Using Foundation Program Academic Standards as a Quality

Enhancement ToolMartin Carroll, Consulting Director,

Dr Salim Razvi, Acting Head, Technical Secretariat

Tess Goodliffe, Quality Audit

Oman Accreditation Council

Presentation for INQAAHE 2009, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Outline

1. Program Accreditation/Recognition in Oman

2. General Foundation Programs

3. Developing GFP Standards

4. Quality Enhancement Issues

5. Conclusions

Abbreviations

GFP = General Foundation Program

HEI = Higher Education Institution

OAC = Oman Accreditation Council

SLO = Student Learning Outcome

1. Program Accreditation/ Recognition in Oman

5 years

LicensedHEI

Omani Program

Assessment

Omani ProgramLicensing

Omani Program

Reassessment

Appeals

OmaniProgram

AccreditationCycle

After first cohort completesProgram

Accreditation Terminated

Standards not met,and insufficientprogress shown

1-2 yrs on ProbationNot met

Standards metProgram

Accreditation Certificate

Standards met

Process

Start / End

Document

KEY

Standards not met, but good progress shown

Foreign Program

Reassessment

Foreign Program Licensing

Foreign Program

Assessment

After first cohort completes

ForeignProgram

RecognitionCycle

Program Recognition Terminated

Not met 1-2 yrs on Probation

Criteria met

Criteria met

Program Recognition Certificate

Criteria not met, butgood progress shown

Criteria not met,and insufficient progress shown

5 years

2. General Foundation Programs

Institutional TypeTotal New

Enrolments 2006/07

Foundation Program Enrolments 2006/07

SQU 2,570 2,380 (93%)

Private Universities and Colleges (2005/06)

6,203 5,319 (86%)

Colleges of Technology and HCT 5,585 5,398 (97%)

Colleges of Education 1,895 1,547 (82%)

Health Institutes 942 942 (100%)

Sharia Institute 179 0 (0%)

Total 17,374 15,586 (88%)

Scale of Foundation Program Enrolments

There was previously no licensing or accreditation for GFPs in Oman.

What is a GFP?

• A formal, structured, generic program of study.

• Of about 2 semesters, but may vary.

• Designed to prepare students so that they will be successful in their higher education studies.

• Does not earn the student higher education credit and is not a terminal qualification.

• Qualifies the student for admission into an HEI and entry into programs (although some programs may have additional entry criteria).

3. DevelopingGeneral Foundation Program

Standards

Four Areas of Learning

English – the language of education in Oman

Mathematics – the language of science

Computing – the language of the modern world

Study Skills – the new pedagogy

• These four constitute generic preparation for all higher education.

• They are to be found in GFPs all over the world.

• They ensure that students don’t lose their academic skills during the time that a GFP may take.

• HEIs may add other areas of learning at their discretion.

Types of Standards for GFPs (prioritised)

1. Student Learning Outcomes

2. Student Learning Outcomes

3. Student Learning Outcomes

4. Assessment Methods

5. Program-specific Resources

6. Program Structure

Why SLO Standards for GFPs?

• Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) focus on what is really important – the students.

• Enable HEIs to refine their curriculum and instructional design by identifying good practice.

• Enable external review panels to make effective judgments for Accreditation.

• Recognise that there may be different ways (inputs & processes) of achieving each SLO - HEIs need some flexibility in this regard.

The Development Method

• Working groups (comprising local and international members) established to prepare draft standards for each area of study. They were asked to:– discuss current experiences with GFPs in Oman;

– consider previous conferences and workshops on GFPs in Oman;

– benchmark internationally.

The OAC Standards Template

• A template was used to embed good design.

• Developed a template based on the work of Benjamin Bloom and his team (University of Chicago, 1956).

• Without a learning taxonomy, there is a risk that all the learning objectives will all be the same type (e.g. “knowledge”).

• Did not use the Affective or Psychomotive domains for GFPs (did not seem to be required).

Taxonomy of Educational Objectives1

Affective(feeling & valuing)

Psychomotive(physically doing)

Cognitive(thinking)

Receiving Imitating2 Knowledge

Responding Manipulating2 Comprehension

Valuing Refining/Exacting2 Application

Organising Articulating2 Analysis

Characterising Naturalizing2 Synthesis

Evaluation1 Based on work by Bloom, B. (Ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The

Classification of Educational Goals, Susan Fauer Company, Inc.2 Based on work by Dave, R.H. (1975) Developing and Writing Behavioural

Objectives. (R J Armstrong, Ed.) Educational Innovators Press.

4. Quality Enhancement Issues

Four thematic issues emerged

• Embracing the consequences of transparent student learning outcomes

• Differentiating between the quality and quantity of student learning.

• Developing a deeper understanding of student-centered curriculum planning

• Embracing the professionalism of teaching in post secondary education

5. Conclusions