issues that may be present. This is key as it allows for possible change to be implemented during the current teaching period., therefore, having an immediate impact.”
Dr Jessica Marrington, School of Psychology and Wellbeing
The Evaluation System has also played a vital role in promoting a culture of continuous improvement. By providing meaningful feedback and data-driven insights, the system has empowered faculty members, program coordinators, and administrators to identify areas for enhancement and implement evidence-based changes. This iterative approach to evaluation has led to a continuous cycle of learning and growth, strengthening the quality of education and services provided by UniSQ.
Moreover, the Evaluation System has had a positive impact on the student experience. By actively involving students in the evaluation processes, their voices are amplified, and their feedback is incorporated into decision-making. This student-centered approach enhances the overall quality of education, ensuring that programs and courses meet the needs and expectations of students.
The achievements and impact of UniSQ’s Evaluation System are evident in the university’s commitment to excellence and its continuous pursuit of improvement. Through collaboration, inclusivity, and a focus on continuous learning, the Evaluation System has fostered a culture where evaluations are not seen as mere assessments but as catalysts for positive change. The system’s achievements go beyond data and reports, reflecting a transformative mindset that permeates the entire institution. By embracing a culture of evaluation, UniSQ has positioned itself as a leader in evidence-based decision-making and a model institution for fostering a collaborative and inclusive evaluation culture.
Achievements and Impact of UniSQ’s Evaluation System:
- Accountability: In compliance with external legislative requirements, UniSQ redesigned its survey system to include mid- and end-semester surveys. This allowed students to provide early feedback during the teaching period and ensured that even those who withdrew from the course had a voice. The new survey system valued the feedback of all students enrolled at the university, promoting accountability and inclusivity.
- Improvement: The Evaluation System facilitated Course Enhancement Conversations for courses with mid-semester satisfaction results of ≤3.5. These conversations led to the development of action plans by Course Coordinators to improve the learning experience mid-delivery and for future iterations. The conversations also provided an opportunity for situational-specific discussions, unpacking the parameters of course delivery. This process resulted in enhanced course quality and contributed to a culture of continuous improvement.
- Performance: UniSQ implemented a suite of standardized reports at various academic levels, including academic, survey, course, program, and university levels. These reports provided valuable insights and data for decision-making and identified areas for improvement. The introduction of dashboards with heat color shading across survey data allowed for a quick visual assessment of the learning and teaching ecosystem’s health. This data-driven approach enhanced performance monitoring and decision-making processes.
- Recognition and Investment: The UniSQ Academic Quality Project, initiated from 2019 to 2022, served as a strategic investment in academic quality. It involved the establishment of the Academic Quality Unit, led by the Director, and a dedicated team of data analytics experts. This investment enabled the delivery, monitoring, and reporting of evaluation outcomes at multiple levels within a relatively short period. Furthermore, the recognition of prior learning team and its associated funding supported the assessment and granting of credit for students’ prior work experience and industry certifications.
- Collaborative and Inclusive Culture: UniSQ’s Evaluation System fostered a collaborative and inclusive culture, recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives. The involvement of stakeholders, including faculty members, program coordinators, staff, and students, in evaluation processes ensured that multiple voices were heard and considered. The system’s inclusive nature promoted shared responsibility and engagement, leading to a transformative mindset and collaborative decision-making.
As an Associate Head of School responsible for the learning and teaching efforts of our staff, it is critically important to have up-to-date, accurate and approachable reports that give a snapshot of course health and detail of cohort performance.
The University of Southern Queensland Academic Quality Unit have created a complete system that provides this critical real-time data in an easy format allowing searching longitudinally across years and programs, whilst providing the fine minutia of detail to thematically identify specific issues or best practice in courses.
Whilst the extensive Academic Quality “Toolset” provides a multitude of live reports, it was the expertise of the Academic Quality Unit staff themselves that drove the utility of these reports. Unit staff mentored Associate Heads and other decision makers around the meaning of this data and how to uncover underlying themes being demonstrated. Unit staff’s expertise was routinely shown during the “Course Conversations” suite of meetings hosted by the Academic Quality unit.
These conversations, between course staff, associate heads, and the unit staff positively impacted the learning and teaching the School of Engineering (for instance), contributing to clear identification of issues, as well as further mentoring of staff to proactively engage with quality measures both preemptively when designing curriculum, as well as reactively when examining issues or trends after the fact.
In my opinion, the Academic Quality Unit has both envisioned and delivered a significant culture change placing data-driven course-design at the forefront of staffs’ priorities, and being one of most important programs to generate strategic core value and staff capacity building in recent years.”
Associate Professor Andrew Maxwell (Associate Head of School for Learning and Teaching – School of Engineering, UniSQ, 2022)
